ON BRITISH FORCES IN CRETE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 May 1941, Page 5

ON BRITISH FORCES IN CRETE

Situation Described as Precarious WITHDRAWAL TO NEW POSITIONS IN CANEA AREA POWERFUL AND WIDESPREAD RAIDS BY R.A.F. LOX DOX, May 28. Severe land fighting- continues in Crete, where the Germans have launched a heavy attack against the'British forces in Canea. German reinforcements by air continue to' arrive and air bombardment is becoming even more intense. The British troops in the Canea area have withdrawn to new positions in rear of those formerly held. The position in Crete is described as being precarious. The air force has done everything that could be done to interfere with the German operations. The fighters which were evacuated from Greece could not be used in Crete owing’ to insufficient anti-aircraft defences and the great superiority in the number of German planes. The one place in the Middle East where the R.A.F. has superiority is in Iraq, where the Germans appear to have failed to carry out their promise to help the rebels. It js stated that the situation in Iraq developed prematurely from the German point of view. The striking power of the R.A.F. in the Middle East, in operations extending from Libya to Syria, and from Crete to Abyssinia, is indicated in an R.A.F. communique issued in Cairo. South African and Free French airmen are playing their part with men from Britain and other parts of the Empire. The German-occupied aerodrome of Malemi, in Crete, and the harbour at Benghazi, were heavily attacked on Monday night and in daylight yesterday the air force kept up the attack against German forces round Crete and also against shipping off the North African coast. The attack against German aircraft in Crete caused considerable destruction. On Monday night five German aircraft are believed to have been destroyed and several others set on fire at Malemi, while others were also bombed and machinegunned. In daylight yesterday many more aircraft were destroyed on the ground at Malemi. German planes north of Crete were intercepted and three of them shot down. The island of Crete is littered with the wreckage of German aircraft. It is stated that many German dive-bombers and fighters have been sent down to the Balkans in the last two months and that the strength of the German air force in northwest Europe has been cut down appreciably. Not many of the planes sent to the Balkans are heavy bombers and no lesseningin the German air attack on Britain is to be expected in consequence.