EARLY FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 May 1941, Page 5

EARLY FIGHTING

NEW ZEALAND OFFICER’S STORY INITIATIVE CF JUNIOR LEADERS. NAZI PARACHUTE TACTICS. (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service.) CAIRO. May 27. The New Zealanders are fighting a magnificent battle in Crete and have been ever since the Germans commenced their attempts to take the island. This is the statement of a young New Zealand officer who has just arrived in Egypt after having been in charge of the New Zealand escort which accompanied the King of the Hellenes on his arduous'journey to escape-. The officer said that New Zealanders in some sectors had borne the brunt of the fighting and had played their part admirably. It was a type of fighting that appealed to the Dominion troops—coming to grips with the enemy at close quarters. This brought out the initiative of the junior leaders, especially the non-commissioned officers, who were doing a splendid job. "It is the oldstyle fighting on the . ground, with everything new in the air,” he added. On the first clay of the attack the Germans landed in multi-coloured parachutes, but by the second day they had reverted to the original white variety, the officer said. There were several stages to the parachute attacks. First came reconnaissance planes, and next came bombers to attempt to knock out the anti-aircraft positions and try to deal with the aerodromes. The bombers let loose on the objective and its perimeter to a radius of about a mile and a half.

A landing was then made on the objective while the perimeter was still bombed to act as a barrage to the descending troops while fighter air-

craft machine-gunned the points of resistance. The men landing by parachute took only about a quarter of an hour to get going. Their job was to get the aerodromes where if they were successful, they would be reinforced by troop-carriers. “In this case they came a horrible thud,” said the officer. “The first attacks failed. The 'dromes were cut to pieces by our fire, and the reinforcing parachutists were delayed and met with a very hot reception when they did arrive. Their losses must have been terrific, both in men and material. If the Germans fail, the loss to their army in material alone will have been huge. "Most of the severe fighting took place within an area of a few square miles. “A strange aspect of the effect of landing parachute troops was in the monotony they-, caused to the senses. It was like counting sheep, the result being just as wearying.” The officer slated that he had seen enemy planes bombing an Allied hospital which was clearly marked as such. Commenting on a report that the enemy were dive-bombing their own troops by mistake and landing' supplies on our men. he said it was quite possible because of the confused nature of the fighting.