OUR LOSSES SEVERE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 June 1941, Page 5

OUR LOSSES SEVERE

IN DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS OPERATION Toll Taken of Attacking Enemy Planes IN PASSAGE ACROSS MEDITERRANEAN STATEMENT PROMISED BY ACTING-PREMIER LONDON, June 1. FIFTEEN THOUSAND BRITISH TROOPS HAVE BEEN EVACUATED FROM CRETE. THE ROYAL NAVY AND THE R.A.F. COOPERATED IN THE OPERATION, WHICH WAS FAR MORE DANGEROUS AND MORE DIFFICULT THAN WAS THE CASE WITH THE WITHDRAWALS FROM GREECE AND DUNKIRK. A communique from Cairo states that after 12 days of what has been the fiercest fighting of the war, it was decided to withdraw the Imperial forces from Crete. Although the losses we inflicted on enemy troops and aircraft were enormous, our naval and military forces could not be expected to operate without more air support than could be .provided from our bases in Africa. Fifteen thousand troops were withdrawn, but it must be admitted that our losses are severe. The withdrawal was carried out under conditions similar to the evacuation of forces from Greece. German dive bombers were fought off by fighters of the R.A.F. as the Navy carried the men across the Mediterranean to safety. Throughout yesterday fighters maintained an offensive patrol over the ships. Seven German planes were destroyed and others damaged so severely that they would not be likely to reach their bases. J * It is not yet possible to say how many British troops were in Crete, but it is known that those evacuated were British and did not include any Greeks. What proportion came from Britain, Australia or New Zealand is not yet known. It is estimated that the Germans used 1,000 planes in their invasion of Crete. Hundreds of these machines were destroyed and a great part of the remainder would need reservicing. Up to Friday night British aircraft were still striking heavily at the Germans in Crete. Three enemy aircraft were . set on fire on Friday night and a number of fires, followed by heavy explosions, occurred. THE ACTING PRIME MINISTER, MR NASH, ANNOUNCED THIS MORNING THAT HE HOPED TO MAKE A STATEMENT REGARDING THE EVACUATION FROM CRETE UPON RECEIPT OF FURTHER INFORMATION FROM MR FRASER, WHO HAS HAD A LONG DISCUSSION WITH MAJOR-GENERAL FREYBERG AND MEMBERS OF THE NEW ZEALAND FORCES EVACUATED FROM CRETE.