ELEVENTH HOUR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 June 1941, Page 5

ELEVENTH HOUR

LAST PHASE OF BATTLE NEW ZEALANDERS FIGHT INDOMITABLY. DEAFENED WITH CONSTANT BOMBING. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, June 1. The Cairo correspondent of the “Daily Mail,” in an earlier message, describes the fighting in Crete in its “eleventh hour.” The Empire troops, holding gullies and rocky river-beds, and throwing up ramparts of stones as they hastily construct machine-gun nests, and the Germans, protected by the • screaming dive-bombers, continue to surge against them. The New ZeaLM'ders are fighting on almost autci-natically, their eyes red with watching and their ears singing and half-deafened with the constant bombing. A German communique says: “The operations for the possession of Crete are approaching an end. The enemy resistance has collapsed.” British circles in Cairo pay a tribute to the sterling work of the Navy in bringing out wounded and other troops from Crete in destroyers. All the men were tired when they were picked up from small boats and creeks round Suda Bay. One gunner had walked 70 miles. The unanimous opinion of those who have returned is that the Maoris did a marvellous job and fought amazingly and in the best of spirits. They disembarked from the destroyers all smiling and laughing, in spite of the fact that they had been fighting all day and all night under the hellish divebombing. NAZI DISAPPOINTMENT. A German communique indicates that the cleaning-up in Crete is not being accomplished as speedily as was expected. It says that the Germans continue their pursuit of the beaten enemy, and a junction with the Italians, who have landed in the cast of the island,. is only a matter of time. The Berlin news agency claims that the British are now trapped, with German troops after a forced march approaching Sphakia (on the southern side of the island south-east of Suda Bay), and the Italians are advancing from the east.

“Captured German parachutists told us of the great shock our resistance in Crete has given them,’ says the Australian official war correspondent. “All stressed that they had been told that their task would be simple and that all they had to do was to clear the dromes and make way for the troopcarrying planes. They expected to re-

turn to Germany within a day, but their corps was cut to pieces in the first big operation. They were unnerved and appalled at the slaughter. Their ages ranged from 18 to 21 years.” The Germans allege that British troops have been captured at a number of points in Crete wearing German uniforms and badges. One officer reported that a British soldier stood on a hilltop waving a Swastika flag, and the Germans ascended the hill, believing that their own troops were in occupation, but they were met with murderous fire from Britishers who were lining the hilltop. The greater part of the Germans were killed. ENEMY CASUALTIES. A Greek Government spokesman told the Cairo correspondent of “The Times” that the German casualties in Crete have reached 12,000 men, comprising 7000 shot in the air or on landing and 5000 drowned when attempting to invade Crete from the sea. Thirty thousand men reached the island, comprising two divisions of parachutists and glider troops, one airborne division, and two regiments of shock troops who were part of a division that was lost at sea. The British and Greek troops, fighting from defended positions, suffered fewer casualties, but the civilian casuallies on the north coast were high. Since the British have virtually no heavy equipment in Crete, our losses of tanks, guns and lorries are under those of any previous expeditionary force. The part that Greek skippers have been playing in enlarging the German losses is only now coming to light. They were forced at the point of a gun to man their caiques, but in the darkness they deliberately crashed them on rocks. Piles of wreckage round Suda Bay are a monument to their courage. Thousands of Gormans were spilled into deep water to drown. / The Cretans have been most active | saboteurs. They have wrecked the I light, water and power plants in Canea and other northern villages and set fire to the few remaining petrol dumps.

KING OF GREECE REMAINING NEAR HIS FREE TROOPS. LONDON, May 31. The King of Greece is preparing to enter British territory. He and his Cabinet have decided to remain near the Greek troops, who will continue the struggle from the Middle East. The Germans have not captured the stocks of Greek gold cither in Greece or Crete. The national gold has been safely transferred to Nev/ York, and the King’s personal funds have been taken outside Greece.