TAKEN BY GERMANS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 November 1943, Page 3

TAKEN BY GERMANS

DODECANESE ISLAND OF LEROS RESISTANCE OF GARRISON ENDS UNDER OVERWHELMING AIR ■ ATTACK LONDON, November 17. The Dodecanese island of Leros is again in German hands. Organised resistance , by the British and Italian garrison ceased last night, after another day of incessant attack by German dive-bomb-ers and severe lighting against strong enemy reinforcements. LACK OF AIR COVER IMPOSSIBLE ODDS AGAINST GARRISON. GALLANT EFFORT MAINTAINED FOR FIVE DAYS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) RUGBY, November 17. Leros, where British forces landed at the time of the Italian surrender two months ago, fell after five days of heavy fighting and continuous air bombardment. Owing to lack of air cover it has not been possible for British warships to afford the garrison anything like the support afforded the Sicilian and Italian landings and subsequent operations. Any artillery support had to be short and sharp, because the ships were subjected to attacks by night and day from aircraft based on Rhodes, Crete, Kos and Athens. Rhodes is a bare 80 miles away, while the nearest Allied bases in Africa are 400 miles distant. Evidently a substantial effort was devoted to the recapture of the island, but as the weight of that effort is not known it is impossible to estimate the value to the Allied cause which it represents. Nor can an attempt be made to reckon the effect this diversion effort has had on other German campaigns. ENEMY CLAIM OVER 3000 BRITISH PRISONERS. AND 5000 ITALIANS. (Received This Day, 11.25 a.m.) LONDON, November 17. In a special communique from Hitler’s headquarters, it is claimed that ■2OO British officers and 3000 non-com-missioned officers and men under the British commander of the island of Leros, General Itllney, and also 350 Italian officers and 5000 non-commission-ed officers and men under the Italian Admiral Masharpa, surrendered to the Germans. The communique added that the Germans captured 16 British heavy anti-aircraft guns, 20 light anti-aircraft guns, about 120 other guns, and 80 antiaircraft machine guns. The German naval forces and*'air force, it is added, destroyed during the preliminary fight nine destroyers-and escort vessels, two patrol vessels, two ’submarines, one gunboat, four merchantmen and several small supply ships, and also hit one cruiser, one destroyer and two escorts.