HISTORY AS IT HAPPENS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 98, 9 May 1941, Page 3

HISTORY AS IT HAPPENS

Thursday, April 24 The situation in Greece showed a marked deterioration. The German press paid tribute to the heroism of the New Zealanders in defending the gap between Mount Olympus and the Aegean. For forty hours they held the German advance at a standstill. Franco and the Spanish Government were being pressed by the Germans to permit the passage of German troops to attack Gibraltar, At Dessye the Italians were making a firm stand, Friday, April 25 News of the situation in Greece was conspicuously lacking, but the Germans claimed that part of the Empire’s forces had already embarked. The Luftwaffe has been ordered to make the British retreat as costly as possible. The’ Germans were 35 miles from Athens. The Anzacs were defending the pass of Thermopylae and the Australian ActingPrime. Minister stated that there was no ground for hoping there would be any turn to our advantage. President Roosevelt summoned his War Cabinet for a full dress review of the Allied position ‘in Greece. Reports were circulated in some circles that 40% of American supplies for Britain were being sunk, Colonel Knox, Secretary of the Navy, strongly indicated that the U.S. would convoy supply ships to Britain, as "we must see the job through." Further Australian troops arrived at Singapore. Foreign diplomatic circles reported that Germany had demanded from Turkey military control of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles in return for a slice of Thrace. Vichy reported that Germany and Italy had an army of 200,000 men and 1,200 aeroplanes in Libya. Saturday & Sunday, April 26 & 27 The German advance guard entered Athens at 10.0 am. on Sunday, and mechanised units followed. A_ valiant rearguard action was fought by British and Anzacs, although hopelessly outnumbered. The British destroyed more German tanks fan there were British tanks sent to Greece. Greek communiques and broadcasts have ceased. A small Greek defence force fought the German landing party at Lemnos for 4 hours. A strong attack by the Axis forces on Tobruk was repulsed. A new British fighter ‘plane, the Typhoon, was stated to be in full production. President Roosevelt declared that American neutrality patrols would operate far into the oceans. Gibraltar was being thoroughly prepared for any emergency. There were reports that Japan ‘cat completed preparations to attack Singapore to synchronise with the next German move in the Mediterranean,

Monday, April 28 The only official news of the fighting in Greece was that the British withdrawal was continuing, The Germans claimed to have captured Corinth. Some criticism was made in English newspapers of the lack of news, It was officially announced that the Imperial forces captured Dessye, the last stronghold of the Italians in Abyssinia, Mr, Churchill announced in an Empire broadcast the decision of the United States to patrol with naval surface craft and flying-boats the waters of the Western Hemisphere and to warn Allied and neutral ships of the presence of enemy submarines and raiders. Mr. Churchill’s speech claimed that the call made upon us by Greece could not be resisted, "We must now expect war in the Mediterranean, on the seas and in the air, to become very fierce, varied and wide-spread." Tuesday, April 29 The Acting-Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. Fadden, announced in Sydney that the evacuation of Greece was proceeding and Imperial- forces were conducting themselves with great heroism in the face of great enemy pressure. Reports from Lisbon state that the Spanish Foreign Minister, Senor Suner, was completing preparations to declare Spain on the side of the Axis. German and Italian forces occupied Sollum. Wednesday, April 30 Reports from American sources stated that the last valiant Anzacs were evacuated from Greece, and British and Greek forces had fortified Crete. The Germans claimed to be approaching the last harbours in the south of Greece. Admiral Stark, Chief of U.S. Naval Operations, revealed that U,S. naval patrols were operating 2,000 miles out in the Atlantic. German newspapers admitted that the war in the Balkans caused economic damage on a large scale. The Canadian budget imposed taxes on the heaviest scale in the Dominion’s history. The Bomber Command in daylight operations between April 17 and 23 sunk or damaged much German shipping off the coast of Europe,