THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 1, 1941
WITHDRAWAL FROM GREECE EPIC
Mr. Churchill's Statement In The Commons
Complete Nazi Failure To Break Orderly Retirement
THE EVACUATION OF AT LEAST THREE-QUARTERS OF THE BRITISH TROOPS IN GREECE, THʊUGH HEAVY EQUIPMENT WAS LEFT BEHIND, WAS DISCLOSED BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MR. WINSTON CHURCHILL, IN REPLYING TO A QUESTION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS YESTERDAY.
ATLANTIC AIR SERVICE THIS SUMMER
It Was officially announced in London yesterday (says Reu- ter) that the British trans-Atlantic air ser- vice will be resumed this summer for pur- poses connected with the war.
"CONVOY PATROL" BY R.A.F.
The Prime Minister declared: "Up to the moment when evacuation was seen to be inevitable, we had landed about 60,000 men in Greece, including one New Zealand and one Australian division. Of these at least 45,000 have been evacuated. (Cheers).
"Considering our Air Force was, through the superiority of the enemy force, compelled to leave the air fields from which it could alone effectively cover the retreat of the troops, and that only a small portion could be used to cover the points of embarkation, this must be considered remarkable.
only
"The conduct of the embarkation po
and Malamala. -- Reuter. troops, especially the
Nauplie
rearguard, in fighting Light Guns Got Away their way so many miles
to the
In connection with the Premier's
sea, merits the announcement in the Commons
highest praise.
that 45,000 out of 60,000 British and Empire troops landed Greece are now evacuated and IT IS THE FIRST INSTANCE safely transported to bases, that WHERE AIR BOMBING, PRO- total casualt'es were 3,000 killed LONGED DAY AFTER DAY and wounded, and that heavy HAS FAILED TO BREAK THE equipment was not removed, il DISCIPLINE AND ORDER OF can be stated that the personal MARCHING COLUMNS, WHO. equipment of the troops and light BESIDES BEING THUS ASSAIL-| guns were got away.
the
ED FROM THE AIR. WERE As to the military lessons of PURSUED BY NO LESS THAN the campaign the daring of THREE GERMAN ARMOURED Anzacs and British troops showed DIVISIONS, AS WELL AS THE, there was an answer to attacks by WHOLE STRENGTH OF THE The R.A.F. has carried GERMAN
divisions, and enemy armoured MECHANISED German dive bombers proved out constai
WHICH COULD BE much less formidable than gener- convoy pa- FORCES
ally expected, trols over certain areas in BROUGHT TO BEAR.
the Mediterranean, it was
officially
announced
Cairo yesterday.
in
3,000 Casualties
The aim of the German pirmen was not very accurate and it is i noted with special satisfaction that "In the actual fighting, princi-¦ dive bombing failed to disturb the natly no Mount Olympus," round discipline and morale of the Bri- Grevena tul ut Thermopylae, ish troups. -British Wireless, have about 3,000 ensualties, killed an
wounded, are reported to have! been suffered by our troops.
Enemy arcraft attacks been repeatedly repulsed, whale concentrations of enemy planes at Derop
aerodromes and Cyrenaica were heavily raided on Monday night. Many bombs burst among dispersed aircraft.
This action follows the straf. ing by daylight of concentrations of Junkers troop-carrying air.
"This was a very small part! of the jos:cs Inflicted on thei Germans who, on several occa. cons, Lometimes for two days at a time, were brought to a stand. call by forces one-fifth of their] number.
STATEMENT CAIRO
from
craft at Benina aerodrome, ACCOUNT OF GERMAN LOSSES yesterday announced:
"NOR DOES IT TAKE ANY
IN INCURRED
THEIR AS- Greece
1
This is not a new type of ventilators placed in the roof
London. (Copyright, Fox).
train, but the queer effect of tops of street she.ters in South
IN CONFORMITY
WITH OF
REQUEST GREECE
A LETTER FROM the Greek Government to the British Government was read by Mr. Anthony Eden, the Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons yesterday, as follows:-
"The Greek Government, while express- A communique British G.H.Q. in Cairong to the British Government and the gallant Imperial troops their gratitude for the aid to the withdrawal Greece in defence against an unjust aggres- SAULTS UPON THE GREEK of our troops is continu sor, are obliged to make the following state-
"I dare say it will be possible to ing satisfactorily.
ment. raided and there were many ex-give a fuller account in the debute Libya and Tobruk - no change plosions,
next week but I think I have said in the situation.
where 110 ten on Monday.
were lined
up,
Benghazi harbour was also
R.A.F. fighters continued harass the enemy by low-level muchine-gun attacks.
AND YUGOSLAV ARMIES.
continuing.
to enough to show that painful us Solium putrol activities are
Abyssinia units of the Sudan Defence Force captured Sokota on Sunday last, inflicting many cas- ualties on the enemy.
are our losses we have much to be thankful for and the Empire rces have much to be proud of." 'heers).
Within The Figure
Three enemy aircraft have been shot down by A.A, over Tobruk In the past two days. Enemy troop prions and ammunition dumps. re attack- When asked whether that meant ed in the Uadda ären of Abyssi- that 45,000 men had successfully nia by South African 'planes. reached their bases, Mr. Churchill Motor transport was destroyed replied: "I believe that is so, In- and heavy casualties caused deed, I think I am well within the among white and native troops. figure."
Direct hits were made on a building on Tandeso aerodrome.
Four 'planes are missing from, these operations.-Reuter.
QUAKER UNIT FOR -
CHINA
not
"Affer conducting a victorious the Imperial forces absolutely need struggle against strongly supperior the assistance of the Greek army enemy forces for more than six without which they could months the Greek army has now prolong their own resistance for reached the stage of exhaustion more than a few days. and finds itself completely de- "In these conditions, continua- prived of certain resources in- tion of the struggle, while incap- A further 515 prisoners were dispensable for the pursuit of able of producing any useful taken, of whom 400 colonial war, like munitions, motorised effect, would have no other re- troops įmmediately volunteered vehicles and aeroplanes--resources sult than to bring about the col- to enter the Emperor's service. with which it was Inadequately lapse of the Greek
army and
cause.
In all other areas the activities supplied from the outbreak of bloodshed useless to the Allied of our own troops and Patriot hostilities. forces continue to clear the coun- try of isolated detachments. -- Replying to another query the Reuter. Prime Minister said heavy equip- ment could not, of course, be re- moved, but the Germans were not short of heavy equipment.-Reu-|
ter.
Three Divisions Still Fighting
GIBRALTAR PREPARES
•
"This state of things makes it
Vain Sacrifice impossible for the Greeks to con- tinue the struggle with any chance "Consequently the Greek Gov- of success and deprives them of ernment are
state obliged to further88crifice all hope of being able to lend that
of the assistance to their valiant ally. British Expeditionary Force would be in vain..and its withdrawal in Greek Assistance.
time seems rendered necessary by circumstances and by interests "In view of the importance of common to the struggle." Troopships escorted by the British, contingents, in view
··· Mr.\Philip" Noel-Baker (Erb. our) asked. Mr. Eden to: convey- Four members of a
to the Greek Premier, Britain's Quaker Three divisions of British and two destroyers, which ar-of the aviation at their disposal, and in view of the extent of the ambulance unit, under the aus-Greek troops were still resisting rived at Gibraltar, have front heroically defended by them,
* deep gratitude for the magni- endurance pices of the British Red Cross, in Peloponnesus, cramps yes sailed again, according to
.ficent courago "and. fed by Peter Tepnant, are leav Turin newspaper "Stampa" yes-
which, the Grosk army, had ing England this week for Chung- terday,
an Algeciras despatch to
shown and for their loyalty as king for service as the Chinese The paper says they occupy a
allies. (Loud cheers), -Government may think best. line running across the centre of Vichy.
Last night long-range firing Mr. Eden concurred, and add- The party. numbers 40, and the the peninsula from Aguilinizza, A sham air attack was made on practice was being carried out ed; "The whole House feels no mainder, are following shortly, on the Ionian Sea, to Arcos, Gibraltar on Tuesday night when from the northern front of the tribute can be too high for what
Reuter.
north of Nauplie, and possess as 'planes dropped sandbags repré- Rock.—Heuter.
senting bombs.
they have, achieved."Reuter,
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