1941-06-02 — Page 2

HE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 2, 1941.

Distances

WHY WE ABANDONED CRETE Disparity In Air Base German Occupation Completed Only At Heavy Cost

IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE NUMBER 15,000 GIVEN IN THE WAR OFFICE COMMUNIQUE FOR TROOPS WITHDRAWN FROM CRETE RELATES ONLY TO BRITISH AND IMPERIAL TROOPS AND DOES NOT INCLUDE GREEK TROOPS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN. IT IS NOT YET KNOWN WHAT PROPORTION OF TROOPS FROM THE DOMINIONS IS AMONG THE MEN SAVED.

Nor is it possible yet to indicate in Lon- don the total of troops the British had in Crete nor whether the evacuation is regarded eratt as completed.

Informed circles, discussing the necessity for withdrawal, emphasise the disparity in distance between British and German air bases from Crete.

It is thought that at least some s Explaining the Air Force dim- at the German prisoners captured culties in Greece and Crete, the in Crete have been transferred to, officer said in winter it was im Egypt.

possible to use aerodromes with

runways London circles assumed that out properly prepared he New Zealand Commander-- but after two days of fine wen- Chief, Major-General Freyburg, then it was possible to create a V.C., came out with the troops number of improved aerodromes. who were withdrawn. in view of the recent statement that he was alive and with his troops.

A senior R.A F. officer in Cairo, giving a general review yesterday of the air situation in the light of events in Grecce and Crete, estimated the total number of 'planes used by the Germans in Crete at about 1,000, with the number destroyed

running into hundreds.

Busted Flush

The parachutista division particularly

shop-soiled.

arose

of

craft in any direction.

When the Iraq trouble they switched a large force

to Iraq while R.A.F. artnoured ears were at Rutbah, two days after leaving the Wes- tern Desert.

were

The officer revealed that alr- craft are steadily arriving in the Middle East."

Questioned about American1 planes he said they

very babies, had good but like alt teething troubles and there was a good deal to be done to make them as good war machines the British.

US

American 'planes had not the same hitting power as the British but both British and Americans were learning from experience.

The American Maryland 'plane had hitting power, and the officer also praised the Tomahawk. Reuter. wea -

The British were hampered by the fact that the weather did not in prove until two days after the The Germans German advance. had the advantage of fine ther and were also conscripting labour.

ruthless in

Apex Of Triangle

WBS

Main trouble, however, that the British were forced into the apex of a triangle with the Germans having A wider ring of bases round them.

the One of

problems thus

was considerably arising was that the British had more aerodromes and inore con-

The officer described the para-mitments to defend, and at one chutists as a burted Bush, saying time it was proposed to destros

BOMB BROUGHT

TO

ADMIRALTY

WE DO NOT HEAR VERY

ex- MUCH OF THE GREAT WORK it was not parachutists but bom- all the Cretan aerodromes bers and fighters who captured cept one but eventually all were! DONE BY THE ENGINEERS OF THE MERCHANT NAVY. BUT Malemi, enabling air-borne troops, destroyed except three.

For aur as for sea warfare it THERE to 'and.

to have secure It was air-borne troops and not was essentiul

MINDER OF IT IN A STORY

ALW 231

WOMEN IN WAR-TIME: ~ Women are being trained to drive and untoad light vans delivering supplies of food to Lyons' teashops in the Lordon aroa. 'Photo shows a girl van. driver, complete in her uniform which le made after the style of the battledress, at 'work in London. She is seen being as- alsted by a girl porfer, or better known (right) with the trays. (Copyright, Fox).

as a

"Georgelna"

R.A.F. COVERING EVACUATION OF CRETE FORCES

SEVEN ENEMY 'PLANES were destroyed

by the R.A.F. during patrols over British ships WAS A TIMELY RE- in the Mediterranean on Saturday, while the parachutists who were dangerous, bases, and a glance at the map TOLD BY MR. RONALD CROSS. aerodromes at Malemi and 'Heraklion, in

Concensus of opinion from would show why, with the exist- MINISTER OF SHIPPING.

He was speaking in London at Crefe, and Benghazi, in Libya, were also Greece and Crete was that low- ing ranges of British fighters, we flying fighters. were far

were unable to have fighter pro-the annual luncheon of the In-bombed. dead'y than dive-bombers.

more

The officer, expressing his per sonal view, said the war was and would become still more an air

war.

Snags Before The Nazis

!

tection in Greece and Créte.

stitute of Marine Engineers.

A 500lb. bomb struck one ves- LONG RANGE, FIGHTERS,

OFFICER. WERE sel and put out all the lights. The SAID THE IMPROVISED BUT THE HAN-master found that the bomb had DICAP OF

2

31 rope.

The

These facts were given in the following

Mediterranean: R.A.F. maintained defensive

LONG-RANGE torn a hole in the ship's side and R.A.F. communique issued in Cairo yester FIGHTERS OPERATING AT had landed intact on the stokehold day:-

Boiler. RANGE plates of the centre THE END OF THEIR

hauled

with RANGE was

up SHORT AGAINST While the German successes in HIGH PERFORMANCE INTER-through the ventilator.

"The crowning 'feature of the fighters Créte complicated our problem CEPTORS WAS VERY HEAVY. the Germans

find would never anywhere else such geographical condtions as existed in Crete, and

in The British were now further, resistance and their commit- much easier positiun. It easier for them to switch

as they went

would grow

ments would grow too.

Position Better Now

incident, to my mind," remarked patrols over British ships in the HOW TO MAINTAIN

the Mr. Cross, "was this:

men Mediterranean throughout Satur- aboard that ship took the troubleday. a to bring the bomb back to

Admiralty, because they felt that was air- it might be of technical interest."

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the

During these patrols they des- 88 troyed five German Junkers bombers, one Italian Savola 19 bomber and one Italian Cant 1007 Bomber and damaged other Jun- kers 88 so severely that a number of them were unlikely to have regained their bases.

30

At Sfax, in Tunisia, an Italian ship previously attacked on May W26 again bombed and machine-gunned. Three direct hite on the vessel were follow od by clouds of black snöke.

Crète Raïds

GOOD HEALTH.

Most things in life worth hav- ing require some effort to attain and good health is no exception,

You cannot expect to keep well unless you are prepared to dis- cipline yourself to some extent in the matter of eating and drink- mg, in the amount and regularity of the exercise you take.

If in spite of care, you find yourself losing weight, troubled with indigestion, with no ap- petite for food, "afflicted with rheumatism or back pains, nervous and depressed, then your urgent Crete: the aerodromes at Malemi need is a tonic which is capable and Heraklion were again. heav-of rehabilitating the blood, for lly bombed during the night of an impoverished condition of the May 30/31. Three enemy air-blood is the cause of many such craft were set on fire at Malemi health troubles. and Heraklion;; and" a" number, of Ares accompanied by heavy ex plosions were started near run- ways and among aerodrome build- ings. Six Junker 88 on the ground were machine-gunned and damaged

Take Dr. Williams Pink Pills and you will soon notice an im-- provement.

!

The efficacy of these "world- famous tonic pills has been fur- ther increased by the inclusion In the formula of the element vitamin B1 Head

Abyssiniai South African bomb ers attacked enemy motor trans- port, tents and buildings, hear everywhere can Ghimbi-Bombs were seen to fall on large buildings, huts and parks. Dr.

et motor transport

From all the above

perationa

four of our aircraft are missini-

Rea

والسلوك

Chem! thorn:

Blood and NG