Evening star., 1941-05-25
Western End Of Crete
Under Nazi Control,
Berlin Asserts
british Navy Declared
Swept From Waters
North of Island
Ry the Associated Press.

BERLIN. May 24.-The German
silence on activities in Crete, proudly
announced today a Nazi penetration
into the important Eastern Mediter-
ranean island.
Although the news of the sinking
of the British battle cruiser Hood
naturally created the most excite
ment in the imagination of the
] Germans, the high commands un-
( emotional announcement concerning
Crete reached German public
eager for information on the island
battle.
The western portion of Crete
is firmly in the hands of German
troops, the high command told
German citizens. who up to late
afternoon knew of the fighting there
only through rumor and by con-
fusing reports of foreign radio
stations to which they are forbidden
to listen.
Operations continue according to
plan" said the war bulletin in
matter-o fact, Unconditional phrases.
Reinforced by Army" Units.
"Air-borne' troops were said to
have been reinforced by units of
the army" so it was indicated that
at least a portion of the German
forces on the island were taken there
by surface transports.
The German people were told fur
thermore that their air force has
swept the British Navy from the
waters north of Crete and that
many vessels of the British fleet
had been destroyed and damaged.
Air supremacy over the entire
battle area" also was claimed by
the high command, and that pre-
sumably meant in the air over all
Crete.
The announcement was combined
with plain-spoken warning to the
British not to treat Nazi para
chutists or air-borne troops which
may fall into their hands in viola
ton of the rules of humanity"
Assail Churchill Statement.
The high command categorically
pronounced untrue the statement by
Prime Minister Churchill that para
chutists had landed wearing uni
forms of New Zealand troops 1t
threatened that should such a state
ment later be made justification
for mistreatment of German pris-
oners reprisals in the ratio of Lotto
l would be inflicted on British pris-
onerS.
Charges that German parachut-
lists wear civilian clothes, or uni
forms of the enemy, arise frequently
and invariably cause the most in
tense irritation here.
The Germans said their para
chutists wear a distinctive uniform.
somewhat resembling a mechanics
uniform and that every military at
tache ever accredited to Berlin has
had an opportunity to acquaint him
self with it.
The high command said nothing
of the losses suffered by the Ger
mans in making the over-water
lump to Crete.
Difficulties Stressed.
Military observers were stressing
the increasing difficulties of the
British Fleet In the Eastern Medl.
terranean. With the water route to
the Greek mainland under German
control and air mastery achieved,
it was regarded as just a matter
of time before all Crete would be
occupied.
Then the Germans would have an
air base thrust far out in the direc-
ton of Suez, Alexandria, Syria and
Tobruk
In the western air war, the high
command acknowledged that the
r. A. F. damaged buildings and
killed a small number of civilians
in overnight raids on Cologne and
Dusseldorf, and reported success
full Nazi raids on English airports
and freighter off the British coast.
On the African front, two British
tanks and some guns were declared
destroyed in a thrust east of Salum
IN the pyptian-T II ,ihyon border