Evening star., 1941-05-21
Big Nava|-Air
Action Fought,
Nazis Indicate
English BottIeship
And 5 Cruisers
Declared Bombed
BULLETIN.

LoNOON 'f].-A OeIIldn
attempt to land soldiers in q
Crete from small speed boats,
in support of air borne troops, 8
has been defeated, authorita-
tive British sources said to-
night. They gave no details.
By the Associated Press.
The British Mediterranean
fleet has joined the battle Of
Crete, German reports indicated
today as more thousands Of
Nazi air troops dropped on the
island, last refuge Of the Greeks.
Indicating that the British feet
had been in major action off Crete,
the German wireless declared that
Nazi warplanes had scored hits with
heavy bombs on British battle
ship, five cruisers and a destroyer
in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Four of the warships caught fire,
it was claimed and a cruiser listed
heavily.
Cruiser Reported Struck.
The report was elaboration Of an
earlier claim. circulated by DNB,
official German news agency. that
British cruiser had been hit di-
rectly with the heaviest caliber
bomb" this morning by German
planes off Crete.
The Italian high command an
nounced that Fascist torpedo -carry-
ing planes had torpedoed a 10000
ton British cruiser in the Eastern
Mediterranean.
The British apparently were at
tempting to prevent the Germans
from sending reinforcementS for
their aerial troops by sea.
Earlier today the British radio
acknowledged that one or two sea-
borne German transports had pene- g
trated the defenses of Crete.
1t was estimated. unofficially. to-
night at British Near East head y
quarters in Cairo that the Germans
had at least 1000 casualties in para
chutists killed or wounded during \
yesterdays first operations in their
air-borne invasion of Crete.
French Enter Syria.
Fighting continued in Iraq and
was declared to have spread to
Syria, with Free French" reported
TO have entered the French-man-
dated territory to combat Axis forces
aiding Iraq and regular French
regiment reported to have Joined the
De Gaullists. The reports were
broadcast by Radio Brazzaville,
Free French" station in Equatorial
Africa, and were heard by c. B. S.
in New York.
In Vichy competent French
sources said they had heard of no
such penetration.
Vichy diplomatic sources said they
had been Informed German military
equipment is rolling across Turkey
into Iraq by railroad. Istanbul
said passenger traffic to Iraq had
been stopped.
Reports that Turkey had de-
manded territorial concessions in ,
Syria from France were, however,
denied fatty by the Turkish Embassy
at Vichy.
Situation Declared in Hand"
Informed Greek sources in Cairo,
Egypt, said they understood the
British had the situation in Crete
in hand early this morning, but
they acknowledged that some in
vadlng units still were fighting.
Exactly how many Nazi aerialists
had arrived was uncertain. Prime
Minister Churchill. telling the
House of Commons that the fighting
in Crete must be expected to be-
come increasingly severe. said 1900
landed yesterday morning and 5000 :,
mole yesterday afternoon. Other
reports said 5000 came out of the
skies during the night. Then more y
came today.
Also uncertain was the number
Of British and Greek troops defend-~ y
ing the island. In Sydney. Aus
tralia, Army Minister Percy Spender
said New Zealand division-about =
10000 to $4,000 men-as we'll as a
substantial number of Australian
troops went to Crete after the with :
drawal from the Greek mainland.
Spender said he did not know
whether the Australians had later
been replaced by British units, nor
could he confirm reports that part
of the Australian imperial force
had gone to Cyprus, the British
island off Syria.
British Near East headquarters at
Cairo said a German detachment
yesterday penetrated the outskirts X
of Canea, the capital of Crete. but
that the attackers were quickly
surrounded and accounted for" y
British headquarters said the Nai
invasion troops suffered serious
losses" while British losses were <
described as comparatively light"
Heavy r. A. F. bombers smashed
at the Greek mainland bases of the
(See CRETE, Page 2-XD