Evening star., 1941-05-21
Germans Pour More Air roops
Onto Crete as Churchill Sees
Increasingly Severe Conflict
FoothoId Is Coined
By Nozis, British
Radio Indicates
By the Associated Press.

LONDON, May 21.-Prime
Minister Churchill warned today
that the battle of Crete would
continue with increasing sever
ity" as reliable sources declared
air-borne Nazi shock troops were
still pouring into the invaded
Greek island.
The latest total of the German in
vasion force made known unofflcially
In London was 4.500 men.
The Germans were delivered by
aerial transports and sailed in by
glider and parachute, the Prime
Minister informed the House of
Commons, bringing forward the run
ming account he gave it with first
news of the invasion yesterday.
Assault on Suda Bay.
He told of a second assault on
suda Bay which. although available
only to shallow draft vessels, is
Crete's best anchorage.
All dJlCLlpI dlSO has OCOll liicdC
10 land Nazi naval forces on the
Mediterranean island stronghold,
authoritative sources said.
Attempts to land sea a-borne troops
were reported concentrated at the
western end of the island and in the
Gambia area, Greek government seat.
(The British radio, heard in
New York, said 1t now appeared
that one or two sea-borne Ger
man troop transports also had
penetrated the British defenses
of Crete and indicated that the
Germans had gained at least a
temporary foothold on the 160-
mile long island, including air
fields)
Canea, the island capital to which
King George II of Nazi-occupied
Greece has shifted his government,
Is less than 5 miles from Suda
Bay On the northwest corner of
the island, it is closest to the south
ern Greek airdromes from which the
Germans are launching their sus-
tanned aerial invasion attempt.
House Cheers Report.
I'm the Suda Bay area" Mr.
Churchill said, further air-borne
attacks commenced at half past 4
pm. yesterday.
About 5000 men were dropped
and by $50 pm. the greater part
of these had been accounted for"
The House broke into cheers and
Mr.. Churchill went on:
The fighting continued and the
situation was reported in hand at
o'clock.
"The method of the attack was
Stukas and Messerschmitts followed
by gliders and parachutes.
I'm the Heraclion (Candia) and
Retimo areas the attacks began at
$50 by parachutes and troop
carrying aircraft, many of which
crashed, also landed.
There are no details yet. OF
course, we must expect that the
fighting will continue in increasing
severity"
heptdtS DISS uiSC SA1di &c.
Mr.. Churchill, answering a ques-
ton, reiterated his statement of yes
terday that the first German para
chutists wore New Zealand battle
dress, and added that the govern
ment also had been Informed that
some Nazi aerialists were in the bat
tie uniforms of English Tommies
AS to whether such prisoners
would be put to death on the spot
as spies, Mr. Churchill said he was
mot sufficiently informed on the
exact circumstances"
1--WE must leave certain amount
of discretion to those on the spot"
the Prime Minister added.
The British radio, following up
Mr.. Churchill's charge yesterday,
broadcast this warning to Germany's
armed forces:
Every German soldier must know
that whoever, in violation of inter-
national law, fights in an enemy
uniform, must expect to be shot at
once when taken prisoner"
Gn Berlin authorized Germans
denied that Nazi troops were
dressed in New Zealand uniforms,
and threatened reprisals if they
were subjected to brutal or illegal
treatment.
military experts in Washing
ton said if the German troops
attacked disguised as British de-
fense forces they laid themselves
open to summary execution as
spies.
This sort Of attempt on the
part of a military force to confuse
its enemy is covered by various
agreements and conventions be-
tween nations-such as the
Hague COnvention-Which make
up a body of rules of military
procedure known as The Laws
Of War" it was said)
Invasion Scrutinized.
This, history's first attempt to in
wade large island from the air, was
watched intently by Britons-more.
perhaps, than any previous German
campaign-because they saw it as
9 dress rehearsal for any attempt
10 invade this country.
Aside from Crete's Importance in
the fight for the Suez and control of
the Mediterranean, 1t held for them
(See CRETE, Page AID