Evening star., 1941-06-10
Violent Axis Assault
On Cyprus Hints
Second Crete
British Troops Reported
Within Less Than 10
Miles of Damascus
BY the Associated Press.

os tue hsooNIatca ASSo'
Reports that German and Italian
warplanes have directed violent,
continuous assaults on the island
of Cyprus for the past 48 hours in
dicated today that the Axis may be
preparing a second Crete" invasion
of the British fortified stronghold,
10 miles off the coast of Syria.
On the Middle East war front,
British and Free French columns
driving into Vichy ruled Syria were
reported less than 10 miles from
the ancient city of Damascus as
early as last night, and the fall Of
the capital was expected tonight or
early tomorrow. The city lies so
miles southeast of Beirut, Lebanon
capital also menaced by the Allied
drive.
French military circles in Vichy
admitted that the British were
within 18 miles of Damascus, after
driving through Sheikh -Meskine to
the south. Reinforcements for the
French Air Force in Syria were
reported to have flown from North
Africa.
Capital and Naval Port Hit.
Reports of the assault on Cyprus
came from the German-controlled
Jeloey station of Norway.
The radio said Nicosia, the Cyprus
capital. and the naval port of Fama-
gusta were the main objectives of
the attack.
London military circles have re-
peatedly forecast that Cyprus would
be the next target of Adolf Hitler's
aerial invaders in the wake of the
l2-day conquest of Crete.
The third largest island in the
Mediterranean, Cyprus has been a
British crown colony since 1914. It's
seizure by the Axis would provide
another steppingstone to the Middle
East and closer base for aerial at
tacks on the Suez Canal
In Cairo British Middle East
headquarters announced that the
penetration of Allied forces in Syria
lis proceeding satisfactorily and the
SCilNl al CcSlOII 1S lIldG AIdD re-
action to the arrival of our forces
Is favorable"
Vichy French defenders of the
colonies were pictured by the Brit
ish as offering only token resist
ance," apparently reluctant to open
fire on their fellow countrymen and
former comrades in arms.
Reports reaching Vichy, however,
augured trouble ahead for one of
the three allied columns. striking
from British-mandated Trans-Jor-
dan. 1t was said that the sheik of
the Druses, fanatic warrior tribe in
the Jebel Ed Druz Mountains south
of Damascus. had proclaimed loyalty
to the French government of Mar
shall Petain.
Fleet Units on Coast.
Vichy quarters insisted their de-
fense forces in Syria and Lebanon
were still holding out all along the
line and a semi official source de-
scribed the situation as mot too
bad"
OFF the Lebanese coast powerful
units of Britain's Eastern Mediter-
ranean feet were said to be wait
ing-ready to turn big guns on
French coastal defenses or to block
any German move to join the de-
tenders. The ships were reported
under attack by Axis warplanes
from the Dodecanese Islands and
Crete.
German diplomatic sources in
Turkey. denying reports yesterday
of the capture of Nazi parachute
troops in Syria, declared last night
mo German soldiers will be sacri-
feed in Syria" and said "it's en-
tirely up to the French"
Authoritative reports were heard
in the Turkish capital that the
Germans had ordered advance army
and air force personnel out of Syria
at once.