Evening star., 1941-05-02
BY EDWARD KENNEDY,


CAIRO, May 2.-British and Greek
forces escaping from Greece which
landed on the island Of Crete, where
King George II has established his
government, will defend it against
threatened Axis invasion, officers of
the Allied commands declared today
A British general told me Crete
could and would be held, and the
Greeks agreed, pointing out that the
rugged island, ribbed by four noun
tain ranges with scarcely any level
ground, lends itself to defense.
The only harbor suitable for large
veSselS-Suda Bay-WaS developed as
a British naval base months ago.
The island, l60 miles long and rang
ing from to 35 miles wide, lies
only go miles off the southernmost
tip of Greece and 110-miles from the
nearest cape of Turkey.
Since King George, his Premier
and the royal household arrived at
Crete in British plane April 23
the island has been the goal of
hundreds of Greek soldiers who
scorned surrender and crowded
aboard ships during the British
evacuation from Greece.
The crew Of the Greek ship in
which I escaped from Greece with
many Greek civilians chose to re-
main in Crete rather than continue
to Egypt.
5000 Tanks, Trucks Lost.
British imperial troops who fought
the German invaders of Greece have
come back to Egypt after the loss of
perhaps 5000 tanks and trucks and
many flrst-hne planes, loss which
they believe to be more than
balanced by the far heavier German
losses Of similar equipment.
Most of the British tanks never
got away from the Mount Olympus
line, where they were wrecked or
destroyed after inflicting severe
losses on the Germans.
The R. A F. saved most of its
pilots, for the great German numer-
ical superiority in the air enabled
the Nazi flyers to bomb the r. A. F.
planes to bits when they were on
the ground and unoccupied. The
British estimated they had doWned
about 10 Der cert of the German
planes, with high toll of German
pilots.
Story of Escape.
Here is the way the British
escaped:
Whole British battalions lay con-
cealed beneath the trees by day as
the soldiers waited for boats, and
the German dive bombers searched
vainly for them.
BY night the beaches were alive
with men, the sea cluttered with
boats. Every vessel that could pass
muster was used and the greater
part-the British now say $4,000 out
of 60o00-got away
Little materiel could be taken
away, but most Of that which was
left behind was destroyed. The Ger
mans, when they reached the shore,
found the woods full of wrecked We
hicles, des, royed supplies.
The Brit 5h came down to the sea
with their -Ifle packs and machine
gun, md most of them carried
them away With them. In the cases
Of bigger guns the breeches were
torn off before they were abandoned.
Trucks Rolled Into Sea.
Many trucks were merely rolled
into the sea, others pitched over
cliffs so the Germans could never
use them.
In some cases. hand grenades were
used to destroy British vehicles;
others were chopped to pieces with
axes or set afire with gasoline.
Decided to Leave on April 22.
With the r. A. F. having lost it's
forward air fields by the break
through the Mount Olympus line,
and with the Greeks near collapse
for all their valiant struggle. the
British decided on the afternoon of
April % to pull out.
With a motley group of Australian
troops, civilian refugees and 100