The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-06-10
MAY WAS BEST
 MONTH-CHURCKILL
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 total defense force at 32,0oo men.
 Churchill placed the cast of the Crete campaign to Germany at 5000 troops drowned, l2000 killed or wounded, l85 fighter and bomber planes and 260 troop carriers des- troyed. Tn addition to the loss of Imperial troops, the Crete action cost Bri.. tain 10 warshlps-four cruisers and six destroyers-sunka aS well as many others, including two batleships, damaged In the NaSl air attacks. Pouring Arms In
 Churchill said that Britain is and has been pouring arms into the middle eastern sector at risk of con- siderable danger to the home front Defense of Crete, he declared In reply to critics, was undertaken up- on . decision by military experts that with 2b,000 to 30,000 troops and teh aid Of the Royal Navy there was q good chance of tending the Ger- mans off,
 We hoped that 5000 or 3000o troops am making 1t a little vague" said the prime minister, with artillery, tanks and the aid of Greek forces would be able to destroy the enemy as he landed.
 Time Limit Placed
 "Our army was to hold off the air borne attacks and the navy was to be the guard against sea borne at- ltacks. There was 0 time limit, how ever, for the navy as we could only stand e certain proportion of naval losses before the seq guard had to be withdrawn.
 Suppose we had never gone into Greece. Suppose we never had de. tended Crete. Where would the Germans be now2 Might they not at this early stage of the campaign of l94i already be masters of Syria and Iraq and preparing themselves for an advance to Persian"
 Churchill defended himself vigor- ously against criticism of the British, defeat in Crete and asserted that i've have been sending armamentS to the middle east by every route and method"
 Ran Many Risks
 We have run very great risks, he said, "and faced very serious maulings in these islands in order to support the war in the Mediter- ranean."
 Churchill indicated that British military chiefs miscalculated the defensive possibilities at Crete. He asserted that the British chiefs ot staff thought they had a good chance of winning the battle for Crete despite the lack Of air sup port.
 He struck back at his critics, par ticularly Leslie Hore Belisha, for mer war secretary, whom he charged had left the war office in lament able" condition after two years and seven months as it's head.
 Mistake tO Build Fields
 The prime minister claimed that ii voulh have been a mistake to build many alrtields in Crete be- cause of the lack of anti-aircraft guns and he revealed that great numbers of British anti-aircraft weapons had been diverted for  mounting on ships to protect them against air attack.
 Churchill said that from the mo- ment the British landed in Crete last autumn they started construc- ton of defenses at the naval station at Suda bay and launched pro- gram to develop an airdrome near by.
 "The man must be a perfect foo" ]" said Churchill. who thinks we have large quantities of anti-aircraft guns lying about unused at present. "The state our army was left in when he sHore Belisha) left the war office and during the greater part of the time when he was also re- sponsible for production and supply was lamentable, particularly with regard to the special class of weapons which has proved to be aaA&m1 &amaammaA&mm 4au naNmw