Waves: of aircraft rained down heavy bombs on the island's three [chief towns, Canca. Retimo and Herakthan, for six hours without any pause. Those heavy bombs wore sown carefully in rows across the centres of Jeach town. Shopping centres were completely wiped out.
Yet the population remained mirably calm,-and there were reatively few casualties. Even while bombs were falling young Cretan boys dived into the sea for fsh kllled by bombs.
Heraklion suffered from heavy raldg on Thursday and Retimo on ride his statement last night. Major-General "Heywood said "the with-Jdrawal from Greece and the Crete Jdghting is part of one action, and 1 hope We have reached the last stage and shall hold out in view of the nature of the ghting in Crete and the diieully of the Germans in obtaining reinforcements for the troops which they have succeeded in Tanding. British Dominion troops and mariies ght well in this type of manstorman fighting."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.