The British withdrawal to positions east of Suda Bay was announced in a General Headquarters Middle East communique.
The communique said: "in Crete. in face of further attacks by German forces which have again been heavily reinforced, our troops have withdrawn 49, positions east of Suda Bay.
Dive-bombing was again continued onan extensive scale. In hand to hand Aghting on Wednesday. both enemy and our own troops suffered heavily.
'Heavy attacks were continued against concentrations of German cops and' aircraft on beaches Grete and on the aerodrome at Maleme during the night of May 27 slates a communique.
More than 100 enemy aircraft on the beach between Kolmuati and the Speliakos River were successfully at-Yecked. several fires being started among them and a number of ex-
On the neighbouring island of Seur-Panto a strick of bombs fell across Rome. May 30.
Italiay niarin fantry forces were reported yesterday. to be well entrenched in eastern Crete after having pushed inland from Mirabella Boy where they landed yesterday. These were the frst sea-borne troops to land at Crete. and balanced German forees in western Crete.
The first units. consisting of boats carrying hand-grenades. mortars. one san machine-guns and marine artil-Tery, were understood to have been reinforced already by heavier units.
'According to reliable information, the British naval. bombardment the Dodecanese, Islands. Rhodes and Seerpanto—mentioned in the official communique issued Tuesday—was farmed to prevent Italian' convoys from leaving those islands for Crete—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.