While there appears to be a difference of opinion between the various news agencies as to whether the Germans have landed a division in Crete by air, or only 1,500 men, the probabilities are that the latter figure is correct. To send a whole division by aeroplane would indeed be a big unde: taking, and while doubtless the Germans have been sending over more men following their original attempt on Tuesday the chances are that they have not sent over more men than the troops in Crete can conveniently handle. That is why Mr. Churchill was able to announce in the House of Commons that the situation was well in hand. It was typical of the unclean methods with which the Germans have consistently conducted this war that the first detachments should have been wearing the uniforms of New Zealand troops. The trick was obviously adopted for the purpose of deceiving the defenders of Crete which number amongst them men from that Dominion, but there is nothing in the news to suggest that the ruse met with any success at all, Of the importance of Crete to both sides there can be not the slightest doubt. Athwart the route to Syria, Crete is a valuable position for the British as a defence of their forces in Palestine and Iraq, while, if Germany were able to secure control of it, domination of the eastern Mediterranean would necessarily follow. It is to be expected, therefore, that the struggle for the island will be long and bitter. With the command of the troops vested in General Freyberg it may be confidently expected that the defence will be a stern one and that the prospects of being able to fight off any attempt at landing substantial forces on the island are by no means slight. No information is available as to the number of Allied troops there are on the island. It was reported that Greece succeeded in evacuating four: divisions to it, while because of the fact that the British have been on the island fortifying it for the past six months there may be two or three British and imperial divisions also on the spot.
In the guerilla warfare which is expected, it may be taken for granted that the hardy Cretans will give a good account of themselves and the lot of many German parachutists is likely to be very bad. That they will fight desperately goes without saying, for men disguised in uniforms of their enemy can be treated as spies, and Great Britain early in the war, together with France, declared that such treatment would be meted cut if necessary, The men who are thus being landed are on what is no more than a suicidal errand. Other purposes which this attack on Crete may serve is as a feint to preoccupy British troops while the Nazis prepare a coup elsewhere, while the possibility of it being a dress rehearsal in preparing for the long-expected invasion of the British Isles cannot be entirely disregarded.
If- the last possibility is indeed the case, it can safely be said that if it is a rehearsal for German benefit there are also advantages in it for the British, for not only are they receiving an object-lesson in the manner in which such attacks are carried out, but they are also afforded the opportunity of testing their own plans of defence against parachutists and glider-carried troops. Thus as the British learned Germany's methods with mechanized troops on the Continent and have been able to devise adequate means of resistance in northern Africa, so are they now having an opportunity of learning the technique of invasion by air. It is rue that they had some experience in dealing with parachutists during the campaign in France, but not on the scale which is now being seen in Crete, and the chances are that the experience gained will prove valuable in the defence of the British Isles. The event may have an even greater significance, for if the Allies can deal successfully with this form of warfare in Crete there is a distinct possibility that Hitler will be more than a little reluctant to embark upon the much greater adventure of attacking Great Britain. The happenings of the next few days will, therefore, be watched with the greatest interest, for much depends upon the fate of Crete,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.