Crete

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3.6.41 [George Orwell]

June 3, 2011 in Australia, Crete, Cyprus, Germans, Greece, Latakia, Political, Syria, War-time, aeroplanes, newspapers, press, ships by orwelldiaries

Now that the evacuation of Crete is completed, there is talk of 20,000 men having been removed. Obviously, therefore, they must have begun clearing out long before this was admitted in the press, and the ships sunk were probably lost in that operation. Total losses will presumably be about 10,000 men, 7 warships (3 cruisers, 4 destroyers), [1] probably some merchant ships as well, a good many AA guns, and a few tanks and aeroplanes. And all this for absolutely nothing…The newspapers criticise more boldly than they have ever done hitherto. One of the Australian papers says openly that it is no use trying to defend Cyprus unless we are taking action against Syria. No sign of this, apparently. Reports this morning that the Germans have already landed armoured units at Latakia.[2] Together with this, vague hints that the British “may” invade Syria. Within a few days it may be too late, if it is not six months too late already.

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1.6.41 [George Orwell]

June 1, 2011 in Baghdad, Britain, Crete, Damascus, Duke of Hamilton, Hansard, Hess, Iraq, MOI, Parliament, Political, War-time, air raid, censorship, evacuation, newspapers, oil by orwelldiaries

We are clearing out of Crete. Mention of 13,000 men being evacuated. [1] No mention yet of the total number involved. The most frightful impression will be created if we remove the British troops and leave the Greeks behind, though from a cold-blooded military point of view it might be the right thing to do.

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25.5.41 [George Orwell]

May 25, 2011 in Crete, Political, War-time, newspapers, planes by orwelldiaries

I hear privately that we have lost three cruisers in the operations off Crete.[1] Much excuse-making in the papers about our having no fighter planes there.[2] No explanation of why such landing grounds as exist in Crete had not previously been made impossible for the German troop-carriers, nor of why we failed to arm the Cretan population until it was too late.

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24.5.41 [George Orwell]

May 24, 2011 in Crete, Darlan, French fleet, Iraq, Political, Syria, War-time by orwelldiaries

News from Crete ostensibly fairly good, but a note of pessimism visible everywhere under the surface. No news at all from Syria or Irak, and that is the worst indication. Darlan announces that he is not going to hand over the French fleet. More punches will be pulled, no doubt, on the strength of this palpable lie.

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21.5.41 [George Orwell]

May 21, 2011 in Crete, England, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Political, War-time, invasion by orwelldiaries

All eyes on Crete. Everyone saying the same thing – that this will demonstrate one way or the other the possibility of invading England. This might be so if we were told the one relevant fact, i.e., how many men we have there, and how equipped. If we have only 10-20,000 men, [1] and those infantry, the Germans may overwhelm them with mere numbers, even if unable to land tanks, etc. On balance, the circumstances in Crete are much more favourable to the Germans than they could be in England. In so far as the attack on Crete is a try-out, it is much more likely to be a try-out for the attack on Gibraltar.

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24.4.41 [George Orwell]

April 24, 2011 in Black Sea, Crete, Daily Express, Dardanelles, Germany, Greece, Italy, Political, Russia, Turkey, War-time, aeroplanes, armistice, blackmail, hostages by orwelldiaries

No definite news from Greece. All one knows is that a Greek army, or part of a Greek army, or possibly the whole Greek army, has capitulated. No indication as to how many men we have there, what sort of position they are left in, whether it will be possible to hang on, and if so, where etc., etc. Hints thrown out in the Daily Express suggest that we have practically no aeroplanes there. Armistice terms drawn up by the Italians evidently aim at later using Greek prisoners as hostages, with a view to blackmailing the British into giving up Crete and other islands.

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