Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 May 1941 — Page 1
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FORECAST: Fair today, tonight and tomorrow; warmer tomorrow.
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‘Nl SCRIPPS — HOWARD §
VOLUME 53—NUMBER 64
~ Nazis Take Crete Offensive; British
6000 Nazis Slaughtered As British Churn Through Sea Of Bodies
By RICHARD D. McMILLAN United Press Staff Correspondent
ALEXANDRIA, May 24.—British warships, cleaving at full speed through waters choked with shrieking German shock troops, sank a German transport, about 40 Greek fishing boats and an Italian de-
stroyer, wiping out a force of some
6000 Germans.
Some of the Axis ships were sunk by the guns of the cruisers and destroyers which raced through them again and again’ Others were smashed by the steel prows of the British craft. All were sunk, and all the picked German troops aboard, who were to haves reinforced the German air-bhorne troops in Crete, went down. ! The story of the slaughter was tqld today by fleet officers. It explained why the Germans have had to continue to depend entirely on air borne troops, ammunition and other supplies in their
attempt to invade Crete.
There was no chance .of rescue for the Germans because the British
ships, which normally would have
picked them up, could not take the
chance of halting and becoming targets for German or Italian motor
torpedo boats.
; ‘The battle was fought Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The Germans, in approximately 41 ‘ships, had left the Peloponnesus peninsula of Greece hoping under cover of darkness to make the 70 miles to Crete and reinforce the air-borne troops who had launched
the invasion atterfipt,
/
SATURDAY, MAY
i
BRITAIN’S FLEET had been awaiting such an attempt. It arrived in Cretan water, at the northwest side of the island, shortly before mid-
night Wednesday.
Darting searchlights, sweeping the black waters all around th
fleet, first picked up a destroyer.
moment.
It could not be identified for a
As a searchlight on one of the British ships beamed direct on it, it loosed a torpedo. The ships nearby swerved quickly to avoid it. At the same time the destroyer was identified as Italian, and guns of a
dozen British ships opened and it it blown out of the sea. ~ “It went up in a great ball of fire,” a cruiser captain said.
- The destroyer was leading a German transport of about 1000 tons, containing approximately 2000 German froops, and about 40 sizable Greek fishing: craft, each of which had about 100 Germans aboard.
“Our light forces, cruisers with
a screen of destroyers, steamed on,
weaving along the north: coast,” the cruiser captain said. “Immediately - astern of the obliterated destroyer we encountered
the German transport.
“Our guns were trained on her.
like a ship yard working
at full as her Axis_ ally. s
“Then it was the turn of the helpless caiques. They sank in rows.
It was mass slaughter.
They opened up with a roar blast and she met the same fate | Our fire was deadly. It made you realize
the ghastliness and futility of the Nazi conception of war as their
helpless men. went down to death.” : :
24, 1041.
Entered as Second-Class
GIANT HOOD SUN
| FIRING WITH everything they had, from the rapid-firing pom porns with their one-inch shells to the six-inch and eight-inch guns of the cruisers, the British ships swept back/and forth through the fieet, ramming the ships ahead of them and sinking the others, some in
flames. :
After the first few minutes the British ships were slicing their way through the masses of struggling German troops which were striving vainly to keep afloat: with the heavy equipment which bore them down. Many were clinging to bits of wreckage and screaming for help. The British ships kept on, through corpses and groups of men They weaved and turned, striking again and again into
still alive. the heart of the convoy until every Officers said that only corpses
the Nazi ships went down. Some of the ships which the British
rammed sought to save themselves
and hastily hoisting the Greek flag. Those aboard some of the ships made a futile attempt at defense with rifles and machine guns. “They were completely at the mercy of our guns,” an officer said.
“It was a mass execution.” In the entire action, which last ship was hit. But by daylight, both before
ships were subjected to heavy attack by German dive bombing planes. One vessel underwent about 40 attacks, each by between eight and
10 Stuka dive bombers.
ship had been sunk. : were left by the time the last of
by hiding their soldiers below deck
ed about three hours, not a British and after the action, the British
Hawk Arrives For Question Bee ran
MORE TUNE UP AT SPEEDWAY
ing the qualifying trials at the Speedway. Get out your watch,
You Can Clock The Race Cars
CLOCK THE CARS yourself dur-
LOSSES HIGH, LONDON SAYS
-at Postoffice, Indianapolis, Ind.
Matier
a
fold Vital Bay,
SHIP BLOWS UP
OFF GREENLAND: 1300 MEN LOST 1
World's Largest Warcraft Destroyed When + Shell From Crack New German Cruiser || Makes ‘Unlucky’ Hit in Magazine. 5 By UNITED PRESS wo { Great Britain’s Navy, striking at German warships
raiding the North Atlantic, suffered its greatest loss of the
war today when an “unlucky hit” in a magazine destroyed the 42,100-ton battlecruiser H. M. S, Hood, biggest warcraft
in the world. : .
The Hood blew up and sank with most of her comple
ment (normally 1341 men) off Greenland, according to an
keep one eye on the second hand, the other on the car you want to time, and you can translate elapsed time for one lap into miles
announcement by the Admiralty in London, but the crack new German battleship Bismarck suffered damage and the
Nine Still to Qualify, Hope Half of Invaders ‘Accounted
Fp
Bob Hawk (left), “Take It or Leave It,” and Joe Copps, race publicizer: “I'll take the Speedway.” :
ST. RITA ACE, 12, IS MIBS WINNER
Charles Beaven Scores 23 In Finals of Times-City Tournament.
By RICHARD LEWIS
Charles Beaven, 12-year-old Negro marbles ace of St. Rita’s Parochial School, won the Indianapolis Times-City Marbles Tournament today and with it the prize winning trip to Asheville, N. C. He led the field of four district winners in a round-robin tournament this morning at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza with a score of 23 marbles shot from the ring. : The runner-up was Gene Vaughn, 13, of 312 E. St. Clair St.,, with a score of 20. Gene was last year’s marbles champion. Vaughn Grisham, 11, of 12341 S.
East St., the Garfield District cham-
pion, scored third with 18 points and Edward Chamberlin, 12, of 2116 Brookside Ave. the Brookside District champion, was fourth, with 17 points. : Tournament play was so close that the championship remained a toss-up until the 'last- game,
when Master Beaven plunked nine
marbles out of the ring in fast order. Up to that time, Gene Vaughn was leading. Charles Beaven is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry’ J. Beaven of 2328 Columbia Ave. This is the first year he has competed in the tournament. He will represent Indianapolis at the Scripps-Howard Regional tournament at Asheville next month. . : During the games, he was handicapped somewhat by his new. shoes, which were stiff. But that didn’t discourage the diminutive lad, who played without changing expression. . : Charles wore his school colors— (Continued on Page Three)
TIMES FEATURES ON INSIDE PAGES
Movies ....... 14 Mrs. Ferguson Music Obituaries ... Pegler Pyle ...... . Questions. , 7,
Churches .... 11 Clapper ...... 17 College News. 2 Comics ...... 13 Crossword ,.. 32 Editorials .... 8 Fashions ...,. 5 Financial .... & Flynn .. Forum Gallup Poll ., In Indpls. ... Inside Indpls..
Mrs. Roosevelt Serial Story.. 13 {Side Glances. 8 Society .... 4, 5 Sports . 10
St. like a fire engine. It wasn’t a fire.
broadcast at Murat Temple and a look at the Indianapolis Speedway. When Mr. Hawk stepped off the transcontinental plane from New York at Municipal Airport with his earthly possessions in. two grips and a golf hag, and his radio show in his head, the first $64 question he asked was, of course: “Where is this Speedway? Lead me to it.” = : * The stocky king of quiz, who delights in passing around his sponsor’s money to the populace, cracked something about wanting to see the races to renew his faith in large crowds. Since time and space and radio won’t let him, he will content himself by watching the trials this afternoon. :
At 8 p.- m. tomorrow, Mr. Hawk begins to ask expensive questions at the Indianapolis broadcast of “Take It or Leave It” at Murat Temple. The word has gone out that tickets are harder to get for the show than a ducat for the world series on opening day. The reason: A large number of citizens welcome the opportunity to pit their wits against Bob Hawk's questions for $64. The way to do that is to get hold of a ticket. by fair
‘means or foul and hope the stub
is one of the lucky 10 drawn from (Continued on Page Three)
TO . BE MADE HERE “iy ‘Times. Special WASHINGTON, May 24—An experiment which may result in breaking the bottle-neck of die repairing and bring a new. Federally financed industry to Indiana will be made in Indianapolis shortly, it was revealed today by Rep. Earl Wilson (R. Ind.) Rep. Wilson was instrumental in obtaining a letter from B. A. Waderlow of the Office of Production Management to Dave Klausmeyer of the Chevrolet Commercial Body, Inc, Indianapolis, requesting that the experiment be tried and a report sent to OPM as soon as possible. : The experiment revolves around the claim of Rodman C. Pruitt, Seymour, Ind., who informed Rep. Wilson and the OPM that he has perfected a process for annealing broken dies which will save chrom-
6 of any ‘ sh = 2 3
ium and take one-fourth the time ~Process,.
Nobody was hurt. radio show, “Take It or Leave It,” arriving in town for a Sunday night
The Show's in-His Flea ‘ad He's Ready for the Answers
By RICHARD LEWIS About 4 p. m. yesterday, a number of citizens pursuing their peaceful ways downtown of a sunny afternoon were startled at the shriek of a poiice siren and the sight of a black sedan racing along Washington
That was Bob Hawk -and his
WARMUP DUE AFTER ‘PLUNGE’ TO NORMAL
Cool Weather to Continue Tonight, However. -
LOCAL TEMPERATURES 6a.m.....50 10a.m..... 63 T7a.m.....55 11 a.m. ... 64 8a.m. .... 57 12 (noon) .. 65 9a.m. .... 60 1p. m...,.. 66
“Relief” from the “cold wave” which. early today plunged the temperature to the mormal for this time of the year was predicted by the Weather Bureau. It will be warmer tomorrow. Indianapolis citizens, used to temperatures that have ranged up to 20 degrees above normal, will have to chatter through normal temperatures tonight, however.
For Calm Afternoon; Nalon Tests Car.
Today's Lineup : Here are the numbers, names " and drivers of the car expected
to make qualifying attempts this week-end: at the Speedway:
an hour with this chart.
sec.
DW
rE TIA) RIINVBIBSS=RRRS ANZ EVRNWDO RD ish Re +s
harne Joe Thorne Joie Chitwood
CAR Nw X 5
Frank Brisko Tony Willman
Lyons Special Duke Nalon
Elgin Special
By J. E. O'BRIEN
With race day just a short week away, nine Speedway drivers anxious to qualify their cars hoped for warm, windless weather this afternoon and tomorrow. There were overnight changes in the original list of nine awaiting the week-end time trials, and even to-
day the chauffeurs were hesitant to announce they would run during vhis afternoon’s examination period between 1 and 7 o’clock. Since 21 of the 33 Memorial Day starting positions are filled,. future qualifiers realize they will be assigned .to rear positions with little chance at the early lap money. So most of them would prefer to wait until both motors and weather are just right rather than risk a trial run at this late hour under adverse conditions. :
Eyes on Nalon’s Car
Nevertheless there were still several potentially fast cars due to make the 10-lap test run. Special interest was shown in the eight-cyl-inder Elgin Piston Pin Special, to be piloted by Duke Nalon. This car, a new arrival at the track, is a combination of the chassis used by the French team in last year’s race and the Maserati motor that failed to qualify, although the motor virtually has been rebuilt during the winter. Nalon took the car to the bricks for the first time yesterday and was well-satisfied with its handling. Ted Horn and Joe Thorne, two other drivers that usually complete their trial runs on one of the early qualifying days, still seek entrance to the field. The pair is driving sister ‘cars in the Thorne-Sparks garage, and Art Sparks, the engineer, has hoped for another boost in speed in both cars. But it was likely that ‘one or both would try today. Besides today’s time trials, more
\ (Continued on Page Ten)
Did Louis' Punch Land Before, During or After Bell in 6th?
(Another Story, Page Ten)
By HARRY FERGUSON % United Press Sports Editor
WASHINGTON, May 24.—Chicago produced the “long count’ and Washington produced the “long round.” There has been nothing in boxing to match the confusion that prevailed at Griffith Stadium last night since Jack Dempsey clipped Gene Tunney on the jaw at Chicago and sent him sprawling to the canvas. Then referee Dave Barry delayed the start of the count so long that plenty of people still are willing to swear that Tunney got up after the toll passed. ten. Around 10 o'clock last night Joe Louis hit Buddy Baer on the jaw with a right and knocked him down. The count had reached 10 when Baer swayed to his feet. His hands hung at his side, his eyes were glazed. What happened next is going to be argued longer than the long count
at Chicago. : ‘One a i .
Baer with another right and it was a beauty. Baer landed on the deck with a_ thud. > The question is: Did Louis land (the second right before, during or
round? Nobody has claimed . he landed
Referee Arthur Donovan claims| he landed it while the bell still was} ringing. . : | + I-say he landed it after the bell and that, therefore, the sixth round | actually lasted about three minutes and three seconds instead of three| minutes. _I also will contend that Donovan | had heard the bell, had turned] away from the fighters and was on] his way to a neutral corner when Louis exploded the last right on| Baer’s jaw. Louis said in his dressing room that he did not hear the bell. i A poll of 18 sports writers at the|
hit ;
ringside produced a unanimous ver- |
0
13 of 23 on Senate Foreign
—A poll of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee indicated today
«aThe poll showed a majority of
proposal. Ten Senators who pub-
porters of Administration foreign policy as Chairman Walter F. George (D. Ga.), James M. Murray
‘Shoots It Out’ When Police
A pretty red-haired bride of three weeks who “shot it out” with. police lay wounded in a hospital to-
faced robbery charges after a fast-
after the bell rang ending the sixth |,
it before the bell, Sacramento, Ky.
NEUTRALITY ACT
Relations Group Willing, Poll Indicates. WASHINGTON, May 24 (U. P.).
that if the Administration proposed repeal of the Neutrality Act; the Committee would support it, 13 to 10. : On April 30 the committee rejected, by that margin, a resolution by Senator Charles W. Tobey (R. N. H.) that would have prohibited the use of convoys.
the Committee formally undecided pending submission of a specific
licly stated their position, divided equally. The private expressions of the others indicated a 13 to 10 majority for repeal. |The Senators who listed themselves - as favoring repeal. were Claude Pepper (D. Flay), Carter Glass (D. Va.), Elbert Thomas (D. Utah), Joseph F. Guffey (D. Fa.), and Wallace H. White Jr. (R. Me.), Mr. White said he reserved his opinion until he actually saw an Administration proposal. "Those against repeal were Senators Gerald P. Nye (R. N. D.), Bennett C. Clark (D. Mo.), Arthur Capper (R. Kas.), Henrik Shipstead (R. Minn.). and Frederick Van Nuys (D. Ind.). | Among those undecided, or who were not available, were such sup-
(Continued on Page Three)
BRIDE. WOUNDED IN ‘OHIO CRIME DRAMA
Nab Hoosier Husband. | DAYTON, O, May 24 (U. P)—
day and her ex-convict husband
moving early morning crime drama. The husband gave his name as Raymond Rex Epperson, 30, Evansville, Ind., and his bride as Betty Davis Epperson, 27, formerly of
Two policemen were wounded slightly in an exchange of gunfire with Mrs. Epperson, who refused to surrender pescefully with
her husband when their automo-|
bile was wrecked in a cemetery. They were accused by Thomas
Buchanon, Anniston, Ala. cashier|
for. a road show company, of robbing him of $1700 during a dice game in' a downtown hotel.
‘SHOOTS HOLE-IN-ONE HAROLD" HORST, junior from Crown Point High School, provided an unusual angle to® the
State High School Golf Tourna- |
BACK REPEAL OF = Na Dev ran
For’; Axis Libyan Stab Fails.
By JOE ALEX MORRIS United Press Foreign News Editor Adolf Hitler's aerial army took the offensive despite huge casual-
the island of Crete today. German claims of successes were cited by Nazis as showing increas-
forces. The British and Greek troops in Crete fought back with “resolute courage” despite continuous divebomber attacks on the Malemi front,” according to British communiques.
Half ‘Accounted for’
have landed some 20,000 men on Crete but the British believed they
and at last reports were still holding out in defense of Suda Bay, probably the most important single objective of the Germans on the island. The swift development of the battle coincided with announcement
manuel had escaped assassination |. by a young Greek during his visit to Albania on May 17. In North Africa the Axis forces in Libya made a new but unsuccessful stab across the horder at the Bgyptian sector of Shegga. The British captured Sodder, important | Ethiopian’ town. At Tobruk, the Italians reported they had blocked another attempt of besieged British forces to break through the Axis lines, War In Air Goes On In Iraq the British said that Prince Abdul Illah, former regent and favorable to the British, had returned to the country to set up a regime in opposition to the proAxis. cabinet at Baghdad. On the. military front the British still were about 35 miles from Baghdad after defeating an Iraqi counter-attack. The war in the air went on, with British bombers renewing attacks on Cologne, Kiel, Boulogne and other German targets while the Luftwaffe reported attacks on airfields in mid-<England. London had its 13th raidless night. : ‘The Eire Parliament was summoned to hear an important statement regarding ‘the possible appli-| cation of conscription to the six counties of Ulster.
ment when he sank his drive.
for a]
at sea with British forces that were The Germans were estimated to speed.
in Rome that King Victor Em-|:
continued.
British warships are pursuing the German squadron. : i At Berlin, it was disclosed that the Bismarck was the
German ship that sank the Hood.
The $28,000,000 Hood had a speed of 32 knots and une
der command of Vice Admiral Lancelot E. Holland appare
ently had led a British squadron into the North ties against the British defenders of :
Atlantic to intercept the German warships. :
Closer to Greenland, Say British
They attacked the Nazi raiders, apparently betweem
Greenland and Iceland, but according to the British closer to the Greenland coast. : 3 Presumably, that was what the British ‘Navy was hoping to do—catch the fast new German warcraft far out capable of the same
Whether the Nazis turned out to be stronger than exe
had “accounted for” half of them pected (the Bismarck guns are about as heavy as those of the Hood) was not known, but the Admiralty described the magazine hit that sank the Hood as “unlucky.”
The German communique described the Nazi warships
as a battle squadron, indicating considerable strength, and:
said that one British battleship turned away after the Hood was destroyed.” The British Admiralty’ said the pursuit
The ship that sank the Hood had been trumpeted by |
the Nazi press for months as the warcraft that was superior to the big British battle-cruiser.
Probably a Running Fight a They were both armed with eight 15-inch guns in addie
tion to many smaller guns and the Bismarck carried foun catapult airplanes. : The Bismarck’s armor was heavier than the Hood's, which sacrificed some protection for speed. Both made about 31 or 32 knots. a 3
The communique failed to reveal further details of wha
must have been a running sea fight not far from United States neutrality zone waters. But British sources said the Hood went down in the best traditions of the British Navy, carrying the attack to the enemy.
The battle undoubtedly was between two of the heaviest is
ships that ever duelled broadside for broadside.
The Hood, although 7100 tons heavier than the Bise
marck, was built in 1921 and lacked some of the latest ime: | provements, including increased firepower, that the German ship had been completed in 1939.