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Max Schmeling
Killed Trying
For Escape
American Ambulance
Driver Tells Of
Former Champ's Death
Max Schmeling
Cairo, Egypt, May 29 - Max
Schmeling, former world champion
heavyweight boxer, has been killed
while trying to escape from British
imperial forces which captured him
in the German invasion of Crete, a
New Zealand ambulance driver wit-
ness declared today.
Returning to Egypt, the American
driver said:
"Early in the battle of Crete, a
husky German soldier was cap-
tured, slightly wounded.
"Speaking English with strong
American accent, he said he was
Schmeling and his papers bore that
name. He was truculent and
Surly.
"After talking with him at length,
our officers were convinced he was
Schmeling.
"Later in the day he was taken
to a field hospital by our ambulance
corps when more German para-
chutist descended on top of us
and a dog fight opened.
"Schmeling grabbed a rifle from
one of our soldiers who had been
wounded and went into action like
a wild bull.
"Before he did any damage, how-
ever, someone let him have it, and
that was the end of Max."
The ambulance driver said he did
not know whether Schmeling ar-
rived in Crete by parachute, plane,
or glider, but German officials had
said previously that he went there
as a parachute trooper.
Doubted In Berlin
Berlin, May 29 - A German
military spokesman said tonight
he doubts reports that Max Schmel-
ing had been killed in Crete, but
added, "It must be remembered that
Schmeling was one of many para-
chutists, and Germany would not
necessarily issue a special com-
munique concerning the fate of any
one of them."
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