ITALIAN PLANS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 43, 14 November 1940, Page 9

ITALIAN PLANS

Extent To Which They

Went Astray

EASY WIN EXPECTED

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, November 12

Reviewing the war between Italy and Greece as a whole, military experts consider it is now possible to trace the Italian' plan of campaign and gather to what extent this has gone astray. In the first place, Italy seems to have thought that the Greeks would not resist, or not strongly enough to prevent fairly easy over-running of the country.

The plan may have comprised a holding action in the north and an attack to the south in the I’indus area by the alpine divison with reinforcements of Fascist militia and bersaglieri, who were to go through to Lake Metsovo, on the road across the Findus mountains, the capture of which would cut the Greeks’ only lateral communication. Farther south another division was to attack down the road from Argyrokastron and contribute to the main attack, which was to have been a large-scale turning movement along the coast. The holding attack did not take place, and the Greek army has advanced into Albanian territory toward Koritza. The alpine division, withits attendant forces, had to retreat, and there seems to be no doubt that they had to abandon a proportion of their arms and equipment, and a certain proportion of their forces was evidently cut off and captured. The coastal attack crossed the Kahunas River, .but beyond that, little seems to have happened, and it would appear that the attack was not pushed in strength farther south, though probably light reconnaissance units have penetrated south to the Acheron River.

The present position in the country between two rivers seems to be large]v dominated by Greek patrols.