ITALIANS RETREATING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 November 1940, Page 6

ITALIANS RETREATING

ACCORDING TO ATHENS z RADIO AIR & ARTILLERY ATTACKS ENEMY’S COMMUNICATIONS POOR. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.25 a.m.) LONDON. November 11. The Athens radio claims that the Italians are retreating in disorder on all sectors of the battlefront into Albania. It is learned in Athens that British planes operating from Greek territory again bombed embarkation ports in Italy and Albania and also, operating with the Greeks, attacked supply trains and troop concentrations behind the enemy’s front lines. It is reported from Crete that British anti-aircraft guns shot down the first Italian raider in Crete since the invasion. The latest news from the Epirus front indicates that three battalions of infantry attacked some Greek advanced posts and found them strongly reinforced, with the result that the enemy lost prisoners and material. Their light artillery quickly abandoned its positions. The Greek positions dominating Korea have been further improved. Seventy captured trench-mortars and heavy machine-guns have arrived at Janina. A Greek communique states: “Our artillery shelled Italian concentrations on the Epirus front, inflicting severe casualties and dispersing the enemy, who abandoned material.’’ A hundred Italian prisoners have arrived at Salonika. It is declared that communications in the Italian rear are poor, making it difficult for the High Command to keep contact with advanced units. There are also reports of some unrest because the Italian campaign is not making progress. Twenty-two Italian and four Greek planes have been brought down since the invasion. Greek anti-aircraft batteries have accounted for eleven enemy machines.

In reply to lamentations and threats in the Italian Press with reference to the bombing of Turin, the newspaper “Kathimerina” tabulates Greek casualties from Italian raids which began before the population knew that war had been declared. In all, 316 civilians were killed and 818 were injured. Many of the latter have died. Ihe raiders destroyed 282 houses.

ITALIAN HASTE EVEN AMBULANCES LEFT BEHIND. SWIFT ADVANCE OF GREEK CAVALRY. (Received This Day, 12.35 p.m.) LONDON, November 11. The Italians fled in such haste from the Pindus region that they abandoned even ambulances, medical supplies and wounded. Greek cavalry, urgently summoned to the battle zone in the Pindus region, travelled from Salonika to Samarina in 48 hours. The latest reports from the front indicate that the Italians are consolidating their positions on the Kalamas River, after the failure of their advance down the coast. Major-General Gambier-Parry, British liaison officer with the Greeks, stated that Britain was speedily meeting the Greeks’ requests for assistance. Greece had asked for anti-tank guns last Thursday and twenty were promptly flown to Greece next day, went into action on Saturday and knocked out nine Italian tanks.

ITALIAN COMMUNIQUE SILENT REGARDING GREECE. (Received This Day, 12.10 p.m.) LONDON, November 11. An Italian communique does not mention Greece. It says: “Italian planes raided the Gulf of Suda, hitting two cruisers. Enemy ships bombarded Sidi Barrani. The enemy shelled Gallabar doing no damage. ENEMY BASES EFFECTIVELY ATTACKED BY AIR. ANOTHER DAMAGING RAID ON NAPLES. (Received This Day, 1155 a.m.) RUGBY, November 11. Important supply bases for the Italian troops attacking Greece v/ere bombed by R.A.F. aircraft yesterday. Docks and jetties at Sarnde were attacked and severely damaged. One bomb exploded very close to a freight ship of about 7,000 tons. Konispol was also raided, the main jetty being demolished and a road junction badly damaged. All the British aircraft returned to their base safely from these operations. At the same time reconnaissances were made over territory as far north as and including Valona. During Saturday night, in a further attack on Naples, an oil refinery, railway junction and station were the principal targets. Incendiary bombs started six fires near the oil refinery and a very large blaze was observed as a result of the bombing of the railway station. Despite considerable anti-aircraft fire from land batteries and from ships in the harbour, the attack was pressed home. All the British aircraft engaged in these operations also returned to their base undamaged.