INSIDE ALBANIA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 November 1940, Page 5

INSIDE ALBANIA

GREEK ADVANCE ON WIDE FRONT ENEMY LINE APPARENTLY BROKEN. PROSPECT OF ISOLATING KORITZA. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, November 20. Reports from the front received in Athens declare that the Greeks have reached the Italian defence lines inside Albania as the result of a new Greek advance on a wide front in which aerial co-operation > was an important factor. The advance threatens to split the Italian forces, isolating, the defenders of Koritza from the troops based on Argyrokastron, in the coastal sector. A Greek division based on Janina is responsible for the new advance, which is in the region of the Aoos River in the Epirus sector. The Greek advance guard is reported to be 20 miles from Tepelena, which is an important communications centre. An immense quantity of war material, including transport vehicles and guns, has been been captured. A heavy artillery preparation assisted the advance. A Greek Government spokesman declared that the Italian front had apparently broken just westward of the central sector. The Greek troops were advancing very fast. The Italians had disarmed a battalion of rebellious Albanians. Greek fighter patrols reported that they found it difficult to make contact with Italian planes today after yesterday’s drubbing by the R.A.F. After three days of fierce fighting for possession of Koritza, the Italian and Greek positions about that town are substantially the same. The Italians stoutly resisted Greek bayonet charges against the Italian positions on the Morava heights and at Gvezda and then counter-attacked. Both sides claim to have taken prisoners. The Greeks also claimed that they captured 10 armoured cars.

Artillery exchanges between batteries established on the heights in the vicinity of Koritza are a feature of the fighting on the northern front. Italian army lorries, presumably carrying supplies, were observed leaving Koritza as the Greek artillery and British planes pounded the town, parts of which are blazing, the main street being impassable. The retreating Italians in the Epirus sector are reported to have reached Kahova village in the region of Sagiadabay. They continued their withdrawal in the direction of Malcani, near Konispolis. The Athens radio says the Italian forces in Greece attempted to attack the Greeks from the rear by traversing Yugoslav territory. Yugoslavia prevented the movement by interning the Italian troops concerned. She also seized 130 tanks, 1400 light ma-chine-guns and 400 heavy machineguns. The Ankara radio stated that Albanians dressed in the uniform of King Zog's army appeared at the rear of the Italians at Pogradec and blew up Italian petrol tanks. Six hundred Italian prisoners arrived at Athens today. Prince Paul of Yugoslavia is believed to be at his headquarters on the northern front.

ITALIAN CLAIM

“ROCK LIKE DEFENCE” AT KORITZA. ißeceived This Day. 11.15 a.m.) LONDON. November 21. An Italian communique says: “On the Greek front, particularly in the Koritza sector, repeated enemy attacks spent themselves against the rock-like resistance of the Italian troops. Italian planes attacked military objectives iii Malta. A British warship tried to approach Kisimayu. bt was forced to retire in face of our air force. “The enemy after a heavy artillery

attack against our positions at Gallabat was forced to retreat, leaving some killed. The enemy bombed Assab. Five natives were killed and nine wounded.”