LAND AND AIR BATTLES IN ALBANIA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 December 1940, Page 5

LAND AND AIR BATTLES IN ALBANIA

Greeks Within Thirty Miks of Valona NINE BRITISH PLANES ROUT OVER FIFTY ITALIANS , ENEMY OCCUPIED OILFIELD HEAVILY BOMBED The Greeks have scored another big success in the capture of Himara on the Albanian coast north of Santi Quaranta, which they captured some days ago, a 8.8. C, broadcast states. The capture of Himara is officially confirmed in an Athens communique and it is announced that flags are to be flown for three days in celebration of the event. The entire 153rd Black Shirt battalion, consisting of aO officers and 800 men, has been taken by the Greeks. The battalion has been in Albania for only two weeks. The capture of Himara is the result of very carefully planned operations carried out in extremely bad weather. The Greeks are now within thirty miles of the important enemy port and base of Valona. On the central front, in the Tepelene area, the Italians have suffered another heavy defeat and the Greeks have taken more villages and heights. A Royal Air Force communique states that in a fierce air battle in the neighbourhood of Argyrokastron, nine R.A.F., planes fought an enemy force exceeding fifty fighters. Although the British aircraft were outnumbered by more than five to one, eight enemy fighters wqre definitely shot down and three more were probably destroyed. Two of our aircraft were lost. The pilot of one was seen being machine-gunned by the enemy while he was descending by parachute. He died of wounds thus received half an hour after he was found. It is placed on record that this is the second occasion, during the operations in the Middle East, on which R.A.F. pilots have been machine-gunned by the Italians while making a parachute descent. This follows the practice adopted by the Italians during the Spanish war. Royal Air Force headquarters in the Middle East reports that on Sunday the oilfield and plant at Kukove, in Central Albania, was heavily bombed. All the bombs fell in the target area and the power house was hit. The bombers were attacked by Italian fighters and by intense anti-aircraft fire. Two of our planes failed to return and it is believed that one Italian machine was shot down.