RAIDS ON VALONA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 December 1940, Page 5

RAIDS ON VALONA

CONTINUED BY ROYAL AIR FORCE FURTHER HEADWAY MADE BY GREEKS. ITALIAN COUNTER-ATTACK REPULSED. The R.A.F. on Sunday continued its support of the Greek armies by making two bombing raids on Valona, the 8.8. C. reports. In the first raid, which was the 21st on the town, bombs were dropped on troops and transport and a large building was hit and set on fire. In the second raid, which was carried out in bad weather, hits were scored on a building near a transport park. Four Italian ships were seen in the harbour and the planes dived down and machine-gunned all of them. One British plane was shot down, but two of the crew were seen to be descending by parachute. In land operations in Albania an Italian counter-attack has been repulsed north of Pogradec. The Greeks, have taken a small town about 50 miles south-east of Durazzo, and in the Himara region have captured three more villages. VILLAGES TAKEN FOLLOWING ON MOUNTAIN ASSAULTS. CAPTURE OF DOMINATING HEIGHTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) ATHENS, December 29. A communique states: "Today there was restricted patrol and artillery activity.” A Government spokesman announced that the Greeks captured three villages northward of Himara after storming the mountains dominating them. The Italians, including Bersagliers specially flown in, were heavily defeated north of Kelcyra, where the Italians used tanks in an attempt to drive along the Kelcyra-Berat road.

METHODICAL ADVANCE IN DIFFICULT CONDITIONS. ENEMY REINFORCEMENTS HEAVILY DEFEATED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.2 a.m.) RUGBY, December 30. According to the latest information available in military circles in London, the Greeks have made further small advances towards Berat and also west of Tepelene, along the road to Valona. The Italians made a. counter-attack in the Pogradec area which the Greeks repulsed. In Athens, an official spokesman referred last night to the defeat of another Italian attempt to halt the methodical Greek advance, which is being made quietly and efficiently under the most difficult conditions of country and weather. According to this statement, some Bersaglieri troops were brought specially by aeroplane from Italy to make a counter-drive along the road from Berat towards Klisura and Kelcyra. The Greeks are at Dobrushe, a village some fifteen miles south-east of Berat. The Bersaglieri were heavily defeated by the Greeks. STRATEGIC GAINS PROSPECTS OF FURTHER ADVANCE. LONDON, December 30. “The Times” Athens correspondent says the new successes which the Greek comuniques mostly disclaim as “local operations” have in the last two days placed the Greeks in positions of strategic importance liable to paralyse the Italians’ plans and ruin Italy’s chances of a count-er-offensive for regaining the initiative. The Italians have been prevented from reforming behind a stationary front. The Greeks now occupy over a quarter - of Albania and if the weather permits a similar rate of advance might conquer a further quarter before the end of January.