SLOW BUT SURE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 January 1941, Page 5

SLOW BUT SURE

GREEK GAINS IN ALBANIA MORE ENEMY POSITIONS TAKEN AT POINT OF BAYONET. I REPORTED ITALIAN LOSSES. — An Athens message transmitted by the 8.8. C.. states that once I again Greek bayonets have caused I the Italians to fall back from fortij fled heights, leaving behind them j a number of prisoners and a quan- .' tity of material. There advances were made at Tepelene and near Klisura. Elsewhere the Greeks continue to make slow but sure progress. A Greek source states that Italian losses in Albania total 70.000 killed. i wounded, taken prisoner or sent home jas unfit. This means that the Italians 1 have lost one-third of the force they | had in Albania K’hen the war began. GREEK COMMUNIQUE (Received This Day. 9.38 a.m.’i RUGBY. January 17. A Greek night communique states: I "There have been local ojxtrations I only. We have taken some prisoners." SURPRISE ATTACK CAPTURE OF IMPORTANT HEIGHT. FIGHTING IN INTENSE COLD. LONDON, January IG. Further Greek successes in local operations are reported from the central and other sectors in Albania though activity is handicapped by the intense cold. A Greek petrol moving swiftly across the snow completely surprised the Italians and captured an important height in the central sector. This patrol hold the height alone till rem- , forcements arrived and repelled : stronger Italian counter-attacks. ' The Athens radio declared that the, exploit would undoubtedly influence! the outcome of operations in this re- j gion. .. j The Athens newspaper “Estia quo- - tes foreign reports that the Greeks arc attacking Tepelene from the south and j west. ITALIAN ARMY COMPLETE REORGANISATION ORDERED. GENERAL CAVALLERO’S EFFORT. LONDON, January 17. The Milan newspaper “Corriere della Sera” says that General Cavaliero has ordered a complete reorganisatin of the Italian army. The Albanian troops will be taken from Italian units and formed into units of their own. A correspondent of the Athens newspaper. "Eleather Anvimas." writing from Klisura. says it was difficult io reach the town because of long fil.es i of Italian prisoners passing down the; road and impeding the traffic. He adds) that Premet is still wearing traces of the Italian occupation. Hundreds of army lorries stationed in the town ’ square were burnt out. largely the re-; suit of low-level bombing by a single; Greek airman.

The road between Premet and Klisura is littered with a chaotic assortment of war material. Guns and rifles are lying about with overcoats, capes, thick gloves and boots. The Greeks have also found complete dinner and tea services and large quantities of women's underwear and perfumes, which presumably were brought by the Italians in anticipation of a bloodless conquest of Greece.