HEAVY LOSSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 January 1941, Page 5

HEAVY LOSSES

SUFFERED BY ITALIANS

IN ALBANIA

EFFORT TO GAIN INITIATIVE ABANDONED.

IMPORTANT HEIGHT TAKEN BY" GREEKS.

In Albania the Italian losses during the last five or six days have been so heavy that General Cavellero has had to call off the series of local counter-attacks in which he hoped to regain the initiative from the Greeks, the 8.8. C. reports. He seems to be awaiting further reinforcements of men and material.

It is learned in London that so far in Albania the Greeks have taken 16,000 prisoners. The Greeks continue to make slow but steady progress. A Greek communique reports restricted local operations. Another report states that on the central front the Greeks have captured a most important fortified height, taking 250 prisoners and a quantity of material. The Italian casualties were considerable.

A second Italian plane, engaged by the R.A.F. in Albania on Tuesday, crashed in Greek territory. An earlier report stated that a bomber had been shot down in flames by British fighters. . GENERAL BATTLE DEVELOPING ON INLAND FRONTS. EFFECT OF GREEK NIBBLING TACTICS. LONDON. January 30. The Athens correspondent of "The Times" says information from the Greek front shows that the many weeks of slow nibbling at the enemy positions have now resulted in the central and northern sectors.

At present the principal activity is on the central front, where two noteworthy Italian counter-attacks were launched on Monday. The Greeks simultaneously advanced in the coastal sector and captured several heights and villages. The Italians in the past 24 hours have continued their desperate effort** to initiate an offensive in Albania, but according to the Greek Press Ministry they have been completely repulsed after heavy losses. Two Italian battalions have been cut off from their bases supplies, and the Greek air force drove to the woods two other detachments which artillery had previously dispersed. The Italian air force attempted to attack the Greek lines, but its bombs fell mostly in open fields. The enemy retired after losing two planes. The correspondent of “The Times" says that it is significant that the Governors of the principal Greek banks have agreed to cease restrictions on the amount of withdrawals when almost at the same moment the Italian Government is reported to have decreed prolonging to the end of the war the morartrorium of last June.

LOCAL SUCCESSES GAINED BY THE GREEKS. 'Received This Dav, 9.50 a.m.) RUGBY. January 30. Genera! Cavallero's attempts during the past few days to revive the Italian morale by a series of counter-attacks so far have met with no greater success than in delaying the cautious Greek advance. As each of these coun-ter-attacks have been repelled the Greeks have followed up with small advances.

There appears to have been no Italian counter-attack yesterday, but. according to information available in Athens last night, the Greeks, who still hold the initiative, have succeeded, despite bad weather, in further advancing their lines, taking 50 prisoners and much material.

A Greek communique states: ’’Limited operations have been crowned with success”