HEAVY RAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 February 1941, Page 5

HEAVY RAIN

: RESTRICTING OPERATIONS IN ALBANIA I — CREEKS CONSOLIDATING THEIR GAINS. MORE LOCAL SUCCESSES Heavy rain on Tin* entire : -iibanian front has resrricied fighting, the I’.B.i', report'. The Greek's have taken advantage of the weather to entrom-h themselves in the new positions they have won. The ItaliaiH have attempted no (•onnter-attaeks for two flays. The latest Greek eiiinniiiniqiie reported further successful local operations and further captures of men and • material. I EARLIER NEWS DEFEAT OF THE ENEMY'S EFFORTS. HOLD ON BASTION WEAKENED. LONDON. February 3. It was officially announced in Athens yesterday: “We launched successful local attacks in various sectors, occupied important positions, and captured automatic arms, mortars, and all sorts of material and 270 prisoners, including officers.” The Athens correspondent of "The Times" says that the successful Greek actions of the last few days were onlv a continuation of the patient nibbling process with which the Greeks followed up the capture of Klisura. but the latest victory was evidently accelerated by General Cavallero's desperate endeavour to counter-attack incessantly regardless of the preparations made for his army. Genera! Cavallero launched his coun-ter-attacks in four successive waves in the central sector, using the greater part of the first-line troops in this region. They were beaten back with losses, after which the Greeks followed up the rout with a series of local and ostensibly independent actions, including a night assault. As a result of these actions heights of exceptional importance have been captured, including the entire massif due northward of Klisura. This, in turn, opens the way to other heights dominating the enemy's principal communications in this sector, on which it is noteworthy that General Cavallero apparently relied for his prospects of holding up the Greeks, because the region is a defensive bastion of first-rate importance. Despite snow, fog and generally deteriorating weather the Greeks have oeen enabled to approach much nearer to their principal objectives in this sector, and General Cavallero may well be forced to fall back on the strategy of his luckless predecessors and rely principally on defensive, operations.

WAR IN MOUNTAIN'S

WHOLE RANGE CAPTURED BY GREEKS. HEAVY ENEMY LOSSES IN FEW DAYS. (British Official Wireless.) 'Received This Day. 10.10 a.m.) RUGBY. February 3. -An oflicial Greek statement summarises yesterday’s operations:—"Local operations wore crowned with success and some prisoners were captured.” According to a Press Ministry statement in Athens, however, a whole mountain range stretching for nine miles, with peaks rising to 6000 feet is now in Greek hands, following on the successful fighting of the past few days. The _ statement added that a new phase m the Greek advance across .Albania had begun. A further message f rorn Athens suites that Italian dead, wounded ami prisoners in the past three days are' estimated at almost half a division.