IN DIRE STRAITS
ITALIANS IN ALBANIA
ABANDONMENT OF TEPELENE ANTICIPATED.
VITAL POSITIONS TAKEN BY GREEKS.
Further signs that the Italians in Albania are about tr. abandon Tepelene are reported by the 8.8. C. The enemy appears to be destroying stores. Tepelene is a strategical keypoint, through which the main road runs to Valona.
The Greek High Command reports further successful engagements in which many prisoners were taken, together with quantities of arms, food and munitions.
The Greeks have taken positions which the Italians regarded as indispensible and in defence of which they made costly counter-attacks. Many Italian dead were found in the captured trenches. An order was found in which the commander of the Italian Eleventh Army appealed to his troops to save Italy from the disgrace of further defeat. Italians prisoners have stated that their commander ordered all who retreated to be shot.
DRIVE ON VALONA
SUCCESS OF GREEK TACTICS. PROGRESS IN COASTAL ZONE LONDON, February 5. The latest message from Athens on the fighting in Albania says that Greek troops north of Himara are now pressing on to Valona. the recent successful nibbling tactics, and an improvement in the weather having paved the way for the advance. Fog and snow, an earlier message stated, reduced visibility to nil in the central sector, near Tepelene. where the object of the Italian resistance appears to be simply to facilitate the movement of troops retiring from the Trebesina heights, which run approximately 10 miles north-west from the Tepelene-Klisura road, and also the withdrawal from the western defiles in the Klisura region. Notwithstanding the bad visibility the Greeks penetrated the Italian lines, destroyed telephone cables and brought back prisoners and machine-guns. The Athens correspondent of "The Times" says that Italian counter-at-tacks are now certain to encounter far greater difficulties, thanks to the big improvement in the Greek positions. The enemy command has used all its available prestige to impress the troops with the importance of the recent counter-attacks. Even Count Ciand. according to prisoner's statements, assisted General Cavallero in arranging dispositions.
It is revealed that two battalions of fanatical Black Shirts who recently arrived from Italy, defended the "Zog line" defences, which the Greeks penetrated, resulting in the capture of 800 prisoners.
ADRIATIC ISLAND REPORTED OCCUPATION LONDON. February 4. It is unconlirmedly reported from Yugoslavia that the British have occupied Lagosta Island, an Italian possession. dominating the central Adriatic, where British and Greek submarines are preying on Italian supply ships. Many Italian freighters are reported to be in refuge in Yugoslav ports, the commanders refusing to come out unless naval escort is provided.
Lagosta contains three harbours and an aerodrome.
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 February 1941, Page 5
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438IN DIRE STRAITS Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 February 1941, Page 5
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