LOCAL ACTIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 March 1941, Page 5

LOCAL ACTIONS

MORE GREEK SUCCESSES IN ALBANIA ITALIANS CAUGHT IN OWN ARTILLERY FIRE. 1500 ALPINI TROOPS DROWNED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, March 5. The Greeks today were again successful in local actions in Albania. Greek planes bombed troop concentrations and machine-gun. nests. Hundreds of Italians who were attempting to strengthen their fortifications were caught in a crossfire of artillery on the central front, and scores were killed by their shells. Prisoners confirm that 1500 Alpini troops were drowned when the troopship Liguria was sunk. Last night’s Greek communique said successful operations in the central sector resulted in the destruction of a tank and the capture of two. One hundred and sixty men and five officers were taken prisoner; also many automatic arms, three anti-tank guns and three anti-aircraft guns were captured. The Athens correspondent of “The Times” says that the arrival of spring and the drying-up of watter-logged aerodromes has given the R.A.F. a chance to go fully into action. Reinforcements of Hurricanes recently arrived, and more fighters and bombers are due later. ATTACK ON WARSHIPS CRUISERS PUT TO FLIGHT ATTEMPT TO BOMBARD PORT. Two Italian cruisers and four destroyers, with a strong escort of planes, opened fire on a port on the Albanian coast states the 8.8. G, referring to an attack reported yesterday made by British planes on enemy warships. The enemy attempted to silence the shore batteries but British planes then arrived on the scene. Bad weather hid the results of the British bombing. Out of the nine Italian planes destroyed, seven were shot down by two Hurricane pilots. The enemy warships immediately withdrew when the British planes arrived.