FACING DEBACLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 March 1941, Page 5

FACING DEBACLE

ITALIANS IN ALBANIA FULL RETREAT ON CENTRAL SECTOR. GREEKS CAPTURE IMPORTANT HEIGHTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON. March 10. . The Athens correspondent of the “Daily Express” says that Italy’s harried forces in central Albania are headed for the worst debacle since the outbreak of the Italian-Greek war. The Italians are reported to be in full retreat, and thousands have been killed, wounded and taken prisoner. Athens reports that the Greeks today captured a further 258 prisoners and considerable stores of provisions and other materials. The Greeks captured a series of heights in the central sector. The Italians in the coastal sector three times fruitlessly counter-attacked during the day, and fighting is taking place along summits 5000 feet high. The Italians farther- north lost 50 per cent of their effective strength when coun-ter-attacks failed. The Greek Press Ministry, giving a description of Saturday’s fighting, states that the Greek offensive continued in the central sector from morning till evening, the dash and spirit of the Greek troops being beyond eulogy. The offensive in this sector was launched in three regions. In the course of the first assault the; Greeks occupied a rocky position where the enemy had been installed for a month. The Italians did everything they could to defend it, but toward midday gave way. During their flight they suffered heavy losses from automatic rifle, artillery and mortar fire. The Italian commander sent an urgent message for reinforcements, and in the afternoon the Italianslaunched consecutive counter-attacks in an endeavour to retake the lost positions. All were repulsed. The enemy retired to other positions, abandoning a number of dead and wounded. In another region in this sector combats continued all day, and resulted in the Greeks occupying extremely strongly fortified enemy positions. The Italians suffered heavy losses in killed and wounded when they were driven from positions in which the Greeks are now well installed. GERMAN HELP tAIR FORCE AND MODERN EQUIPMENT. ITALIANS NOT ESPECIALLY PLEASED. NEW YORK. March 10. The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times” says information has been received that Germany is preparing to send an air force and other most modern equipment to Albania to reinforce the Italians and drive the Greeks from the country. It is believed, the correspondent states, that this plan is not especially welcome to the Italians, who had hoped for a single-handed victory over the Greeks. The same information stresses that in spite of the Italian reverses Mussolini remains firmly in the saddle and is exercising real power internally. The London “Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent at Athens says Greece’s internal solidarity was reaffirmed today when delegations representing 500,000 workers declared their determination to fight to the end. In a speech to the delegates the Premier, M. Korizis, said: “Greece will continue her struggle to impose respect for her independence, integrity and liberty.” STRONG POINTS CAPTURED BY THE GREEKS. ITALIAN COUNTER-ATTACKS BEATEN BACK. (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) RUGBY, March 11. A Greek headquarters communique on Monday stated: “After a hard fought struggle we have occupied enemy strong points. Offensive actions by the Italians have been taking place on a wider front since yesterday. They have not met with any success but on the contrary have resulted in severe losses. We have taken about 300 prisoners, including a number of officers. “An enemy tank attack was repulsed, one tank being destroyed. “Our aircraft took part in these operations, bombing and machine-gun-ning enemy forces with success. All our machines returned to their bases.” BOMBERS ACTIVE ENEMY CAMPS SUCCESSFULLY ATTACKED. MOTOR TRANSPORT MACHINEGUNNED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 11.10 a.m.) RUGBY, March 11. - A R.A.F. Middle East communique states: “A successful bombing attack was carried out on enemy camps and motor transport concentrations on the Galave-Buzi road yesterday by R.A.F. bomber aircraft, in support of Greek land forces. Intense anti-aircraft fire was encountered in certain sectors, but the aircraft pressed home their attacks even to the extent of machine-gunning the motor transport of troops moving along the road. 1