TERRIBLE LOSSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 March 1941, Page 5

TERRIBLE LOSSES

> SUFFERED BY ITALIANS IN ALBANIA ANOTHER OFFENSIVE FAILS ON NORTHERN FRONT. KING OF GREECE THANKS ARMY. \ (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) . i LONDON, March 18. • There is now little doubt, says the Athens correspondent of “The Times” that the Italian casualties in the recent fighting averaged in killed and wounded forty per cent . of the dotal effectives involved, namely 48,000 out of 120,000. The King of Greece, thanking his . army for dealing the Italian army a , smashing blow during the week’s of- ( fensive added, “You gave the enemy , the proper answer and taught him yet another lesson in Greek gallantry.” ] Though last night’s Greek communi- ] que had little to report, Reuter’s cor- j respondent on the Albanian frontier < says that the Italians launched a strong j new offensive on the northern front | this morning. It was preceded by vio- j lent artillery fire, but the offensive is ] stated to have been beaten off with ( heavy losses to the Italians. , The same correspondent reports a renewal of the struggle in the central , sector. It has been particularly violent j in the Tepelene sector, where large ; Italian forces are threatened with en- i circlement. Air activity is also of an j increased tempo. < Greek enthusiasm for the R.A.F. is ( expressed in an Athens broadcast. J This stated: “Every day brings them j fresh laurels which we Greeks greet ; with enthusiasm and admiration.” < The fighting in Albania yesterday 5 further slowed down, artillery ex- c changes being the main activity. The British and Greek air forces last week shot down 39 and severely damaged 17 Italian planes. They de- s stroyed at least 15 more on the ground, < The Italian radio claims that the Ital- t ians shot down 38 planes on the Greek i front in the last 10 days. t