ON ALLIED LINE IN GREECE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 April 1941, Page 5

ON ALLIED LINE IN GREECE

Defenders Withstanding Fierce Attacks SOME GAINS CLAIMED BY ENEMY MANY SMASHING RAIDS CARRIED OUT BY R.A.F. * (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, April 17. In Greece the British Empire forces and their Greek Allies are resisting increased enemy pressure along- the whole front. The R.A.F. has carried out raid after raid on enemy supply columns and aerodromes. An Air Force communique states that R.A.J. bombers, which attacked enemy supply columns, did considerable damage. A railway line, motor transport and railway station were successfully bombed and fires were started. An enemy convoy east of Salonika was heavily raided. A large formation of enemy aircraft on Wednesday attacked shipping in a Greek harbour. They were engaged by British fighters and one was shot down. Another was destroyed by anti-aircraft gun fire. 1 _ . In an enemy raid on an aerodrome in Greece on Tuesday night only negligible damage was done. One enemy aircraft was shot down. . . The latest news of land operations comes in a Reuter message from Athens, which states that hard fighting is takingplace at a point on the road to Larissa, where Australian troops are fiercely hammering the enemy. According to the latest news from Macedonia, the Allied line, although under pressure, remains intact. Today’s German communique claims the capture of a town on the road to Larissa and an official German news agency states that hard fighting is taking place in the Mt Olympus area. , • , . German dive bombers have been heavily attacking the Allied line like long-range artillery. A pass south of Koritza is reported to have fallen into enemy hands. Well-informed quarters in Cairo believe that the Greeks may have to evacuate Albania, where the situation is serious. A considerable German force has been released from Yugoslavia and has pushed back the Greek troops defending other portions of the Greek line. The situation may affect the Empire forces in Greece. No one, it is stated, intends to minimise the gravity of the situation. Competent authorities stated that the Greek and Allied troops were operating in complete cohesion and were fiercely holding the line.