RAGING IN NORTHERN GREECE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 April 1941, Page 5

RAGING IN NORTHERN GREECE

Allied Resistance Unbroken BUT WITHDRAWAL TO NEW LINE IN PROGRESS VIOLENT FIGHTING ALONG WHOLE FRONT LONDON, April 16. The latest news from Greece shows that fighting' continues with great violence along the whole front and that the R..A.I*. is pressing its attacks on enemy communications. British forces defending a pass to the west of Mount Olympus have driven back powerful German infantry and tank attacks. The battle is described as particularly fierce and bloody. The Germans threw ten divisions against Australian troops holding another pass, south of Mount Olympus, but the enemy attack failed. Further west strong German mechanised forces battered against the Greek lines, but the oncoming tide has been stemmed.

British fighters and bombers have been active during the day in support of the ground forces. Enemy communications were bombed constantly. A number of reconnaissances were carried out by fighters. All the British planes returned. An earlier communique announced that Greek and Imperial forces were gradually withdrawing to a shorter defence line. The Germans are being reinforced every day and are exerting increasing pressure on the Allied front, and the enemy advance is only being made at very great cost. Although the situation is regarded as serious, the Germans have not succeeded in breaking through the Allied line, which remains intact. The Germans are throwing in men regardless of losses. Already the invasion of Greece has cost them 50,000 dead. Wave after wave of infantry and mechanised forces are being hurled against the Allied line without regard to the appalling casualties. Tanks are blown up by land mines and the crews shot down by Bren guns as they attempt to escape. Dive bombers, which come over in batches of 20 to 40, are being destroyed in large numbers. One British armoured vehicle brought down five in a single attack. The German radio admits severe fighting’, accurate and deadly fire from British troops and vigorous counter-attacks by big British tanks. An officer who has just returned from the front said he had been machine-gunned 14 times on the way back by German dive bombers. Two Australian battalions, he said, were holding back overwhelming hordes of Germans, in order to give other forces sufficient time to take up new positions further back. He referred to the wonderful work of the artillery, who were being almost constantly dive-bombed. The troops were under an endless stream of attack by dive bombers. Larissa had been completely flattened, regardless of the heavy losses of planes. Fierce fighting is taking place on the roads east and west of Mount Olympus and towards Larissa, and bitter fighting is in progress along the whole of the line.

Yugoslavia has not denied that the Yugoslav army has capitulated and there seems to be no doubt that organised Yugoslav resistance is at an end.