GUERILLAS ACTIVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 October 1942, Page 4

GUERILLAS ACTIVE

IN SEVERAL BALKAN COUNTRIES

HEAVY LOSSES INFLICTED

ON ITALIANS.

PATRIOT FORCES AFOOT IN GREECE & CRETE.

(British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.20 a.m.) RUGBY. October 14

Reports from Turkey reveal that guerillas are waging a vigorous campaign in North Greece, Albania and Yugoslavia. Eighty-four Italians were killed and 60 wounded in a recent fierce battle in South Macedonia. Other guerillas, operating in the region of Castoria, Florina and Koritza have joined up with General Mikhailovitch’s Yugoslav patriots. Their combined bands are continually inflicting losses on the Germans and Italians. The Greeks are mercilessly dealing with traitors and those collaborating with the occupying forces. Many of these are shot and their , bodies nailed to trees, under notices announcing the same fate for all who betray their country. Greek circles in London say that 5,000 Greeks are fighting in Bulgarianoccupied Macedonia and 2000 to 3000 in Crete.

The Albanians are increasingly hostile to the Italians. They are staging demonstrations in towns and villages, frequently under the leadership off women. and committing sabotage throughout the country. Albanians in the oilfields region of Kuschova attacked Italian guards and forced the Italians Lo retreat, leaving 110 dead.

Guerillas drove the Italians out of the Skrapar region, South Albania, inflicting considerable casualties. Yugoslav circles in Ankara reveal that the Yugoslavs in the six weeks to the end of August killed 6,000 members of Italian armoured divisions, wounded 9,000 and captured heavy artillery. Twenty per cent of the guerillas are women.

SHOT FIRED AT SLOVAK PUPPET PRESIDENT. HIGH REWARD FOR CAPTURE OF ASSAILANT. (Received This Day, 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, October 14. A high price is offered for the capture of a man who fired two shots at the Slovak President, Tiso, when he was giving the Nazi salute. A bullet pierced Tiso’s sleeve. Many arrests have been made, but the assailant has not yet been found, says a dispatch from the German frontier.

The Hungarians arrested twenty hostages and imposed ' a fine of 6,000 pengos on the tiny Yugoslav town of Movesamki after the stoning of a Hungarian officer. The police fired on the demonstrators, but the culprits escaped.