GREEKS UNSHAKEN

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21372, 17 March 1941, Page 5

GREEKS UNSHAKEN

UNPRECEDENTED GLORY GENERAL’S MESSAGE FAITH IN VICTORY (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 17, 11.20 a.m.) ATHENS, March 16 General Papagos, in congratulating the army, said: “Six days’ effort on the part of the enemy has left you unshaken. Moreover, for the four months since the attack against Greece was launched you have proved yourselves victorious and covered yourselves with unprecedented glory. “The efforts of the enemy are now spent. Your determination remains as strong as ever. Your faith in victory has not wavered a hair’s breadth.” A semi-official statement says the Italian offensive has been checked and the enemy has failed to occupy a single yard of territory. The statement reveals that though the offensive raged principally in a sector 20 miles wide the Italians threw their heaviest concentrations into action over a width of only two and a-half miles. The Greeks have taken over 3000 prisoners, including several high officers, who state that one division suffered from 40 to 50 per cent. Another was decimated and replaced, and a third was completely smashed. The Blackshirts also suffered heavily. Italians' Terrible Losses Last night’s Greek comnYunique, indicating that the Italians have been unable wholly to maintain the violence of their attacks in the face of repeated defeats, was elaborated in Athens by an authoritative commentator, who said: At 4.30 a.m. the Italians launched an extensive attack in the central sector against positions which they had vainly attacked the previous day. They were repulsed with heavy losses. At six o’clock there was a new attack by reserve forces in the same direction, but this failed lamentably, the Italians suffering heavy losses. At 6.30 a.m. a carefully-prepared attack was carried out on another position in the same sector, but the result for the Italians was even worse, their losses being particularly heavy. Following artillery and mortar fire preparations, the commandant of the Eleventh Italian Army launched a new attack at 2 p.m. Strong effective forces recently arrived from Italy, supported by large numbers of aircraft, took part. The battle raged throughout the afternoon, fresh waves of Italians being thrown in to take the place of those who had fallen. By nightfall, however, the attack had been checked. The Italians left many dead or wounded in the field before the Greek lines. The Greeks did not lose an inch of ground. They captured a great deal of war material and 50 prisoners. Prisoners stated that during the six days’ offensive the Italian losses were terrible. Italian Losses Total 50,000 i Messages from war correspondents with the Greek Army on the j Albanian front state that the Italian j forces thrown into the offensive launched at Mussolini’s orders six j days ago are put at 120,000, operatj ing on a front of about 20 miles. Mussoiini, the messages state, has lost several of his closest collaborators, including six members of the Fascist Grand Council, of whom some, like Professor Pellegrini, have been taken prisoner, and others, like General Barbelini, killed. The Italian losses are estimated at some 50,000 killed, wounded or captured. The debacle is attributed by correspondents to the accuracy of the Greek artillery, the skill and ability of the machine-gunners, and the alertness of the infantry, as well as tjjie lack of morale of the Italian troops. Whole Italian regiments, it is stated, have been flung against positions held only by small Greek detachments, only to be mown down by shell-fire when they were still 500 yards from their objective. What enthusiasm these unfortunate troops had when they started soon evaporated. Their formations were broken up and thrown into a state of confusion. The officers tried vainly to restore some sort of order at the revolver point, but few of them lived to return to the starting point. HITLER AND PETAIN OPPOSITION TO BRITAIN IN THE AFRICAN EMPIRE (United Press Assn— Elec. Tel. Copyrlg-ht) LONDON, March 15 “At no time has Hitler demanded active French help against Britain,” declared Count de Brinon, the Vichy representative in Paris, in an interview with the correspondent of the American Associated Press, and Count de Brinon quoted Hitler has having said to Marshal Petain at their meeting at Montoire: “I do not ask for this, because you could not do it, but I dv ask you to help me to shorten the war by opposing British enterprises in your African empire. In return for this, .France will find in the new Europe the place it used to have.” To this proposition Marshal Petain had agreed, said Count de Brinon. Pensions for Old Folk Marshal Petain. in a broadcast, announced that the retirement was to begin of old folk from active life. It is believed that about 1.300,000 persons over 60 years of age will be affected, and they will receive pensions.