BLOODY ATTACKS

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21373, 18 March 1941, Page 5

BLOODY ATTACKS

ITALIANS BEATEN 50,000 CASUALTIES MUSSOLINI LEAVES (United Press As si.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, March 17 The fourth Italian commander-in-chief—this time the Italian Empire’s Marshal Mussolini—has left Albania, badly beaten by the Greeks after six consecutive days of the bloodiest attacks, which infuriated Italian prisoners call butchery, costing as they did over 50,000 casualties, says the Athens correspondent of the Times. So many dead are lying on the battlefield that the air is polluted, in spite of the snow and intense cold, compelling the Greeks to take special sanitary measures. The situation was relatively quiet on the Albanian from on Saturday and Sunday, the Italians making no attempt to launch a serious offensive. Desperate Assaults Fail Since the complete failure of last week’s desperate Italian assaults on the Albanian front there appears to have been no major engagements. The latest Greek High Command communique briefly states that artillery activity is varying in intensity. The magnitude of the Italian defeats is indicated by the fact that although seven divisions have been employed on a front of 20 miles, with the main effort directed to a narrow sector two and a-half miles wide, the enemy failed to gain any ground; in fact, in many places they are back behind their lines of assault. Mussolini, who hoped fpr a spectacular victory, has returned to Rome in the knowledge that some 3000 Italian prisoners are in Greek hands as a result of seven days’ attack and that all the losses suffered amount to 50,000. The Times correspondent at Athens says it is probable that the enemy will not be in a position to renew the offensive for two or three months, if then. An official Athens estimate of the results of the enemy’s offensive efforts says: “It failed to suppress our offensive, our counter-attacks following each attack. The results of this success are among the most important that we have yet won, especially as the enemy’s attempt was preceded by long preparations as immense quantities of ammunition were brought together and important forces were engaged far in excess of our own.” CLAIM BY GERMANY ! BRITISH BATTLESHIPS HIT ENCOUNTER OFF CRETE (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 18, 11 a.m.) LONDON, March 17 The Berlin radio claims that tor-pedo-carrying planes directly hit two British battleships among a squadron off Crete. “ ARE WE TOO SOFT? ” QUESTIONS FOR LINDBERGH BRITISH OFFICIAL’S POSTCARDS (United Tress Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, March 16 The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Information, Mr Harold Nicolson, in a speech, said: “ I had a great friend called Lindbergh, before the outbreak of war. He said to me, * You are a fine people but getting soft.’ “ After every bad raid, I send him a postcard, asking whether he still thinks we are soft. He does not answer, but I like sending them.”