FORCED BACK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 45, 3 December 1940, Page 5

FORCED BACK.

ITALIAN TROOPS IN ALBANIA. GREEKS TAKE IMPORTANT POSTS LONDON, December 2. The Italians are still being forced back in Albania. The Greeks have made considerable advances along the whole front, and points of exceptional importance for the development of future operations have been taken.

It is still on the northern front that the rate of the Greek advance is being maintained most successfully-. In the Pogradetz area the Italian rearguard has been pushed eight miles further into Albania, and the rest of the Italians are streaming westward on the road to Elbasan.

But even at Elbasan the Italians will not be free of their difficulties, if persistent reports prove true,, for it is said that well-equipped and well-organ-ised Albanians are waiting to fall on them there. In the mountains of the Premeti region, north-east of Argyrokastron, the Italians have suffered more reverses. There, according to the latest Greek communique, more than 150 Italians were taken prisoner and a large quantity of war material was captured. This success has promising possibilities for operations nearer the coast, for an advance of a few miles from Premeti will enable the Greeks to cut the road from Argyrokastron to Valona. Fierce Italian Defence. This will facilitate the capture of Argyrokastron, which the Italians are defending fiercely. The Italians hold a ridge barring progress from the south, and with the cutting of the road behind the Italians it will be only a matter of time before tfie defenders will be short of food and shells. The Athens radio declares that Greek forces have reached the coast north of Corfu. The Soviet Army’s newspaper, the “Red Star,” says that the Greeks now hold the most favourable strategic positions.

Snow and fog yesterday hampered air and land operations on the Pogradetz front; Hero the Greeks on Thursday took up positions beyond Pogradetz, with the object of cutting off the retreating Italians by concentrated artillery fire. Although Greek troops have been in Pogradetz for some days, the Greek High Command has only now announced its capture, because it awaited the consolidation of strong positions on the heights to the north-west. The Greeks captured these positions after furious fighting, and their capture facilitates further operations and renders Italian movements difficult in the southern sector. Hasty Reinforcements. Fifteen officers taken prisoner at Pogradetz belonged to almost as many units, proving that the Italians made hasty efforts to reinforce their troops in this area. The Greek wireless says that Signor Starace (Secretary-General of the Fascist Party) has arrived in. Albania to supervise measures to suppress the increasing anti-Italian agitation. Tire measures include the closing of Albanian schools r in which pictures of Signor Mussolini are reported to have been torn from the walls.

The Athens correspondent of the British Upited Press states that British air support is increasing by the addition of more New Zealand and Canadian pilots.

The Greeks fete the British airmen in restaurants, and women embrace them spontaneously. The presence of British fighters on any part of the front ensures the almost automatic disappearance of Italian dive-bombers.