BALKAN CAMPAIGN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 152, 9 April 1941, Page 5

BALKAN CAMPAIGN

YUGOSLAVS TAKE OFFENSIVE.

CAPTURE OF TOWNS REPORTED,

SUCCESSES AGAINST ITALIANS,

((Juiced Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, April 8.

Although news of Yugoslavia’s defence against Germany and Italy is still very scanty, reports from sources 'as widespread as Berne and Ankara say that Yugoslav forces have taken the offensive on Italy’s frontiers, north and south.

The capture of Scutari, in Northern Albania, is said to have been reported by the Yugoslav radio station at Ljubljana, although the broadcast was not hoard in London. It is also reported that Fiume, the Italian port in Yugoslavia near the Italian border, has been. occupied. The only authority f6r this report is an American correspondent in Ankara. Other reports say that Zara, another Italian port in Yugoslavia about 100 miles south of Fiume, has been taken. The evacuation of Italians from Zara was announced before Germany began her attack. Little is known about Germany’s push on other fronts in Yugoslavia, and the Gormans still make no specific claims. The British United Press, however, quotes military observers in Athens as believing that the situation in Yugoslavia is satisfactory, and the Yugoslavs are generally understood to be resisting ..successfully. ' Information reaching Ankara sugguests that the main German attack is against Yugoslavia’s eastern frontier from Bulgaria. The route is through difficult country, and the German drive is directed apparently against Skoplje, an important communications centre.

THE GERMAN ATTACK. INSIGNIFICANT GAINS MADE. THRUSTS AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA. LONDON, April 7. The. Germans have not captured a single strategic point in Yugoslavia, according to advices received in Switzerland. The Germans continue to declare that the terrain precludes a “blitz’’ success. . The Ankara radio said that- the Yugoslavs have already had considerable successes in north Albania, and added that German troops are now; in contact with the main Greek positions in the Struma Valley and the Nevrokop sector, 30 miles efifit of the Struma. Two German tank attacks in these .sectors were* repulsed with heavy German losses.

The Berlin radio claimed that the Germans seized a strategically important river bridge and prevented the Yugoslavs from blowing it up. •

Swiss reports says that the German Army is attacking Yugoslavia at four points: (1) toward Ljubljana and Zagreb; (2) toward Belgrade from Subotica; (3) toward Nish, from Bulgaria; (4) toward Skoplje. Tho Swiss radio stated to-day that tho Germans had not taken a, single strategic position at the end of the second day of fighing on the entire Yugoslav-Greok front, which extends for 750 miles.

The Germans to-night said they were advancing on the Serbian-Greek fronts after sharp attacks which overcame fortified positions. The* Greeks admitted heavy attacks, but declared that the Germans had not succeeded in breaking the Greek defences.

Italian Claims

According to the Italian Stcfani News Agency, Italian aeroplanes inflicted hard blows on British motorised units in Greece.

also claimed that the Italians had broken a Greek attempt to join Yugoslav forces. It said the attempt resulted in two days of bitter fighting, in which the Italians virtually wiped out a Greek division comprising three regiments. Whatever the truth of this report, one of the main Axis aims is obviously te break contact between Yugoslavia and Greece, and the Germans, according to reliable Turkish sources, are making their principal drive against the. Yugoslavs through a subsidiary valley west of the Struma to Skoplje. The Athens radio says that in spite of heavy attacks and the dropping of parachute troops by the Germans, the Greeks are straightening their line in tlm Struma Valley. British bombers are supporting the Greeks. The line is being defended with a determination unique in history. The Germans are using hundreds of aeroplanes , and tanks, with heavy and light artillery. German parachutists are being dropped but are quickly being rounded up. The Greek resistance, the radio adds, seems to be surprising the Germans. As well as straightening their line, the Greeks are even counter-attacking. Six German planes were shot down iii the Struma Valley in flames, according to a Greek commufiique.

The Greek radio says that German parachutists were dropped at various points in Macedonia and Thrace on Sunday. The- Germans also dropped leaflets addressing the Greeks as comrades, and professing friendship for the Greek people, whom they wished to spare the horrors of war. Some parachutists were captured.