FIGHT FOR LEROS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 30, 15 November 1943, Page 3

FIGHT FOR LEROS

HOT RECEPTION OF INVADERS. LANDING MADE AT TWO POINTS. PARACHUTIST REINFORCEMENTS \ (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright.) (Rec. 10.50 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 14. The first eye-witness account of the battle for Leros says that so far it has been mainly a duel between our infantry and anti-aircraft gunners and wave after wave of German divebombers. At first, light on Friday enen)y landing parties were spotted approaching the shore.

A hot reception awaited them and the invaders were repulsed, except at two points, with considerable casualties. Then the Germans made use of their local superiority in the air to fling in Stukas with the object of pinning down our troops while the enemy consolidated his hold upon the bridgeheads he had managed to establish at heavy cost. Wave after wave s§ame thundering over and then screamed down upon the defenders. Our anti-aircraft gunners gave them everything they had and the men of the Italian garrison stood their ground bravely, too.

As the day wore on low-flying transport planes appeared and started to drop parachutists with supplies to the enemy’s landing parties which were having all they could do to cling to the foothold they had won in the first hour.

Meanwhile the ships of the German invasion fleet kept circling the island, but appeared reluctant to come close again after the battering they had received at the first attack.—British Official Wireless.