ITALIANS IN RETREAT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 297, 14 December 1940, Page 8

ITALIANS IN RETREAT.

The campaign in Albania, began as an Italian invasion of Greece, and the news this week encourages the belief that the campaign which began with the Italian invasion of Egypt will presently be continued in Libya. In each case the transformation of the scene has been astonishing. When the Greeks were attacked there was almost universal foreboding, for one small country after another had gone down before the numerical and mechanical superiority of Nazi force, and although none rated the Italian fighting ability as high as the German, there seemed small reason to think that Greece's fate would be different from that of Norway, Holland and Belgium. In Egypt there was the fact

that the Italian forces were greatly superior numerically, so that it seemed that the British would be obliged to maintain the defensive. But now, within it week, the Italians hava had a damaging blow; their advance into Egypt has been reversed and bears the nppearance ot' a headlong retreat. There is a great story yet to be told of the events of this week, but impatience to hear it will be tempered by the heartening knowledge that for the first time in the war British military forces have gained sn sscendcney—and they will not be deprived of it.