AGAINST ITALY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 297, 14 December 1940, Page 9

AGAINST ITALY.

NAVY'S VITAL PART. Greeks Saved In First Days Of War. British Official Wireless. (Reed. 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, Dee. 13. Commenting on the navy's co-opcra-(ion with the army and the Koyal Air Force, in the operations in North Africa, authoritative naval circles in Ijondnn state that there is no evidence that the heavy and light, forces taking part in the heavy bombardment of Italian positions and lines of communications have been subjected to any enemy attack, either from the air or the sea. So far no casualties either to ships or ships' companies have been reported. The vital service given by British sea power to the Greek Army during tile early days of Italian aggression was also discussed to-day in authoritative London circles, where it was pointed out that when the Italians launched their attempted and unprovoked invasion from Albania time for mobilisation was of vital value to the Greek Army. In order to complete this quickly, open sea routes were necessary to the Greek < iovcrnincnt, and, in assuring this, the British Navy played a ino.st important part. Because the freedom of the seas in tile Mediterranean had been kept by the British, the Greeks were able freely to use their sea routes, using only the protection of their own light forces. Subsequent events have done nothing to impair the supremacy of British power in that sea. and the Greek routes ill the Mediterranean are tree from enemy molestation.