DANGER REALISED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 2, 3 January 1941, Page 5

DANGER REALISED

Greeks Retain Upper Hand In High-Country Fighting

(United Press Association.—Copyright.— Reed. 11 a.m.)

LONDON, January 2.

It is .reported from Athens that the Italians for several days have been constructing a new line of fortified positions across Central Albania, indicating that they realise the necessity for a last desperate resistance should Valona, Tepelena and Klisura fall. , JP* e n< : w line begins northward of Valona and runs across the romor Mountains eastward to Berat, thence to the eastward at hlbasan, and thence to the Yugoslav frontier. The Italians are persistently outmanoeuvred by the Greet&s but the weather does not allow scope for blitzkrieg movements' Merce encounters have occurred during the past few days along the heights commanding Lake Ohridsko and the Pogradec-Elbasan road. One hundred and fifty Italians near Lake Ohridsko surrendered because they were unable to stand the cold-

At the cost of heavy losses the Italians so far have prevented the Greeks from penetrating to Prenje, on the Lin-Elbasan road which would mean isolation for the Italians in the Lin region The Creeks have now captured the last important Italian positions in Upper Shkumba Valley, where Italian losses were heavy. In the central sector the Italians heavily counter-attacked westward of Moscopolye, but were repulsed.

"On the Greek front there were some operations of a local character, says a Rome communique. A Government spokesman at Athens said the Greeks had taken over enemy fortifications in the Klisura region, including a,r raid shelters cut from solid rock. Much material and a number of tanks were captured or destroyed. Heavy fighting in the coastal sector north-east of Himara has increased.