TO SPLIT LEROS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 271, 15 November 1943, Page 3

TO SPLIT LEROS

GERMAN EFFORTS

Allied Troops Well-equipped" And In Good Spirits N.Z. Press Association —Copyright Rec. 10 a.m. LONDON, Nov. 14. The Germans are dropping paratroops in an attempt to split Leros Island in two at its narrowest point, dividing the British and Italian troops in the north and south, says Reuters Cairo correspondent. The town of Leros is still in our hands, but heavy fighting is going on in the harbour area. The British and Italians are numerically inferior, but are well equipped and the garrison is in good heart The German communique states that the Germans on Leros are continuing their successsful battles against fairly strong enemy resistance. A German war reporter said: "The grimness of the fighting can be gauged from the fact that one German landing force was twice driven back to the sea before it could form a bridgehead." British forces occupied Leros, also Samos, Kos and Symi, in September following the Italian surrender. The Germans have since retaken Kos and Symi. Whether the British are able to hold the island depends largely on. the extent to which they were able to reinforce it during the lull after the German occupation of Kos. Minor territorial gains were made by the British troops in the Chbi area in the northern sector of the island, where the Germans were driven back by swift counterattacks. Although the enemy improved his positions in the central sector, where he dropped paratroops, the British continue to hold him in his drive toward Leros town itself. ~ _ In an effort to destroy the German airfields and smash their aircraft, RA.F. bombers attacked Kalato and Kos airfields last night. 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 dive-bombers. At first light on Friday enemy 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 air superiority to fling in Stukas, with the object of pinning down our troops while the enemy consolidated his hold upon the bridgeheads which he had managed to establish at heavy cost. Wave after wave of planes came thundering over, and then screamed down upon the defenders. Our antiaircraft 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 won in the first hour. Meanwhile. 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.