LIBERATION OF CORINTH

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24386, 12 October 1944, Page 5

LIBERATION OF CORINTH

ALLIED ARMIES IN ITALY

BRITISH WELCOMED BY GREEKS

NAVAL ACTIVITY IN AEGEAN

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 10. “The British troops matched into Corinth over roads strewn with flowers and njulti-coloured hand-woven rugs and mats,” says the correspondent of the British United Press at Corinth. “Church bells pealed out for the first time in three years, and singing, cheering crowds lined the roads. >,,/ “The inhabitants say that the Germans, during the occupation/ herded the relatives, of • known guerrillas, into concentration camps, after -. which, when a guerrilla attack occurred, regardless of the'number of German casualties, they summarily shot at least 20 captives. The Germans left 250 Greek security troops in Corinth, who surrendered after the British commander had promised to protect them against their incensed countrymen.” “The official entry into Corinth was made on Monday morning by British troops and Greek Andartes,” writes a correspondent from Corinth. “About 250 members of a Greek security battalion surrendered. No Germans have been met.

“Extending their grip on Peloponnesus, our troops now control many key points and communication centres. Bridges ..on the Patras-Corinth road have been blown up, and in Athens, only 50 miles away, it is reported that fighting has broken out between Andarte forces and the German garrison. The Corinth Canal has been badly damaged, bridges have been blown up, and about 20 locomotives and 120 railway trucks have been run' into the canal. The trucks were loaded with horses and cattle which the Germahs had taken from the Greeks, but which they were unable to take away. The British forces received a tremendous welcome when they entered Corinth.”

The Germans seem to have decided not to hold Athens, says a message from Cairo, and, according to reliable sources, important personnel are being evacuated by air from the capital. Their, destination is believed to be Salonika, where - headquarters are still established, and the intention of the enemy to make a stand along the east to west line seems to be borne out by intelligence reports. Naval and Air Activity

“Medium bombers last night (Monday) attacked airfields in the Athens area,” says a communique from Italy, “Light bombers and fighter-bombers attacked shipping in the Adriatic and targets along the Dalmatian coast. Five of our aircraft, are missing. The Allies flew about 300 sorties."

“Naval units and aircraft, still harassing enemy shipping in the Aegean, accounted for 10 more vessels, including a 750-ton tanker, on Saturday and Sunday,” says a correspondent in the Mediterranean. "Strikes were made all along the Greek coast from the Gulf of Salonika to Athens. Aircraft sank a cruiser and drove an enemy minesweeper ashore. “The cruiser Black Prince' and the destroyer Termagant sank a passenger ship, while light coastal forces fought a night action, destroying two enemy motor craft. On Saturday they sank a merchant vessel and a lighter, and later at night left a 750-ton tanker blazing after engaging an enemy convoy. Besides the enemy de.stroyer sunk by the Terpiagant on Friday night an armed trawler and a large caique were also sent to the bottom. Light coastal forces operating in the northern Adriatic destroyed two schooners and damaged two others.”

SIEGE OF ALBANIAN PORT

LONDON, Oct. 10. British units in Albania have fought their way into the eastern outskirts of Sarahda with the aid of Albanian partisans, while a parachute company has been landed to capture, enemy batteries. Saranda is the porj which supplies the German garrison on Corfu. The British, farther inland fn Albania, ambushed two withdrawing German companies and, with a relatively small force, beat down two enemy attacks, killing 80 and taking some prisoners. PORT IN ALBANIA OCCUPIED (Ree. 11.15 p.m.) LONDON. Oct; 11. British units in Albania, with the aid of Albanian partisans, have liberated Saranda, the port which supplies the German garrison on Corfu. Five hundred prisoners were taken. The British, farther inland in Albania, ambushed two withdrawing German companies and, with a relatively small force, beat down two enemy attacks, killing 80 and taking some prisoners. In support of the land forces. Allied naval units have been bombarding the Albanian coast north of Corfu.

WEATHER RESTRICTS PROGRESS (Rec. 11.15 p.m.) _ LONDON, Oct. 11. Bad weather continues along the entire front in Italy and Allied operations are restricted. In the drive towards Bologna troops of the sth Army have made more local gains, and on the Adriatic sector the Bth Army has consolidated its positions. “The main Bologna-Rimini highway is under systematic shelling from sth Army guns,” says a correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency. “Allied positions astride the highway have been improved by clearing the ground on either side. Indians on the Adriatic front, operating in heavy rain, now occupy the major part of a ridge running south-westward to Montegattoma. Numerous German counterattacks have been repulsed with heavy losses.” Reuter’s correspondent reports that American infantry is slowly advancing along the highway to Bologna. “With continued bad weather and the waterlogged state of the ground, activity on the Bth Army sector has been confined to patrols,” said an Allied communique issued yesterday “On the sth Army sector local improvements in forward positions have been made.”

FREE TRADE UNIONS IN EUROPE

AID FROM AMERICAN LABOUR

(Rec. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK, Oct. 10. The American Federation of Labour’s League for Human Rights has announced the formation of a free trade union committee to raise 1,000,000 dollars from 7,000,000 members to aid the establishment of free trade unions in Europe. The committee will assist Labour unions in Central and South America as well as in European countries, but will not assist Germany at present.

U.s. Citizenship.—By an act signed by Mr Roosevelt on September 27. the operation of the United States Nationality Act of 1940 is suspended until October 14. 1945. The principal effect is to suspend the operation of clauses which laid down that, except in certain ‘ circumstances, a naturalised American citizen would lose’ his American nationality if he returned tolive for more than three years in his original country, or lived more than five years in another foreign country.— .Washington, Oct. 10. .