NO RESPITE FOR ITALIANS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 80, 28 December 1940, Page 9

NO RESPITE FOR ITALIANS

Fighting In Albania GREEK ADVANCE CONTINUES Fierce Battles In Snow (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Received December 27, 7.5 p.m.) LONDON, December 26. Agency messages from Athens state that the Greek troops celebrated Christmas with a new victory in the region west of the River Drinos, driving back the enemy in a spirited atack. In addition to eight guns already announced, they have taken 10 heavy guns and important material and a of prisoners, .including officers. Farther north,'after a successful attacksome villages were occupied, despite snow and fog. Italian reinforcements sent from Italy were unable to alter the situation.

The Athens radio stated: “The advance of the Greek troops continues on the entire front. ’Along the coast our troops captured several strategic heights, despite snowstorms and blizzard. West of the River Drinos we pushed back the Italian forces. I' arther northward we captured 10 new villages and took many prisoners. After a slight abatement caused by the piercing cold, the battle for Elbasan continued today with increased violence. The Greeks vigorously at; tacked northward of Pogradec m the direction of Lin, which Greek patrols are reported to have entered. Greek pressure is also very strong in the valleys of the Shkumba and _ Devon Rivers, particularly in the direction of Cbukus. The Italians are makiim a great effort to hold their positions in the northern sector and also doing their utmost to cover the retreat from Himara. They are desperately organizing defences on the heights protecting Valona. , The Athens correspondent of ine Times’’ says the Greeks retain the initiative along the Albanian front and Christmas brought no respite for the Italians. Westward of the Drinos River and roughly within a triangle embracing Argyrokastron, Tepelene and Himara the enemy rearguards have been kept moving, despite the establishment of barbed-wire defences. Local attacks on Christmas Day followed the Christmas Eve capture ot an important and stubbornly-held position to the north-east of Tepelene, and also several villages. Fighting continues near Kelcyra, toward which the Greeks are advancing from the easafter a magnificent manoeuvre in which they rolled up the Italian line with a wide encircling movement till heavy snow intervened to aid the Italians. , .. „ The Italian radio says the Italian forces are experiencing heavy resistance in Albania, and claimed that, the enemy being numerically superior, the Italians were obliged to retreat.