GREEKS TAKE VILLAGES

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 82, 31 December 1940, Page 7

GREEKS TAKE VILLAGES

Success Near Himara ITALIAN DRIVE FAILS Defeat North Of Kelcyra (By Telegraph.—-Press Assn. —Copyright.) ATHENS, December 29. A communique states: “Today there was restricted patrol and artillerv activity.” A Government spokesman announced that the Greeks captured three villages northward of Himara after storming the mountains dominating them. The Italians, including Bersagliers specially flown m, were heavily defeated north of Kelcyra, where the Italians used tanks in an attempt to drive along the Kelcyra-Berat road. LONDON. December 29. A Greek communique states that local operations of limited scope were successful, and prisoners were taken. The Ministry of Security stated that Italians retreating from Himara took ten prominent Greek citizens as hostages. A correspondent of the Belgiadc newspaper “Politika,” on the frontiei, stated that Greek advanced forces penetrated close to Lin on Lake Okhrida, launched an offensive at - a.m. on December 28, and continued to attack relentlessly until they were within a mile of Lin, with the advance guard fighting on the outskirts. The Greeks, despite heavy losses, outflanked the town and surrounding mountain passes, fighting in snow. A Greek Government spokesman said that another Greek offensive has been launched to the north-west of Himara. Mountain patrols have broken the Italian 'defences and occupied the heights, though storms are making attack increasingly difficult. The Italian rearguard fought, hard to cover the retreat.