ORDERLY RETIREMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 121, 18 November 1940, Page 7

ORDERLY RETIREMENT

ITALIAN FORCES

DISLODGED FROM ALL

POSITIONS

FLANK THREATENED

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.)

LONDON, November 16.

The Athens radio states that the Italians have been dislodged from all positions. Their organised defences are not likely to withstand the Greek attacks for long.

The Athens correspondent of "The Times" states that a major battle appears to be developing on the entire length of the front, on four-fifths of which the Greeks are fighting on enemy soil. The Italians are retiring in orderly fashion from the Epirus sector in view of an encircling movement from the central sector.

The Greeks are developing two J pushes in the Koritza region. Koritza can now receive supplies only by a partly-finished military road along the Devol River from Elbasan. The Greeks have occupied positions commanding rLiaskovik and also reoccupied Delivinaki in their push towards! Argyrokastron. This thrust seriously threatens the flank. of the Italians in the Kalamas River sector. The Italians are retiring from the positions which they occupied in the first rour days of the war. This southern drive is important because the route towards Argyrokastron and Valona is not fortified, though the terrain is most difficult. ITALIAN REINFORCEMENTS. The Italians are moving up to the front troops from all parts of Albania, including those from the Yugoslav borders, because * they are apparently unable to maintain drafts of troops through their battered ports.

The Greeks captured at the point of the bayonet a great part of Mount Ivan, a 6000-foot peak north-east of Koritza, which it dominates. The Greeks took ten Italian large-calibre guns. Koritza is very important not only because it is the largest town in south Albania, with a population of 30,000, but because it is also a centre of communications. Its capture would offer the Greeks an entrance to the route to Elbasan,. the strategic centre of Albania.

The Greeks are reported to be smashing into 'the Italian army west of Lake Presba. Military officials declare that the Greek moves threaten to cut the Italians in Albania in three parts. The Italians are reported to have set fire to Koritza.

An Athens communique says: "Battles occurred all day in the Epirus region and the mountains east of Koritza. We captured many prisoners, cannon, trench mortars, and all kinds of material. The retiring Italians left half of Koritza in flames. The Italians bombed towns and villages which offer no military interest, but there were no casualties. The Greeks' total booty since the war started includes 3500 j prisoners, 20 field guns, 30 trench mortars, and 100 machine-guns. The Greeks, in the battles raging on all fronts, are using more than 150,000 troops." BOOTY TO THE GREEKS. Describing the Greek success, the Balkan correspondent of "The Times" states that the Greek army is still counting the booty captured. Up toi Thursday night the total was 14 heavy guns, 182 heavy machine-guns, 237 light machine-guns, 36 sub-machine-guns, 8763 rifles, 239 lorries loaded with material, 373 cases of small arms ammunition, 1755 shells, 637 mules, and 172 horses.

The correspondent adds that while the Greek offensive has effectivelywrested the initiative from the enemy, the Greek air force, as well as the R.A.F., has sown confusion in the Italian ranks. He refers to the havoc caused by the R.A.F. at Valona and Durazzo, and says that the damage already inflicted by the R.A.F. to the landing field at Argyrokastron is important as well as the damage which the Greeks and the R.A.F. inflicted at Koritza. The Argyrokastron landingfield was made in 1939, ostensibly for Italian civil airlines. The principal landing-ground at Koritza is still unfinished, for the clayey soil necessitates the sowing.of plants to hold the ground together under rain. This has never been done, and therefore, war damage apart, this field will probably become a muddy mess as soon as the rains set in heavily.

British and Greek plane's have continued the attempt to put out of action Valona and Durazzo for the purpose of facilitating the isolation of the Italians in Albania. Bombs are reported to have killed 15 and wounded six at Valona, and killed one and wounded six at Durazzo, where an Italian ship was hit.

Fifteen Italian bombers raided the lonian coast, killing three and wounding ten at Parga, and killing four and Wfinnflinff tliirteon at Pveveaza. Tlfey

The correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" states that the bombing of Taranto fits in with the British plan for the isolation of the Dodecanese Islands, where conditions are desperate i and the garrison believes an attack i imminent. Exiles from the Dodei canese have received permission from the Greek Government for a legion to fight for the liberation of the islands. Recruits are enrolling enthusiastically. R.A.F. headquarters in Greece states that British aircraft successfully bombed and machine-gunned a moving Italian motor transport column north of Koritza, causing great damage and inflicting many casualties. They also destroyed a farmhouse which was being used as army headquarters, and an important bridge over which Italian reinforcements were moving. SUCCESSFUL BOMBING DAY. An R.A:F. pilot who attacked troops and transport on the move in the Koritza region stated on his return: "We dived at them from about 20,000 feet and released our bombs dead over the column, which was pretty tightly packed. The Italians were running like hares. Then we hit a bridge fair and square and completely wrecked it. The Italian reinforcements who had been using it suffered heavily. Altoj gether it was a most successful day.'