ITALIANS FORCED BACK

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 15, 18 January 1941, Page 9

ITALIANS FORCED BACK

TEPELENI AND KLISURA

WEATHER A HANDICAP

ENEMY'S TOTAL LOSSES

LONDON, January 17.

Athens radio reports tonight that once again Greek bayonets have caused the Italians to fall back from their fortified heights, leaving behind them many prisoners and a considerable number of guns. These 'gains have been made at Tepeleni and in the region also of Klisura. It was mentioned that severe weather conditions once again limited the scope of operations which were completely successful as far as they went. Elsewhere in" Albania the Greeks continue to make slow but decided progress, and at those points at which the weather is interfering with movements they. are holding the Italians without much effort. The few Italian counter-attacks which have been attempted in the last 48 hours have all been fruitless. Some of them have*had to be dearly paid for in lives and material.

Greek newspapers today estimate that Italian losses in Albania have now reached 70.000 killed, wounded, and taken prisoner, and sent home as unfit. This means that Italy has lost one-third of the forces she had in Albania when the war began.