NAZI MASSES MOWN DOWN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 92, 19 April 1941, Page 10

NAZI MASSES MOWN DOWN

LONDON, 'April lb. Tonight's Greek communique says that in Macedonia all enemy pressure in the district of Grevene, in the central valley of the River Haliakmon (Vistritza), and in the Mount * Olympus region has been successfully held. ; On the Albanian front, the movements of Greek troops on Albanian soil were carried out calmly. A Greek Press Ministry bulletin quoted by the Athens radio tonight states that the struggle along the whole line in northern Greece continues with great violence. The enemy pressure is increasing as his troops are constantly reinforced, but so far he has not succeeded in attaining his objective.

Strong German mechanised forces were used north of Kalabaka, which guards the entrance to the plain of Thessaly. The Greeks are holding firm in this sector, and have inflicted exceptionally heavy losses on the enemy, but the/constant stream of fresh German troops still leaves the position serious. West of Mount Olympus there has been another tremendous onslaught in an attempt to force the pass. The British Imperial forces have thrown back enemy infantry attacks time after time.

Although the situation is still regarded in London as serious, it is pointed out that the Allied lines remain intact, and authorised quarters in Athens tonight reported a substantial improvement in recent hours. It is stated that the Greeks have greatly stiffened their resistance after evacuating the original front in Albania, and a solid Anglo-Greek line now exists from the lonian Sea to the Aegean coast. . ■ ;

It is emphasised in Athens that the sector around Kalabaka is being defended tenaciously in the face of continuous and tremendous German pressure.

All reports agree that the Greek and Imperial troops are putting up a magnificent fight against overwhelming numbers from the shorter defence line to which they have now retired, but the Germans are flinging enormous quantities of men and armoured vehicles into the battle, and are pushing ahead despite terrible losses. The unprecedented volume of their attack shows no sign of slackening. Wave after wave of infantry is still being hurled against the Allied line, scores of tanks are trying to force the defences, and German dive-bombers are attacking the Allied positions without respite.

It is reported, that two whole German divisions were destroyed in the first 48 hours of the attack on the Saranaporan Pass, but their places were quickly taken by fresh German troops pouring down from Yugoslavia.

A British major told "a correspondent how the enemy attacked ceaselessly and without regard for the lives of his troops. The German infantry came in waves, using sub-machine-guns and advancing four abreast and many lines deep., They were mown down, but they advanced in such masses that the defending troops found it humanly impossible to fire fast enough. The valleys were filled with German dead, but still they came on, to be cut down.

Larissa was compared by one officer \6 the ruins of Lou vain in the last war.