FRESH OFFENSIVE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 156, 30 December 1944, Page 7

FRESH OFFENSIVE

BRITISH TROOPS IN ATHENS Rec. 9.30 .a.m. LONDON, December 29. The British troops opened an offensive this morning against the ELAS in the south-eastern part-of Athens and the remainder of the Stadium area, using mortars, artillery, and tank guns to shell the slopes of Arditos Hill, 1200 yards from the Grand Bretagne Hotel. The bombardment lasted nearly two hours, and during the day the hill was cleared. The attack against Arditos Hill is part of a three-way British drive, says Reuters Athens correspondent. Other British objectives are a large cemetery immediately south of the public gardens at Zappion, and a built-up area east of Likavettus Hill. The Greek mountain brigade is,co-operating with | the British. j A British United Press correspondent reports that the first armoured car used by the ELAS forces penetrated Omonia Square last night. It was quickly knocked out by a British Sherman tank. So far 7500 ELAS men have been i taken prisoner. Fighting went on all day, and by evening a good stretch of the central and south-eastern districts had been cleared. The Stadium is still held by ELAS forces, but troops pressing down the centre of the city have nearly linked up with others moving southwest. A correspondent says that it is now established that the shots fired near Mr. Churchill as he left the British Embassy yesterday were aimed at his party, though the sniper may not have known who was in the party. Some of the bullets hit a building only 30 yards from where Mr. Churchill i was standing.