VISIT TO THE FRONT

Evening Star, Issue 23831, 11 March 1941, Page 7

VISIT TO THE FRONT

MUSSOLINI IN ARMOURED GAR CASUALTIES AMONG ITALIAN STATESMEN LONDON, March 10. The Associated Press correspondent at Greek headquarters reports that captured officers reveal that Mussolini visited the Tcpcleni front in an armoured car just before the present Greek offensive. It is also revealed that Signor Bottai, the Minister of Education, and Signor Cianetti, Under-Secre-tary for Corporations, were cither billed or wounded after the offensive began on Saturday. Signor Cianetti was a captain in an artillery battery. The captured officers added that General Cavallcro has returned to Italy and General Gelloso is now in command in Albania. ITALIAN OFFICER’S DEATH INTIMATE FRIEND OF MUSSOLINI DESPERATE FIGHT AROUND BODY LONDON, March 10. (Received March 11, at 12.30 p.m.) Successfully continuing the great battle begun on the central sector on March 7, the Greeks captured one Italian position after another. Ihe enemy losses were extremely heavy, especially among the commissioned officers. It is now known that, in addition to the casualties previously reported, the Seventh Battalion of Blackshirts was wiped out and its commanding officer taken prisoner. Prisoners state that when another officer, who was an intimate friend of Mussolini, was killed a desperate fight was waged around his body until the Greeks finally drove off the Italians. Documents found in his pockets included a letter from the Duce exhorting his friend “ to do his utmost to prevent the Greek advance. Otherwise Fascism would die under the scourge.” The letter added: “Do everything to replace everyone, but do not let the Greeks advance another step. Save Fascist Italy.” Unconfirmed reports state that the officer was Captain Bottai. GREEK DASH AND SPIRIT ASSAULTS LAUNCHED IN THREE REGIONS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 10. (Received March 11, at 9.33 a.m.) The Greek Press Ministry, further describing Saturday’s fighting, states that the Greek offensive continued in the centre sector from morning till evening, the dash and spirit of the Greek troops being beyond eulogy. The offensive in this sector was launched in three regions. In the course of the first assault the Greeks occupied a rocky position where the enemy had been installed for a mouth. Italians did everything to defend it, but towards midday they gave way. During the flight they suffered heavy losses from automatic, rifle, artillery, and mortar fire. The Italian commander sent an urgent message for reinforcements. In the afternoon the Italians launched consecutive counterattacks to retake the lost positions. All were repulsed and the enemy retired to other positions, abandoning a number of dead and wounded. In another region in this sector combats continued all day and resulted in the Greeks occupying extremely strongly-fortified enemy positions., The Italians suffered heavy losses in killed and wounded in being driven from the positions in which the Greeks are now well installed. AMERICAN DEFENCES NAVAL BASE EXPANSION BILL WASHINGTON, .March 10. (Received March 11, at 11 a.m.) The Senate approved the 242,000,000 dollars Naval Base Expansion Bill authorising the limited fortification of Guam and construction work at the Atlantic sites recently acquired from Britain.