GALLANT GREECE

Evening Star, Issue 23863, 18 April 1941, Page 6

GALLANT GREECE

RESISTANCE TO NAZIS

EARLY DAYS OF THE INVASION WHY WESTERN THRACE WAS SACRIFICED (British Official WirelessJ Press Association—By Telegraph—Uopyrignt RUGBY, April 16. A comprehensive survey of the situation in Greece was given today by the Acting Military Attache at the Greek Legation in London (Colonel Conto Leon), who explained that with the northern frontiers stretching for about 450 miles, it was obvious that even with British help the whole of this frontier could not be defended. For this reason it was decided to sacrifice Western Thrace, and the evacuation of the area began as far back as early in March, and when the German attack came the ■ Greek troops and the bulk of the population had gone. Only a few reduced garrisons romainecl in the small forts guarding the main routes into Thrace of Echinos, north of Xanthi, and that of Nymfea, to tho north of Comotini. These garrisons had. orders to fight delaying actions, a mission which they fulfilled with honour.

■ These two isolated forts wore attacked from every direction, and were still resisting three days after the occupation of Salonika, impeding the entry into Western Thrace of any large number of German troops or heavy material. Since then nothing has been heard of these forts. The defence of Western Thrace would have been advisable only if it was a case of concerted action with Turkey. MAIN DEFENCE LINE. So far as the rest of Northern Greece is concerned, the Greek General Staff prepared its plan of defence on the assumption that Yugoslavia would be favouably disposed toward the Axis, to which she adhered on March 25. According to this plan, the main Greek line of defence, which aimed at the preservation of the Albanian front and the covering of its eastern flank, was to be concentrated in Central Macedonia —that is, in the Greek provinces south of Yugoslavia, which provinces are intersected by the two historic invasion routes into Greece —Vardar Valley and the Monastir Gap. Eastern Macedonia—that is. the area south of Bulgaria as far as Port Kavalla—would also ho defended, but its defence was mainly entrusted to the forts covering the main passes from Bulgaria and stretching along the southern bank of the River Nestos to the ' Nevrokop Plateau, north-west of Frama, as far as the Kresna Pass, where the Struma runs and where Rupel Fort is situated. According to this plan, the forts would delay the entry of the enemy without, however,_ the possibility of the_ capture of Salonika from the east being precluded. CHANGE IN YUGOSLAVIA. On March 26 a political change in Belgrade took place. Yugoslavia, from being a friend of the Axis, became our friend, and the Yugoslav army, which was already mobilised, had on the whole completed its dispositions and mustered substantial forces in Southern Serbia. The routes into Greece, therefore, Were closed, being covered by the Yugoslav army. Consequently a Greek division was transferred to the east, so that the defence of Eastern Macedonia could be rendered more effective. This transfer, though dictated by logic, proved fatal. At 5 a.m. on April 6 the German attack against Greece and Yugoslavia began, and the dispositions of the troops were as follows;—The Albanian front, held by the Greek army; the route along the Greek-Serbian frontier, guarded by the Yugoslav Army; and Eastern Macedonia, protected by the Greek Army; while the forces of tho Empire were further south. Sudden German attacks were launched with all the customary violence and with ail the technical means of a blitzkrieg, with tanks, and abundant heavy artillery and considerable forces in the air. Along the whole Greek line during the first two days the Germans made no progress anywhere, but they destroyed in Rupel Pass the two advanced fortified positions of Istimbey and Kelkaya. Persistent attacks with tanks and dive-bombers on .the two main fronts of Rupel and Usseta were completely repulsed. More to the east, Lissi Fort put up the same effective resistance. On' jVevrokop Plateau the Germans, after persistent efforts, penetrated Perithori fort, but after a fight in the subterranean galleries the enemy was destroyed and the fort remained in Greek hands. On April 8 the fort was temporarily captured by the enemy, and was immediately recaptured. Similarly Dassavali fort was captured by the enemy and speedily recaptured. Meanwhile the Greek army in Albania occupied two Italian fortified positions and captured 540 prisoners. NAZIS ENTER GREECE. During these' developments the Yugoslav force defending the Strumnitsa Pass was pressed hard by tho Germans and forced to withdraw. Thus the German mechanised column on

Tuesday morning captured the Serbian town of Dorian, reaching the GreekSerbian frontier, miles to the rear of the extreme edge of the Greek lines, and entering Greek territory by the Hat corridor east of the Vardar. A very small Greek mechanised unit fought an unequal battle against the enemy, whose equipment was incomparably superior in quantity and quality, slowing down the enemy advance for many hours. Finally the enemy succeeded in advancing dangerously in the direction of Salonika, cutting off communication with the Greek forces in F/astern Macedonia. At dawn on April 9 the German forces entered Salonika. The delaying action of very small Greek mechanised units permitted Salonika to be stripped of anything useful to the enemy, while all installations were destroyed. HEROISM IN MACEDONIA. After the capture of Salonika, the Greek units in Eastern Macedonia, although reduced to a hopeless position, did not relax their resistance, and for several days maintained their lines intact. There is no indication to date that the main forts have fallen, and the enemy has not yet announced the occupation of the towns of Drama and Vacalla. The self-sacrifice of their brave defenders has not been in vain. Not only have they written one of the most brilliant pages in Greek military history. but they have also for many days blocked the routes into Eastern Macedonia, thus making possible the rescue and smooth embarkation and transportation, of a substantial number of Greek forces in Eastern Macedonia. When these numbers are revealed they will cause amazement and relief.