Greeks Occupy Argyrokastron

Northern Advocate, 9 December 1940, Page 5

Greeks Occupy Argyrokastron

Capture Of Important Air Base Widely Celebrated

Enemy Losses Heavy In Bitter Fighting

(Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 8. ' THE OCCUPATION OF ARGYROKASTRON, WHERE ITALY HAD ESTABLISHED AN IMPORTANT AIR BASE, BY THE GREEKS, IS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED IN ATHENS.

The victory was marked by the wildest celebration since the war began.

According to reports from Yugoslavia, the Greeks took Delvino, midway between Santi Quaranta and Argyrokastron, after bitter hand-to-hand fighting, in which 36 Greeks were killed and 300 wounded.

Italian casualties were verv heavv.

Well-informed quarters in Athens describe as a tissue of lies Italian allegations that the Greeks demanded the despatch of British troops to assist in Albania, and they also deny the reports that Greece has concentrated all her reserves on the Albanian front.

Success ®st WSiele Front An Alliens communique reports successful local fighting on various sections along the whole front. “We captured prisoners, including officers/' the communique slates. “We occupied Delvino. Enemy air raids in the interior were restricted. “lonian Sea Islands and a town in the Epirus were bombed., but no damage was done.” A communique issued by the Greek War Ministry states that the Greek troops who crossed the Bistria River and captured theAlbanian seaport of Santi Quaranta, which the Italians had used as a base, are pushing their lines further northward.

The enemy, in retreating, tooted and burned the town

The Greeks are now in complete occupation of Santi Quaranta, which they have solemnly .rechristened with the name of Aghis S a ran da-—the 40 saints—and the former anti-Greek base is now an anti-Italian base. ... ....

> All sources agree that the Italians abandoned Argyrokastron when the Greeks had taken 1000 prisoners, a number of heavy guns, machine-guns and other material.

The Greeks, thrusting north, as well as north-west from Santi Quaranta, occupied heights to the west of Argyrokastron. Indeed, this Greek salient, it is now revealed, was responsible for the fall of Santi Quaranta after a most daring Greek manoeuvre which confined the enemy retreat to the difficult coastal road to Himara.

Bitter rearguard action delayed the fall of the port for three days.

Destroyer Sunk

An Italian destroyer and two freighters entered the port at noon last Wednesday and took the Italian headquarters staff on board, but -British bombers sank the destroyer and forced the freighters to flee. The roads to Fort. Palermo are choked with fleeing troops. The Greeks on Friday occupied all the remaining heights in the Mokra mountains, and north-west of Pogradec they captured two villages, with an Italian artillery battery and a whole battalion of infantry. Near Key Point. The latest reports from Struga, on the Yugoslav border, even say the most advanced Greek forces are within 13 miles of Elbasan, .key point of the Italian defence. Greek shock troops in the Ostrovitze mountains silenced further Italian batteries, captured the positions and turned the guns on the retreating Italians. These guns, and others which the Greeks had brought up, now dominate the road from Permeti to Berat, protecting the main Greek movement to Klisura, which means “closed door.” It is an important pass linking a number of other important routes through the mountains, including the roads to Valona and Berat. Klisura, hitherto regarded as impregnable, Is now under Greek fire. Oil Fields Threatened.

Greeks in the occupied villages are receiving a joyous welcome from the inhabitants.

The latest advances give the Greeks command, of the Ostrovitze massif, and also the Hamna massif on the north bank of the Devoli River, which together dominate the Devoli Valley road from Korea to Elbasan.

These advances are beginning to threaten the oil field between Devoli and Shkumba which is Italy’s only source of natural oil.