NOT YET CONFIRMED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 9 December 1940, Page 5

NOT YET CONFIRMED

FALL OF ARGYROKASTRON IMMINENT

Italian Retreat Accelerates on all Fronts GREEKS TURNING IN NORTH TOWARDS COAST

[United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright] (Received 9th December, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, Bth December. The Greeks, waging their offensive along the entire front, have added to their recently highly important successes. In the southern sector they have captured Delvine, northwest of the port of Sarande. Over a large part of the front it is now extremely difficult for the enemy to transport troops from one point to another, the communications having been cut and disrupted. In the north the Greeks have entered valleys in the zone beyond Pogradec and are reported to be sweeping round on a wide front with the coast as their objective. The Greeks have occupied all the remaining important heights in the Mokra mountains, and to the north-west of Pogradec they captured two villages with an artillery battery and a whole battalion of the enemy. The latest reports from Struga even say that the most advanced Greeks are within 1 3 miles of Elbasan. Most sources agree that the Italians have abandoned Argyrokastron and that the Greeks have taken there 1000 prisoners, a number of heavy cannon, machine-guns and other material. An Athens message, however, states that the capture of Argyrokastron is not officially announced and an official spokesman said he was unable to confirm the capture. A Sofia message quotes an Athens broadcast that the retreat of the Italians has been accelerated on all fronts, and the fall of Argyrokastron is expected.

MOVEMENT TO KLISURA Shock troops in the Ostrovitze mountains silenced further Italian batteries, captured the positions and turned the guns on the letreating Italians. These guns and others which the Greeks have brought up now dominate the road from Premet to Berat, protecting the main Greek movement to Klisura, which means that the closed “door” in an important pass linking a number of other important routes through the mountains (including roads to Valona, Berat and Klisura) which hitherto has been regarded as impregnable, is now under Greek fire. The Greeks in the occupied villages are receiving a joyous welcome from the inhabitants. It is reported from Athens that the Greeks are in complete occupation of sarande, which has been solemnly reohristened with the Greek name, Aghissaranda (“Forty Saints”). Thus the tonner anti-Greek base is now an antiMussolini base. BRILLIANT CAPTURE The Greeks are thrusting north a* well as north-west from Sarande and occupy heights of 3000 to 4000 feet west of Argyrokastron. Indeed, this Greek salient, it is now revealed, was responsible for the fall of Sarande after a most daring Greek manoeuvre which confined the enemy retreat to the difficult coastal road to Himara. Bitter rearguard actions delayed the fall of the port for three days. An Italian destroyer and two freighters entered the port at noon on Wednesday ard took on the Italian headquarters staff, but the R.A.F. sank the destroyer and forced the freighters to flee. The roads to Fort Palermo are choked with the fleeing troops. The latest advances give the Greeks command of the Ostrovitse 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. THREATENING OILFIELD These advances are beginning to threaten the oilfield between Devoli and Shkumba, which is Italy’s only source o- natural oil. The material captured from the Italians is estimated to exceed £2,500.000. So many motor-vehicles have been abandoned in perfect condition that there is likely soon to be a shortage of Greek drivers. The Athens night communique states : ‘Our troops, overcoming enemy resistance on the River Bistritza, crossed the river, occupied Sarande, and pushed their lines farther north. The retreating enemy burned the town after pillaging it In the port was a half-sub-merged Italian destroyer and a large schooner, the latter damaged by the Greek guns from the hills overlooking Sarande. Fighting continues on the right front.” ITALIAN CLAIMS ROME, 7th December. A communique states: “The enemy continued pressure on our extreme left wing and in a group of mountains to the vest of Pogradec, and limited himself in the rest of the front to local attacks. In the Argyrokastron zone our troops re-took several positions as a result of counter-attacks.

‘The air force, in spite of decidedly adverse weather and strong anti-air-craft fire, carried out numerous attacks from low altitudes. They machinegunned enemy troops and mechanised supply columns and interrupted roads and centres of concentration and also heavily bombed military objectives at Zante and Arta. At Erseke, Italian bombs hit and exploded a munition depot.”

ENTIRE ARMY IN PERIL

ENEMY TRY TO AVOID LARGE BATTLE CLEVER PLANNING BY GREEKS LONDON, 7th December. Not oniy a few Albanian towns, but -he entire Italian epeditionary force, are menaced, so well has the plan of the Greek High Command matured. That is the opinion of British correspondents in the front line on the Albanian battlefront. Tn spite of large fires started by the Italians, thereby destroying part of the town, the Greeks captured an immense quantity of war materials at Sarande. A general Greek advance on the whole ‘vont is reported, although it is restricted in the north and also in the Pindus region because the mountainous country, snow, and fog are assisting the Italians’ retreat in the northern sector. A correspondent of the Free French news agency at Istanbul says that a total of over 6000 Italian troops have entered Yugoslavia from Albania and were interned in 18 camps. Additional ca ups have been provided for Slovenes serving with the Italian army. The Italians have been separated from the Albanians because of frequent brawls. The Balkan correspondent of “The Times” says that the Greeks’ main problem continues to be to find the enemy in sufficient force for a decisive engagement The Italians are endeavourii g to avoid a decisive battle before they have regrouped their forces. The military correspondent of "The Times’’ says it would be wrong to arouse false optimism to suggest that an Italian rout is impending. Though Italy has suffered heavy defeats, she is still militarily strong. A Zurich message says that the German Propaganda Ministry is busily spreading reports that Germany and Turkey are jointly trying to persuade

Italy to reach a settlement in Greece even at the cost of sacrifices. R.A.F. ATTACK ENEMY SHIPPING OFF ALBANIAN COAST DIRECT HIT [British Official Wireless] (Received 9th December, 10.10 a.m.) RUGBY, Bth December. Enemy shipping off the southern Albanian coast was attacked by R.A.F. bombers on Saturday. A direct hit was registered on the stern of one ship and other bombs fell very close. A further raid was made on Valona, but weather conditions were bad and heavy fighter opposition was met. The attack was pressed home and all bombs fell in the target area; but it was impossible to observe the full extent of the damage One Italian fighter was shot down. It is now confirmed that one of the two Italian aircraft reported to have been damaged in an encounter with British fighters over Bura on 22nd November made a forced landing 60 miles from Bura. One of the crew was killed and the remaining four captured. It is recalled that in these encounters a Caproni aircraft was shot down in flames, so that of the three Italian bombers attempting to raid Bura only one escaped. Various reconnaissances have been carried out over enemy territory on all I fronts. According to an Athens message the Italian destroyer which is lying halfsubmerged at Sarande is to be examined by experts to see if it can be used again. ; The Greeks, who entered Sarande were loud in praise of the skill of the R.A.F. in sinking the Italian warship, and suggested that if it can be refloated it should be renamed the Helle in memory of the Greek cruiser of this name which was sunk by the Italians in August.

ROOSEVELT’S PLEDGE

AMERICAN AID FOR GREECE [U.P.A.-By Electric Telegraph-Copyright] WASHINGTON, 7th December. President Roosevelt, exchanging telegrams with the Greek King, pledged United States support to a “country so valiantly defending itself.” ‘it is the United States’ settled policy to extend aid to those Governments and peoples defending themselves against aggression,” he said. King George replied expressing appreciation of the “warm sympathy and keen interest of a great nation.”