RETREAT BY ITALIANS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23817, 19 November 1940, Page 7

RETREAT BY ITALIANS

STERN FIGHT ON EPIRUS FRONT y* - DESTROYERS IN ADRIATIC I enemy warships remain invisible • By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright - """ / (Received November 18, 7.30 p.m) LONDON. Nov. 18 According to the Athens correspondent of the British United Press, it is authoritatively stated that the last Italians were driven from Greek soil on Sunday." A Greek communique states: "Fighting continues in the /Epirus region and also in the mountains east of Korea. We captared further prisoners, guns, mortars and material of all kinds, and occupied some heights of great strategic importance, in spite of strong opposition, especially from the Italian air force. The Italians bombed and machine-gunned towns and villages in the interior ;without causing damage or casualties." A later Greek communique states that on the night of Thurs-day-Friday a squadron of Greek destroyers passed through the Strait of Otranto and cruised up the Adriatic as far as the island 'of Saseno, off the Albanian coast. They met no part of the Italian fleet and so returned to their base. The Italians are throwing in large numbers of aircraft on the Epirus front, bombing and machine-gunning the Greek forces, the j advance of which has been slowed down. In the Pindus and Korea sectors, however, the Greek advance continues. The morale of the Greeks is stated to be splendid. Greek artillery and aeroplanes in the Korea sector completely broke up Italian motorised columns, from which many armoured cars are reported to have crossed the Yugoslav frontier to avoid capture. The fiercest fighting of the whole Italo-Greek war occurred near Korea. The Greeks heavily repulsed Italian reinforcements who were attempting to prevent the encirclement of the 'town, in the vicinity of which the Greeks captured two more field guns. ' The military spokesman in Athens said the authorities ex- • pressed themselves as extremely satisfied with the results of the operations. Agency reports say that, with the occupation of Mount f Moravis, Greek troops can see columns of Italian troops in flight i from Konitza. It is announced from Cairo that Air Commodore J. H. Daltiac commands the British forces in Greece, comprising Royal Air Force squadrons and Army units.