GREEKS ATTACKED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23818, 20 November 1940, Page 9

GREEKS ATTACKED

ATTEMPT TO RETRIEVE LOSSES STORMING OF FRONT LINE URGENT NEED FOR FIGHTER AIRCRAFT By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received November 19, 9.20 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 18 The Athens correspondent of the Times gives a warning that }t is important to gueird now against undue pessimism concerning Greece as it was vital previously to avoid exaggerated optimism. "It is inevitable, he says, that the Greek troops will react to the relative invisibility of the Royal Air Force over the battlefields just as the British troops reacted at Dunkirk, but juiit as the Royal Air Force then made the evacuation possible by heavy blows against enemy air bases, so now we must remember that the Royal Air Force is concentrating against Italian bases rather than on costiy fights over the front line. "But that is an achievement Iby bombers. Fighting around Korea and elsewhere on the Albanian front requires fighters. If we can enable the Greeks to follow up the magnificent achievements of their infantry, cavalry and artillery, there is £i serious possibility of throwing the Italians out of the Balkans before the spring. But this will mean more fighters, besides more bombers." The correspondent stated earlier that wave after wave of Italian aeroplanes were diving on unprotected Greek troops. He added that the relative air strength of the Allies and Italy would certainly have an important bearing on the outcome of the ItaloGreek struggle, even if it was not finally decisive. The most important fact emerging from the recent fighting is that the Italians are obtaining very heavy air reinforcements which are heavily machine-gunning the Greeks around Korea and also along the road between Delvinaki and Argyrokastron. Although they are exposed to merciless attacks by Italian dive bombers, the Greeks are believed not only to have repulsed wave after wave of infantry crashing against their pojsitions, but to have made new gains at some points. It is believed in London that the Greek advance has compelled the Italians to evacuate two of the most modern Albanian , air bases, which are near Korea. The only other main bases in j Albania are at Durazzo, Valona and Tirana. ; The Athens radio reports that the Greeks have occupied part of Korea after fierce hand-to-hand fighting.