HEAVY FIGHTING

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

HEAVY FIGHTING

THE GREEK FRONTS SUCCESS IN WEST ITALIANS -DRIVEN BACK (Eeceived November .19, 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 19 Heavy fighting is going on on both wings, in Epirus and east of Koi;ca, states the latest Greek communique. The Greeks claim that they repulsed an Italian counterattack on the Epirus front. On the west coast the Italians, it is confirmed, have been pushed back north of the Kalamas River. ' Seven Italian bombers a.nd two fighters were shot down yesterday, while the Greek:; lost two machines. Twelve Greek fighters shot down two of 15 Italian bombers near the Yugoslav border. The Royal Air Force has bombed Elbasan, an important junction in the centre of Albania, states a Cairo communique. All the bombs fell in the target area. Italians' Desperate Efforts At Korea very heavy fighting is resulting from desperate Italian efforts to prevent the Greeks from capturing the town. The Italian commander, General Soddu, is heavily reinforcing in a last effort to save his large stores and equipment. It is authoritatively stated in London that the Greeks are holding a liue from a point due east of Korea, thence 10 miles south to a point duo west of Bohzigrad, but according to various reports sectional " Greek advances ihreaten the town from other directions. It is generally believed that the Greeks are manoeuvring to occupy Korea from the south. Meanwhile despatches reaching Monastic (Yugoslavia) emphasise that the Italians counter-attacked at Zvezda, on Mount Ivan, a great part of which the Creeks captured last week. Hopes of Capture In the opinion of military experts the definite news of the capture by the Greeks of the ridge overlooking Korea justifies high hopes of the capture of the town itself, says a British official wireless message. Commenting on the strategic importance of the totvn, which is the largest in Albania, experts pointed out that, standing as *t does at an important junction of two roads leading toward Greece, its fftpture would add greatly to the defence of that country, and should the town, fall into the Greeks' hands it is thought an end would be put to the Italian advance toward Salonika unless haly u a s prepared to violate the neutrality of Yugoslavia and attempt to enter Greece via Monastir. It is also probable that so long as Koritza remained in Greek hands the threat of invasion via Janina would ° e ' /> ended. .Military commentators P°int out, however, that the capture of ™is town, althougl? a severe blow to tlle Italians, and oho which thoy would Undoubtedly strive hard to avoid, *°uld not give an easy opportunity of advance for the Greeks. Although there Jj® roads running north-east toward ibasan, the country is extremely difficult. Korea has a,good civil aerodrome, nich the Italians worked hard to im--ov.e, and it is thought that a military pktj 01116 as P robabl y heen comCAN ADA'S GREAT ARMY //• LONDON, Nov. 19 .Canada to-day has nearly as many of ?k Un^er ar ms as she had at the end HipV at War,.stated the Canadian 2f a Commissioner, Mr. Vincent SSfl y» in a broadcast.