VAST BOOTY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23840, 16 December 1940, Page 7

VAST BOOTY

GREEK CAPTURES ADVANCE ON COAST THREAT TO VALONA (Received December 15, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 1A The Greek military spokesman said Italian prisoners, not including the most recent captures, total 200 officers and 7000 other ranks. Booty includes 120 field guns, 55 anti-tank guns. 250 motor-cars, 15,000 motorcycles and bicycles, many tanks, thousands of automatic arms, many pack haulage animals, and vast quantities of munitions .and other materials, amounting in value to millions of pounds. The Italian retreat continues, in spite of the attempts of the com-'' manders to rally their troops. Even disciplinary shooting of soldiers no longer impresses the Italians. Outspoken Italian officers taken prisoner say the Italians are without morale, and find retreat more pleasant than fighting. Coast Town Occupied An Athens message says the Greeks have occupied Porto Palermo. The Greeks are believed to be already beyond Porto Palermo,' and within five miles of Himara. Greek troops entirely wiped out an Italian regiment which crossed a ravine, not knowing the Greeks held commanding heights, and came under a withering fire. Greek infantry later went down to clear ravine, but found not a single Italian alive. The Italians, concentrating on the heights in front of Himara, drafted in, fresh troops to relieve the units worn out with the rapid retreat and relentless Greek attacks, but the Greeks quickly dealt serious blows to these troops, many of whom have already been taken prisoner. Greek Columns Join The Greek column on the coast has joined up with a column pursuing the Italians from Argyrokastron, and already is within two miles of Tepeleni. The two columns together occupied Borci, three miles from Porto Palermo. Thus the Greeks have full lateral com-, munication from the coast to the region of Klisura. The Italians, therefore, face formidable forces on what are possibly their last effective defence positions before Valona.

The Daily Telegraph points out that it is difficult to see how Valona could be held if these defences fall, but the Italians hare already begun the evacuation of Tepeleni after suffering heavy losses.

The Ankara radio stated that the capture of Valona is only a matter of days, and it may become the stepping stone to the downfall of the Fascist regime. NAZIS UNSYMPATHETIC ITALY'S DISCOMFITURE HINTS ABOUT OIL SUPPLY ("Received December 15, 6.30 p.m.) British Wireless LONDON, Dec. 14 Word has been received in London to-day that Rumania has lately taken measures to assist German transport on the Danube. It is now ascertained that the Rumanians are giving no such assistance to Italian traffic; indeed, the Germans are making a show of excluding their Italian ally from the benefits showered on themselves, and seem to bo exploiting to the full Italy's discomfiture in Albania and Africa, Significant references are made in tho German press to the threatened position of the Albanian oilfields. It is very noticeable that -German newspapers do not hesitate to hint that it is of the utmost, importance to Italy to protect this relatively small source of oil supply, as there are definite limits to Rumanian resources. HITLER LEAVES BERLIN DON DON. Dec. 13 The Berlin radio said Hitler and Ribbentrop left Berlin this morning. Their destination is not known. Berlin and Rome both deny that Hitler and Mussolini will meet again in the near future.