NEW SUCCESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23880, 3 February 1941, Page 7

NEW SUCCESS

ALBANIAN FRONT GREEKS TAKE PEAKS HEAVY ITALIAN LOSSES BRITISH BOMB CAMP By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received February 2, 5.35 p.m.) ATHENS, Feb. 2 "Our troops, operating in a mountainous region nearly 6000 ft. high, have occupied enemy positions of great, strategic importance, taking 150 prisoners," says a communique issued in Athens on Friday night. "Elsewhere, an enemy counterattack with tanks was crushed even before the attack was under way." The Athens radio, amplifying the communir|ue, says the Greeks in the coastal sector completely disordered the Italian counter-attack, pursuing the enemy beyond their original positions and occupying a line of peaks dominating the whole area. An agency message points out that these positions in fact consisted of lines which were first commenced hv the Albanian army during King Zog's reign, and were being organised by the Italians into a strong defensive system by the installing of permanent batteries, machine-gun nests, trenches and triple barbed wire. Situation at Tepeleni The official commentator in Athens, according to a British official wireless message, said t.ho Greeks now held a new coastal sector. The Italians were pushed back and suffered such losses that they retired in confusion and were unable to re-form their lines. The commentator added that new mountain heights had been captured at Audila. .Further north, the Greeks had smashed Italian resistance, inflicted heavy losses and occupied further mountain heights there, too. The London press gives prominence to persistent but unconfirmed reports that the Italians have withdrawn from Tepeleni. Reports have spread along the whole front that the Italians have already evacuated from Tepeleni to Valona. The Greeks have already outflanked the Tepeleni-Valona road, but it was pointed out that the weather and land mines do not make the advance to Valona easy. Italians Taken by Surprise Another Athens communique says British bombers successfully attacked important military camp buildings south-westward of Telepeni on Friday, when the enemy were taken completely by surprise and considerable damage was caused. Direct hits set fire to a large building. Enemy troops emerging from their tents were machine-gunned from a low level, and casualties must have been heavy. All the aeroplanes returned. SECOND EXPLOIT SMALL GREEK SUBMARINE. LONDON, Feb. 2 The Greek submarine Papanicolis on Tuesday night torpedoed and sank a 10.000-ton Italian steamer off Brindisi. The steamer was escorted by warships. The Papanicolis, which is a small submarine built in France in 1926, distinguished herself on Christmas Eve, when she torpedoed three Italian troopships totalling from 2.3.000 to 30,000 tons. The submarine was attacked by enemy destroyers but escaped. LONDON MOURNS METAXAS LONDON, Jan. 31 A funeral service was held in London to-day for General Metaxas, and flags on public buildings flew at half-mast. This is the first occasion this has been done for a foreign personality other than the head of a State since the death of Marshal Foch. INEFFICIENT FARMING TENANCIES TERMINATED (Received February 2, 5 35 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 31 Because of inefficient farming of country in war, agricultural committees since the outbreak of the war have terminated nearly 1000 tenancies, involving nearly 100,000 acres, says the Daily Telegraph's agricultural correspondent. The farms have been handed over to farmers considered more efficient, or are being worked by the comniittees themselves. ISSUE OF PAMPHLETS BAN IN TUBE SHELTERS (Received February 2, 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 1 The liondon Trans|xu - t Board has banned the circulation of pamphlets and news-sheets in tube shelters. The Evening Standard understands the chief reason is to prevent- subversive propaganda . The number of applications for permission to circulate pamphlets has increased recently. Many stations have their own news-sheets for the informat ion of slielterers.