LIGHTNING ATTACK IN SNOW

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24491, 27 December 1940, Page 5

LIGHTNING ATTACK IN SNOW

CAPTURE OF HEIGHTS VALUABLE STRATEGIC GAINS (By Wireless) LONDON, Dec. 26. (Received Dec. 26, at 11 p.m.) The latest reports from Albania show that the Greeks are continuing to make good progress against the Italians. The Greek High Command reports successful local operations on all fronts. Greek troops in.a lightning attack in a snow storm Captured important heights'near the'River Drinn and captured eight field guns, ten heavy machine guns and a quantity of other useful equipment. The heights are stated to be of great strategic importance. The Greek troops are also pushing on beyond Kimura. "■Albanian irregular troops are becoming more and more active behind the Italian lines, and some even entered the capital, Tirana, and set up posters urging the Italians to leave Albania. General Papagos, in an order of the day conveying greetings to the-troops, says: "It is thanks to you that we celebrate Christinas free." AIR ATTACK ON VALONA AERODROME In Northern Albania the Valona Aerodrome, where many enemy aircraft were dispersed on the ground, was successfully attacked by the Royal Air Force. The target, as well as the harbour and the "town, by low clouds, through which our aircraft dived, 'taking' the V emy by surprise. While a number of our aircraft bombed enemy aircraft on the aerodrome, others attacked the hangars and buildings ? and followed with a low-level machine-gun attack When our aircraft left the aerodrome it was enveloped in smoke. A cruiser which put up an anti-aircraft barrage was heavily machine-gunned from a low height.

A "pilot taking part in. the Valona raid stated, according to an Air Ministry communique, that it was one of the most exhilarating raids his squadron had ever carried out—and he has been on over 60 bombing raids since Italy entered the war. "We dived through low cloud, entering the harbour and town at over 300 miles an hour," he said. "We took the whole place by surprise. Some of us bombed many aircraft on the runway, while the rest attended to hangars, aerodrome buildings and other grounded aircraft As this was a low-level attack, the air gunners had .a chance to add to the damage caused by bombs with their machine guns. Great clouds of black smoke hung all over thfe aerodrome when we left." "■• • ' "