BATTLE IN ATHENS SUBURB

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25718, 14 December 1944, Page 5

BATTLE IN ATHENS SUBURB

BRITISH FORCES WITHDRAW : ' ; London, Dec. 12. . . The whole of Greece is under the control of the E.L.A.S. forces except the Piraeus Peninsula, and the E.L.A.S. will doubtless attempt to force a decisive. battle before British reinforcements can arrive, said the National Broadcasting Company . correspondent in a broadcast from Athens. He added: ."I do not know how long I can continue these broadcasts. Communications may be cut at "any time. .British troops last night were forced fto Withdraw under pressure in Ambelokipo, the north-eastern suburb of Athens. The British made some advances yesterday in the lower part of the Pirteus Peninsula.”

It is officially stated in Athens that the Government forces in the centre of the town were forced to yield at least 12 blocks of the city. Fierce fighting continues. - The Associated Press Athens correspondent. says the E.L.A.S. forces are making an all-out attempt to break into the centre of Athens before the arrival of British reinforcements. Fierce fighting went on in the centre of the city all night and was continuing this morning. The town hall was set on fire during the fighting and several other fires were still blazing. In the market district there were two big explosions this morning, buildings apparently being dynamited. Reuter’s Athens correspondent states that a three-hour battle between British troops installed in the post office and groups of E.L.A.S. troops occupying, the town.hall was fought during the night. ’ A tank, finally intervened, firing on the upiper stories of the town hall and starting a blaze in the left wing. The town hall was in flames' all night. E.L.A.S. troops reoccupied the rest of the building in the morning and now hold the town hall-and adjacent streets. The British plan appears to be to establish a perimeter north of the British-held centre of the town and in the eastern suburbs in which to place base installations. This is being done in anticipation of the larger reinforcements which are expected shortly. The E.L.A.S.. forces are coordinating their efforts in the centre of the city in an endeavour to force the issue before the arrival of British reinforcements. The Exchange Telegraph’s Athens correspondent says the E.L.A.S. forces at noon to-day attempted to advance against the. university chemical laboratory, which is held by the British, but the British troops repulsed them. M. Porphyrogenis, Minister of Labour in the Papandreou Cabinet before the uprising came, was an emissarv from the E.L.A.S. to ask General Scobie’s terms for a meeting suggested and arranged by a neutral intermediary. General Scobie’s terms were: First, all the E.L.A.S. forces to leave Attica (the province of which Athens is the capital), and, secondly, the surrender of all arms by the E.L.A.S. The emissary is now reporting the terms to the E.L.A.S.