GREEK GAINS

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLX, Issue 14654, 3 February 1941, Page 5

GREEK GAINS

ITALIAN COUNTER ATTACKS FAIL RETREAT IN CONFUSION NEW COASTAL SECTOR TAKEN. (British Official Wireless). RUGBY, February 1. A Greek communique states: “During yesterday encounters of our troops with the enemy were crowned with success m mountain height fighting. At some points ground of great importance which was in enemy hands was taken and nearly 150 prisoners captured. At another point efforts by the enemy to attack with tanks were smashed before they developed. ’

The official commentator in. Athens said the Greeks now held a new coastal sector. The Italians were pushed back and sustained such losses that they retired in confusion and were unable to reform 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 from there too. The press gives prominence to persistent but unconfirmed reports that the Italians have withdrawn from Tepelmi. According to Agency messages from Athens, recent Italian coun-ter-attacks on the Albanian front were not only a disastrous failure in themselves, but greatly facilitated tile difficult Greek enterprise of capturing strategic mountain defence positions modestly referred to as “important points of terrain” in the last news communique. An Agency message points out that these positions in fact consisted of lines which were first commenced by the Albanian army during King Zog's reign, being organised by the Italians into a strong defensive system by installing permanent batteries, machine-gun nests, trenches and triple barbedwire .

The Athens radio, amplifying last night’s communique,, says the Greeks in the # coastal sector completely disordered Italian counterattack, pursuing the enemy beyond their original positions and occupying a line of peaks dominating the whole area.

The R.A.F. successfully attacked an important military camp and buildings south-westwards of Tepelini on Friday. The enemy were taken completely by surprise. Considerable damage was caused. All the bombs fell in the target area. Direct hits set fire to a building and enemy troops emerging from tents were machine-gunned from a low level. The casualties must have been heavy. All the planes returned. A Greek submarine sank a 10.000ton Italian steamer off Brindisi. The vessel was escorted by Italian warships. It was the same submarine which torpedoed three Italian transports on Christinas Eve, the officers and crew being decorated for their feat. GREEKS SINK ITALIAN STEAMER. ATHENS, February 2. Official: “The submarine Pananicolis torpedoed and sank a 10,000ton Italian steamer which warships were escorting off Brindisi. “We launched successful local attacks in various sectors and occupied important positions. We captured automatic arms, mortars and all sorts of material,, also 270 prisoners, including officers. “An unidentified submarine off the Dalmatian coast sank an Italian tug which was towing a large armed barge for Albanian coastal defence. Fifteen men were drowned. The barge was then towed into a Yugoslav port. “Italian air attacks for the third month of the war ending January 28 killed 67 Greek civilians, includwomen and 17 children, ami wounded 93; destroyed 160 homes, 50 refugee houses and five churches. Three schools and four hospitals were hit.”