DRIVES ON ALL FRONTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21819, 23 November 1940, Page 7

DRIVES ON ALL FRONTS

GREEKS HAVEFURTHER SUCCESSES' United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, November 21. REPORTS received in London to-night indicate that the Greeks are in sight of a big success against the Italians. Reuter’s correspondent in Athens states that the Italians are beginning to evacuate Koritza, and other reports from various sources support this claim. One statement is that a long Italian column is moving out along the main road, and that this may be the prelude to a general evacuation of the town. Along the coast, in the Epirus sector, the Italian positions are said to be in jeopardy because of a brilliant flanking attack carried out by the Greeks. The Greeks are taking advantage of the disruption of the Italian communications resulting from increasingly powerful Anglo-Greek air attacks. Should Koritza be captured by the Greeks, it would be impossible for the Italians to hold their new defensive positions. If the Greeks are able to press home their present advantage, the movement will bring about the complete collapse of the Italian front.

The Italian rearguard is being constantly harassed by Greek cavalry and motor-cyclists, and the Italian withdrawal is rapidly deteriorating into a flight. While the Greeks are steadily closing In on Koritza, a new Greek advance has been achieved on a wide front further south, where the Italians are unofficially reported to be in full retreat towards Konispolis, on the Albanian side of the frontier, near the coast, and Argyrokastron. This break through is regarded in Athens as being of great strategic importance and threatening the isolation of the defenders of Koritza. It is now learned that the recent changes in the Italian command on the Greek front were much wider than the announcement in the Italian newspapers indicated. In addition to the changes in the High Command, over 50 senior officers were removed. The Athens correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain reports that the Greeks have reached the outskirts of Koritza, and ar“ within six miles of Argyrokastron. The Italian defences at Argyrokastron are reported to have almost totally collapsed. Although the people of Athens are expecting sweeping victories both in the Koritza and Epirus sectors, the Athena correspondent of “The Times” issues a warning against assuming too much from such Greek descriptions as “the enemy are retreating in disorder, pursued pitilessly by the Greeks.” The correspondents, nevertheless, points out that the Italians are certainly retreating headlong in the direction of Argyrokastron. Greek aerial reconnaissances yesterday established that the Italian forces were fleeing, even from a point seven miles southward of Argyrokastron, from which the Greeks were then some distance. The Greeks elatedly predict that the fall of Argyrokastron and Santo Quaranti are imminent. The Greeks are making three main thrusts, the first northward from the Kalamas River to Sato Quaranti, the second along the J- ilna-Argyrokastron Road, and the third up the Vojiuza Valley In the direction of Permeti and Valona. Isolated enemy forces are undoubtedly still resisting, but the Greeks have broken through, enabling them to pour almost an army corps through the gap between the second and third thrusts. These forces are spreading out like a fan, constituting a direct threat to Santo Quaranti. Italian Positions Bombarded The Greeks, aiming to counter Italian shelling from the mountain heights, apparently descended from the highest heights of Morava Planina to the northward spurs where they hauled up 10-tnch and five-inch guns and bombarded the Italian positions, bad weather helping by interfering with enemy dive-bombing which, in any case, seems to have lost its intensity since the appearance of the Royal Air Force. The Italians brought up reinforcements both on the Epirus and Korea

fronts and the question is being asked how they managed to do it. The KorcaElbasan road has been repeatedly and successfully bombed, and there is no other way for reinforcements to reach the Koritza front except via Pogradec, which is much threatened by Greek troops, also by air. It is revealed that at least a division of alpinls were landed by air in Albania in the last ten days, and it is suspected that the Italians have also used Yugoslav territorial waters to avoid the British and Greek fleets. The “Daily Mail” says that according to a reliable neutral source, Mussolini summarily ’ dismissed 50 to 60 highly-placed officers of the Italian army operating against Greece. Mussilinl is making a frantic effort to reorganise the forces and ordered General Soddu to purge the army in Albania quickly. The Athens correspondent of “The Times" refers to the amazing spirits >f the Greek wounded. He added that Italian prisoners tell a different story of their army. One explained: “Our army has everything except morale. 1 only hope the entire army surrenders to stop the war.” None of the group of Albanian militiamen whom the Greeks took prisoner showed the least interest whether Italy won the war, but did not express the expectation even hope of an Albanian revolution. Two of the five claimed to be loyal to King Zog all complained bitterly of the arrogance of Italian officers. Two Albanian battalions are attached to each Italian division. The Greeks captured so many Italian lorries that they had not enough drivers so sent a message to Athens to round up chauffeurs. Three hundred gendarmes left Athens to police occupied territory in Albania. Italian Regiments Encircled The correspondent of “The Times” adds that it is estimated that two Italian regiments are likely to be enbetween the left wing of this fan-like movement and the thrust northwards from Kalamas. Italians in the Findus sector who are evidently seeking escape northwards presumably are ignorant of the fact that the Greek occupation of Ersei bars the route to Koritza. These forces appear doomed unless they are able to escape across the mountains westward c'. this road. Here also there apparently is slight Greek infiltration which, similiarly to the Epirus front, is spreading out fanwise, probably with the double alm of cutting off the new Italian dash for Koritza along the Elbasan road, and blocking the westward portion of the Permeti road leading to Vlona. The correspondent, pointing out that the Italians have approximately five divisions in the combined Pindus and Epirus fronts, says that military circles in Athens do not expect these divisions to survive except as stragglers. The Greek advance, which was resumed at Koritza, brought the attackers within li miles of the town on the north, the Italians fiercely resisting. A battle is raging for control of Mount Ivan heights, from where Italian artillery is harrying Greek concentrations.