MORE BOMB-DROPPING.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20556, 6 March 1935, Page 1

MORE BOMB-DROPPING.

Rebel Cruisers Again Under Fire. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. ATHENS, March 4. In pursuance of the Government’s plans for combined naval and aerial action against the rebel fleet in default of an unconditional surrender, two destroyers left to-day for Crete. Five of twenty-two bombing planes departed in the afternoon to attack mutineers, who, apparently, are wavering, inasmuch as the newspaper “ Typos ” states that twenty-five of the cruiser Averoff’s sailors were shot and thrown overboard for broaching peace suggestions. It adds that a rebel warship is ablaze. Three of che planes returned at 6.45 p.m. and reported two hits on the Averoff’s stern with 2501 b bombs, causing a fire. Four other bombs, apart from range-finders, fell into the sea. The intention was to disable, not to sink, the cruiser. Between the Milos and Crete lighthouses, on the Macedonian coast, lanterns were extinguished in order to hamper the mutineers’ movements. Salonica Harbour was closed all night. All maritime aerial connections between Italy and Greece are suspended. Athenian householders have been ordered to dismantle their wireless aerials. The authorities seized an armoured car belonging to M. VenizeloS and are rounding up all political suspects, including M. Ladas, a member of the last Venizelos Cabinet. Flamboyant posters order the 1930-32 classes, who were called to the colours, to report immediately. The Government reports that all is quiet in Salonica, Eastern Thrace and Macedonia. General Kondylis has taken command at Salonica, in Macedonia, and has issued a proclamation appealing to the loyalty of the soldiers. Yenizelists attempted to seize Samos, a Greek possession off the west coast of Asia Minor, but the island garrison remained loyal and arrested the rebel leaders.