POSITIONS POUNDED

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21259, 1 November 1940, Page 7

POSITIONS POUNDED

STRONG ATTACK BY ITALIANS HAMPERED BY SNOWFALLS CONFIDENCE OF GREEKS fUnited Press Assn.—Elec. TH. Copyright) (Received Nov. 1. 12.15 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 31 j The Italians, hampered by snowI falls in Macedonia, continued to ! pound Greek positions along the I front with artillery today, but apparently are confining their main drive to the coastal region. Both sides are bombing and j machine - gunning communications from the air. ! The Fascista claims that the Italians have crossed the Kalamas River, and adds that the Greeks are j resisting in some places, but generally are falling back to their main j lines and attempting to block the ! Italians’ communications. The Greek authorities claim that i the Italians nowhere have advanced more than six miles and nowhere have contacted the main Greek defences. Greece, it is estimated, has 400,000 troops fully mobilised. Trains are hastening to the front with thousands of khaki-clad troops. Many Greek units have already achieved outstanding offensive successes. Three companies held a whole division of Italian Alpine troops for many hours. A Greek platoon in another sector routed two Italian companies, which abandoned much equipment. Greeks’ Confidence As reinforcements arrive the Italians’ numerical superiority disappears and the Greeks are confident that they will be able, with the help of winter and the mountains, to withstand the Italians’ better armaments. Greek reports indicate that the Italians have not begun a serious drive towards Salonika. The Italians have concentrated large forces in the Korea region ready for such a thrust, but have not achieved a significant advance. The Italians similarly have not attempted to traverse the mid-front gap which leads to difficult country. The main thrust, therefore is on the coastal belt, but even here the weather is most unfavourable. Weeks of rain has transformed the roads into streams and the plains into swamps.