Balkan War

THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 15, 1941.

Rapidly

Entering Upon Second Phase

NAZIS HALTED BOTH IN GREECE AND YUGOSLAVIA

(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL”)

MILITARY CIRCLES IN ATHENS DECLAR- ED YESTERDAY THAT THE GERMANS HAVE LOST SO HEAVILY IN ATTACKS ON THE MAIN GREEK AND BRITISH DEFENCE LINES IN THE PAST FEW DAYS THAT THEY ARE NOW PROCEEDING CAUTIOUSLY.

These sources foresee the Balkan war en- tering a second phase with the Yugoslavs, heartened by the Anglo-Greek success, strengthening their defences in the mountain fastnesses and harassing the Germans on the northern front.

PEARL RIVER REOPENED

CLOSED SINCE WEDNESDAY!

Athens radio says

the Anglo-Greek forces are taking advantage of the German inaction, as the Germans apparently are

LAST BY THE JAPANESE AU counting their losses and

THORITIES IN CANTON. THE

PEARL RIVER WAS OFFICIAL ¦ licking their wounds, and LY RE OPENED YESTERDAY have heavily reinforced

MORNING, ACCORDING TO A

20

MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM their lines. THE OSKS AGENTS IN CAN

The

motor-vessel, Stane Maru, will resume sehr citer to-morrow when she anarvey in Hong Kong

fer.

It is reported that the situation on all fronts is very satisfactory, with the British completely cum- bolling the eastern end at Ilze

The st Fatlum will now saut

Canton on Saturday mo mung. Inc. agem ding for Menors. Butterfield · aurot Swire.

PURELY INCIDENTAL

The

H. Ritman, head of NLI Government Information Bureau, who took part in the pe

in Manila between! cent mureNIA the NEJ. Foreign and Colonial Sri vrelaties and Sir Robert Brooke-i Popham, emphasised in an inter- view in Batavia yesterday that the meeting was of a "purely m eitiental" character and nut

| Eye-witness reports from Ma- certoma and Thre "fate the | Greeks were far superior 121 hand-to-hand fighting and that Greek bayonet charges devastated The Germanis, just as they did The Italians an Albania.

Axis Troops Melted

Greek

ITALY

FORESEES TROUBLE

" General

Simovitch

may organise resistance in the centre of Yugoslavia, to gain time," declared the "Giornale d'Italia" in Rome yesterday.

"In any case, withdrawal of the British troops from the Balkan Peninsula seems out of the ques-

tion, and we must therefore ex-

tan penal. Aray,

Axis fores

that sec

M

encounter between the and the British Im- and more so since to have been the aim Elen, a recent trip to the

YUGOSLAVIA

TO APPEAL

TO TURKEY?

[SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL"}

Announcement that the Yugoslav Minister in Bulgaria is due in Istanbul en route to Ankara is taken to in- dicate that Yugoslavia will seek Turkish aid against Italy and Ger- many.

It is believed he will confer with the Tur- kish Foreign Minister, who, it is thought, will lend him a friendly International

ear.

News Service.

Near East and since Mr. Chur- chill referred to it as one means of shortening the war."

Aussie Order Of The Day

"It is not unlikely that the action of Greece, this ◄ small and noble nation, may prove in the end to be the beginning of the final downfall of Nazi tyranny."

t

This statement occurs In J special Order of the Day issued to his troops by the commander of the Australian forces in the ¡Middle East, Lt.-Gen, Sir Thomas

Blamey, in Athens yesterday.

Lt. Gen. Blamey recalled that once again, just 26 years ago, an Australian army landed In these regions on the great Gal- lipoli adventure.

The Order of the Day says: "Every Greek man and woman and every pound of Greek money is being put into the war effort,

"We have come as comrades Referring to President Roose- in arms. We have now landed velt's decision to send American again in these regions to fight at ships through the Red Sea, the the side of the Greeks and to paper says The Axis will deal overthrow ofice more a German with American convoys according effort to enslave the world." to international law. Reuter. Reuter.

Violent German Break-Through Attempts Smashed

Fumoured tindis German trusts and Vant tron

repulsed repeated

towards Florina

Monastir Gap.

reor-

The Yuge laavs, having ganised, are counter-attacking on It is reported that in many both side

the Morava River sectors the Axis troops Ifterally as well as in wuth Serbia, where melted under

bayonet they are reported to have recap- charges when they found their tured Bikuplje

from the Ger mechanised attacks had not tans. awept the Greeks from their feet.

It is reported the Yugoslavs have haltend the German the-

form "conference of the powers. At the western end of the hue' chanised ady mee at Suhareka and

the press had inferred Reuit is reported that Greek shoek Kacami:

its

ter.

i troops and Briush

and Anzac Service

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SCENE. OF NEW CONFLICT

R.A.F. AND GREEK AIR SQUADRONS ARE MERCILESSLY BOMBING AND MACHINE- GUNNING THE GERMANS IN THE MONASTIR AREA, WHERE THE ENEMY APPEARS TO BE CONCENTRATING TROOPS AND SUPPLIES, SAYS A GREEK MINISTRY OF WAR BULLETIN QUOTED BY ATHENS RADIO LAST NIGHT.

The failure of the Germans to effect a break-through during the first days, together with a continuous and effective reinforce- ment of the Allied lines of resistance, adds the bulletin, has confirmed the general con- viction that a very strong front has been es- tablished stretching from the Adriatic Sea to the Aegean.

The positions occupied by the IS CONFIRMED THAT THE Allied forces are natural strong-

holds which do not at all lend themselves to the tacties of mech- anised blitz warfare.

that the All reports concur situation may be considered as highly satisfactory, and "there

Is no major activity to report," the bulletin adde:

The radio announcer quoted a statement Greck Press Ministry saying that in Yugoslavia it would appear that the great bulk of the army remains intact Yugoslav and has retired to mountainous arcas where it is easy to main- tain the defensive, and whence it] could constitute а permanent threat to the flanks of the in- vaders.

Highland Defences

|

YUGOSLAV FORCES HAVE ATTACKED AND DISLOCATED GERMAN COMMUNICATIONS AND INFLICTED MANY CA- SUALTIES ON THE ENEMY.

The Germans, says the state- ment. are unable to use their mechanised and armoured units in this highland region.

In New Positions

A WAR OFFICE COMMUNI- QUE ISSUED IN LONDON L'AST NIGHT ANNOUNCES THAT ON SATURDAY NIGHT OUR FORCES IN GREECE WITH- DREW TO NEW POSITIONS.

Our covering troops Inflicted severe casualties on the enemy who maintained a continuous pressure on our eastern sector during this withdrawal. There was marked activity on the right of our line but no ser- ious clashes.

The situation in northern Yugo- slavia is obscure but it seems probable that the Yugoslav forces

IN THE CENTRE OF OUR SFC- have retired from the wide plains TOR PERSISTENT GERMAN of Croatia, Slovenia and Banat ATTACKS FAILED, LARGELY and are now moving southward OWING TO VIGOROUS ARTIL- to the highland regions of Bosnia LERY FIRE.

and Herzegovina, and are ap- The weather is extremely cold, proaching Serbla, where strong with snow.

defences can readily be maintain-

THE SITUATION IN SOUTH-

ed,

ERN

Italian Clalms

Troops of the Italian 9th Army YUGOSLAVIA HAS are oficially reported to have re- MATERIALLY IMPROVED DUR- occupied Koritza, according to ING THE LAST 48 HOURS. IT Romě rádio last night-Reuter,

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