1941-07-21 — Page 25

THE CHINA MAIL, JULY 21, 1941.

BATTLE OF THE GAP

LENINGRAD

FORTIFIED

HOW NAZIS WERE HEAVILY

HELD BY BRITISH FORCES

ONE EPISODE IN THE British withdrawal from Greece which deserves a book to itself is the rear- guard action fought by an armoured brigade from the Florina Gap back to Grevena during the end of Easter week and the following days.

During this period the brigade was fighting side by side with two Greek divisions and one Aus- tralian brigade, but it so happened that it fell to units of the armoured group to bear the brunt of the German onslaught.

They consisted of one battalion enemy ts were driven right of cruiser tanks, one of light back, enabling the hard-pressed tanks (Hussars) one famous rife infantry to withdraw. The Ger- baitalion of London territorials. man tanks did not appear again one regiment of RH.A.. one anti- for forty-eight hours; at a rea- tank regiment, North Country sonable estimate they had lost 35 yeomanry, and one light A.A. of their number. These two rear- regiment all typical home- guard actions, fought on the country troops of the best type. i same day with crippling damage i

The first consequence of the to the attacking German units. collapse of Yuvoslav resistence are typical of the whole British in Macedonia was that the Ger- retreat. mans were able to threaten toi

drive a wetze between the Greek Lorry-Driver's Bravery

armies in Albuttia and the Alliedi

armles in Greeen bov bushing! The march went on. That night southward from Monastir, for the brigade trekked southward to į order to forestati this meve an Grevena. Here Greek transport, I armoured brigade AVALS rushed intermingling with the British, westward, across

tian Pont into became jammed

the deep. The Florina gap. Thee it met the

ravine and offered an! first German onslaught on Thurs adinirable target for German

Leningrad's

defence

system is described as one of the most remarkable in the whole world by the Stockholm

newspaper

"Nya Daglit Allehanda," and quoted by the Vichy news agency.

The writer declares that this defensive system comprises an extensive fortified territory, bounded on the west by the river Narva, Lake Peipus and the river Velikaya, on the east by the Valdau Mountains, and on the north by Lake Ladoga and the Gulf of Finland.

Leningrad's fortifications, he says, extend as far as Pleskau.

The fortified belt along the Gulf of Finland is stated to be 50 miles in depth, and all thesc fortified positiona have been recently strongthened.

WITHIN THIS AREA ACCOM- MODATION IS PROVIDED FOR AREOPLANES. REUTER.

5,000

PEER TOOK

day, April 11, and for the next, bombers. Many vehicles were set PHOTO OF

day WIS constantly and on fre Chance has recorded an there by enanted, must at the fun! get of heroism by ane British fighting by day and retreating bar, lory-driver. night

"Too Cold To Think"

The Germans 'tat ken! Best with motor-eyelids, armoured troop-cangiers, sund forry-home infantry, and were driven back with heavy losses by the British] gunfire. The attack was held up!

Returning to the road after one German attack, he found his lorry, which was full of am - munition,

furiously.

blazing

DAMAGE

Viscount Dunedin, of Realising the danger, he jump Lower Sloane Street, in without a moment's hesit is.w., a former Lord of out of the range of the rest of Appeal in Ordinary, was

Street fined at Old

tion and drove it off the road |

the column. That day it took the brigade

£10.

for two days. The weather was four hours to move half a mile, and ordered to pay £5 55.

very bitter.

Minds and bodies numbed; as one officer said, was too cold to think."

Then the German tanks

bushing wrecked and

burning costs for taking a photo- Terries off the road in order to were

it clear a passage Next day it was graph of a building dam-

ap-

ordered to march 25 miles south-

by the heavy rains,

constant

ward to Kalabaka. The road aged by enemy action peared, but retired after across the mountains, at its best without the written per- they only third rate, had been reduced mit of the Secretary for had lost several of their num- ber in a minefield.

Finally, on traffic. and intense bombing to a War, contrary to the Con- Saturday, the attack proved too veritable quagmire. The troops strong to resist, and our line had

trol of Photography had to labour continuously to to fall back.

repair its surface with rocks and Order, 1939. A critical situation was saved abandoned Greek equinment. By by a battery of the R.H.A. which. | midday the brigade had covered when the Germans were pressing only four miles, Officers and men hard on the heels of our reliring worked side by side with pick Chiswell Street, E.C. Lord Dune- nositions on and shovel until many were fall- din, who is 91, said: "I should like both sides of the read and engaging asleep with the tools in their to make an explanation before I ed the enemy with gunfire over, hands.

plead guilty. I should be very open sights. The action was the By an heroic effort Kalabaka (sorry indeed if it was thought by sort of which the light Funner was reached. After a short rest my pleading guilty dreams, with the enemy advane- the brigade rushed on again un-done something that could ing in solid masses and in full der intense dive bombing, across the enemy any help. view less than a mile away, and th Larissa plain to Atlants.

infantry. took up

The offence was committed

in

that I had

give

our gunners working the euns where the first real respite was "I have not, for this very good with that speed and precision pined a'tos a rine dangt march reason. In the first pace I do not which is the result of lone and before taking part again in the know how the enemy could get careful training. The enemy ad rearguard action towards Athens. hold of a photograph of my pri- the second vance was thus checked while cur

This short review mav help to vate collection, and infantry gained its new positions, convey some notion of the cour- reason, us you are quite aware. ade. cens'ancy, and endurance whenever there is a raid it is duly displayed by our men in adverse proclaimed in the newspapers. circumstances.

Dawn Attack

Euster Sunday broke icily cold., The Germans attacked at dawn,

and again their formations werel MOSCOW

shattered by British gun and

In machine-gun fire. order tol discourage them further the bri- gadier ordered one squadron of tanks to drive up to the crest of; a ridge every half-hour or so, thus creating the impression of an im- minent counter-attack.

At 10 a.m. our troops

werd

miles back. This retirement was

ON POLISH

RELATIONS

"The political groups

"Any film I have taken has been proclaimed in the newspapers, and If an enemy could get hold of my picture he would learn nothing he did not know perfectly well already.

"I only took it to add to my colection. I have a collection of photographs have taken all .over the world. I took a risk."

The magistrate, Mr..F. O. Lang-

wi'hdrawn to a fresh position 12 now leading Poland, par-ley, said that he readily accepted made just in time, for half an ticularly General Sikor-Lord Dunedin's statement that his hour after our rifles left the ski, have always under motive was not to disclose the trenches the whole position was stood that Germany is but to show to his friends "how The new line was established Poland's enemy," de- we are facing it."

'deluged with mortar fire.

just south of Ptolemais,' and here

in the afternoon a second bath clares a press bulletin,

was fought. The Germans attacked issued by the Information

with infantry and the whole Bri- Bureau in Moscow. tish position was heavily bomi-]

only

extent of damage. to the enemy.

HEAVY TANKS EXPANSION

barded by dive-bombers, while Poland, it is stated, can tanka endeavoured to get round exist as a dependent state If It

The output of heavy tanks had our left flank. A big tank action stands on friendly terms with thus developed. Some cruisers Russia. The bulletin expresses shown and was showing a con had to be abandoned, and con- confidenco that the Poll h people tinuous and gratifying expansion, sequently the light tanks and will not be fooled by Hitler's new the Minister of Supply announced anti-tank batteries had to sustain plan to enact the role of "saviour in the, Commons. the brunt of the cat'ank..

GERMAN AIR LULL

of Poland by creating a so-call Shortly before dusk German, ed Independnet state berest of tanks pressed forward to a point. Pomerania, Silesia and Gdynia. within a few hundred yards of Soviet public opinionitis

with aver brigade headquarters. The situa-stated, in following tion was saved here by one troop lasting interest and friendship, Regarding air activity over Bri- of anti-tanic auns, which moved the Polish nation's fight against tain during yesterday the official forward rapidly and knocked out Hitlerim. and oppression, Reu- communique says: "There is noth- six German tanks. Eventually the.

ing to report"-British Wireless.

TOOTAL FURNISHING FABRICS

A WIDE RANGE IN FLORAL & SOLID

COLOURS HAS JUST

ARRIVED.

All 48" Wide From

350 yd.

Page

CRETONNES

1st FLOOR

WHITEAWAY, LAIDLAW & CO., LTD..

WAR OF NERVES

"There goes the warbling note, Str. Will you wear the grey pin- stripe or the brown tweed?' "What

who-- ?"

"The warbling note, Sir. I gather, Sir, that there is hostile aircraft in the vicinity."

"Tell it to go away. Tell it I'm busy with a Blitzhangøvetkrieg." "Very good, Sir. I take it you are feeling the effects of-er-the little celebration last night?" "Hawkins. If the R.A.F. could only drop hangovers like mine behind the enemy lines the war

would be over before you could say Messerschmitt,”

"No doubt, Sir. But on the other hand, the enemy would probably discover Rose's Lime Juice, Sir. Ahem as I have mentioned before, Sir- the restoration of the metabolic balance by Rose's Lime Juice "

Don't stand there mumbling, man - get some Rose's — at once. Oh! there goes that awful din again." "That, Sir, is the sustained note or All Clear. There is a bottle of Rose's at your elbow, Sir."

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