1941-02-08 — Page 13

Saturday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

February 8, 1941,-

THE DRAMA BEHIND THE CAPTURE OF. KORITZA

The of

W

Strange Vendetta

Popovich

Voyin

HO was the first

{

man to enter Koritza bandit war

and force the Italians

out of it, slaying them

as they ran? I am told

it was Voyvoda Vuk, the

War Wolf. There is no

lord

of Albania

surprise in that, for BEHIND the eviction of the

the terror of the Italians

What do you want? Who are you?" he demanded.

"I come to offer my sword to Colonel Branchini. I shall tell him who I am."

"Here is Colonel Branchini coming."

Vuk saw, at the top of the stairs, a tall, pompous Beran- Italians with him were four others,

glieri, heavy with decorations.

With a leap the Wolf was up

Voyvoda Vuk has been from Koritza lies the dramatic story the stairs, his comitadji at his has burned with heels. They placed themselves so that the backs were to the among the Albanian of a vendetta which

of wall and the Italians on the top

mountains for years. implacable hatred since the invasion It was in 1914 I met Albania during the last war. him first. A small pack AND here, by a man who knew him days, is an intimate

horse laden with what

step. The corridor was empty. 'Are you Colonel Branchini?" asked the Wolf quietly.

"I am Colonel Branchini. Who are you? What do you want?

"I am Voyvoda Vuk."

It seemed as if an unexpected

ins, One of them drew his

remained of a home in his early trudged into the little protrait of the great Balkan patriot, thrill passed through the Itali- Serbian town of Kra- Voyin Popovich, who is to-day leading revolver, but the Wolf spoke

guyevatz.

Leading the horse was

softly,

the Albanian revolt against the deluded "I have come to offer you my

A

a man. On the top of minions of the puffed-up Mussolini. the pile of goods on the horse's back was his wife.

The Wolf held his blade in his right hand. His revolver TRAVELEDEREN BRONZEADLIGTEN AVT was in his left. Branchini mis- understood him, and made an attempt to be friendly.

"ord, Colonel Branchini."

Walking beside By STUART MARTIN

the man was a youth barely twenty years of

"Your sword, Vuk? Hah, you can cover our retreat, you and your comitadjin-"

He did it. In the early moru- every village as they saw the

"You misinterpret my mean- age. That youth was ing when mist shrouded the devastation left by the retreat ing," interrupted the Wolf Voyin Popovich. The peaks, he brought them into the ing Kalians.

sternly. "I offer you my sword, valley, passing the Italian lines Everywhere it was the same as we comitadjis say. Listen. three were refugees within half a mile, and crossed story. Houses wrecked, women On the walls of Koritza are bills from the cruelties of the the frontier to the Morova and girls dishonoured, wanton offering a reward for my head. Heights. The Greek staff gave damage to possessions, looting I saw them as I entered the Germans.

him up for lost.

and burning. Old men had town. You drove me to the Even as a child Voyin When he next reported his been shockingly mutilated. hills and hunted, me and my men. Shall I tell you what we Popovich had seen crimes movements he was crossing the Children ravished,

At Changore the Wolf and his have seen on that

our murch. to would make men upper reaches of the River De- shudder, When he was still yol, driving the Italian Alpini men knelt as a weeping priest Koritza?"

before him.

of the Greek church gave them He spoke rapidly, telling of in his teens his father de- "How did you do it?" he was his blessing, asked them to re- the ruined villages, the outraged member all this when they ad- girls and wemen, the mutilated dicated him to fight the asked by his superiors.

"It was nothing." answered vanced. The comitadjis swore men, the looted houses, the enemy. The very children

burnings, ending with the terri- of the village played at the Wolf. "My children and I to remember.

know the mountains."

At last they crouched among ble words: "When a comitadji "fighting the Germans." It

"You have saved our flank," the rocks and looked down on offers, his sword he offers was his playmates who first said the staff.

Koritza. They were there when death." christened Voyin by the name of "War Wolf."

.

The Wolf and his men the R.A.F. came over and The Italians fell back at his marched on. They were used in bombed the enemy on the roads words, and one of the officers desperate situations. They and in the town. swept through the valleys around Mount Palacomageron, Flames That Lit they climbed the heights, left a trail of dead and disorganised enemy. They faced Mount Grammos.

The Skies

near Branchini made a move- ment. At the same moment Vuke servant cried-sharply "Look out, .my Wolf!" and lunged with his bayonet,

It was like the flash of a

Comitadjis Rise His father and mother were killed in the last war Voyin swore a great oath.

One of Vuk's scouts came lizard's tongue. Out and in There are three peaks here. with the news that several Ita- again. The officer who had He joined the military col- lege at Belgrade; but the The regulars had a feeble hold tian divisions were retreating drawn his revolver was down on one and needed reinforce- down the western slopes of the with a red trickle oozing, from army could not hold him.

ments. Vuk called his men to- Morovan Heights. Another his chest. He came back to what is gether. There were now about scout brought the information They fought there at the top called Albania, formed a 700 of them.

that a Greek force had crossed of the stairs, the two comitadjia band of men and took to the "Mycomitadjis," he said, Lake Presba and was attacking and the other four Italians. The hills. He became a leader "we shall take the second peak Mount Ivan.. A third revealed Wolf and his servant had their to-night. To-morrow we shall that more of the enemy were backs to the wall. They shouted of comitadjis.

take the third. What do you fleeing towards Pogradetz.

their war cry as they fought, Comitadjis are mostly out- say?”

It was a great temptation to bayonet and sword against re- laws. Voyin and his men "We'll take it, Vuk!" they. the Wolf to fall on the Italiana volvers and sword. have lived in the mountains answered.

going towards Pogradatz. That Branchin made an attempt On the second peak they was the comitadjis' own coun- to run, but he only got two steps for years, refusing to accept found the Alpini, and scattered try, wild and hilly. But Vuk down when the Wolf caught Italian laws, opposing Italian them. On the third peak they bade his men postpone that. him, dragged him back, slammed troops wherever they could met the Bersaglieri-Musso- After Koritza, brothers," he him against the wall, and ran be met, performing deeds lini's crack regiment-and cat said. "But first-Koritza-and him through. The other three

Italians were already down. which ordinary moun- them to pieces, taking stores, Colonel Branchini."

All day on November 20 they taineers admitted were al- uns, equipment. most super-human.

To the Italians Voyin and

They chased both the Alpini watched the Greek shells batter- Standing On The

and the Bersaglieri down the ing the town. When darkness his slopes, then came back for the fell the flames of burning build- To much-needed stores, for they ings lit up the sky. Vuk rose the Albanians, and to the were far ahead of their own and addressed his men.

band were just comitadjis.

rose us one man. The Greek Wanton Damage enemy headquarters,"

Staff asked them whom they wanted as leader. With one voice they cried, "Give us Voy-

And Looting

Italian Flag

Then Vuk and his man turned

Greeks, they were patriots fight- supplies. But another hundred "I go to Koritza. At dawn and ran up the next flight of ing for freedom.

of Vuk's bravos lay still, never look to see if the Italian flag stairs, along a corridor, then up When the Italians began the to march again.

still flies. If it does not fly, a third flight and so to the flat Invasion of Greece the comitadjis

come down and meet me at the roof..

With his sword Vuk cut down. "And if it still flica, Wolf?" the Italian flag. Dawn had "Come and avenge mo, come. Down in the outskirts of brothers."

the town Vak saw his comitad- voda Vuk! Give us the War "Where shall we go now, He took with him his old ser- jis running forward, bayonets Wolf!"

Wolf?" asked the remaining six vant, a rugged, lean comitadi, gleaming. The Italians were With the nominal rank of hundred.

and they disappeared in the fleeing before the avengers. colonel, Vuk prepared for the "To Koritza," replied the gloom,

From the south of the town- fight. When other troops were Wolf, as he honed his sword It was an hour before dawn other Greek troops were com- forming at Salonika, under the afresh. "To Koritza. There when Vuk and his servant en- ing, too, at the double. shadow of mount Hortlach, Vuk will be real fighting now, tered the suburbs, having passed Vuk came down the staira was already on the warpath, brothers; and I have an appoint over what had been the Italian with his old rugged comitadji. with his thousand men.

ment with Colonel Branchini." line of defence outside the town. When the commander of the They climbed up the Pindus The comitndjis laughed grim- The old comitadii carried his Greek regulars arrived at the mountains, and they wero al- ly at that. Colonel Branchini rifle and bayonet, and at his building he found Vuk standing most surrounded. The order was the Italian leader who had girdle hung his long knife. Vuk by the entrance surrounded by came for Vuk to retreat. It was put a price on the head of every had his sword and revolver. his men. He was standing on feared there was a trap for the comitadji, and thousand The streets were swarming the Italian flag. The bodies of War Wolf. Some of his men drachmae on that of the Wolf, with trucks, and vehicles leaving Italian officers and men lay on came to him and said this was dead or alive.

the town. Vuk marched to the steps, on the hall floor, on the end, and advised him to They took Krypishta, Kas- G.H.Q., where revoral cars were the staircase. Above them all make a finish of it and fight till toria (next the lake), then drawn up, panting. Two sen- lay Branchini, stiff and stark. they wore all slain.

pushed on to Biklishta, then to tries were at the door, Behind "My comitadjis and I give My children," said Vuk, "I Forn, then over to Changore, them were several officers, one you Koritza," said the Wolf will lead you through the Italian south of Mount Ivan. They of whom stepped forward as the gravely, respectfully; and he ranke."

stamped with rage and tears in Wolf brushed past the sentries, began to hone his sword again.

EST.

HR

ere's THE

ལ་ལ་ ན་

This is all wrong

-but H.B.'s all right!"

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