The Wilmington morning star., 1940-11-23
VICTORIOUS GREEKS
MOVED INTO KORITZA
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said. Italians left behind
unprecedented signs Of savagery
and barbarity."
Captured Italian equipment IN
Guided 80 small and heavy guns
IS anti.aircraft guns, twenty tanks.
more than $500 motorcycles and
BICYCLES, $50 automobiles, and
munitions, fuel and clothing, the
Greek high command said tonight.
Bomb Lines
Greek and British warplanes
were reported bombing the fleeing
lines of Italians.
A government spokesman assert
ed tonight that Koritza had been
defended by six Italian divisions
u, 900 to $1,000 men-and addition.
al units of reinforced artillery and
permanent Notifications.
This was the first official claim
that the Italian disaster had been
of such magnitude.
(The Italians declared only two
divisions had withdrawn from the
area.
(The British b~roadcasting cor
poration estimated tonight that the
Italians we're no less than seven
full divisions at Koritza and an
nounced that according to a Bel
grade dispatch the Italian base at
Pogradetz, Albania, also had fallen.
Abandon Equipment
Fascist troops retreatng from
Koritza were declared to have
abandoned enormous quantities Of
equipment-so much, said the
spokesman, that ''it is delaying
our advance by being all over the
roads"
g.. not a single Italian soldier
is now to be found on Greek terri
tory" he added. 5
Remarking that he wanted to il
lustrate Italian morale, he said,
too, that on the southern sectors Of
the front 400 soldiers and three
Italian officers had surrendered in
a body.
All Greece rejoiced at the cap
ture of Koritza in the Greeks own
invasion of Italian-held territory.
1t was from there that an Italian
army set out Is days ago in a
luckless attempt at conquest.
Greek newspapers now call Ko-
rita a liberated Greek town..
There were reports that a great
number of prisoners and consider
able war stores had been captured
in the valley town and that the re-
treating Italians were harassed by
gunfire from Greek mountain en-
placements.
Same Story
1t was the same story to the
southwest where the Greeks were
driving the Fascists toward Argi-
rocastro, a town only 30 miles from
Porto Edda, port on the strait of
Otranto, opposite the "heel' of the
Italian boot, where italian troops
and supplies have been moving into
Albania.
Flags snapped from every Ath-
ems building. Happy crowds ran
thru the streets. A throng in front
OF the army headquarters building
roared an ovation for Premier-Gen
eral John Metaxas when he an
peared on the steps to announce
the news.
The time of the Greeks entrance
into Koritza was somewhat con.
fused. One report had it that thew
entered in the morning, another
hat it was early afternoon. Per.
haps their confusion arose from
differing hours Of movement of the
advance guard and the main body
of troops.
The best account Of the occupa-
ton follows:
Early today Greek batteries in
stalled on the high SUBMITS of the
Morava mountain range turned a
storm of fire on the last Italian
positions in the area. This fire
neutralized the Italian resistance
and Fascist troops fled, leaving
valuable war material.
Greek forces chased their foe
Systematically while other strong
er forces began entering Koritza.
The first OF the Greeks went in at
12:45 pm.
Welcomed
The population poured out alon.
the approaches to the town to meet
the conquerors. Old men, women
and children threw flowers al
.nem, crying and kneeling before
tne advancing troops.
Greek flags hidden for nan
years Were hoisted everywhere in
me town. So great was the en-.
.nuslasm Of the welcome (accord.
ing to this account, apparently
1rom Greek sources) that Greek
soldiers forgot the hardships Of the
1l-day siege.
thousands of persons soldiers