Evening star., 1940-11-01
Rome
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the northeast, the high command
said.
The communique did not indicate
/ from what direction the raids were
/ launched.
(The London communique
merely said the raiders were "a
small detachment of the bomber
command" Naples is nearly 1000
air line miles from England,
nearly twice as far as Milan,
Genoa and other North Italy
cities hitherto bombed by R. A. F.
planes flying from home basesD
Heavy Fighting in Egypt.
In Bagnoi are some of Italy'S big
gest steel works and rolling mills,
while new airplane factories with
testing fields and laboratories are at
Pomigliano D'Arco.
The communique reported a re-
vival of heavy fighting in Egypt,
with the Italians smashing at the
British Is miles east of Sidi Bar
rani, advance base of the drive to-
ward the Nile and the Suez Canal,
which has been stalled for several
weeks.
There was no indication, however,
whether this activity meant the re-
opening of major offensive CO.
ordinated with the Italian drive into
Greece.
Italian warplanes, the high COM
mand said, 'unleashed violent at
tacks" on British positions in North
Africa, during which they engaged
in bitter combat" with British
fighters.
II Planes Reported D0wned.
Seventeen British planes were re-
were listed as probably" downed
Three italian planes were said to be
missing.
Scattered British air raids on
italian positions in North and East
Africa were described as ineffective.
Other reports from the front said
the Italian Army had advanced be-
yond the Kalamas River, miles
from the Albanian border, despite
rain, mud and stiff Greek resistance.
Stefani's frontier correspondent
also mentioned inclement weather
and difficulties of terrain, but said
the Italians were pressing ahead, re-
inforced by aviation.
So far, the correspondent reported,
only the Greek rear guard has been
encountered in territory favorable to
Greek-laid ambushes. He said the
Greeks were also blowing up bridges
as they withdrew.
In general, however, he said the
Italian-occupied area was a rugged
land having mo trace of roads"
necessitating transport of every
necessity on foot or with long
strings of pack mules.
The Italian high command said
the Kalamas River had been reached.
Augmenting a high command an
nouncement that Fascist forces had
reached the river "at various points,"
the newspaper Lavoro Fascista's war
correspondent said troops which
jumped off from the border towns of
Kakavia and Perat had crossed the
stream.
The Greeks are resisting Gin some
spots and in some cases stiff1y," the
correspondent of the Turin news
paper Gazzeta del Popolo reported,
but generally are falling back to
their main prepared positions and
confining their activities to haras-
sing Italian communications.
In addition to the land operations,
the high command said its air force
flew through dirty weather to bomb
loaded troop transports at the port
of Patras and the Lepanto naval
base on the Gulf of Corinth, bar
racks at Metzovo Pass, in Western
Greece, and highway functions in
the Kalamas Valley. The identity Of
the troops aboard the bombed yes
sells was not disclosed.
In the East African war theater
the Italians said their forces had
warded OF British thrusts IA the