Evening star., 1940-11-14
1000 Greeks Routed
10000 Of |ta|y's
Finest, Officer Says
Ponicky Retreat Of Foe
In Eieht-Doy Bottle
Described by Coptoin
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ATHENS, Nov. 14-Some 10000
of Italy's finest mountaineer troops
who marched gaily into Greece or
october % we're cut to pieces and
routed by a comparative handful
Of 1000 Greeks in an eight-day
battle which, began on the 3Oth, q
wounded Greek captain declared
today.
The captain, 37-year-old Panos
Kyriakou, propped up in a hospi-
tai bed to tell his Homeric tale
said his men toiled 54 miles through
the Pindus Mountains in q con-
tinual downpour of rain for two
days to make victorious contact
with the invaders.
The Italians were cauaght fiat
footed, he said, and from that mo-
meat the story was one of deadly
Greek bayonet charges up craggy
slopes, of close quarter combats
with rifles and machine guns in ra-
vines and passes and of a panicky
Italian retreat.
On November 6 Greek reinforce
ments took over the job, and the
weary 1000 got a rest.
Italians Taken by Surprise.
Here is Capt KyrikouS account
of the savage battle:
THE encounter took place on Oc-
tober 80 in the early morning or
Mo,,pf co,,y,o,.i a ,,ooG ONn fant
high, west of Mount Smolika and
6 kilometers (about 3% miles,
northeast of the town of Samarini
THE Italian forces consisted OF
the Sd Alpini Division, two bat
talions of Bersaglieri, two battalions
Of grenadiers and two independent
companies. supported by mountain
artillery, 19 howitzers, IL machine
guns to each battalion, automatic
rifles and a multitude of other
equipment of all descriptions.
THE Italians were taken com.
pletely by surprise.
They were marching in four col.
umns of three battalions each. A,
soon as the fight began and the frs,
machine gun bursts were fired the
Italians were thrown back anc
started retreating in a northeasterly
direction.
Foe Forced Back.
"A company of Greek cavalry
under Capt. Tavoularris stimuli.
taneously attacked Samarina "a
Greek town in Epirus) and forced
about 1000 Italians there to leave
in the direction of Mount Smolika
taking the difficult pass which lead,
toward Distrato.
I'm a ravine locally called Prionis
we took our first II Italian prison.
ers without resistance. They raised
their hands and shouted Viva
Greca.
Our march forward was delayed
by material, such as machine guns
automatic guns and boxes of hano
grenades and ammunition, strewr
over the pass.
"At pm. my battalion attacked
pressing around Distrato. A figh1
developed in the ravine while I wa!
trying to climb Mount Smolika te
gain a dominant firing position.
"A night attack launched by
more battalions drove the Italian.
back north of Smolika and threw
them into the ravine.
| Fighting Continued Six Days.
There the fighting continued fol
six days. The Italians, being
chased back from hilltop to hilltop
managed to take advantage of the
terrain to circle about.
AT l pm. on November 5 re-
ceived orders to attack and occupy
a strategic height with one company
of infantry. The height was helc
by about 400 Italians with full equip.
ment. They were supported by bat.
teries on a hill 1000 yards away
but by 2:10 pm. the height was
taken, with the Italians driven back
leaving behind 81 dead and wounded
and q prisoners.
Il was wounded in this engage
ment. The Italians, fighting ir
small groups of about 25, retreated