Evening star., 1940-12-09
Italians Withdraw
To New Line North
Of Argirocastro
Eleventh Army Completes
Move Without Loss of
Men, Command Says
D, the Associated Press.

Italy's l1th army had withdrawn to
q new defense line north of Argiro-
castro, Southern Albania. (The
Greeks announced occupation of
Argirocastro yesterday
"The 18th army" the high COM
mand's daily war bulletin asserted
completed its orderly withdrawal
without loss of men or material on
a line north of Argirocastro and
minor surrounding localities"
In the 5th army sector, it added,
repeated enemy attacks were re-
pulsed by our troops, which had
launched numerous victorious coun-
ter attacks"
The Italian air force, although
hampered by unfavorable weather
conditions bombed military OBJ
jectives at SAINT Moura and the Gulf
of Arta, Greece, the communique
said.
Four enemy planes were reported
shot down in fighting in North
Africa, three by Italian fighters and
one by naval aircraft batteries.
British raids on the airport at
Tripoh and other localities resulted
in one death and five injuries, the
high command said.
British raids on Gallabat, in the
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. and Gherille
in Somaliland, caused several
deaths and INJURIES it added.
New Navy Command.
The Italian navy, as well as the
army, functioned under new COM
mand today after a shake-up by
which Premier Mussolini apparently
intends to intensity the nations
war efforts.
Admiral Arturo Riccardi, g., be-
came naval chief Of staff and under
secretary of the navy-Premier Mus
solini holds the naval portfolio him.
elf-following the resignation yes
terday of Admiral Domenico Cavag-
mari Admiral Angelo Jacchini was
given the title commander of the
fleet on the sea-" and Admiral lingo
Campione was made vice chief of the
naval staff
In the mist of the series of changes
which placed two army leaders,
Marshal Pietro Badoglio and Gen.
Cesare Maria de Vecchi Count dl Val
Cismon, and a naval leader on the
retired list in this days, all at their
"own request"-Il Duce lost two OF
his generals in an airplane crash
H.. fol
One was Gen. Aldo Pellegrini, 50,
his chief of civil aviation. the other
Gen. Pietro Pintor, go, head of the
armistice commission dealing with
vanquished France.
Gen. Camille GrosSi, one of Italy'S
high-ranking military leaders, was
named to succeed Gen. Pintor as
president of the italian Armistice
Commission. Gen. Grossi, 64-year-
old native of Grosseto, commanded
Italy's armies of the East In the
pre-war organization. He has been
q Senator since 1899
Changes in the political ranks OF
Mussolini's Fascist government were
expected in some circles to be in
the offing to complete the current
requirements of keymen.
Political Necessity Seen.
Foreign quarters expressed belief
that the overhauling of the Italian
war machine was due as much to
political as to military necessity.
With maintenance of the peoples
morale as essential as that of the
fighting forces in times which are
difficult militarily, economically and
politically, II Duce moved on three
successive days to Supplant his COM
manders with trusted heutenants
expected to carry out his orders Wig
orously and produce successes.
Only the air command, headed by
Gen. Francisco Pricolo, which has
borne the brunt of the war in the
Mediterranean, has remained intact.
What began with the announced
resignation of Marshal Badoglio for
his own reasons, presumably having
to do with the unsatisfactory turn
taken by the Greek campaign, quick
ly turned into thorough shake-up,
as Gen. Ettore Bastico replaced De
Vecchi as commander of the Dode-
canese Islands and Admiral Cavag-
mari stepped down.
Although Italians have painted the
record of their navy in glorious
hues, Mussolini was believed by OBJ
servers to have decided that a
change was needed nonetheless.
"Changing Guard" Policy.
"Changinp of the guard" however
has long been policy OF II Duce
and he never has hesitated to apply
1t when he thought conditions de-
manded.
The cause of the Saturday crash
which killed Gen. Pintor and Gen.
Pellegrini was reported to be unde-
termined. A communique said all
aboard the military plane, including
"some members" of the armiStice
coumission-appare in addition
to the two generals-were killed.
This was the second plane crash
taking the lives of armistice COM
mission members this year and the
second to take the life of high
italian officer. Marshal Italo Balbo,
with whom Gen. Pellegrini flew to
Chicago in 1888, was killed in
crash in Libya June %. Three
French and four German officers,
members Of the FrenchGerm ar
mistice commission, and six German
soldiers were killed October 10 when
their plane plunged into the Medi-
terranean.
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