The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-04-11
German Column Meets British Forces
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GianitSa where 1t hinges Souh. A breakthrough around either Phlor- ina or Gianitsa probably would force the Greeks and British to fall south to Q line running west to east from Yanina to Larissa.
 The threat of the German bfeak- through at Monastir was grave.
 If the armored columns win foothold on the Greek northwestern highways they will be in position to turn the Greco British defense system from the rear.
 The Germans centered their night air attack upon Coventry and Birn- imgham. The British claimed that night fighter planes short down an- other nine German attackers, bring ing the reported German lsoses in four nights of attack to 37 planes.
 Jugoslavs Fall Apart
 Jugoslav resistance in both north and south was falling apart under the crushing blows of the Nazt col- umns of steel.
 In Greece the situation took what may prove to be most critical turn for the British expeditionary force and the seasoned Greek trops which divisions.
 A laconic Royal Air Force com n1unique revealed that the German columns which slashed through Prilep and Skoplje in South Serbia made a sharp 46-degree turn and headed south for the vital corner where Greece, Albania and Jugo- slavia meet.
 They raced through Bitolj, which with the northwestern Greek high controls the roads which connect way system, and drove ahead through Kenali on the Jugoslav- Greek frontier toward Florina.
 There was no confirmation that the Nazl spearhead had reached Florina but 1t was evident that the Germans were driving hard for this key Greek city.
 once in Florina the Germans would be in Q position to knife down into Greece, attacking the British and Greek defense system from be- hind. The defense line runs in @ riughly southeastern direction from the northwest corner of Greece, near Florina, to the Gulf of Salon. ika. It was set up chiefly to meet attack from the east or northwest. rather than from the west and northwest.
 British Attacking
 The RAF, so far the only British fighting arm known to be in action on the Greek front, was attacking the German armored column re- peatedly. It strafed tanks and ar- mored cars stretched out on the narrow mountain roads from Priler toward Florina and made low-level bombing and machine-gun assaults upon the Bitolj flying field, which is in Nazi hands.
 It semed that British expedition. ary troops would clash with this German column ct any moment, fl the conflict has not already beer joined.
 Unless the German advance car be halted-and halted swiftly there would appear to be growing prospect that the Britis hand Greek defense troops will be forced to res tire southward at least as far as an east-west line from Larissa tt Yanina If they arc not to be fankeo by the new Nazi thrust.
 Perilous Situation
 Increasing the perilous situation for the British and their allies were the detailed reports from Jugoslavia which indicated that Jugoslav re- sistance Is willing under the crush- ing blows of the German army.
 The speed of the Jugoslav collapse may mean that at any moment Field Marshal Siegmund von List German commander of the south east, can divert the bulk of his forces--estimated at nearly 1000, ,00 men - against the comparatively thin Greco-British lines.
 The size of the British expedi- tionary corps in Greece has been subject to the most varying esti- mates. These range from 50,000 men to wild guess of 300000 men. Most experts place the number close to the lower limit, with 100000 as an absolute maximum. Tn addition to its force there may be 200, ,000 poroly equipped Gree ktroops. How ever, probably half of this number are on the Albanian front where the German break-through at Bitolj threatens to cut them of from the rear and prevent them from rejoining the main Greco British force if an order Is given for retirement.
 Tn Jugoslavia the plight of the loyal Serb forces still holding out apainSt the Cernnans vUax heonsynin0