Evening star., 1941-04-26
Fighting Is Very Near
End, Newspapers in
Greece Assert
q, the Associated Press.

ATHENS, Greece, April 26.-
German troops driving toward
Athens have pushed past Thebes,
80 miles from the capital, and
also have taken Mesolongion, 100
miles west of Thebes, authorita-
tive Greek quarters announced
today.
The capture of MeSolongion, the
scene of Lord Byron's death in 1924
in the Greek war for independence,
means that the German drive down
the Adriatic coast in the west
where Greek forces capitulated
Tuesday-has reached the Gulf of
Patron.
The drive past Thebes indicates
that the defending British and
Greek forces, hammered by Nazi
artillery and Stukas, have been
pushed far back along the narrow
neck which leads to the Greek capi-
tai and the Greek press said the
fighting was very near its end"
British Force Too Small.
The British, though reported in
fiicting heavy casualties, were said
to be in too small force to stop the
drive by the Nazi military machine.
The Greeks reported their forces
on the island Of Lemnos. 40 miles
west of the Aegean entrance to
Turkeys Dardanelles, still were con-
ducting guerilla operations against
a German landing force which seized
the island after fight with Greek
gendarmeS.
Earlier. in announcing German
seizure of Lemnos, the Greek Min
istry of Home Security inferentially
acknowledged the loss Of Samo-
thrace, which lies even nearer the
strategic straits.
0n Cairo, Egypt. the British
Middle East headquarters an
nounced today that "our with
drawal is continuing" in Greece)
Many German planes ranged over
Athens this morning, straflng nearby
areas, but the capital itself remained
free from aerial attack
Heavy Shipping Loss.
The Greek Ministry OF Home Sc
curity indicated the Luftwaffe had
inflicted heavy losses on shipping.
or7fi-tof1H outfit
fighting a rear guard action near
Mount Oeta, just west of Thermop-
ylae Pass, smashed % German tanks
Yesterday and forced an attacking
Nazi Panzer column to retreat. re-
liable military quarters reported.
The New Zealanders, drawn up
behind a swamp, were said to have
poured a whitening fire into the on
rushing Germans as they sought to
cross the soft ground in an ap-
parent effort to encircle Themopylae.
CThe Nazi high command said
yesterday the pass had been taken
in an embracing movement.
British authorities, making no
mention of Thermopylae, said
last night the British Expedi-
tionary Force in Greece was max
ing further Withdrawals and that
imperial troops were maintaining
an unbroken line in the face of
crushing Nazi assaults
Mount Oeta. famous in myth
ology as the scene of Hercules death
on a great pyre, is 100 miles north
west of Athens.
Evvoia Attack Declared RepeIled.
A NaZi attack on the big island
OF Evvoia, just off the Greek main
land to the east, was beaten OF,
however, the Ministry of Home Sc
curity said. German assaults on
these Aegean islands were accepted
as an indication that the Nazis
wanted more air bases from which
to pound shipping.
German planes were said to be
ranging far out into the Medlter-
ranean hammering at everything
from fishing vessels to big merchant
men,
The Greek government was re-
ported to have held its first meet
ing on the island of Crete yester-
day, acting on service matters" and
issuing a proclamation calling upon
Greeks not to lose hope under the
German yoke.
The strictly-s supervised Turkish
press acknowledged for the first
time last night the mastery of Ger
many over the Balkans and dis
cussed the possibility OF new Nazi
demands on Turkey.
The government maintained 81
lence with reference to rumors Of
negotiations with Berlin and Mos
COW. London heard that Berlin had
demanded control of the Darda-
nelles in return for cession to Tur-
key of a portion of Greek Thrace.
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