Evening star., 1941-04-21

tured SdLOntkG ana tnDdded
Greece proper through the Var
dar Valley. In Albania, Italian
troops, cooperating 1Uith their
allies, attacked YuooSlaUS and
drove back Greeks UhO had con-
Quered Southern Albania.
BY tie Associated Press.
ATHENS, Greece, April 21.-
Air war in the style of the Battle
of Britain Surged over Athens
today as British and Greeks, al
lies in a desperate struggle on
the plains and mountains Of
Thessaly, withdrew to new, un-
disclosed positions in the face of
the German advance.
The British withdrawal has been
nearly completed despite terrific as
saults by the German air force and
the Germans are advancing very
cautiously" partly due to bad roads.
but largely because of the rough
handling he has received whenever
in contact with our men," an army
communique said. Casualties were
termed light.
The British announced that is
German planes were shot down yes
terday-l4 of them over this seat
of ancient democracy in a single
battle with a very large forma-
ton" of Nazi dive-bombers and
fighters. Athens had seven raid
alarms yesterday.
Loss of Seven Planes Admitted.
Many others of the raiders were
crippled, the British said, but ad-
mitted destruction of seven of their
own fighters, with four of the
pilots. "a German radio broadcast
said II British planes were shot
down over Greece yesterday
German-occupied airdromes and
troop columns on the move were
attacked. A fire at Katarini air.
drome was visible go miles, the
eommunique declared.
In Africa, Derna, BengaSi and
Ain El Gazala again were raided
heavily, it said.
Three italian planes were shot
down in an attack on the fortress
at Malta, and several others were
damaged, the r. A. F. reported.
Nazis Penetrate Pass.
The British took their new posi-
tions after the Germans penetrated
a Greek held pass at Grevena in the
center of the Mount Olympus line
Friday.
The retirement was said to be lin
conformity" with the movement of
the Greek Army on the left.
Australians and New Zealanders
were declared to have fought
brilliantly conducted" covering ma
neuver, exacting immense losses
among the Germans,
The Germans have taken KarditSa,
40 miles north of Lamia, after pass
ing Trikkala.
The Greeks admitted they also
had withdrawn as a result OF a
defeat on the right of their line,
but said they were holding their new
positions and had stemmed the
italian attacks on the northwest.
TsouderOs New Premier.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel Tsouderos
was named Premier to head the
new cabinet announced yesterday,
formed as a result of the suicide
last Friday of Premier Alexandros
Korizis.
The new government was an
nounced as the Greeks acknowl-
edged that the German drive on
the east had made a new dent in the
allied line and King George II had
called on the nation to fight ito the
very end"
Tsouderos had been named Min
lister of Foreign Affairs and Finance
and Provincial Minister of Economy
in the cabinet formed yesterday
by Admiral Alexander Sakellariou
as Vice Premier and the King in the
dual role of Monarch and Premier.
Admiral Sakellarious remains as
Vice Premier.
Other cabinet posts filled by the
Vice Premier yesterday were I'M
changed.
Tsouderos, IN his flfties, has been
active in Greek public life for more
than 20 years. He is native of the
Island of Crete and began a polit-
ical career with his election to
parliament in 1920.
One of Greeces leading econo-
mists, he carried on negotiations
with Britain in 1926 for settlement
of the Greek war debt. He has
held cabinet posts previously as
Minister of Finance and Com
munications and more recently
served as president of the Bank
of Greece.
On the war front meanwhile the
(See GREEK, Page A-6O