Evening star., 1941-04-20
Unending Waves
Hit Defenses,
Athens Says
BACKGROUND


Germany inDdded YugoSldUid
and Greece on Palm Sunday, after
former repudidted signature OF
pact NTH nriS and latter refused
to heed demands for negotiation
OF peace t0ith Italy. Ndsi forces
droDe south to the Aegean. cap
tured Salonika, oUerran Yugo-
Slduid and attacked Greece doWn
Vdrddr and Strumn RiUer Valleys.
By the Associated Press.
ATHENS, Greece, April 20
Sunday The Greek high
command announced early to-
day that the Germans. hammer
ing in unending waves at the
British Greek line, have made
a push toward the south"
This was the first indication
from here in "a hours that the
Germans had gained ground,
both British and Greek reports up
to midafternoon yesterday saying
the Allies were holding fast against
the Nazi assaults.
Just where the German thrust
was made or how far was not dis
closed. (The Germans yesterday
claimed the SWastika had been
hoisted over Mount olympus and
Larisa, important communications
center 40 miles to the southD
The seriousness of the Allied posi-
ton was emphasized by the official
announcement that Premier Alex
andros Korizis, whose death Friday
went unexplained for "a hours, COM
mitted suicide because of anguish
over his country's unequal struggle
with Germany and Italy.
Heavy Italian Casualties.
On the Albanian front, the high
command said Greeks falling back
before the Italians had inflicted
heavy casualties on the Fascists in
rearguard actions.
Every time the enemy attempted
to harass the movement Of our
units, they turned back and chased
them" the communique said.
The government spokesman said
Greek artillery fire yesterday stopped
an Italian attempt to approach the
lines and that italian forces NOV
ing toward Erseke- -Androliko we're
dispersed. Some prisoners we're
taken also, he said.
German columns which pene-
trated Northern Greece from BIZ
toll CMonastir), Yugoslavia, were
unable to advance yesterday from
positions reached on Friday, the
spokesman asserted.
Fight Another Verdun.
The early British communique
declared that British and Greek
forces, fighting another Verdun in
the shadow of tabled Mount Olym-
pus, maintained an unbroken line
against assaults by wave upon wave
Of German units.
Despite all efforts, our front no.
where has been penetrated" said a
British communique issued here at
2::25 pm (7:25 am, E. S. t.. 1t
added that severe losses had been
inflicted on the Germans and that
many prisoners had been taken.
Other reports from the northern
front-Greek as well as British
reaching Athens up to early after
noon indicated that the tightened
Allied line was unchanged, its
fianks unturned in the preceding
u hours.
Moved Down by Hundreds.
The British imperial forces were
fighting shoulder to shoulder with
the Greeks along the entire north
ern Greek front as waves of German
infantry struggled up the rugged
mountain sides in the full face of
the murderous Allied fire.
I'VE NOW them down by the hun
dreds as they try to climb the steep
mountain sides" said a military
officer, but as soon as one way is
thrown back another pushes for
ward.
Their losses are tremendous, un-
equaled, believe, by anything they
have suffered in the European war
to date.
The Nazis are bringing up heavy
guns, this informant said, to sup
plement the constant hammering
of their Stukas, coming over 20
to 80 at a time.
r. A. F. Hammers Germans
The British communique said the
r. A. F. was giving the Germans
dose of their own medicine with
heavy air assaults.
Unable to force the narrow passes
with their panzer units, the Ger
mans were said to be using infantry
by the tens of thousands for the
first time in the Balkan campaign
Military experts in Berlin ad-
ritted that the use of panzer
units was impossible in the
passes in the Greek mountains,
and that infantry had to fight a
way through the difficult terrain
with the assistance of dive
bombers.
"These frontal assaults show no
change from World War tactics,
when the Reichswehr attacked with
wave after wave of solid lines of in
fantry," one officer just returned
from the front said
British officials related that aus
trian prisoners show especially low
morale and complain of the violence
of our air attacks on conveys and
troops on the march"