Evening star., 1941-02-01
Whole TepeIeni Area
Taken, Greeks Say;
Other Gains Claimed
Fascist Effort TO Take
Offensive Held Failure;
Mountain Points Taken
BACKGROUND

Italians inudded Greece last
November, but tUeTe soon stopped
against determined resistance of
Hellenic mountain troops. Greeks
in turn expelled Italians from
their country and inrGded Al
b1nid, Ulich Italy took oUer on
Good Friday Of 1889, and hare
occupied substantial part OF
country, threatening to force
Italians out OF the Balkans.
By the Associated Press.
ATHENS, Feb. 1.-The entire
Tepeleni area was reported unoer
Greek control today, with the actual
occupation of the town only ques-
ton of mopping up isolated detach-
ments.
The high command said the
Greeks had captured italian noun
tain positions "of great Importance,
and Greek dispatches declared re-
cent Fascist efforts to seize the Of
fensive in Albania must now be re-
garded as failures.
The Greeks were also reported to
have made important gains both
north of Klisura and in the coastal
sector, where Counterattacks were
crushed with heavy losses to the
Italians. The fighting in the CEN
tral sector yesterday was described
as one Of the major battles since the
outbreak OF the conflict three months
ago
The Greeks now dominate Tep-
eleni from three sides, dispatches
from the front said, leaving only the
road to Valona open to the italians,
who were said to be retreating in
the direction of that seaport.
A Royal Air Force communioue
declared IAN important military
camp and buildings southwest of
Tepeleni were successfully attacked"
by British bombers yesterday, start
ing big fire in one large building.
Italian troops we're machine -gunned
as they emerged from tents, the
communique said.
The mountain range near Tep-
elenl, occupied by the Greeks. was
described as one of the best fortified
positions in Albania-the Italians
having added to defenses built
earlier during the reign of King Zog,
the monarch they deposed.
Aside from permanent gun en-
placements and machine-gun nests.
it was also protected by a series of
trenches and many lines of barbed
wire.
Among the reports from the front
was one which said the occupation
Of the mountain range thew open to
the Greeks the road Ito new big
victories"
Artillery in New Positions.
These reports said a recent series
of vigorous Italian counterattacks
had proved so disastrous that
Fascist commanders were forced to
call off further offensive action to
reorganize their forces.
The Greeks were said to have
made important gains in the last few
days, enabling them to move their
artillery up to new positions and
thus harass the Italian reorganiza-
ton.
The most recent italian counter
attack, in the coastal sector appar-
emily between Chimara and Valona,
met fate worse than any" of
| the others in the series, a Greek
military spokesman declared.
These Fascist troops were pur-
sued by us and we succeeded in
occupying a mountain $500 meters
| (4,950 feeD high, beyond the posi-
tions from which the Italians
launched this counterattack," he
said.
Two other heights also were taken,
the spokesman said, and 200 pris-
oners, including seven officers, were
captured
Tank Attack shattered"
At one point on the front, the
high command said, an Italian tank
attack was shattered at the start"
while at another place troops opera
ting in mountains more than 5000
feet high occupied enemy positions
of great importance" and seized
about $50 prisoners"
The new Greek drive north Of
Klisura was said to have been
launched in a snoWstorm, under
the cover of a heavy artillery bar
rage aimed at preventing Italian re-
organization.
Heaps of dead and wounded we're
! found in the abandoned Italian po-
Sitions, Greek dispatches from the
front said. A Greek physician in
charge of sanitation in one sector
said his men had buried $50 Italians
| at the scene of an unsuccessful
Fascist charge.