Evening star., 1943-09-16
Two Balkan 0utposts
Reported Occupied,
Hintine Allied Invasion
BY the Associated Press.

Ds tHe ASSOClAteQ FTeSS.
LONDON, Sept. 16.-Allied oc-
cupation of two island outposts
to the Balkans, in a move strik-
ingly similar to operations which
preceded the invasion of Italy,
was reported in dispatches from
Ankara today.
One account said the Greek island
of Samos and the Dodecanese island
of Lero, of the Turkish coast and
about $50 miles north of German
held Crete, were occupied three days
ago-the day before Britains 9th
Army was reported to have en-
barked from its Middle East bases
400 miles across the Mediterranean
In Syria and Tfansjordania.
Other dispatches to London morn
ing newspapers reported that both
Islands had been turned over to the
Greek gendarmerie by italian forces
after their country surrendered to
the Allies.
Site Of Seaplane Base.
Lero, 80 miles from the Turkish
mainland, has a valuable seaplane
base and also was used by the Ital-
ians as base for light naval craft.
Samos is a much larger Greek
island, 40 miles farther north, with
two of the best airdromes In the
Aegean Sea. Both islands are north
Of the italian island of Rhodes.
There was no indication in the
Ankara dispatches as to what type
of forces were used in the reported
occupation operations, but q Stock
holm dispatch yesterday said the
British 9th Army, headed by 1t.
Gen. w. H. Holmes. had sailed from
its Middle East bases after two
years of intensive training.
Mystery as to the exact where
abouts of the 9Th Army, coupled
with reports of successes by Yugo-
slav guerrillas who are in touch
with the Allied command, suggest
a possible Allied invasion of the
Balkans was shaping up.
There was some question. in Lon
don as to whether Greek forces on
Samos and Lero are loyal to the
Allies or to the Greek puppet gov
ernment set up by the Axis.
Military circles also questioned
whether the islands would be found
particularly useful for large scale
operations, such as an Allied In
vasion of the European mainland
would necessarily have to be.
Occupation of the islands, how
ever, If true. was regarded here as
a portent of things to come.
Tending to strengthen reports of
intensified activity in the Balkans
theater was the Cairo report that
Maj. Gen. Lewis H. Brereton, COM
mander of all United States forces
In the Middle East. had been trans
ferred to an important new assign
ment and it was suggested that he
might now be with the 9th Army.
Gen. Brereton was succeeded by
Maj. Gen. Ralph Royce.
German reinforcements. mean
while, were repeatedly being rushed
to the Nish- -Varder line in the Bal
kans with the evident intention of
strengthening the strategic base OF
Salonika, Grecian gateway to the
Vardar Valley. Additional Nazi
divisions were reported moving
southwark across the Danube River
via Dobrudja to positions on the
Black Sea coast.
Reports of guerrilla activity re-
ceived here by the Yugoslav In
formation Bureau told of the cap
ture Of Gorazde on the Drin River,
cutting the railroad line between
Belgrade and Serajevo. This line
was the only one the Germans could
use for troop movements south to-
ward the Adriatic Sea.
Yugoslavian advices insisted that
partisan forces had occupied more
than 100 miles of the Dalmatian
coastline on the Adriatic opposite
Italy, despite Berlin radio claim
that the entire Dalmatian and AL
banian coastline was in German
hands