The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-10-05
Allies Take Greek Port
tcontlnued frum Paee D

the southern tip Of the pel0por- nesus, on September 10,
 It also followed by only Q week. announcement of Allied landings h Albania and on the DalmAtian ls- lands on the western flank of the Germans in YuRoslavia,
 NO opposition was encountered In the early stages of the invasion, but the comInuniquo said the land forces now were in contact with the en. emy." The Germans previously had been reported withdrawing from the Peloponnesus northward in an at- tempt to escape the closing Allied trap.
 GA Cairo dispatch said there were reliable indications" that the Cor inth canal, cutting across the isth- mus linking the peloponneSus vie, the rest of Greece, had been de- stroyed.)
 British paratroops, vowlng to avenge their comrades of the Brit iBh expedltlonary force who went down to defeat in the first battle of Greece in the short-lived Balkan campaign of l04i, were the first to swarm down on the mainland, but the date Of their landings was not revealed.
 They quickly seized several air. fields, presumably with the aid of Greek Partisan forces who preVl. ouSly had been put under the Allied Mediterranean command, and Q few hours later British Dakota trans- port planes landed with Q Royal Air Force arming and refuellng party.
 Next to land were British Splt- fire fighters, which helped cover the landings by seq several days later. Sea-borne forces comprised a mixed party of infantry, com- mandos and engineers.
 Great Cooperation
 Balkan Air Force and Royal Naval Forces were said to be cooperating with the ground troops in the de- veloping campaign, though bad weather recently hes hampered air operations.
 The entire invasion was coordi- mated by the Balkan air force, with land forces of the Adriatic in ops eration in operational charge.
 First reports indicated the inva- sion was on Q comparatively small scale, with British Infantry and units of Hn RAF regiment oompris- ing the bulk of the land forces. Greek pRrtisans were cooperating with them.
 Supporting the invasion, the Brit ish cruiser Aurora bombarded the Kaleme airdrome on Crete Monday night and three naval aircraft from 0 force of carriers under Rear Admiral Thomas Trowbridge at- tackled the Island of Levithia north- west Of Coo in the Dodeeanese Tues- day. Other planes 7et a ship afire and bombed and strafed two coastal vessels and more than Q dozen smaller craft at Lakl on Lero, also in the British Dodeeanese.
 Six enemy escort vessels also were sunk Tuesday night by the British deStroyerS Calpi and Cleveland northwest Of Rhodes.
 In revealing the Allied ultima tum to Axis forces on Evvoia, the Hellenic News Service at Cairo said the Allied military mission had Issued c proclamation calling upor the Germans and members of 10. cal security battalionS on the island to surrender immediately if they wished to save their lives.
 Greek sources in London, mean. time, reported that British Army officers had arrived in Tripolis n the heart of the Peloponnesus and had obtained the surrender of 60. curity battalions there without clash or incident.
 North of the Peloponnesus, Greek Patriots were said to Do harrassine German transport ct Larissa and Volos, l30 and 100 miles respective ly north of Athens.
 Allied Headquarters reported that forces landed In Albania were har. faSsing enemy units attempting tc maintain communications with the Island of Corfu at the entrance to the Adriatic through tho small mainland port of sarande.
 British artillery put ashore on tho Dalmatian Islands was said to Do threatening enemy communlca- tons and batteries on the main- land, especially in the vicinity of split opposite Brao Island.
 Peasants who greeted the British airmen shouted: "zito I Angli sin- adelfi" (long live our English friends) and heaped bouquets of lilies of the valley into tho cock. pits of the spitfires.
 Squadron Leader A. M. Noon, Nairobl, Kenya Colony, who led the unarmed transport formation which carried the paratroop to Greece said:
 We flew in formation down the Ionean seq and crossed the Greek Coast without seeing any opposition.
 After We dropped the paratroops We saw men and women in their Greek peasant dresses come running from the village to greet tho troops and help load stores on their OK. caftAD