5
 
      
 
 
16. With the month of June more extensive sabotage was embarked 
      upon under British direction. A tunnel was blown up on the 1st 
      June at Kournovo on the Athens-Salonika line; six bridges, one 
      100 feet long, were destroyed on the 20th/21st June between Katerine 
      and Gravia; on the same night bridges on the Kozani-Servia road 
      were destroyed; a large steamer used for supplying Axis forces 
      in Crete was sunk in Piraeus harbour; finally, the Asopos Viaduct 
      was blown up, causing an interruption of the vital Athens-Salonika 
      line, estimated to take a minimum of two to three months to repair.
 
      
 
 
17. Axis counter-action met with little success. A drive in 
      the Parnassus area ended on the 8th June after several Italian 
      defeats, in one of which some 500 men were lost. In another action 
      on the 9th-10th June the Italians lost 700 men; the guerrillas 
      had few casualties, though many villages in Thessaly were destroyed 
      in reprisal. In Epirus another action was fought against the 
      Italians, and it appears to have been so successful that in early 
      July an additional Italian division had to be sent to that area 
      from Athens. The Italians were also heavily engaged in Western 
      Macedonia, while a German column was attacked near Kozani on 
      the 19th June.
 
      
 
 
18. During the last weeks there has been a considerable increase 
      in the Axis garrison of the mainland of Greece; the Italian divisions 
      have remained at 8; the Germans have, however, increased from 
      two in March to six, possibly seven, and, according to an intelligence 
      report Bulgarian control is to be extended in Macedonia, and 
      may perhaps embrace Salomka. It is unlikely that either the Germans 
      or, even more, the Italians would wish to see the Bulgars in 
      that city unless severely stretched themselves. It cannot, of 
      course, be claimed that the four additional German divisions 
      have been sent to Greece as a result of guerrilla action alone. 
      But there is evidence that those in Epirus and Northern Thessaly 
      were particularly intended to operate against the guerr %illas, 
      and even if the threat of an Allied invasion were removed, it 
      is improbable that the Germans could hope to reduce their forces 
      by more than three divisions.
 
      
 
 
19. British liaison officers state that there are approximately 
      20,000 armed mobile guerrillas in the field; in addition, a very 
      large proportion of the whole population would fight the Axis 
      in propitious circumstances if they could be armed and organised.
 
      Details of Axis forces in Greece are given at Annex B.
 
      A summary of Air Force operations appears at Annex C.
 
      An analysis of guerrilla activities from May-July 1943 appears 
      at Annex E.
 
      A statement of brutalities committed by the Axis and their satellites 
      appears at Annex F.
 
      III.--ALBANIA.
 
      
 
 
20. Guerrilla activity in Albania has never assumed the proportions 
      seen in Yugoslavia and Greece, nor have the Axis forces there 
      ever exceeded about four divisions. A considerable quantity of 
      minor incidents have, nevertheless, occurred all over the country 
      since early in 1942. Hitherto these have not assumed proportions 
      which have called for serious military action by Italy, but early 
      in July the garrison of Premeti in Southern Albania was asking 
      urgently for reinforcements in view of a strong attack by guerrillas. 
      Incidents of this type would undoubtedly increase in degree and 
      in number as soon as more British liaison officers were infiltrated 
      and money and ammunition introduced. This is now in hand.