740.0011 European War 1939/7490: Telegram
The Minister in Greece (MacVeagh) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 8—2:20 a.m.]
6. My No. 4, January 4, 1 p.m.2 The Department will have observed that Greek Army communiqués have recently been laconic in the extreme. In this connection Prince Peter, chief Greek liaison officer with the British forces, gave Major Baker3 yesterday an estimate of the military situation in Albania which is considerably more pessimistic than anything of the kind yet received from Greek sources. He said that the Italians are now strongly resisting all along the line on fortified positions which the slowing up of Greek operations, owing to the bad weather and increasingly inadequate transport facilities, have given them time to prepare. He confirmed that the British bombing of Albanian ports has not been effective, giving as the reason that sufficient planes have not been available for mass attack, and estimated that the Italian Army in Albania now numbers upwards of 350,000 [Page 636] men, approaching double its original strength. In addition he stated that Italian air operations are proving especially effective in the areas immediately behind the Greek front.