Evening star., 1943-07-16
II More Towns Seized in Sicily;
Allies Take 10000 Axis Captives
As 9th Army Approaches Catania
Germans Bitterly
Contesting Route
To Strategic City
By the Associated Press.

Al1I1ED 1EAO<& OArC i 6lSO LIN
NORTH AFRICA, July 16.-The
Allied high command today an
nounced the capture of IL more
towns all along the moon-shaped
Sicilian front, and observers said
the enemy henceforth might be
compelled to fight a defensive
rearguard action while with
drawing from the island.
More than 10000 Axis prisoners
have been captured, it was an
nounced, and of the total 1892
have been taken by the 1t. Gen.
George S. Patton, jr.'s 7th Army.
With the immediate prize of Ca
tania, half way up the east coast,
near at hand the veterans of Gen.
Sir Bernard L. Montgomery's Brit
ish 9Th Army were said by today's
communique from Allied headquar-
ters to have made further progress
against German troops who des-
perately contested every inch of the
ground"
The 9th Army was reported with
In Is miles of Catania after severely
mauling two German armored divi-
sions, the Hermann Goering and
the 18th Divisions.
Coastal Positions Bombarded.
The Axis appeared powerless to
keep the Allied fleet in check as it
gave strong seward support to Gen.
Montgomery right flank and bonn
barded the enemy's coastal positions
at will
The 18th German Armored Divi-
sion was believed to be collection
of German units which had been
assembled to go to Tunisia before its
fall. 1t was then given the name of
the enemy division which was wiped
out in the Tunisian fighting.
Another hot struggle also was re-
ported inland about 25 miles from
the east coast of Vizzini, one of the
newly captured towns.
This town. on a vital second line
of communications on which the
Axis had been obliged to fall back.
changed hands several times before
the British got it securely in their
control.
Continuation of the advance from
Vizzini would quickly menace the
towns of Militello and Scordia at the
western entrance of the Catania
Plain. At Lentini the British al
ready were fighting at the southern
edge of that plain.
tThe Rome radio. in a broad
cast recorded in London, said
the real and true decision for
the island will be reached in a
new battle which has already
virtually started in the Catania
Plain'D
Severe Enemy Losses.
Severe losses were inflicted on
the enemy" by the 7th Army, which
advanced several miles across diff
flcult hill country and captured fur
ther important positions, the COM
munique added.
Although the headquarters bulle-
tin said the speed of the advance is
very satisfactory" it called attention
to the limiting factor of Allied
transport and supporting weapons
at this stage of the operations.
However, observers expressed the
opinion that the enemy. with only
limited and doubtful forces at his
disposal, had staked most of his re-
sources in the effort to hold the
Allies south of Cantania and that
his defenses were disintegrating.
They believed that the Axis forces
had pinned most of their hopes on
the attack on Augusta Wednesday
which was repulsed by the British
9Th Army.
The observers expressed con-
f1dence that with IAN appreciable
number of tanks already in Sicily
the Allies would be able to deal sat-
isfactorily with any counterattack
the enemy might mount.
More Reinforcements Due.
In addition it was said Allied air.
borne and sea-borne reinforcements
were likely to arrive, and strong
naval forces continued to support
the British right flank from the
sea.
In their latest action, Allied war
ships again shelled Catania, and
destroyer accounted for another
enemy motor torpedo boat.
The II towns listed as captured
by the communique included several
already known to be in Allied hands.
They were:
Canicattini Bagni, Comiso. Bis
carl, Canicatti. Vizzini, Vittoria, Mis-
cemi Campobello, Palma di Monte
chiaro, Sortino. Modica and Riesi.
Canicatti. Niscemi, Bagni, Vizzini
Vitoria, Campobello and Palma di
Montechiaro were captured in the
American sector of the front.
The taking of Vizzini put the Brit
iSh astride the central highway con-
Meeting the Axis eastern and west
(See SICILY, Page A-2D