Evening star., 1943-07-22
Sicily
Continued From First Page

said, and heavy casualties are being
inflicted on the enemy"
Ramacca, % miles southwest of
headquarters also announced.
The Italian debacle in Central and
Western Sicily appeared to be on a
scale comparable to Marshal Rodolfo
Graziani'S defeat at the hands Of
the British in the Libyan Desert in
l941.
Every spark of fighting spirit ap-
peared to have been stamped out in
the ranks of an apathetic and disin-
tegrating Italian Army. New
patches of prisoners complained that
their officers were deserting them.
wearing civilian clothing in an effort
to escape.
Castelvetrano. a city of $4,000 and
one of Sicily's three biggest air bases.
was captured in pre-dawn in
fantry assault A huge American
armured column and light tanks
and halftracks exploited the gain.
| said an Associated Press dispatch
from the newly-won city.
City Fall Rapidly.
The city fell so speedily that
the defenders had time only to de-
stroy few of the military installa-
tions.
1t was disclosed that the often
resuscitated 10th Bersaglieri Resi-
ment for the third time had been
put out Of action. 1t surrendered
at Agrigento without firing a shot.
Allied air forces again smashed at
Crotone airfield and Naples rail-
way facilities. covering their targets
with bomb bursts.
Flying FortresseS again visited
Grosseto airfield. 80 miles north OF
Rome, sprinkling their heavy loads
of explosives across the runways and
| buildings. while fighters, fighter
bombers and intruders continued to
/ sweep the islands railroads, high
ways and sea approaches by day and
| night.
-Four enemy planes were destroyed
| during the operations. compared
with the loss OF two Allied aircraft,
| Division Reported Retreating.
The German 18th Armored Divi-
sion was reported in retreat toward
the northeastern part OF the island
from the Emma area. The Canadians
drove on in the face of determined
resistance, but the American sweep
was said by the communique to be
meeting only light and ineffective
opposition
Reports at headquarters continued
to confirm earlier reports that Ger
man officers were shooting Italians
who attempted to march toward the
American lines under white flags,
and that in some instances the
Italians had shot their German
officers.
Booty captured in the American
advance at Caltanissetta was off,
cially stated to include IA locomo-
tives and 100 freight cars, in good
condition.
Can NBC broadcast from
Algiers said the Americans were
believed to be bringing up long
range artillery to pound Palermo,
and Termini, on Sicily's north
coast. and Marsala on Sicily's
west coast, so rapid was their ad-
vance)
Gen. Eisenhower said at a press
| conference yesterday that both the
British 9th Army and the middle
Americana striking force
were doing exactly the right
thing"
owing to the nature of the tera,
rain and the location of the enemy
forces the general added the task
facing the oth Army is one of bitter
fighting with generally slow
advance"
The British and the German forces
at Catania were slugging it out in
one of the most ferocious battles
since the 8th Army broke the Mareth
Line. The Germans, undoubtedly
supported with strong reinforce
ments from the center of Sicily and
the Italian mainland, were counter
attacking repeatedly, but without
success.
Terrain Favors Germany.
Allied observers believe the Ger
mans intend to try to hold the
Catania -Messina Line as long as
possible, utilizing towering Mount
Etna and cluster of satellite hills.
The. enemy is favored not only by
the terrain, which is networked with
many creeks and three major rivers
but by strong defenses originally
erected to protect the ring of air.
fields around Gerbini to the west.
The 9Th Army, however, has
broken the crust Of this steel and
concrete circle and established a
big hop-off point around an estuary
formed by the confluence of the
three rivers. It is this British
salient the Germans have been ham
mering with some Of their prize
chArtp