Evening star., 1943-08-11
12-hiIe Supply Road
Built in ; Days TO
Help Take Randazzo
BY HAROLD V. BOYLE,

WITH THE AMERICAN 7th
ARMY IN NORTHERN SICILY
Aug. 9 Delayed American COM
bat engineers helped to crack the
German defenseS at the CeSaro gate
way to Randazzo by the almost
miraculous feat of building a r.
mile supply road in three days
through terrain that would bow the
legs of mountain goat.
There was no road-not even a
footpath--in the area we wanted tC
traverse, and when we finished il
the road crossed 13 mountains with
q number of peaks in between,
Capt. Alex T. Forrest of McKees-
port, Pa. said. I'VE also had OF
cross river bed every half mile
or so
1t was necessary 10 have road
from near Capizzi to Mount Came
lato, west of Cesaro, in order to
flank the town and cut the main
Axis route from Cesaro to San
Agata on the northern coast.
The engineering battalion was
commanded by 1t, Col. John Sher-
merhorn of Three Rivers, Mich.
Those who worked on the road in
cluded 1t. Milton Kaminsky of
Washington. D. c., and Capt. Jack
E. Cowling of Alexandria, Va.
Enabled Moving of Artillery.
The construction of the impro-
vised highway also enabled the
Americans to bring up their artil-
lery to deal with the enemy bat
teries.
In building the road We got up
on one ridge and then found that
the other sides were three sheer
cliffs" Capt. Forrest said. That
left us with the problem of getting
down. But that was just one prob
lem.
Going through Capizzi we had to
blow down one building. That is, We
wanted to blow down just one-but
they were so rickety that after our
explosion went off three buildings
tumbled to pieces.
First we sent wrecking parties to
survey possible routes. After one
was decided upon, scouting patrols
we're dispatched on the flanks to
guard us from enemy patrols. Then
we had a mine-detecting party sweep
the route clear. Then we put two
big bulldozers to work, one to break
q rough road through by knocking
down trees and pushing big boulders
aside.
After that We put two lighter
bulldozers out to dress up the road
Each bulldozer was protected by
ermored half-tracks TO keep off en-
emy planes. Pick ana shovel crews
helped out.
Infantry Vehicles Close Behind.
I'VE were ahead of the infantry
ct one point and their supply We
hlcles were following right on our
tail all the way. loaded with ammu-
milton, food and water. One of our
big problems was to get gasoline
and Diesel oil for the bulldozers.
We fixed this by establishing fuel
dumps along the way as the road
grew
I'VE went through wheatfields.
end wooded areas. To handle big
boulders we had to 'mudcap' them
that is blow them up by putting
some explosive on the outside of the
rock and covering it with mud, the
blasts cracks the boulder.
The first day we had $50 men
on the Job. the second day 80 and
the third day about $50. They
worked from $50 am. until pm.
Our biggest headaches were
those infantry supply convoys.
Every time we built Is feet of
road they would move up IS feet
They were on our tail all the way
We ducked around mine fields that
were in the way so as not to lose
any time.
Once Built 35-MiIe Road.
Three days ago only goat or
mule could have gone over that
route-and now we have two and
one half ton trucks rolling over it.
AS soon as we were able to put our
traffic in from the north
the Germans had to pull out of
Cesaro."
But Capt. Forrest said that this
l2-mile road was only their second
biggest job"
We built one 35 miles long in
the Sedjenane Valley area during
our drive on Bizerte in the Tunisian
campaign" he smiled. and after
ward Gen. Giraud said those crazy
American engineerS--they could
build two-lsne highway right into
the front lines That was the best
compliment we ever received
Ii. Kaminsky. 30, 1922 Twenty
seventh street NV, was born in
Washington and was graduated
from Western High Schol. where he
was a member of the cadet corps
He attended the University of Vir-
einia. where he was member of
Phi Alpha fraternity. On his re-
turn to Washington. he worked in
the finance department of the
Washington Post and studied law
at night at the Columbus Law
School. receiving his degree in 1888
He entered the Army two years
ago and was graduated from Off
Ger Candidate School last year as a
second lieutenant in the engineers
His family last week received a let
ter from North Africa in which he
said he was well
Capt. Cowling, 26, Of 2605 Duke
street, Alexandria, was born in
Washington and was graduated
from Virginia Military Institute. He
accepted a second lieutenants COM
mission in the engineers in June,
1889, at Blacksburg. Va, became
first lieutenant in April 1912. and
was promoted 10 A captaincy Octo-
Der 30, 1912.