Evening star., 1943-08-09
Sicily
Continued From First Page.)

San Agata
Randazzo Heavily Pounded.
More than $50 Mitchells and Bos-
tons concentrated on Randazzo yes
terday for the second successive
day-one of very few instances in
modern warfare where a town so
small was hit so hard
A-36 Invaders. meanwhile, strafed
enemy trucks in the same vicinity,
and continued with the assigned
task of blocking the northern coastal
highway and diye-bombed German
artillery positions. Warhawks and
Spitfires provided air cover for an
American amphibious force which
landed Saturday night. cut the
highway and took position in the
hills pocketing one of the main
German forces.
Everywhere the enemy was re-
ported withdrawing farther into the
bridgehead. The general squeez-
ing out" process by the Allies con-
tinued at steady pace.
The fact that the Americans and
the British control the coastal wa
ters and can repeat the American
outfanking feat obviously caused
grave alarm to the German COM
mand.
More than half of the base Of
Mount Etna is in Allied hands
British columns moving up the
east coast were less than 20 miles
from Taormina, the terminus Of
the enemy's inland road on the
north side of Mount Etna which has
been regularly bombarded by British
warships.
The United States feet cooper
sted with Maj. Gen. Lucian Trus-
colts Sd Division in the smash on
the north coast.
The division already had been
using small boats to make detours
around blasted portions of the mar
row highway running beside the
seashore cliffs.
Halted by German artillery, ma
chine-gun and mortar emplacements
on high ground throughout the San
Anata-San Fratello area for nearly
week, the Sd Division adopted
classical trick to bypass these posi-
tions. Reports to Allied headquarters
presented this picture:
Under cover of darkness, so as to
avoid discovery by German aircraft,
American assault troops embarked
in small feet, skirted the coastline
to a point short distance behind
San Agata and stormed easily
ashore.
Along a highway near the new
American beachhead, convoy trucks
carrying reinforcements to the Ger
man 18th Motorized Division were
passing. The doughpoys ambushed
the convoy, wiped it out and, with
the ground troops striking from the
west, squeezed out the garrisons in a
perfect military wise.
Survivors of the German Army in
Sicily are now direly threatened by
thrusts from three sectors, all aimed
toward MeSSina.
The enemy's northern flank has
only two poor lateral roads avail
able for communications. The
enemy's center is menaced by the
converging Allied drives from Cesaro
and Bronte. The British east coast
push threatens to cut in behind the
Germans at Taormina
The Germans are still fighting
savagely. Prisoners reports indi-
cate they are resigned to the hope
less struggle In Socily. however. in
order to give Hitler time to pre-
pare other plans
During the week end sweeps by
Allied air forces, two small vessels
were sunk off southern Italy Satur-
Gay night, the communique said,
and seven enemy aircraft were
shot down
Two Allied planes were reported
missing
Duel With Armored Train.
American artillerymen on the
north coast told of a successful
duel with an Italian armored train
which moved in and out of a tun-
mel in hide-and-seek fashion behind
the German lines, attempting to
assist the NaZis.
Elements of the Italian Livorno
and Assieta divisions still may be
present in the bridgehead, but they
have been a negligible factor in all
the recent fighting.
Aerial opposition was encount-
cred at only one point, near San
kgata. There American-man
Spitfires shot down seven enemy
fighter -bombers
Two P-38 Lightning pilots were
officially credited with victories
over Focke Wulf 1905 during opera
tons Saturday.
tThe Monday Italian conmuni-
que, broadcast from Rome and
Recorded nv the Associated prare