The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-07-24
.NEA Telephoto

The Seventh Army rapidly was
engulfing all that section of Silicy
cut off by the capture of the North
coast port of Palermo and was fam
ming out toward Catania, on the
north coast and Messina in Silicys
coffin corner" where the Axis is
expected to make it's last stand.
"A rapidly diminishing portion of
the island is all remains to the
Axis" the communique said.
Gan italian communique said that
Allied planes had attacked Bologna,
in northern Italy, for porbably the
first time)
One American armored spearhead
pounded eastward along the north
ern coastal road from Palermo in
pursuit Of Axis survivors.
GA Swiss broadcast said that Al
lied forces have reached San Stet-
ano on the north coast, half way
between Palermo and Messina)
(Radio Algiers said that Italian
Gen. Giuseppe Molinero was cap
tured at Palermo and a German
broadcast acknowledged that Allied
troops have penetrated Nazi defense
lines and captured two villages
northeast of Emma in central Sicily.
Campaigns Third Week
With the only organized resist
ance around Catania in the east, the
Allied invasion campaign went into
it's third week far ahead OF sched-
ule. American, British, Canadian
and French troops already con-
trolled more than forlrfifthS OF the
island, including most of its ports
and airfields. l.
An estimated 10000 to $4,000 1tal-
ians were cut off in western Sicily by
the lightning American advance
across the waist of the island into
the north coast port of Palermo, It's
capital and largest city. Field re-
ports said the Italians were sur
rendering in wholesale lots, yielding
city after city and village after VII
lage without more than token re-
sistance, and often not even that.
Announcement of the fall of the
west coast port of Trapan1, 80 miles
west of Palermo, and MARSHA, on
the westernmost tip of the island Is
miles below Trapani was expected
momentarily.
Threat to Nazis
The American drive along the
north coast from Palermo threatened
to cut off additional Axis forces still
resisting in the interior of the island
and posed long distance threat to
strong German forces battling the
British Eighth Army below the east
coast port of Catania, 104 miles
southeast of Palermo.
The Sicilian campaign appeared
to be shaping up for its final round
along roughly the same lines as that
in Tunisia with the British assault
ing Catania, as they stormed the
Tunisian east coast port OF TunS,
and the Americans advancing TO-
ward the northeastern port OF Mes
sina, So miles north northeast OF
Catania, as they captured the North
Tunisian port of Bizerte.
A delayed front dispatch from
Ned Russell, United Press war cor
respondent representing the comb
bined United States press with the
British Eighth Army, said that Gen
Sir Bernard L. Montgomerys men
were inching toward Catania few
hundred yards at time against
fierce Germn opposition.
The battle raging along the Ca
tania front, which stretches 60 miles
inland, was described as at times
more violent than that which led to
the capture of Tunisia's Mareth
Line. The British were advancing
across open fields fully exposed to
gunfire from German forces strongly
entrenched on rising ground to the
north.