Evening star., 1943-06-13
Lompeduso Occupied by Allies
After 24-Hour Air and Naval
Bottering Brings Surrender
Italian Isle Token
Quickly After Fall
Of PuntelIeriu
Bv DANIEL DE LUCE.


ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, June r.
Italy's island fortress of Lam
pedusa surrendered today to the
Allies after a 24-hour air and
naval bombardment.
A white flag was raised at 6:29
pm. 12:29 pm. E. w. TD. the same
means of capitulation effected at
Fantelleria yesterday.
Allied troops waiting off shore
promptly began landing. Occupation
was complete at 7 pm. Il pm.
E. w. t..
Lampeousa's installations we're
demolished as were those at Pan
telleria. Allied airmen dropped their
bombs at will over the entire harbor
and coastal artillery area-destroy-
ing all without either air or ground
opposition,
Third of Town Area Wrecked
A third of the town area on the
tiny 20-square-mile island also was
wrecked, boat in the harbor
smashed.
Smoke blanketed the entire area
when British naval officers spied a
white flag ashore. They landed,
conferred with the Italian COM
mander, and then troops took pos
session of the island which has a
small landing field but a rather
shallow harbor.
Thus Lampedusa became the sec
ond bit of Axis territory to surren-
der to the overwhelming might of
Allied air power.
British ships pumped occasional
shells into riddled Lanpedusa, but it
was air power which once more
shattered the occupants into submis-
sion.
Pantelleria yielded between 10000
and $4,000 prisoners; the size of
Lampedusa S smaller garrison was
not yet determined.
Blasted by Relays of Bombcrs.
All this morning and until late
today relays of American and British
bombers, escorted by many types of
fighters, raked and blasted the is
land which was the last potential
danger to Allied shipping conveys
crossing the Mediterranean.
(The Algiers radio reported in
a broadcast recorded by the As
sociated Press that 80 enemy
planes attempted to attack an
Allied force landing on Lampe-
dusa but were driven off. A
similar attack was broken up
yesterday at Pantelleria when so
to go German dive-bombers were
engaged by American Lightning
tighter pilots over the landing
partieS.)
Occupation of Lampedrxa was an
nounced tonight in a special COM
munique from the headquarters of
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.
1t said: After "a hours of in
termittent naval and air lombard
ment the island of Lampedusa today
surrendered and is being occupied
by our forces"
The mighty air offensive turned
on LampeouSa around noontime
yesterday when the white flag was
hoisted on Pantelleria, and some of
the bombers headed there were de-
toured to Lampedusa.
American Lead Attach.
American Marauders were first TO
turn their attack on the island
seven miles long and two miles VIDE,
Pantellerla.
Then other Allied bombers joined
in the assault and still others kept
up the bombardment
They hit large merchant ship
In Lampedusa harbor and damaged
several smaller craft with large ex-
plosives.
After the fall of Pantelleria yes
teroay the Northwest African Air
Forces. turned their attention
against the island of Lampedusa,
said communique issued earlier
today by Gen. Eisenhower's head
quarters.
The bombing which commenced
early in the afternoon continued
throughout the night.
During the days operations. IA
enemy aircraft were destroyed.
(See LAMPEDUSA, Page A-6D