Imperial Valley press., 1943-07-15
BATTLES CONTINUE

that a major battle apparently like
" on the Catania plains.
BATTLES CONTINUE
(AXiS communicates said that bat
ties continue unabated' with boti
sides using tanks, including the bis
Nazi Tiger tanks of about 81 tons
Axis troops repulsed stubborn at.
tacks supported by large armoreo
units and enemy parachute groups
on the Catania plain were annihi-
lated. the Italian communique
SaidO
/ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7th ar
my forces under Gen. George S
Patton. ir., seized the wooded hills
around captured Naro and were
directly threatening Agrigento and
Porto Empedocle, the most western
" points on the invasion front. The
Americans also controlled import
ant roads running northward TO
Canicatti and Caltanissetta.
GELA - American assault troops
knocked out a number OF Tiger
tanks and severely drubbed the NaZi
Hermann Goering division, which
had been reformed since its defeat
in Tunisia Landings continued and
amphibious jeeps, which played a
vital role in the early stage of the
invasion, were being widely used
on the south coast. The Americans,
having taken Ponte Olivo, were
fighting some Is miles inland from
Celia in the Niscemi sector on the
road TO Caltacirone.
COMISO-American and Canad-
ian troops consolidated advance
aerial bases seized from the enemy
and Allied planes already are oper-
ating from these fields, giving pro-
lection to front line troops.
What appeared to be the first ma
jor enemy counterblow was struck
by strong forces. including elements
of the reformed Hermann Goering
division, in a drive that penetrated
Allied lines to the Augusta harbor
before being repelled.
=
while heavy fighting ragged on the
Augusta sector, the British were
cut off, but they rallied and re-
stored the situation and hammered
their way back beyond the town
of Bruce, about four miles north
of Augusta on the road to Catania,
where Allied warships and airplanes
continued to pound the enemy rear.
USE HEAVY TANKS
The Axis used heavy tanks in
their counterattacks but a number
were DESTROYED.
(The NBC correspondent on a
British cruiser off Sicily said that
the British had captured Lentini
and Arlentini, which are close to-
gether about 10 miles west of Aug
usta, and had isolated an Axis divi-
sion there The capture was made
by paratroopers and commandos
who landed in the enemy rear.
(The Axis said that two Allied
paratroop operations had been
launched in this sector, apparently
in an effort to wipe out the Axis
forces guarding the edge of Cata-
MIA plain, but that both had been
foiled)
Axis artillery was in action
against the British north of Angus
ia but italian prisoners said that
the enem" was suffering heavy cas-
ualties, including many due to NOV
ing back through their own mine
/ fields
(NBC reported that a British
cruiser squadron heavily shelled Ca
tania last evening for IS minutes
and broke up enemy efforts to move
a big gun train southsof Catania) }
The British occupied Melilli, which
had been by-passed near Augusta
The commanding general of The
famed Italian Napoli saith division
and his entire staff were captured
by the British.
American forces on the south
coast extended the western flank Of
the Allied invasion front about four
miles in hard fighting. The Amer
ter having captured Naro and men-
aced the main Axis communication
lines to the western part of Sicily.
Other forces on the south coast
consolidated positions which includ-
ed six air fields from which Allied
planes already are operating.
Agrigento is a communications
center of $4,000 founded before
Christ. Port Empedocle, which is
nearby, had been sheiled by Amer
ican Warships.
CAPTURE HILLS
The Americans captured several
dominating hills on the approaches
} Agrigento.