Evening star., 1943-07-17
Victory in Sicily
Expected Soon
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.

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There are few signs-not as yet clear
and unmistakable signs, but suggestive
indications which may become clearer
very soon-that complete Allied victory
in Sicily may not be far away.
The enemy has counterattacked both
at the east and west ends Of the line.
These counterattacks have not been
effective They suggest hasty improve
sation, quick switch to meet an un-
expected situation, rather than powerful
and determined counteraction, and they
have been made quite without beneflt OF
effective air reconnaissance and support.
The most dangerous of these attacks
appears to have been the German
armored thrust which for moment sue
ceeded in reaching the sea south OF
Augusta and cutting off the British gar
rison in that seaport, but the British
quickly eliminated this threat and at
last reports are driving on into the
Plain of Catania, having repulsed an
other Axis armored attack at Lentini,
on the main highway between Augusta
and Catania.
All along the line the Allies appear
to be advancing. We have taken the
important road junction of Vizzini where
the roads from Catania and Syracuse to
Caltagirone join. Caltagirone, as previ-
ously pointed out in these articles, COM
mands the southwestern gateway to the
Plain of Catania. Caltagirone also is
menaced by an American advance beyond
Niscemi, on the southwest. Still farther
west American troops have taken the
important road center of Canicatti and
we appear to be in general possession of
the secondary highway, paralleling the
main coastal road, which connects MIS-
cemi and Canicatti.
The picture thus presented is one Of
a well organized and planned advance,
proceeding steadily to the accomplish
ment of series of successive objectives
and overcoming without too much diff
Guilty the enemy's efforts to interfere. 1t
is beginning to look as if the enemy may
dous advantages which we gained by
Gen. Eisenhower's magnificent surprise
in the first landings. We were able to
get hold quickly and effectively of sea-
ports of great capacity, through which
we have poured our troops into the
island very rapidly, linked up our posi-
tionS and now present a formidable front
to the enemy, with our sea communica-
tions secure, local airfields already in
our hands and our air and naval superb
ority dominating the enemys communi-
cations with the mainland. These are
the ingredients of victory.
1t seems likely that we are already in
Sicily in superior force to the Axis gar
rison of the islands. There are indications
that we have two and half armored di-
visions and six infantry divisions already
ashore. The enemy's force is estimated
by British sources at two German
armored divisions and five Italian in
fantry divisions. There are also said to
be five Italian coastal" divisions but
the quality of these seems to be poor
1t is probable that they have been
hastily made up from local elements of
Black Shirt militia and third-line terri
torial army formations and are hardly to
be taken into account at all.
AS for the possibility of reinforcing
Sicily from the mainland this is an
almost insoluble problem. Messina and
the towns opposite Messina at the toe of
the Italian boot lie in ruin Our aircraft
range all over Southern Italy, smashing
ports and airflelds and rendering any
considerable movement of troops and
supplies into or out of the available ports
practically impossible The seas are
held fast by the Allied navies A with
drawal from Sicily is, likewise, increas-
ingly difficult as our destruction of ports
and shipping continues. If we are able
to establish our air power on the Plain
OF Catanla we can cut off Messina from
Palermo and begin the task of breaking
up the Axis defensive strength into frag-
ments for individual destruction. The
farther this process proceeds the closer
the Axis command on Sicily comes to
the moment when it is compelled to
decide between total destruction and
surrender. That mofnent may be close
at hand unless the enemy can contrive
very soon to put more definite check to
our advancing forces than it has been
able to do so far.
(Copyright. 1943. N Y Tribune Incl