The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-07-13

supplies and reinforcement from
that quarter.
Bombers also attacked other Sicil-
ian ports and the Monte Cervino
airfields in southern Italy Sunday
night, the communique said.
Light and fighter bombers at
tackled communications and the few
airfields still being used by the Axis
in Sicily throughout yesterday,
while fighters put up an almost con-
slant protective umbrella over Allied
ships pouring reinforcements ashore
and over advancing troops inland.
"Intermittent enemy attempts to
interfere with our landings and
shipping were intercepted and enemy
aircraft of various types were de-
stroyed or damaged" the communl-
que said.
On the ground, the British adj
vance up the east coast OF Sicily
clearly was aimed at Catanla and
ultimately Messina in an attempt to
dominate the entire coast and cut
off the Axis from easy access to the
Italian mainland.
Meantime, major Italo-German
counter attacks were anticipated
momentarily.
CThe London Daily Mail said that
Allied forces may have reached the
edge of the great Catania plain
and at may well be that Augusta
has fallen."D
Demolition Squads
(Reports reaching Madrid from
France said the fall of Augusta
was expected momentarily Italian
demolition squads were reported to
have blown up the dock gateso
Field dispatches said that Brit
ish troops landed on beaches near
Catania Sunday, but 1t was likely
that any general assault on the port
would await arrival of the main
empire forces driving up the coastal
road from newly captured Syracuse,
33 miles to the south.
Augusta, once an important Axis
seaplane and submarine base, lies
only II miles north of Syracuse.
1t has a good harbor well protected
by long breakwater.
American forces under Lieut..
Gen. George S. Patton, Jr., were
expanding their bridgehead in the
Licata-Gela area of the south coast
more cautiously because of the dan
ger of a counter-attack against their
left flank.
Aerial reconnaissance indicated
that the Axis high command, be-
lieved headed by italian Gen. Al
fredo Guzzoni, was concentrating
large forces near Agrigento, Is miles
northwest of Licata, for drive to
cut off advance American units from
their bridgeheads and then in turn
crush the dividend units.
Counter Attack
The Americans already have re-
pulsed one heavy italian counter at
tack but this, like six others launch
ed by the Axis in the first 48 hours
of the invasion, was believed aimed
at stalling for time until sufficient
Italo- German troops and tanks can
be concentrated in one spot for a
major battle.
CA London United Press dispatch
said the fate of Sicily is likely to
be decided by an armored battle
which may break out within 48
hours)
The Algiers radio, in a French
broadcast reported by U. S. govern
ment monitors, asserted that Allied
troops were directing their efforts
more especially against Agri-
gento.O
Despite the necessity of moving
slowly, however, the Americans con-
tinued to drive northward after
beating off Ne attack
launched by the 4th Livorno Divi-
sion. Other units pushed eastward
toward Ragusa and junction with
the Anglo Canadian invasion
armies. One dispatch estimated the
American bridgehead around Celia
at Is miles wide and 10 miles deep.
Empire troops. commanded by the
desert wizard, Gen. Sir Bernard L.
Montgomery, met strong opposition
from the 54th Napoli Division near
Florida, eight miles west of SYRIA
cuse, but at last reports firmly con-
trolled the town.
Montgomery's men were expected
to face their major opposition when
they fan out onto the Catania plain,