Evening star., 1943-07-07
Mediterranean
Continued From First Page.)

tCOntlnued from F1rSC Pdge.)
ping more than 285 900 pounds oil
high explosive and augmentation
| bombs on the Gerbini fields, cover
ing runways and dispersal areas and
leaving large fires burning. One
enemy fighter was reported destroyed
and two damaged while every Liber-
ator returned safely.
Flying Fortresses from this base
struck shortly after dawn and re-
ported hits on an ammunition dump
administration buildings, hangers
and five landing strips. Five planes
OF the Northwest African Force were
reported missing from the days
operations, against two enemy air.
craft destroyed.
During Monday night RAF Well
ingtons hammered at Gerbini, start
ing five fires, while Biscari and Mile
airflelds were assaulted by South
African Bostons and Baltimores and
British Bostons The same night
heavy British bombers of the Mid
die East Command pounded railway
installations at Catania, Eastern
Slcllian port.
Axis fighter opposition which
reached a crescendo Monday, when
more than 10 war planes attacked
a single formation of q Flying
Fortresses, dwindled yesterday to al
most nothing, returning pilots re-
ported. The fourth day of the
concentrated attack on Sicily's air.
fields from here saw the score stand
at ITO Axis craft destroyed against
an Allied loss Of 10.
Veteran bservers cautioned
against jumping to the conclusion
that the Allies have won complete
air supremacy over Sicily. but the
sudden falling of in enemy fighter
interception indicated the Germans
had lost most of their Sicilian- based
land planes and were in need of
reinforcements.
Only one small group of enemy
fighters approached an American
bombing mission yesterday, and es-
corting Lighting drove them off.
American Mitchell Medium bomb
ers struck in two formations against
Biscari airfield in Southeast Sicily
Monday night. Despite a furious
anti-aircraft barrage, the bombers
hit the target right on the nose.
observers reported. One bomb ap-
parently scored a direct hit on an
ammunition dump.
Smooth as Clcockwork.
Everything went as smooth AS
ciockwork" one American pilot said
Ten niles from the target we
saw a large fire started by earlier
bombers"
Besides continual bomber mis-
sions. yesterdays operations pro-
duced many effective fighter bomber
sweeps in which military targets OF
all kinds on Sicily were surprised
and strafed The bombings con-
tinued almost until dusk, with RAF
Baltimores mauling Milo Airfielc
and Mitchells returning for another
drubbing of Biscari.
A pilot said that the antiaircraft
looked like big wads of black cot
ton-they were putting it up thick
and heavy
The ceaseless, concentrated pun
ishment of the enemy's frontline
defenses hardly could be anything
else than tremendous headache
to Nazi Field Marshal Baron vor
Richthofen. who was reported tt
have been transferred to Italy from
Russia to stave off the Allied chal.
lenge for air mastery over Italy:
southern territories.
Grounded Planes Destroyed.
Judged by past results achieved
and verified during the NORTH
African campaign. an attack such
as is being hurled against Sicily
destroys more enemy planes on the
ground than in the air. 1t saps the
enemy's morale and hamstring!
countermeasures by making bat
tlefield OF each enemy air base.
Since the fall of Pantelleria or
June II the Northwest African all
force alone has destroyed 275 enemy
aircraft in the air and has lost 83
Add to this the enemy planes
wrecked on the ground-estimate
by observers at several hundred
and the ratio of plane destruction
goes up to 6-1 or IL in favor of the
Allies.
A dispatch from Cairo disclosed
that IS American LiberatorS took
part in Mondays assault on Messina
in Sicily and dropped record tota
for the Middle East command ol
nearly 100000 pounds of bombs or
the big ferry terminal. 1t said thai
Aerial photography now indicates
that damage to terminal facilities
and railway facilities was even more
extensive than first reported"
| An Italian communique today
listed 40 persons killed and in.
| jured yesterday in Catania Province
where the Gerbini airfleld is sit.
uated. The BROADCAST said Other
points attacked on Sicily included
Palermo, Trapani, Porto Empedocle
! Catania and Marsala and asserted
| 10 Allied aircraft were shot down.
A broadcast by the Algiers radio
heard by the Associated Press ir
London, declared the port of Ostia
at the mouth of the Tiber, neal
Rome, had been closed to the public
and to shipping as result of ar
Allied raid last Saturday night.