Evening star., 1943-08-18
Continued From First Page 4


first time. dumping great loads of
augmentation bombs among $50
parked German planes at Istres le
Tube and Salon near Marseille and
breaking, uc hangers and admins
tration buildings.
The of1ic.al report said heavy
damage" was done. Two Fortresses
were lost
The Allied command which had
counted on struggle lasting pos
| sibly 80 days was confronted yester-
day. after SO days. with the task of
rounding up isolated German and
Italian soldiers deep in the Sicilian
hills and preparing for the next
phase.
Enemy Torpedo Boats Shelled.
These stray prisoners were still
struggling in without showing any
signs of resistance.
American patrol boats of Cape
Rascolmo, at the northeastern tip
of Sicily, fought a running battle
with enemy motor torpedo boats yes
terday. hitting the Axis craft re-
peatedly with cannon shells and
putting them to flight.
Axis coastal artillery has been
pounding necessarily at Messina and
adjoining areas ever since the
Americans completed their occupa-
ton before am. yesterday.
The American Sd Division had
been fully established there for three
hours when the first British troops
from the 4th Armored Brigade Of
| the British 9th Army arrived at
| 10 am.
The British had to fight against
| stubborn rear guards until S am,
when the enemy suddenly disap-
peared and German batteries across
the water opened up on the British
route into Messina.
Rail Station Smashed.
Both the American and British
Armies already were engaged in or
ganizing the latest occupied areas
of the island.
The task of reconstruction in
nearly 10000 square miles of con-
quered European territory Is a huge
task.
Another earthquake could scarce
ly have been more effective in de-
stroying MeSsina than the Allied
bombings," said an airman who en-
tered the town with the troops.
| The railway station, once the
largest and most modern on the
island, was mass Of broken ma
sonry. Smashed trucks and rubble
Uttered the streets. oil tanks lay in
black. twisted ruins.
Large German military posters
still clung to half-crumbled walls.
The Corso. tourist promenade along
the waterfront. consisted of crum-
bled masses of stone and brick.
Wrecked ships lay along the bat
tered moles.
The post ONCE. town hall and Gus
toms house had been fiattened.
The SicilianS were especially bitter
at the Germans for demolishing
roads, bridges and public utilities.
Mistaken fer Germans.
| Some Of the first Americans in
Messina were mistaken for Germans
because of their bucket shaped field
helmets and they received hateful
stares until they identified them
selves.
| Allied aircraft soaring over the
strait toward mainland targets sent
townsfolk scurrying to hillside tun-
nels yesterday until Americans told
them, They are our planes"
Throughout the day Italian officers
and soldiers kept appearing from
hideouts They offered to shake
hands with Allied troops and many
exclaimed. I'VE are your friends"
OF Messina's former population of
nearly 100000, many had fed south
to Taormina where they were
caught in the converging attack of
Allied armies.
| Thousands have taken refuge in
Italy itself" said one Sicilian. But
they will regret it now. I expect
They'll probably have the expert
ence of Messina all over again on
the mainland"
Strong Defenses In South.
The Germans were reported to
have some strong defenses along
the Southern Italian coast. but their
problem was complicated by the
pinched formation of, the foot of
the peninsula. A glance at a map
suggested that it was an ideal place
for q double attack from the sea.
The Italian high command,
after 24-hour lapse behind Ger
man announcements. admitted in
its communique today that the
''heavys battle for Sicily
against overwhelming Anglo
American forces on the ses.
ground and air ended Yesterday"
Reach Calabrian Coast.
c'The last rearguard units
abandoned the extreme north
eastern tip of the island and
reached the Calabrian coast
where previously the wounded,
other Axis units and a great part
of the material had already been
ferried,' said the communique
recorded by the Associated Press
from Rome broadcast
In an Axis raid on Bizerte
Harbor in Tunisia, fires OF great
dimensions" were set. the COM
munique said. 1t asserted that
cruiser near Cape Passero was
torpedoed. a merchantmen north
Of Cap Bon damaged and
! tanker set af1re.