The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-07-10
War

Gulne gun nests dlter -plQuslnR lnkS
the first line OF the German-ItaliaI
defenses.
The Americans. Canadians ant
Britons had their air and nava
forces with them all the way. GOV
ering their Furnishing thrusts Will
mass bombings and she'll blasts.
The presence Of the heavil,
planted minefields revealed tina
the enemy had anticipate just sucf
a blow. The Axis began prepare
tions to ward off invasion by de
stroying harbor installations, in
Guiding those at Trapani on The
northwest coast.
Dispatches on the progress o.
the landings said that the Allied
troops are fighting in the teeth o.
heavy resistance" after crashing
through the secondary defenses SCI
up along the shore by Nazi anC
Italian forces.
"A Reuter- dispatch said the land
ings were made on the western tiT
OF Sicily, possibly in the vicinity Of
TrapanD.
Good Weather
The invasion, which Gen. Eisen
hover declared was the first stage
in the liberation OF the European
continent" was launched in good
weather by moonlight after a fort
night Of incessant Allied aerial
bombardment to immobilize the en-
emy's airfields on the island.
The troopships and landing barg
es escorted by American and Brit
ish warships had to pillow their way
through mined waters amid a bar.
rage from strongly placed shore
batteries.
Multitudes OF other mines were
encountered as the shock troops
swarmed up over the beaches and
crashed through the barbed wire
entanglements to attack the pill
boxes and machine-gun nests.
Gen. Eisenhower, in announcing
the start OF the invasion, addressed
a significant message by radio to
the people Of subjugated France &c
tell them that he campaign to res
cue them from the Nazi bonds now
Is under way.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES armed
forces have today launched an OF
fensive against Sicily" he said
1T is the first stage in the lib
Grafton OF the European continent
There will be others"
He urged the residents Of met
ropolitan France to remain calm
and await the promised additional
blows at their Axis masters.
The French, who only yesterday
were advised by the British radio
10 store at least a months supplies
Of foodstuffs because Nazi-con
trolled transport will be disorgan
lied, were advised that they will be
kept fully informed by subsequent
radio announcements.
81 count on your sang froid and
on your sense of discipline Gen
Eisenhower's message said.
do not be rash for the enemy
is watching. Keep on listening and
never heed rumors. Verify careful
ly the news you receive"
Resistance Bitter
Authoritative sources at North
African headquarters said that it
is to be expected that resistance OF
Sicily will be extremely bitter. with
the Axis taking advantage Of every
means OF defense from the coastal
beaches back 10 the volcanic inter
Tor.
The German and Italian strength
nevertheless has been appreciably
lessened by the terrific aerial
pounding OF Sicilian air bases by
planes from North Africa and the
Middle East. In addition to soften
ing the enemy citadels. large num-
bers OF Axis aircraft have been de-
stroyed. compelling the Germans
and Italians 10 send their lighter
plane reserves out TO fight.
The desperate efforts made by
enemy aircraft to delay the inva'
sion as long as possible were re
yealed in announcement that Ger
man and Italian planes even dived
through their own antiaircraft lire
in attempts TO reach Allied bomb
ers.
Allied forces landed in Sicily at
ter a fortnight OF around-the-clock
bombing to cripple the airfields
and enemy transport centers.
The North African strategic and
technical air forces built up theiI
assault which forced the surrender
Of the islands of Pantelleria arc
Lampedusa in the Sicilian strait.
The landings came eight months
after the first Allied troops wen
ashore last November in North AT
RIGA and scarcely two months aftel
the last enemy resistance was still
in North Africa by the Liberation
OF Tunisia.
The new operations against Sici
" were fraught with peril and the