Evening star., 1943-06-12

After Assault
By Sea and Air
CopituIotion Follows
PonteIIerio's Seizure
By Only One Day
BULLETIN.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS
IN NORTH AFRICA (P.-
Lampedusa Island has been
occupied, a special commune
que from Gen. Eisenhower's
headquarters announced to-
night.
The little Italian desert is
land lies 80 miles south of
Pantelleria, which fell only
yesterday.
1t was subjected to aerial
and naval bombardment.
The text of the special COM
munique said:
"After "a hours of inter-
mittent naval and aerial bonn
bardment the island of
Lampedusa today surrendered
and is being occupied by our
forces"
BY the Associated Press
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, June 12.-Al-
lied air forces, which made his
tory by forcing the capitulation
OF Pantelleria without the inter-
ventlon of a single ground SOL
d1er, have turned their full
weight on the Italian island of
Lampedusa, 30 miles to the
south, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhow-
er's headquarters announced to-
day.
Lampedusa, only about half the
size of the rocky little fortress Of
Pantelleria which turned in its
checks yesterday after the greatest
deluge of bombs on so small a target
in aerial warfare, began experience
ing similar pounding in the after
noon. The onslaught continued last
night.
(The Italian high command, in
a communique recorded by the
Associated Press from broadcasts,
said the Allies had served an
ultimatum for surrender Of
Lampedusa, as they did at Pam
telleria, but declared the garri-
son is "heroicaiIy resisting"
(The communique indicated
that Allied naval forces also were
hitting the island, declaring lair
and naval action yesterday was
renewed and increased against
the small garrison of Lampe-
! dusa.'
Loss of Pantelleria Admitted.
CThe communique announced
to the Italians for the first time
the fall of the Sicilian Straits
island which they had looked on
as their Gibraltar.
CPantelleria, under pressure
OF air and sea bombardments
without precedence of frequency
and scale and without any water
supply for the civilian population,
was yesterday compelled to cease
resisting" the announcement
said)
10000 Prisoners Taken.
An official account of the capture
OF Pantelleria today said the capitu-
lation was effected precisely accord
Ing to plan and that more than
10000 prisoners, apparently not a
German among them, had been
taken. Three thousand of the pris-
oners were being transported to the
African mainland this afternoon.
So far as was known not single
casualty occurred among the Allied
landing force. made up of the famed
British 1st Division, which includes
many veterans of Dunkerque.
AS the troops swarmed ashore
from their landing boats they were
greeted by white flags and they
had difficulty in finding senior
Italian officers. whose troops were
Arrendering en- masse.
The concluding phase Of the CAP
ture of Pantelleria and the initial
blows at Lampedusa resulted In the
knocking down of IA enemy aircraft
yesterday, compared with the loss
OF three Allied planes.
U. S. Planes Lead Attack.
American Marauders led off with
the first smashing attack on Lampe-
dusa almost before the dust and
smoke of the assault on much
stronger Pantelleria had settled.
Other Allied planes kept up the
bombardment until nightfall, when
the RATS Wellingtons, the night
workhorses, took up the shuttle Of
destruction.
The Americans said 8 to 10 small
craft in Lampedusas only harbor
were covered by strings of bombs
and one large explosion was noted.
The islands defenses already have
been tested by light British naval
forces from Malta which put ashore
a landing party early this week, los
| ing only two men.
Unlike Pantelleria, Lampedusa has
served only as secondary Italian
air and submarine base at any time.
and much of its effectiveness is re-
ported to have been DESTROYED by
(see MEDITERRANEAN, Page A-2)