The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-07-15

coast eXtended 61e western uanE of the Allied invasion front about four miles in hard fighting. The Americans now were near Agrigentc after having captured Marc and menaced the main Axis communica- ton lines to the western part oi sicily.
 The western advance appeared to be within & few miles of Agrigento while other forces on the south coast consolidated positions which included six air fields from which Allied planes already are operating
 Agrigento old City
 Agrigento is communications center of 26,00O, founded before Christ. Port Empedocle. which is nearby, had been sheIled by Amer lean warships.
 The Americans captured several dominating hills on the approaches to Agrigento.
 The Sicilian population was re- ported friendly in most occupied areas, often waving, cheering and giving the V-for- Victory sign to the Allied troops.
 In many instances Che Italians surrendered without serious fight by German troops fought hard and were disconsolate when captured. Many prisoners were being moved quickly to North Africa because of the food shortage in Sicily, where the Allies have been feeding the population as rapidly as possible.
 (Axis communiques said Allied at lacks were being stemmed by ten- acious tank counter-a attacks and that a second Allied parachute op- eration on the Cantania front had been wiped out ito the last man." apparently just north of Lentini. The Germans reported that five AL lied destroyers were sunk and eight cruisers and two destroyers dam aged in the Mediterranean in the last ]8 hours)
 During the last "A hours, ground forces have made considerable gains under the command of the 18th Army group" the communique said.
 Qnformants in London placed the British Eighth Army only IS miles south of Catania and the Americans in the neighborhood of Agrigento on the south Sicilian coast, with the capture of both towns believed imminent. They said there was req son to believe that the entire south eastern plateau between Syracuse and Gela was in Allied hands)
 Ranging far ahead of advancing ground forces, Allied planes from both the Northwest African and Middle Eastern commands were pulverizing enemy bases and troop concentrations with more than 200 bombers alone pounding the rein- forcement port of Messina, across tvo-mile wide strait from the Italian mainland.
 At least 12,000 prisoners have been captured, 5000 of them by the Americans, the communique said, and Allied control of the Med- iterranean is so secure that 5000 of them already have been transferred to Africa.
 The communique reported new and successful operations by an- othe1 British and American air. borne and parachute force, but did not elaborate.
 The airdromes captured by the Americans were those at Conliso, Pachino. Biscari, Lcata and two in the Gela area. In addition, the British captured the seaplane base at Syracuse.
 Field dispatches indicated that the Allied forces were advancing to- ward the great central plains of Sic- fly on a 75-nile front.
 The main sectors of the Sicilian front were:
 Catania-The British 9th Army and Canadian units which seized the Augusta naval base were counter attacked by Germans but recap tured the seaplane base in hard fighting and drove on northward toward Catania. Dispatches said enemy resistance was stronger but that the advance continued and