The Wilmington morning star., 1943-08-01
ITALIANS ARE WARNED
OF MAJOR AIR ATTACK
Continued From Page. One)

L
forces" the broadcast said. The
allies, it added, were making mot
an offer of peace but an offer of
wary
Proclamation
The allied proclamation said:
italians, you know that on July
Is we let up on the aerial bonn
bardment of Italy, the procla-
nation read. "We hoped thereby
to give Italy a breathing space
wherein to unite for peace and
freedom"
But the Germans, too, had used
the time, it said.
When Germans in Italy heard of
Mussolini's fall they said to them
selves that they were "caught like
rats in a trap" the broadcast con-
tinued, but now they had regain
ed their insolent attitude toward
Italians. It concluded:
"And for that full and sole re-
sponsibility rests with the new gov
ernment in Rome. Had that gov
ernment acted speedily Germany
by now would be in full retreat.
But instead the new govern
ment temporized. 1t missed the
opportunity. 1t permitted the Ger
mans to recover.
Italians, we cannot tolerate this
and we issue you this solemn
warning: The breathing space is
ended. Be prepared"
Just six days before Premier
Pietro Badoglio had taken over
the reins from Benito Mussolini.
Just IL days ago 500 American
bombers and 200 fighters partici-
pated in the bombing of Rome.
Broadcast
The stern reminder was broad
cast to Italians at z p. m. and
was to be followed by a similar
barrage from London and Wash
ington.
A preview of the renewed on
slaught was given yesterday when
American Mitchells swept to with
in II miles south of Rome to
bomb the Practica di Mare air.
drome, and Flying Fortresses
rained sledgehammer blows on the
Grottaglie airport near laramie in
southern Italy.
The Warning-a 48-hour follow
up of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhow-
er's declaration that Italians must
get rid of Germans on their soil
came as it was announced that
both American and British armies
in Sicily had made good advances
behind terrific artillery barrages
which blasted out areas 400 yards
deep at a time for the infantry
mop-up.
Relentlessly American motor
torpedo boat squadronS and Brit
ish naval detachments were box
ing in the cramped northeastern
corner of the Island, darting into
CULTS and harbors along the north
coast and even so miles up the
mainland shore, bombarding the
mainland and east Sicilian coast
and sweeping narrow, tWo-mile
wide Messina Strait.
Three more Italian islands
Favignana, Levanzo and Marret-
timo-off Sicily's west coast, ac-
cepted the unconditional surren-
der formula of the United Ma
tons and ran up the white flag
The British Eighth army of Gen.
Sir Bernard L. Montgomery for
the first time in two weeks made
good progress" yesterday up the
Sicilian east coast toward Cata-
mia and Mt. Etna, while the Am
erican Seventh army of Lieut.. Gen.
George S. Patton, Jr., driving to
junction with the British at Mes
sina, plunged deeper into the in
tervening mountains fringing the
north coast.
The Canadians, at the central
pivot position, smashed through
Agira after an air and artillery
barrage described by German
veterans as worse than anything
they had lived through in Russia
or North Africa. (Acting Secre-
tary of War Patterson in Wash
ington announced the fall of Agira
two days ago.
The Americans, capturing their
first sizable bunch of Germans in
Sicily, listed more than 500 Nazis
among nearly 1000 more prison
ers taken in their sector.
Following the pattern Of their
Tunisian break-through to Mateur,
Gen. Patton's artillerymen laid
down bonecrushing barrage
which leveled pillboxes d
trenches in a 400 yard area, and
then the infantry rushed in 100
yards behind the rolling curtain
of fire and overran the defenders
before they could recover.
A similar use of artillery was
being used by the British, while
fighter-bombers in relay ripped
Of ,i11hoyes near Mt F,tna.