The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-08-16

AAOhi SAVNAh
 Port Valuable
 The port, last one of value in Axis hands except Messina, lies on C. tongue Of land thrusting a few miles north from the coastal road, ana 1t appeared that the Americans had sliced across the base of the miniature peninsula.
 On the other wing of Allied ad- vance the British troops pushed on five miles to seize Taormina. Inland they took nearby Kaggi and Casti- gliore, on the north slope of Mount Etna
 The advances made yesterday were described at headquarters as the most spectacular made in the Sicil- ian campaign for weeks. They made 1t clear that the Axis had writ ten of the Messina bridgehead.
 Allied quarters, easing the tight reserve which they had imposed on account of the Sicilian campaign made 1t evident that the rear guard action was expected to last no more than g. few days, perhaps even a matter of hours.
 Handicaps for Fleeing Nazis
 Yesterdays gains deprived the Germans of virtually all roads ex- cept the two coastal ways directly in front of the 7th and 8th Armies. the two coastal ways directly in front of the Seventh and Eighth Armies. Fleeing Nazis from the central sec- tor were confronted by the appalling handicap of hiking across the rug ged tip of Sicily, probably to find themselves trapped If and when they reach a highway.
 A new danger arose to the advanc- ing Allied Armies. Their gains had carried them near the range of Italian coastal batteries on the mainland. There was no indication so far that the big guns across the Straits of Messina had taken any part in the campaign, possibly be- cause of Allied air operations.
 Where the German evacuees were escaping the Sicilian beaches and the hazards of the crossing, Allied planes were pursuing them right on the mainland and bombing all railroad lines leading northward from the tip of Italy.
 Light Contact Only
 Racing for the Sicilian beaches in hope of escape, the Germans had reduced their rear guards and throughout Sunday there was only light contact, communique report ed, but mines and demolitions im- peded the Allies.
 The British 8th Army edged for ward five miles to capture Taormina, on the east coast 27 miles below Messna, Kaggi, inland from Taor- nina and Castiglione, on Mount Etna's northern slopes.
 Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's headquarters made clear that the six-week Sicilian campaign was very near its end.
 Exact distance of the American coastal advance was not clear but the rush started at Oliveri, IA miles west of Milazzo, and carried to the vicinity of that port, which is on a narrow peninsula.
 Race for Messina
 The Germans were taking to the hills, abandoning the highways in their race for Messina, and those who got there braved continual as- saults by light and medium bomb- CTS on hundreds of small craft car- rying them to Italy and raids on highways and railroads when they arrived.
 Part of the aerial attack was pre- venting the surviving Axis troops from dispensing to safety after they reach Italy. Railway installations at Sapri and Sibar, on the main- land, were bombed, with consider able amount of rolling stock destroy ed, In central Italy, night bomb- CTS hit the Viterbo railway yards.
 Repair Nazi Destruction
 The communique said Allied en- gineers were proving equal to the task of clearing the roads and were repairing the German destruction and removing mines to allow rapid advances.
 South of the Milazzo area, the American units in the center pushed ahead through the hills to keep their march coordinated with the coastal thrusts. Dwindling of the German resistance was apparent
 Troop concentrations were among the aerial targets on the coast and inland. The enemy had nowhere to turn except to break for the coast and inland. The enemy had mo- where to turn except to break for the coast after the American seizure of Oiiveri and British capture of Fiumefreddo announced yesterday, closed the ends of the last road link ing the east and north coasts.
 The Germans were reported bringing up heavy artillery to the southern Italian coast to aid the evacuation.