Evening star., 1943-07-12
Successful Attacks
On Invaders Of Sicily
Claimed by Italians
Soy Allies Have Foiled to
Enlarge Size Of Isles
Occupied CoostoI Area
BY the Associated Press.

/
LONDON, July 12.-The Ital-
ians asserted in a communiQue
today that Axis forces in Sicily
had counterattacked success
fully against Allied invasion
forces and that fighting con-
tinued fierce and uninterrupted
The communique, broadcast from
Rome and recorded by the AS
sociated Press, also said the Allied
forces "vainly tried to increase the
size of the occupied coastal areas. y
italian and German troops de-
cisively went over to counterattacks,
beat at enemy units at several
points. and in one sector compelled
them to retreat the war bulletin
added
Algiers advices reported mass
air raids near Celia which inflicted
heavy damage on airf1elds and COM
munications. The attackers were
said to have met heavy antiaircraft
and fighter opposition. Troop con-
CSllJI dlpIlS WelC SllCllCQ liltClloSiS
Fighting Near Celia.
The Morocco radio. in a broad
cast recorded by the Associated
Press, quoted pilots returning from
flights over Sicily as confirming
that violent fighting now is in pro-
gress six and eight miles from Gela,
in the sector invaded by American
forces.
The Berlin radio declared that the
fight for supremacy in the air over
Sicily and the Mediterranean had
not yet started, although the broad
cast spoke of violent air encounters
taking place over Sicily and sur.
round waters yesterday and today
"Anglo-American attacks against
Axis airports in Sicily will not be
able to paralyze German-Italian all
activity said the broadcast, re-
corded by the Associated Press.
The Rome announcement assert
ed four Allied cruisers we're tor.
pedoed, three by italian planes anc
another, one of 10000 tons, by g
submarine. Of the one reported
hit by the underseas craft. the COM
munique said: She blew up"
Other Craft Declared Hit.
Four other Allied craft we're re.
ported hit by the torpedo plane!
and two of them, both steamers
were listed as sunk.
Italian and German air forma.
tions also we're said to have SUM
five steamers and several landing
craft and the planes, the commu
nique continued, "hit and set or
fire more than 40 merchantmen ant
transports of various tonnages."
The fighting spirit of Italian ant
German units is very high," tn,
communique continued. The be
havior of the population of th'
Island and that of the proud Stellar
soldiers, who in great numbers be
long to our units, is superior to an.
praise"
The Rome bulletin asserted tina
Axis fighters had shot down 81
Allied planes and that 8 NOR
crashed after being hit by anti
aircraft fire. 1t admitted loss of q
Axis planes in the. last two days.
Meanwhile, a report from Bern
Switzerland. received here by way o
Stockholm quoted the Svenska Bag
bladet as saying part of the Italial
feet had steamed out of La Spezia
Italy. and that the people in Rom
expect it to engage the Allied war
ships.
1000 Allied Toll Claimed.
The Paris radio asserted in
broadcast recorded by the Asso
ciated Press that Axis forces had re
conquered several of the bridgehead
in Sicily and that nearly 1000 Allie
soldiers had been killed or captured
Earlier the German Internationa
Information Bureau, propaganda
agency, had asserted in a Berlil
broadcast that Axis forces had driv
en- American invasion columns Il
Sicily back to the coast.
Without giving specific location
for the reported engagements, tn
broadcast said Italians had halte,
Americans who advanced west o
their bridgehead and that German
met another force simultaneously t.
the east.
In another broadcast beame'
overseas, the Berlin radio said Axi
troops had gone over to tn
counterattack" in Sicily this morn
ing, but gave no further details.
The Rome radio reported in
broadcast heard by Reuters tina
(See AXIS, Page A-30 &