The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-06-17
Barges Moving Steadily
From Africa to Pantel,
leria Island
BRITISH TAKE RUMANlA
PEACE TALK COLDLf
London Mail Claims Nazis
Plan Invasion of ROtter=
dam or Antwerp
BY DOUGLAS WERNER
United Press Staff Correspondent

United Press Staff Correspondents
London, June II. CUP =
Radio Rome said today that
invasion barges were moving
in a steady stream from
Africa to Pantelleria, only 60
miles southwest of Sicily, and
estimated that the Allies
have massed 5000 planes and
more than 100000 troops
around the southern rim of
the Mediterranean for an assault on
Europe.
GA London broadcast quoted ere
liable reports from Berne" that
peace demonstrations have broken
out in southern Italy, already under
heavy Allied aerial bombardment)
(Allied headquarters in North
Africa announced today that aerial
activity of the northwest African
Air Forces had dWindled to patroll-
ing and reconnaissance yesterday
following Tuesdays big assault on
Sicilian airdromes, over which 16
enemy planes were destroyed in
aerial combat.
The flow of landing craft to new
ly-conquered Pantelleria, as well as
the frequent movement of Allied
conveys eastward through the Med
iterranean from Gibraltar, was re-
ported in dispatch from an uniden-
titled Italian base, the italian radio
said.
German and italian planes were
pressing an "unfaltering" offensive
against the enemy shipping, the
broadcast asserted.
Today's italian communique re-
ported that German combat planes
attacked Pantelleria harbor. Alto
gether five transports, two landing
ships and IS landing boats have
been sunk off Pantelleria and Lam
pedusa, the latter 80 miles to the
southeast since June II,
German broadcast said. Other
vessels, including three cruisers and
a number of destroyers, were said
to have been damaged severely.
From the Spanish border town of
La Linea came report that 80 Al
lied merchant ships, including 25
that arrived only Tuesday, had
sailed from Gibraltar into the At
lantic yesterday. Only few ships
remained in Gibraltar harbor, the
dispatch said, including the battle
ship King George V, the aircraft
Carrier Formidable and several des-
troyers.
Virginia Gayda, authoritative
Fascist editor, was quoted by the
Italian radio as writing that the
Allies have sent more than half the
British feet and thousands of tanks
as well as 5000 planes and over l.
900 900 of their best troops, to the
Mediterranean theater for the COM
ing offensive.
The Axis reports of Allied inva-
sion plans were renewed following
reports from Turkey that the Axis
satellite state of Rumania was put
ting out peace feelers.
The Turkish reports, obviously
out simultaneously to all foreign
correspondents, asserted that the
Rumanians had inquired as to the
possibility of recovering lost terri
tory if the Bucharest government
attempted to make a peace settle
ment now.
Dispatches from Ankara said that
the British, to whom the feeler pur-
portedly was addressed through a
neutral diplomat, had received the
overtures coldly. 1t was felt here
that the reports were another phase
of the current war Of nerves and
propaganda being waged by both
sides. There appeared to be no pos
sibility at present of any separate
Rumanian settlement because "a
the Nazis would not permit it and
90 the Allies would accept nothing
less than unconditional surrender.
The Italians, to meet the antit.-
/ pated onslaught, were believed BY
Allied observers to have mustered &
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