Evening star., 1943-08-10
Sicily
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Sicily
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! air smashes with heavy wallops at
the Messina outlet, where virtually
all enemy motor transport from base
to front must pass.
Landing Craft Attacked.
For the fifth straight night RAF
and Canadian Wellingtons attacked
landing craft on the Messina
beaches, bombed coastal installa-
tons and caused large explosion
and fires at Paradise.
The Italian toes rail and road
communications were repeatedly
smashed by raids in the neighbor-
hood of Catanzaro and Angitola for
the third successive day. RAF Lib
orators and Halifaxes again thun-
dered over San Giovanni by night.
Six small ships were sunk off the
north coast of Sicily near Milazzo
The narrow enemy roads of the
Sicilian bridgehead were raked by
relays OF American fighters and
bombers. They destroyed 16 vehicles
and damaged more than 20 in roar
ing attacks in the Barcelona area
east of Cape Orland where the Ger
mans were preparing to make a new
stand against the Americans.
Barcelona Is % miles east of
Cape Orlando and only II miles
from MeSsina.
Fighter-bombers also maintained
their savage raids on the Randazzo
area where they piled up wreckage
in an effort to block that filter point
for enemy transport.
In all these operations four enemy
aircraft were shot down yesterday
while the Allies reported three of
their own planes missing.
Meet Only Is Enemy Planes.
Hundreds of Allied aircraft en-
gagged in bombing and strafing
sweeps over Sicily, Sardinia, Messina
Strait and the toe of Italy saw
exactly Is enemy planes yesterday.
Nowhere did our aircraft en-
counter opposition worth noting"
said an Allied air force statement.
strategic bombers saw none and
their American Lightning escorts
counted only 10. American War;
hawks sweeping Sardinia encoun-
tered no enemy fighters. Tactical
bombers and fighters lover Sicily
saw only five throughout yesterday"
Communications Improved.
Meanwhile, improvement in Al
lied supply and communications was
announced with minesweeper oper-
ations clearing the channel into the
highly important east coast harbor
of Catania.
The only place identified in new
forward movements of the Allied
troops was Pedara, town on the
slopes of Mount Etna, which was
taken by the British.
The position of considerable
force of German troops fighting a
hard rearguard action against the
Americans between Bronte and
Cesaro was not known, but it was
possible that these Nazis had been
trapped by the junction Of British
and American patrols.
This joining Of forces appeared to
have closed the top of rectangular
sector unless the Germans were able
to race through narrow escape lane
at the last moment.
The italian communique, re-
corded by the Associated Press
from Rome broadcast, said "the
enemy offensive in Sicily con-
tinues to develop with powerful
support of air and naval forces,
in spite of tenacious resistance of
Italian and German troops, some
positions had to be evacuated
under the violent attacks of
enemy armored units"
Che communique said Axis
planes hit two Allied cruisers and
four other ships with torpedoes
and bombs off Sicily and sank
three steamers off Augusta
Race for Messina.
Ross Munro, Canadian Press cor
respondent at the front, said the
9Th Army has been advancing stead
lily since the fall of Adrano key to
the defense Of the Mount Etna line.
and declared the Sicilian campaign
was turning into a race between the
British and the Americans for the
honor Of reaching Messina first.
1T is becoming increasingly ap-
parent" Mr.. Munro wrote, that the
Canadian British triumph at Adrano
was Gripping blow. The enemy
intended to stand on the Mount
Etna line for weeks, but was out
guessed, outmaneuvered, surprised
and beaten as Canadian and British
troops flooded into the Simeto VAL
ley. The only thing that
seemed to be holding up the pur-
suit were craters and demolitions on
the roads and comparatively small
rear guard holding out in pillboxes
and machine-gun posts on the out
skirts of Bronte."
While the land forces were me-
thodically wiping out the last re-
naming Axis strongholds on the
island, units OF the Allied feet not
engaged in supporting land opera
tions and air forces were maintain
ing a steady patrol of the sea ap-
proaches to the island to take care
that the Axis neither received aid
from the mainland Of Italy nor was
permitted to evacuate any of its
army.