Evening star., 1943-07-11
Invaders of Sicily Doing a Job,'
Returned Pilot Witness Reports
BY the Associated Press,

w y - -
BY the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, July l0.-Allied
heavy, medium and fighter bombers
attacked roads and communications
throughout invaded Sicily and oper-
ations were proceeding according to
plan. it was announced officially
tonight.
A communique, the first air bull
letin to be issued for the entire
Mediterranean command. said the
bombers continued attacks against
the "few sirdromes still being used
by the enemy" on the island.
Meanwhile, the first reports came
from aviators who were over the
beaches of Sicily at the moment
when the landings we're taking place
and returned to their bases to give
sharp descriptions of the scene.
Enemy Planes Kept Away.
1t. James j. Armstrong OF Musko-
gee, Okla, said John A. Doughboy
was sure doing job over there this
morning."
The flying eyewitness said "hun-
dreds of aircraft" filled the sky with
thunder as the invasion barges
nosed into the sandy shore. Allied
airplanes we're patrolling in
strength" the aviator said. and only
negligible opposition was encoun-
tered.
This meant that the Axis fighters
and bombers, one of the most feared
weapons in an operation OF this
type. were effectively kept away
from the landing force during the
critical hours.
Col. Samuel J. Gormely. jr., Of
Alhambra, Calf, one of the group
commanders, said "the coastal
waters of Sicily were black with in
vasion barges and supporting naval
craft. All the water between Sicily
and Tunisia was as full of ships
shutting back and forth as San
Francisco harbor in the good old
days before the ferries"
Called Beautiful Sight"
1t. Col. Joseph C. Thomas Of
Pomona, Calf. also a group COM
mander to whom the job of covering
the invasion was his 50th mission,
said "it seemed to be co-ordinated
and going along smoothly"
| Describing the actual landings
Capt. Roscoe johnson of Chicago. a
pilot, said "it looked like a million
flies crawling in on the beaches. 1t
was a really beautiful sight"
Second 1t. Donald Justier of st.
Albans, N. Y. added: THE ships
came rolling up in waves, and our
boys were simply pouring over the
beaches. 1t is hard to see how the
Italians could do much fighting
with so many aircraft pounding
them from above"
The majority of the pilots cover
ing the powerful forces which went
ashore reported they encountered
few fighters and antiaircraft fire.
Strong Points Attacked.
Reconnaissance photographs OF
Axis strong points were brought
back by 1t. Armstrong, and inside
of an hour they had been developed
and studied and a group of pilots,
flying the new American A-36
fighter bomber, were taking off to
attack them.
1t. Col. John D. Stevens of La
ramie, Wyo., reported seeing direct
hits on locomotive and two trains
during his fighter bomber sweep.
and it is known that another 40-car
train received square hits.
The fighter-bombers also accom-
plished their assignments without
interference from enemy fighters.
A Marauder pilot, Second 1t.
Nathanial B. Robins of Wappinger
Falls. N. Y, described the scene as
the invasion feet swept in toward
shore as "the biggest thing I've ever
SEEN"
Miles of Boats.
There seemed to be at least 40
miles of boats of all sizes out there
in the sea-" he said. "On the edges
were the destroyers zigzagging and
in the middle were invasion barges,
followed by merchant ships. The
great mass of craft clogged the sea
in a. solid path"
First 1t. Quay F. Dore of Mon
son, Me, navigator, said, I'VE
were just coming home from q raid
on Sicily when We saw the naval
force. It was lined up in battle
order and it seemed to extend all
over the Mediterranean. It stood
out just like q big group of islands.
Just after we passed over it the
whole naval force opened fire and
it seemed like a volcanic eruption" y
Scores of Allied pilots took OF in
the darkness in order to provide
an air shield for the landings or
to continue the attack on the islands
and airdromes. Some were assigned
to reconnaissance and many went
hunting" cannonading and STRAIT
ing any target that appeared.
Took on at Night.
They left their bases roaring
down improvised flare paths lined
with empty gasoline tins in which
gasoline soaked cloth was burn
ing.
Again it was the same powerful
force that struck some of the
heaviest blows at those Axis air.
dromes from which fighters were
still rising. They went back to the
familiar target of Gerbini
Fortress crews said they saw only
two enemy fighters and they gave
the biz Bills wide berth.