Imperial Valley press., 1943-07-20
Yanks Drive on
As British Reach
Suburbs of CifV

Continued from page ID
of the Hermann Goering tank di-
vision, but German and Italian
forces operating as infantry also
were taking part in the counter
attacks against the British. The
8tn army had established a num-
Der of bridgeheads north of the
Simento river, which runs just
south of Catania, and have held
them against many fierce thrusts
by Nazi tanks.
The line held by Montgomery
men starts on the sea and runs in
land about % miles to Rammacca,
passing south OF the Gerbini air.
drome area which had been report
ed gravely threatened by the Al
lied troops.
The Americans who took CAL
tanissetta were pushing on north
ward in mid-Sicily toward the i'm
pOrtant road junction of Emma and
had reached the Caterina area,
which lies west of Emma.
Thus the Canadians were hack
ing forward directly toward Emma
While the American attack had
swung slightly to the west in the
Caterina sector, where roads lead
to the north coast without passing
through Emma. This suggested that
the Americans might push on some
30 miles toward Termini- -Imerese
on the north coast without waiting
for the fall of Emma.
SMASH ATTACKS
The Canadians smashed back
several enemy counter blows. Casu-
alties among the Allied troops in
this sector and most other areas
were reported comparatively light.
The Canadians, approaching En-
ma from the southeast, ran into
stiffening resistance by reformed
elements of the German 18th
Panzer division and were slowed
down somewhat. The Allied Pin
GERS is about ten miles from Emma.
tAxis communiques said the Al
lied attacks were increasing but
were being stopped or slowed every
where in Sicily Axis bombers at
tackled Allied shipping at Augusta
and Malta, the italian communique
saidD
On the western end of the line,
where the Americans took Agri-
gento and Porto Empoedocle, the
Allied line was being extended
along the coast and now is approx
imately 100 miles long on the south
coast.
It was in this sector that opposi-
ton seemed least and many italian
units-largely Sicilian- surrender
ed en- MaSse.
British military observers in Lon
don said that the speed of the Am
erican advance threatened to deal a
knockout blow to the whole Italian
resistance in central Sicily. Radio
Algiers said both American and
Canadian troops have reached
Enna)
In eastern Sicily. enemy troops
continued their desperate attempts
20 save Catania, Sicily's second
largest city, but at last reports the
British eighth army was only three
miles away.
Catania already was in flames from
repeated bombings, the latest Sun
day night. and naval lombard
nents. Eighth army patrols stab
bed at the enemy defenses while
gathering strength for an all-out
assault to capture the city, Gen
Dwight D. Eisenbower's communi-
que said.
"a Vichy broadcast, quoted by
radio Algiers, said the British sue
ceeded in piercing the German
lines south of Catania at heavy
cost, while Berlin reported British
attacks from the south and through
the mountains from the west.)
The communique said the Amer
leans were driving both nOrthWard
toward central Sicily and north
westward along the south coast to-
ward Sciacca.
They report little resistance in
the west, where hundreds of the
enemy have been giving themselves
up." the ccmmunique said There
are many inG.-@tions OF mutiny by
italian troops commanded by Ger
man officers"