Evening star., 1943-06-21
Allied Flyers Hit
Sici|ian Targets,
Down Is Planes
Rome Radio Reports
Naples and a Other
Cities Also Ruided
BY the Associated Press

Cities Also Ruided
BY the Associated Press
1t. Gen. Carl A. SpaatZ's air
fleets were declared officially at
Allied headquarters in North
Africa today to have heaped new
destruction on Sicilian targets
from Marsala to Messina Straits
shooting down 16 Axis fighters
in the process-and the Rome
radio said Naples and four other
Italian mainland cities also were
raided yesterday.
Medium bombers and fighters CO.
operated to round out heavy week
end blows against Italy and Sicily.
The Italian high command COM
munique. broadcast from Rome.
said Naples, major west coast
supply port; Foggia, railroad city
near the spur of the Italian boot;
Spinazzola. As miles to the SOUTH
Giovanni, on the toe of the boot,
were attacked by Allied airmen yes
terday.
These raids were not reported in
Allied announcements, but the Ital-
ians have on occasion told of such
thrusts before they were reported
by Northwest Africa. Malta or Mid
die East communicates.
Five Allied Planes Lost.
The Algiers radio warned the
Italian people in broadcast today
that Allied Air blows, which have
been largely confined to ports,
would spread now to the interior.
IF you want to save your indus
tries and see Italy restored to the
position she deserves after the war"
the announcer said, demand peace
and demonstrate for peace"
The Northwest African Air Forces
lost five planes during the opera
tions. which included a heavy as
sault by RAF Wellingtons on Mes
sina Saturday night. Fires visible
100 miles away were started in the
Messina railway freight yards and
the ferry terminus area.
Aerial patrols over Pantelleria
frustrated a new attempt by Axis
f1ghter-bombers to break through
and strike at the islands British
garrison.
Axis radio broadcasts said Allied
naval dispositions off Syria indi-
Gated possibility of action in the
Aegean.
Attack on Convoy Reported.
/ A Saturday night attack by Ger
man bombers on an Allied convoy
off Cap Serrat. Tunisia, was reported
! in a DNB dispatch radioed from
Berlin to have left six transports and
merchantmen totaling $4,000 tons
seriously damaged. one of them en-
veloped lin huge cloud of smoke"
Steady strengthening of British
and American forces in the Mediter-
ranean zone again was indicated by
dispatch from La Linea. Spanish
| neighbor Of Gibraltar. 1t said 30
| more landing launches, each armed
with two guns and carrying a crew
Of 25, left the British fortress for
North Africa today. Some 10 mer-
chantmen were reported in Gibral-
tar's harbor.
Two waves of WellingtonS hurled
4000-pound blockbusters and show
ers of incendiaries over the Mes
sina ferry terminus. which is the
islands chief link to the italian
mainland industrial area and port
installations,
Fires spread through the whole
target zone.
Engaged by Is Fighters.
Other Wellingtons attacked San
Giovanni. on the Italian side Of
MeSsina Straits; Porto Empedocle,
in Southern Sicily; and MARSHA, a
West Coast port.
In tangled clashes of mounting
| fury, Mauraders and escorting
Lightnings closed with Is enemy
| fighters which rose to challenge
them as they were leaving Castel-
vetrano after hitting the airports
tratflc control building, straddling
the runway with heavy bombs and
scoring direct hits with fragmenta-
ton bombs on a large number Of
AXIS planes dispersed on the field.
The Italian communique. assert
ing that 26 Allied planes were shot
down, said Naples, Foggia, Spinaz-
zola, in Bari Province: Reggie
Calabria and San Giovanni in the
Italian toe. and localities in Sicily
were bombed yesterday by the Allies.
The war bulletin, broadcast by
the Rome radio and recorded by
the Associated Press. said Axis sub
/ marines sank one steamer and hit
a second in a strongly escorted Allied
/ convoy in the Western Mediter-
ranean, and that torpedo-carrying
| planes hit another Allied ship near
/ the Tunisia coast and probably
! sank it.
Attack at Bizerte Reported.
Allied shipping riding at anchor
In Bizerte Harbor was attacked
with good result the Italians said.
None of the claims was con-
firmed from any Allied source.
The Italians said German fighters
shot down 10 planes, and antiair-
craft defenses brought down another
| 16, four of them over Naples and
eight over Castelvetrano Airport, in
Western Sicily.
Porto Empedocle, Licata and Syra-
cuse were other Sicilian objectives
bombed, the Italians said.
Twelve were listed dead in the raid
on Reggie Calabria. five at Syracuse
and 2 dead and % injured in other
raids.
Heavy Week End Blows.
The Allied air arms in the Medi-
terranean struck heavy blows dur
ing the week end at the harbor areas
Of Reggie Calabria and San Gio-
vanni, Allied communiques said yes
terday. The areas were hammered
in daylight raids Saturday by Amer
lean heavy Liberator bombers from
Middle East Command bases.
Two ton blockbusters were
dropped on the port section Of Syra-
cuse, in a moonlight raid Friday by
RAF two-engined Wellingtons of the