GERMANS IN SICILY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 248, 30 July 1943, Page 3

GERMANS IN SICILY.

HOLDING OF THE FIRING-LINE. ITALIANS IN MINOR ROLES. LONDON, July 29. “The German defensive line across the base of the triangular north-east-ern .peninsula of Sicily is now taking definite shape, says the “Daily Telegraph” correspondent at Allied Headquarters. “The Germans are forcing Italian troops, who are relegated to tasks such as trench digging, road repairing, and fatigue duties, to build strong defensive positions. The Germans will be mainly responsible for holding the line, which runs for about 60 miles from Catania through Agira, west of Mount Etna, and thence northwards to the San Stefa lib area, about 60 miles west of Messina.

“The political developments so far do not appear to have interfered with the German plan to sandwich their allies between German units. in the firing lino. - . . “Two Italian field divisions, Jett without transport when facing the American and Canadian advances, have reached the Messina bridgehead, using pack mules and donkeys to transpoit their equipment, They cannot be too kindly disposed toward the Germans, who have commandeered all mechanical vehicles.” Renter’s correspondent with the Bth Army says that the Canadians, after a. day and night of hard fighting, have wrested a mountain village from the German loth Panzer Division. The Germans are now resisting north of the village. Several hundred Germans were taken prisoner. A Berlin radio military commentator said that British anti American big guns were pouring shells into the lines of the Axis defenders in Sicily. “The enemy is going all out to blast us fiom our positions,” ho added. “Our reinforcements meanwhile continue to pour into Sicily.” Router’s correspondent at an advanced air base says that the Allied air attacks in Sicily have again been stepped up. “Our aeroplanes are ceaselessly hammering the German defenders in the north-cast and also aio carrying out widespread raids against Axis air bases in the south of Italy, he adds. The North African Copstal Air Force, which played such an important part in the initial stages of the landing in Sicily, continues to he a scourge to Axis sea communications, says a correspondent at Allied Headquarters in North Africa. Already shipping routes in and about Italian waters have been denied the Axis, which is now endeavouring to sneak convoys in in quick dashes from one port to the next. Often these, convoys hug the coast for long stretches and even then fail to evade the eyes of the Beaufighters by day and the Wellingtons by iffght. Wing-Commander Lee Evans, rommanding a squadron of Beaufighters, led a formation in a series ol brilliant attacks, as a result of which, during a period of 10 days, three successive blows were struck at enemy shipping. In the first of these, a 3000-ton ship was sent to the bottom. In the second, a supplv ship was damaged and an escorting Hoinkol was shot down. In the third attack an 800-ton ship was sunk bv cannon fire.