MASTERS OF SKY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 164, 13 July 1943, Page 3

MASTERS OF SKY

ALLIES OVER SICILY Roads Jammed As In Rommel's El Alamein Retreat N.Z. Press Association —Copyright Rec. noon. LONDON, July 12. Allied airmen are undisputed masters of the Sicilian skies and are causing terrific havoc along roads jammed with Axis troop-transports, which are rushing reinforcements to the battle areas, reports Reuters Algiers correspondent. Axis fighters have vainly tried to stem the massed assaults. Scenes are reminiscent of those during Rommel's retreat from El Alamein. Flying Fortresses bombed Catania so extensively, before the capture of the airfield that a pillar of smoke, which was visible 140 miles away, rose over the shattered town. Fighter-bombers carried out strafing, glide-bombing and dive-bombing attacks. Their most extensive and most successful attack was against a convoy of 200 vehicles m Eastern Sicily. In this attack Mustangs repeatedly pounced on the enemy and half of the convoy was wiped out Fighter-bombers destroyed another 130 lorries in fierce attacks in two unspecified areas. Lightnings in other areas swooped on convoys of from 35 to 50 lorries, setting some on fire and forcing others off the road into ditches, where they lie wrecked. Allied roving aerial wreckers met few enemy planes and only light flak,. Spitfires from Malta Malta-based Spitfires, which flew in many sorties over the Sicilian beaches, shot down 24 Axis aircraft for the loss of two. German Overseas Radio says the Allies have a greatly-increased number of aircraft attacking Sicily. The Axis has also intensified air activity and very violent combats j occurred yesterday and to-day. The Axis planes can be rushed into action from aerodromes in South Italy if the enemy achieves his object in destroying Sicilian airfields, added the radio. Forty-five Axis planes were shot down during the day, states an Algiers air communique. Nine of ours are missing.