DAWN IS BREAKING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 89, 13 July 1943, Page 4

DAWN IS BREAKING

THE invasion of Sicily which commenced on Saturday morning, marks July 10th as probably the greatest mile' stone in the war to date. On that day the zero hour struck and two thousand Allied ships moved towards the main outpost of the Axis-dominated countries in the Mediterranean. The investment of Sicily marks the first Allied attempt at invading the stronghold of the Dictatorships. It marks more than that; it sets the pace for the new war of aggression which will be embarked upon by the forces of freedom, and sounds the clarion call to millions of the enslaved, clearly announcing that the day of deliverance is at hand. The initial stages of the Sicilian conflict would appear to indicate that the island was but poorly defended, for by yesterday evening firm bridgeheads had been established at most of the attacking points and three air fields were in our hands. The answer to this is surely the overwhelming weight of the Allied striking flower, which from

sea and air pounded the defences in preparation for the. landing of the infantry. The defenders were in all, probability numbed mentally by the deluge of steel and destruction and those, units which were not withdrawn from the fighting zone were too dazed to put up the anticipated opposition to the onslaught of the fresh commando troops who led the landing operations. Those who have taken the trouble to study the geographical formation of Sicily the largest island in the Mediterranean will realise that the mountainous inland areas would prove excellent cover for a defending force, which would then be able to meet the invaders on more equal terms. It is in these: fastnesses that strategists believe the German reinforced garrison will be tempted to make a stand. The blow has fallen expectedly or unexpectedly on Sicily and at least the Axis war lords will now realise the lay of the coming battle and can take steps to counter it. Sicily after three days fighting must not be regarded as the easy i\ey which so many of us fondly imagine she will be. Unless we ar.ei greatly mistaken, the struggle for the island, barely 250 miles from Rome itself, will be an intense and bitter one.