RAIDS ON ITALY AND SICILY

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23973, 14 June 1943, Page 5

RAIDS ON ITALY AND SICILY

REGGIO AERODROME BOMBED (Hoc. 8 p.m.) LONDON, June 12. A Middle East air communique says that Royal Air Force heavy bombers on Thursday night attacked the Reggio aerodrome, in the toe of Italy. They set on fire and blew up a hangar. and also started fires. Long-range aeroplanes off the west coast of Greece shot away a schooner’s rudder and set on fire a second schoon-

er with a cargo of barrels on the deck They directly hit a third vessel, which was abandoned by Us crew. A Malta communique says that Royal Air Force fighter-bombers on Friday directly hit a factory at Pozzallo. in Sicily. Bombs also fell near a railway and on a main road. Intruders on Friday night attacked railway sidings at Milazzo and bombs burst in the target area. A message from Malta says that the island had Ihrce alerts yesterday afternoon. During the first a small number of cnenv fighters approached the coast, but they were intercepted by Spitfires, which destroyed one of them Heavy anti-aircraft defences engaged the raiders. During the second alert the raiders did not cross the coast, bui in the third a small number appeared over the island. . To the third anniversary of Italy s entry into the war 31.300 persons have been killed in air raids on Sicily and 11.579 have died of injuries. FUTURE OF ITALY OVERTHROW OF FASCIST LEADERS ;B O.\V.) RUGBY. June 11 Expressing high satisfaction at the fail of Pantelleria, Mr Roosevelt declared that the people of Italy, once their Fascist leaders wore overthrown would be given a free choice of government. Mr Roosevelt reminded Italians that the effects of the Allied campaign against Italy wore the logical and inevitable result of Mussolini's ruthless and tradorous course. Mussolini had bciraycd his country m his struggle for personal power and aggrandisement. After referring to Mussolini’s “stab in the hack.” Mi Roosevelt said that the Allied nations had no choice but to prosecute the war against Italy until 'vmplete victory was won.