PANTELLERIA GARRISON

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

PANTELLERIA GARRISON

10,000 Prisoners Taken “ISLAND BEATEN INSENSIBLE” (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 12. More than 10,000 Italians were taken prisoner on Pantelleria, 3000 of whom are already on their way to the mainland. A British Division, including many Dunkirk veterans, landed on Pantelleria. The landing troops had difficulty in distinguishing Italian officers among the masses of troops surrendering. There was not a single German among the prisoners. The special correspondent of the Combined British Press, who was an eye-witness of the fall of Pantclleria, says: “Pantelleria fell to the British without a shot of opposition, after the mammoth final aerial bombardment. The troops who landed on Friday afternoon found the place an utter shamble* Later parties landed on heaps of rubble which used to be jetties, and encountered no trouble. The island is still being methodically mopped up. “There were 15.000 Italians on the island, commanded by an admiral, who is still in the hills. The 6000 civilians had been without water for three days. The landing party was ordered to share its water-bottle.? with the civilians. “The island is still filled with smoke and flames from the last terrible raid. A huge oil dump is burning fiercely near the town. There are so many bomb holes that sometimes three or four run together. The island was beaten insensible by bombs,” Allied aeroplanes dropped 3500 tons of bombs on Pantelleria between June I and June 10. An Italian communique said that about 1000 enemyaeroplanes hammered Pantelleria before the second demand for surrender was delivered. A Rome communique says: “Subjected to mass air and naval attacks of unprecedented power and frequency, and deprived of all civilian water supplies, Pantelleria was compelled to surrender on Friday.” “We beg to surrender for lack of water,’’ was the signal sent from Pantelleria shortly before noon on Friday. No Casualties Reported An air bombardment more furious than any the world has previouslyknown battered Pantelleria into submission. There are no reports of a single casualty in the Allied landing forces, which is a striking demonstration of the economy of air attack. A British soldier who experienced the blitz on England and fought throughout the Tusinian campaign said the damage done on Rantelleria by the air bombardment was the worst he had ever seen. Forts received direct hits which smashed right through the cement, and coastal guns were demolished. There were only a few casualties among the civilians, who lived day and night in shelters in the rock. From dawn to dusk bombers attacked the island, making 100 separate raids. Most of the time the island was oDscurcd in thick clouds of smoke ana dust. Fresh relays of bombers had to stand off until the air cleared. One report says that when the order finally came to cease fire the island was rinsed with a thick cloud of smoke. The attacks began with the pounding of airfields, which were littered with destroyed aircraft. Then ships in the harbour were attacked and put out of action. Finally the gun emplacements were knocked out one by one. The island was bombed as no other island has been bombed .before. Thirty-seven enemy aircraft were shot down during the day. for the loss of six Allied aeroplanes Landing shortly alter noon on Friday British troops completed the occupation of Pantelleria within an hour. As the troops were landing, shortly after the garrison had raised the white flag of surrender. 50 or 60 German dive-bombers attacked the landing draft, diving out of rain clouds. American fighters attacked the enemy machines, which were forced to drop their bombs at random. Eye-wit-nesses say that not one British vessel was hit, though bombs fell all around them. Naval Bombardment The final naval bombardment of Pantelleria has been described by th<correspondent of the “Daily Exprn.s l -" with the Mediterranean Fleet. “The daylight approach to Pantelleria was like Navy Week. Cruisers scythed the water in line ahead, destroyers circled on the horizon, and torpedoboats churned the water furiously “The Fleet looked magnificent, but the bombers were terrific. Major-Gen-eral Spsatz promised a ring round the fleet to keep off enemy bombers. We did not have a single attack all the way to Pantelleria. Unchallenged, wc. steamed towards the shore and opened a bombardment over the whole area. There was not a single reply during the attack. Only as wc wore finishing our 40 minutes’ shelling d ; d a couple of batteries open up. but their shells wore wide of the mark. "When wc withdrew wo had not even a scratch on our paintwork, yet the cruisers went in as near as 7000 yards’ range. When they had finished the destroyers went in even, closer. Motor torpedo-boats came out unscathed after dashing into the harbour itself, “As the Flying Fortresses came in there was a line of bomb splashes on the fringe of the land and sea. Slowly and relentlessly the explosions crept inland till every inch was covered in rolling smoke. It was impossible to see the targets, and it was difficult even to see our lighter-coloured shell burst against the smoke-covcrcd background. Our job was to show that the British Navy is master of these waters, leaving Pantelleria no escape from the horrors of bombing. As we steamed off all except the island’s highest peak was hidden in brown smoke.” Text of Ultimatum The Algiers radio gave the full text of Major-General Spaalz’s ultimatum to Pantelleria, which was broadcast to the garrison, and also dropped as leaflets. It stated: “I have ordered a suspension of the bombardment for six hours to communicate the following message on behalf of the Conimander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces:— “(1) To avoid fresh loss of human life, the Commandor-in-Chief suggests that you cease ail resistance in order that the garrison on the island may surrender. "(2) Should you not accept this invitation, our attacks wil! be resumed on a considerably larger scale, and they will continue without respite until all resistance ceases. “(3) Your Excellency should know that to continue resistance under the conditions prevailing would be a venture bare of hope, and in spite of heroism it would be found to end in failure. In view of the crushing superiority of the Allied forces there would be' nothing dishonourable in surrender, especially as, after one has fulfilled one’s duty, one is entitled to avoid needless shedding of blood.” The ultimatum also gave instructions on the course to be taken if the garrison agreed to surrender. Flying Fortresses were about to deliver another bombing attack this morning when they saw two white flags hoisted. The Commandcr-in-Chief .in the Mediterranean (Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham) and General Eisenhower watched the naval bombardment of Pantelleria on Tuesday from the bridge of the British cruiser Aurora, according to a message from Allied Headquarters in North Africa. There was a dramatic combined naval and air assault. Other ships taking part in the bombardment were the cruisers Newfoundland, Orion, Penelope, and Euryalus.