“DEVASTATING AIR POWER”

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

“DEVASTATING AIR POWER”

Comment On Fall Of Pantelleria VALUE OF ISLAND TO ALLIES (N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, June 12. “The fall of Pantelleria shows to what extent we now have domination on the sea and in the air, even in the narrow waters of the Sicilian Channel, said a British commentator on the Algiers radio. “It is the first time that an enemy fortress has been reduced from the air and our success shows not only what devastating air power we possess, but how we have learnt to use it to the maximum effect. “The whole offensive,” he continued, “was planned in meticulous detail by men led by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, who understood the true nature of air power better than the Germans. Pantelleria had heavy gun emplacements all round the coast, and an airfield which was one of Italy’s most useful. Our bombers went for the batteries one by one. They smashed and pounded the airfield until it was unusable, then they put all the ships in the harbour out of commission.” The military correspondent of the “Daily Mail” emphasises that PantelIcria’s fall has a tremendous implication. It lays before Italy, in all its deadly significance, the might of the blow which can be dealt her before an invasion. Pantelleria was a demonstration of the new Allied offensive technique. Its capture was the result of the softening up of a limited objective to a supreme, logical, conclusive point at which there was no need to Invade, but merely to occupy.” “No one imagines that the greater objectives and more powerful defences which lie ahead will fall as easily as the fortress which II Duce vaingloriously set amidst the Sicilian Narrows, or that they will collapse like the walls of Jericho at the first blast.” says “The Times” in a leading article. “Pantclleria was no more than an outpost of Sicily, which itself is an outpost of Italy. There arc no suggestions that its capture brings the Allies in the Mediterranean more than one step closer to the European fortress, yet there are circumstances connected with the collapse which are encouraging. Swiftness of Collapse “Never before has moral and material resistance been so rapidly and brilliantly subdued. The Japanese, however overwhelming their strength, always had land troops oven on weakly held Pacific islands. The explanation of the successful defence of Malta and the fall of Pantelleria lies in the fact that the Allies' dominate the Sicilian Narrows to an extent which the enemy never achieved. Pantelleria was blockaded by air and sea, and the Italians could not succeed in breaking the blockade as the British succeeded in breaking that at Malta.” The capture of Pantelleria removes a possible troublesome threat to the restored Allied sea communications in the Mediterranean and it gives Allied fighter aircraft and small ships a useful additional base for operations against Sicily. The Italians used the harbour as a U-boat base, but it is not believed that submarines operated from the island. The airfield has boon put out of action by Allied bombers, but it could easily be restored for use by fighters as have the Tunisian airfields. Just as Malta is an island aircraft-carrier facing the oast end of the Sicilian coast, so Pantelleria is another facing the western end of the coast. The island, which is wholly of volcanic formation, has an area of 40 square miles. The population before the war was 9500. The island lacks fresh water and its investment-probably prevented the replenishment of supplies from Italy. The fall of Pantelleria has been greeted with great enthusiasm by the island of Malta. Pantelleria fell on the third anniversary of (he first major attack on Malta. A great number of the devastating attacks on Malta were launched from Pantelleria. American Comment The United States Secretary of the Navy (Colonel Frank Knox) said in Washington that the capture of Pantclleria eliminated an important enemy bastion, but other islands must be taken before the Mediterranean was completely cleared. Pantelleria meant the same to the Allies as Malta would moan to Italy if she captured it. “The surrender of Pantelleria spells the u'timate inescapable doom of the Axis,” said Mr Elmer Davis, Director of the United States Office of War Information. broadcasting. “However. Hie European invasion still lies ahead, and will entail heavier losses than we have suffered so far.” He added; “Europe will probably be attacked at a number of different points simultaneously, and the invasion will be preceded by commando raids to feel out soft spots. In one raid on Lampedusa commandos got ashore and got out again, whereupon the enemy declared that great attacks had been repulsed. You may sec a good deal of that. Every time British commandos and American rangers go in and come out according to orders, the enemy will say the invasion of Europe has been beaten off.” EXPECTANCY IX RUSSIA “OFFENSIVE BEFORE END OF JUNE” (Rcc. 11.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, June 13. "A wave of restlessness replete with symptoms of things to come is making itself felt along the enormous Russian front,” reports the Moscow Correspondent of the “Now York Times” <Cari Sulzberger). “The increasing war of nerves and more active partisan raids indicate that a major offensive is approaching, and it will ahnost certainly unfold before the end of June.” Discussing the expected clash, Sulzberger says: "Foreign observers do not doubt" that the Soviet forces today are belter equipped, organised, disciplined, and armed than ever before. Now Soviet weapons include the heavy Voroshilov lank, which is strongly armoured and armed with high velocity 76-millimetrc guns. It is Mr Stalin's answer to Hitler's Mark VI Tiger tank. “However, the most noticeable improvement in the Russian war picture is in the Red Air Force. According to the best Information it is so strong that the Luftwaffe can hope only for parity. The Russians possess new models of aircraft which so far have not been in action, such as the Petrikov II bomber, and the Ilyushin IV fighter, while the German types have not changed.” The correspondent concludes that the improvement in the Red ground and air forces has caused considerable optimism among both Russian and foreign observers, who are confident that no matter what tricks Hitler attempts he is up against a harder job than ever before. TWO U.S. SUBMARINES MISSING (Rec. 11 p.m.) WASHINGTON, June 13 A United States Navy communique says that the United States submarines Amberjack and Grampus failed to return from patrol operations and must bo presumed lost. The estimated complement of each is 60 men.