CORSICAN COUP

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 308, 23 September 1943, Page 7

CORSICAN COUP

West Of Island Now Freed HAPPY PATRIOTS (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Received September 22, 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 21. The French troops in Corsica are vigorously supporting and efliciently coordinating with the actions of the Corsican patriots, states a communique from Algiers. The entire western part of Corsica has already been liberated. A correspondent of the British United Press, writing on Saturday from Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica, stated : “Ihcre are about 10,000 Germans in Corsica, mainly on the east coast, and the French commandos have not yet made contact with them. Some of the 50,000 Italians on the island are already fighting with the Corsican patriots against the Germans. Directly the fall of Italy became known the Corsican de Gaullists staged a eoup d’etat.” The correspondent said that the commandos first landed on September 13 in one of the war’s most secret operations. The French Navy used its fastest destroyers for the operation, and they audaciously skirted Sardinia, which was then in German hands, to reach their objective. U-boats attacked them fruitlessly. The commandos were met not by Germans but by several thousand Frenchmen who were delirious with joy and bred rifles, even old flintlocks, into toe air. That enthusiasm was repeated when a second wave of Frenchmen landed four days later. . The Corsicans are asking: When are the British and Americans coming.' When shall we invade France.'’, lhe Corsicans are undoubtedly pro-Albed. The French Committee of National Liberation has announced that the laws of the Third Republic once more operate in the island. All Vichy laws are abolished and a new prefect of Corsica is appointed. , British and American troops have landed at several points in Sardinia and have taken over a number of the ports from the Italians, including Cagliari. They have also commandeered three airfields.