SURRENDER REFUSED

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 136, 10 June 1943, Page 5

SURRENDER REFUSED

Island Of Pantelleria

ALLIED ATTACK CONTINUES

LONDON, June 9.

A special communique from Allied headquarters in North Africa says: ''Yesterday our aircraft dropped leaflets on Pantelleria, asking for the unconditional surrender of the island. The Italian garrison did not reply. This request was made in order to spare the inhabitants of Pantelleria unnecessary suffering. Pantelleria has been bombed from the air and shelled from the sea. This bombing and the blockade of the island will continue until its complete surrender."

The Italians say that the garrison has refused the offer to surrender.

Rome radio speaks tonight of overwhelming air and naval forces besieging Pantelleria, and says that the 'Axis air forces have been concentrating their efforts against them.

An Allied communique issued earlier in the day said that a force of cruisers and destroyers bombarded the island yesterday with satisfactory results. There was some fire in reply, but our ships suffered neither casualties nor damage. Bombers had attacked the stronghold previously. A correspondent who was with the ■Mediterranean Fleet during yesterday's bombardment says that Pantellena received the greatest pounding yet from bombers and warships combined. "As our fleet approached," he said, "squadron after squadron of b^bers ran a shuttle service, dropping bombs until the whole island was shrouded to smoke and dust. Then came a pause to.allow the smoke to drift away. Once the target area could be seen again our ships stood in, pouring salvo after salvo into the harbour, harbour buildings, and batteries. From the upper deck of our ship I got an excellent view and saw great eruptions of Dursting shells in the target area. We fired more than 2000 shells in broad daylight and within easy reach of the shore batteries, without any casualties or damage on board any of the many ships. Only a few feeble rounds were fired from the shore batteries on the doomed island. M.T.B.S ATTACK. "We ceased fire and then our motor torpedo-boats skimmed through the white-capped sea with bows high up in the water. They ran right into Pantelleria harbour and shot up the jetties and harbour works. They were lost in dense dust and smoke, and when they came back with their perky bows towards us Fortresses came rumbling overhead, marking the climax of_ the attack. Our bombs were exploding continuously as the fleet withdrew, leaving the island almost completely enveloped by smoke; and dust Two enemy air attacks on the fleet were smashed %y • Allied fighters and only a few bombs were dropped at random. Shortly afterwards the fleet returned to base without further chaltcnfis A correspondent recalls that although Pantelleria has a long history, it was not until after the Ethiopian campaign that the Italians seemed to discover Its strategic significance in the Mediterranean. Rome announced m 1937 that a naval and air base was built on the island, and since that time It has been forbidden territory. It is known to have bomb-proof underground hangars in the hills, and a big landing ground. "The-;men stationed in this rocky place must, to say the least, be feeling that there is not much future in Pantelleria," the correspondent remarks. XAMPEDUSA RECONNAISSANCE. On Sunday night and Monday morning Allied light surface forces carried out a coastal reconnaissance on the Italian island of Lampedusa without iuffering damage or casualties, except that two of the landing party did not return. This is announced in a naval communique from Malta.

Allied bombers attacked enemy positions in the south of Sardinia. Intruders from Malta attacked targets m Sicily and bombers from the Middle East gave the ferry terminus at Messina another pounding. Malta intruders attacked targets on the heel of the peninsula. All these operations, including the onslaught on Pantelleria, cost the Allies two aircraft. One of the enemy Planes that appeared was destroyed.

mist, and with ships around us in powerful array, the captain informed all quarters that the object of the offensive was to test the defences, and added: 'The cruisers will open fixe. During the second run the destroyers will go in as close as possible.' The officers and men got on with the job, laying their guns as coolly as though i they were pi'eparing for a practice i shoot. Over us as we steamed towards Pantelleria whined squadrons of American and British aircraft, and during the whole morning, from dawn onwards, group after group of Fortresses, Marylands, and Mitchells . winged across the sunlit sky in non-stop raids on the island. "The flashes of the guns when the ships opened fire stabbed out over the jblue sea. Columns of smoke, earth, and sand reared up on shore as the shells smashed in around the battery positions. Each ship had gun positions as its target. In half an hour the guns sent a tornado of shells. Not a single enemy gun replied to the cruisers' fire. "Zero hour came to us and the other destroyers when the cruisers opened tfieir second round. At full speed we swished through the calm sea till the rocky ridges on the sandy foreshore showed plainly. We plastered shells through the smoke pall. M.T.B.S' DANGEROUS MISSION. "Away to port we saw the intrepid Im.t.b.s skimming in towards the harbour, their tiny guns popping on the gun positions. Almost at the breakwater they swerved and dashed away, their dangerous mission accomplished safely. We were now steaming beam on to the coast, firing broadsides of shells and hundreds of pompoms at a range of three miles. "Suddenly the smoke blew away and vicious spurts of flame shot up on the low, rocky ridge. Seconds passed, and shells plunged into the sea a mile from us. Again and again the guns flashed, but the gunners were unable to get the range. . / ' , j A "Their job'done, the ships turned to the open sea. Between the crash of guns the hum of aircraft engines filled the sky, and looking up I saw swift-. moving shapes of Fortresses I counted them and lost tally. Then came a most awe-inspiring and magnificent sight as the air bombardment climbed to a mighty crescendo. Ignoring the few puffs of flak, the planes swept in in formation and almost simultaneously unleashed their cargo of bombs.