SWEEPING NORTH

Evening Star, Issue 24917, 15 July 1943, Page 5

SWEEPING NORTH

Eighth Army's Phenomenal Advance

Columns On Verge Of Catania Plain (Received 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, July 14. The Allies in Sicily are advancing along the entire line. Eighth Army columns, in a phenomenal advance north of Augusta, are pouring across the foothills on the southern verge of the Catanian Plain, with Catania, the key Sicilian port, their objective, says Reuter's correspondent at Allied headquarters. The push is gathering weight and speed. The resistance is reported to be not very determined. This brilliant sweep north is the biggesft news to-night in the general advance of the Allied forces in the past 36 hours. Catania's airfield has been twice battered from the air and sea in the past 24 hours. The Allies have captured two more important airfields, Ponte Olivo and Comiso. The town of Palma has also been captured. Reuter's correspondent, summing up. the Allied position to-night, says the latest advices reaching Allied headquarters ' aliow, firstly, that the main British drive is progressing along the coast road from Augusta; secondly, the Americans, fanning out westward from Licata, have extended their left flank to from 8 to 10 miles, and have captured Naro; thirdly, a second American force, striking north-east from Gela, has seized Ponte Olivo airfield. This forceUs now less than two miles from Niscemi; fourthly,' other American troops, who yesterday linked up with the Canadian left flank outside Ragusa, have pushed on and captured Comiso airfield; The Allied penetration on this front has now reached a depth of 10 miles; fifthly, the Canadians, fighting eastward of the Americans, have occupied Modica. These troops captured General Davet. A great number of Axis troops and fantastic quantities of equipment are being sent to the bottom of the Messina Straits, says the Algiers radio. Air-borne troops are incessantly harrying the enemy rear, destroying lines of communication, spreading confusion everywhere, and seizing military installations. . The Allied troops are less than six miles from Catania, according to reports from Berlin, says the , British United Press Stockholm correspondent.. Advanced Allied storm troops are moving up the coast, and are reported to be even closer to Catania, the civil population of which has been largely evacu- , a * e d "V Algiers radio says, although no major enemy forces have yet been encountered, enemy columns have been observed moving south in the direction of Catania and Gerbini. Allied tanks are in action, but have not yet'engaged the Axis tanks on a large scale.' , Another Berlin report claims that the .battle for Catania has started; and that heavy fighting is going on.