CONSIDERABLE GAINS

Evening Star, Issue 24918, 16 July 1943, Page 3

CONSIDERABLE GAINS

12,000 PRISONERS TAKEN (Rec. 2 p.m.) - RUGBY, July 15. Our forces in Sicily have made considerable gains north of Augusta and in, the south of theisland. At least six airfields v a!re now in our hands, and some . are being used by our fighters. The Messina ferry has come in for increasingly :heavy attacks from Allied bombers. "';.'-Allied troops made fre6h gains on , both the. western and eastern sectors, and to-day's communique also reports successful operations by air-borne and parachute troops. Allied .fighter planes are now operating from captured airfields in Sicily and from Pantellaria, in ' support ■of . the advance. The communique says that' during the last .24 hours our ground; forces made considerable gains. In the eastern sec--tor the British Eighth Army advanced' some miles beyond Augusta, which has been firnily secured. In the western sector the '.'■ American Seventh Army captured another important aerodrome and several;; dominating hills. Both British and American air-borne and parachute troops carried out successful operations. .'} At least 12,000 prisoners have been , taken-during the past five days. ' A correspondent at Algiers says that the Allied forces are now moving along together in one Unified plan of attack. In the west the Americans are driving up from Noro through woody country and threatening lines of communication in. the centre of the island. In the east .the British advance carried our troops through to the plain of Catania, arid this drive now directly threatens Catania itself. Up to now enemy resistance has not ! heen nearly as strong as expected, >but_it seems highly probable" that we will fight for Catania, and generally we expect resistance to stiffen. .•■.'■/.•

Most of the 12,000 prisoners captured were'ltalians, and 8,000 have already been evacuated. We now have seven of. the Axis airfields in Sicily and a seaplane base.' -