BATTLE FOR CATANIA

Evening Star, Issue 24919, 17 July 1943, Page 5

BATTLE FOR CATANIA

Enemy Fighting Fiercely AMERICANS GAIN GROUND AND WIDEN BRIDGEHEAD (Eeceived 11 a.m.) • RUGBY, July 16. The enemy is fighting fiercely to hold up the Eighth Army's advance on Catania, states a Press correspondent with the Fifteenth A-rmy Group Command. " Throughout yesterday," he reported, " the enemy, the majority of whom are German, put up stiff resistance in an endeavour to prevent our v troops getting through on the Catania Plain, and there was exceptionally heavy fighting on the * road leading northwards from Augusta before our armoured units succeeded in breaking through." "Later motorised infantry followed through. 1 Our-troops had to battle their way through stiff defensive positions. " There was also very heavy, fighting throughout yesterday at Vizzini Licodia, about 40 miles north : west of Syracuse. Our troops occupied the village early in-the morn,ing, driving the enemy out. Before our troops could, get firmly established the enemy launched heavy counter-attacks, which forced our \ troops to leave the village. A ding-dong struggle for possession of the town then developed, and it changed hands several times during the day before our troops/ gained a firm hold 1 late in the afternoon. They now hold it firmly. " The American troops also made further advances, and continue to deepen their bridgehead, although they are haying to move through difficult hilly, country. One party of Italians which surrendered complained that they had been placed in front of minefields, while the Germans, who were behind, refused to show them a safe path through. • " Only nine enemy aircraft were seen on the whole front yesterday, and of that number four were shot down." . . , i ''■'■.)