DEFENCE OF THE BOTTLENECK

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

DEFENCE OF THE BOTTLENECK

STRONG RESISTANCE AT LENTINI LONDON, July 16. The Axis Command is reported to be throwing in the only German units in Sicily to stiffen the resistance to the Allie'd threat to the Catanian Plain. The Algiers radio report that the Allies were storming the city of Catania was premature. The fate of Lentini and Carlentini, whose capture was reported earlier, is still doubtful.. Heater's correspondent at Allied headquarters says the Kighth Army spearheads advancing on Lentini encountered the outposts of a powerful German force apparently drawn up across the Lentini bottleneck guarding the entrance to the Catanian Plain. Tho bottleneck, to the north of Lentini, its a strip of land four miles wide between Lentini and Lake Carlentini marshes, which run to the sea. A major highway to Catania strikes across the centre of this neck. The Germans are deploying in the vicinity of the bottleneck in ever-increasing strength, hoping to'chock the Eighth Army's advance and remove the threat to the Catanian Plain with its chain of air bases, as well as Catania city. The Allies, after beating back the Axis counter-attack against Augusta, have advanced at least six miles north and captured the little coastal town of Bracoli. United States forces pushing up wooded valleys from Gela into hilly country are also meeting with increased resistance, says the British United Press correspondent. Tlie Axis forces defending the area are trying to ward off Allied thrusts, which are likely to cut the communications running .from the south-east to the north-west. The Axis are reported to be massing on the Americans' extreme left flank. Americans from Naro are also pushing northwards towards Canicatti, the occupation of which wouloj sever the Axis communications behind the present lines.