PANTELLERIA FALLS

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 June 1943, Page 5

PANTELLERIA FALLS

WHITE FLAG HOISTED

BOMBERS’ KNOCK-OUT BLOWS

ALLIED TROOPS LANDED

(Recd. 10.0 a.m.) LONDON, June 11. Allied Headquarters at Algiers an-nounced-that Pantelleria had surrendered, and the Allied forces are now occupying the island. A Rome communique stated that about a thousand enemy planes hammered Pantelleria before the second demand to surrender was delivered. Morocco radio says that .British commandos again raided Lampedusa.

RUGBY, June 11. Early this morning, the white flag was displayed on Semaphore Hill, St. Elmo over Pantelleria harbour, states an Allied Headquarters message. The Allied military commander was mformed and took dispositions to occupy the island. More bombs were dropped on Pantelleria yesterday than were dropped on all the targets in Tunisia, Sicily, Sardinia and Italy during the whole of April. This staggering use of overwhelming air-power was the “knock-out'’ blow. Describing the early stages of the occupation of the island, the British radio commentators at Algiers said the first troops landed from assault craft at twelve noon, to-day. Although the commander of the garrison signalled his wish to surrender, there was some slight resistance, but nevertheless our troops achieved all the first objectives by 12.22. A strong naval force covered the landing.

all-in assault

LONDON, June 10

With the Allied Air Forces carrying out a ceaseless attack against Pantelleria and the Royal Navy maintaining a complete blockade, the Rome radio to-day admitted that Pantelleria and Lampedusa might be battered to a point of exhaustion by the extreme violence of the assault. The British United Press cor- ■ respondent at Allied headquarters m North Africa says: We are throwing practically every aircraft capable of carrying bombs into the attack on Pantelleria and it is believed that we have reduced the island’s defences to a point where they can hold out only a little longer. Reports brought back by airmen sent out to continue the island’s destruction following the rejection of our ultimatum spoke of only very weak opposition from the island's ground defences. Ton after ton of high explosives rained down on Pantelleria yesterday, keeping up a steady pulverisation which has been going on practically ever since the fall of Tunisia. The enemy again tried to put up a. fighter umbrella over the island, but only one of our planes is missing against 12 of the enemy shot down. One pilot reported seeing only two bursts of anti-aircraft fire the whole time he . was over the island. It seemed evident from the airmen’s reports that the island's defenders have been cut off from all hope of supplies by our air and naval blockade and that they have been relentlessly hammered so Long that they must bo very close to point.

TERMS OF ULTIMATUM DESIRE TO AVOID BLOODSHED RUGBY, June 11. The capture of Pantelleria removes a possibly troublesome threat to the restored ’ Allied sea communications in the Mediterranean, and gives the Allied fighter aircraft and small ships a useful additional base-for operations against Sicily. The Italians used the harbour as a U-boat base, but it is not believed that submarines operated from the island. The airfield had been put out of action by Allied bombers but could easily be restored for use by lighters as have the Tunisian airfields. Just as Malta is an island aircraft carrier, facing the east end of the Sicilian coast, so Pantelleria is another facing the western end of the coast. The island, which is wholly volcanic in formation has an areafrof forty .square miles. The population before the war was 9500. The island lacks fresh water, and the investment probably prevented replenishment of supplies from Italy.

“The fall of the island shows to what extent we now have domination in sea and air, even in the narrow walers of the Sicilian Channel,’’ a British commentator on the Algiers radio said. “It is the first time an enemy fortress has been reduced from the" air, and the success shows not only what devastating air power we possess but how we have learnt to use it to the maximum effect.’’

The whole offensive, he continued was planned in meticulous detail by the men. led by Air Marshal. Tedder, who understood the true nature of air power better than the Germans. Pantelleria had heavy gun emplacements all round the coast, and the airfield, which was one of Italy’s most useful areas. Our bombers went for the batteries one by one. They smashed and pounded the airfield until it was unuseable, then they put all ships in the harbour out of commission.

The Algiers radio also gave the full text of the ultimatum to the island, which was broadcast to the garrison and also dropped as leaflets: “I have ordered the suspension of the bombardment for six hours to communicate the following message, on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces. Firstly, to avoid fresh loss of human life, the Commander-in-Chief suggests you cease all resistance, and order the garrison of the island to surrender. Secondly, should you not accept the invitation, the attacks will be resumed on a considerably larger scale. They will continue without respite until all resistance ceases. Thirdly, Your Excellency should know to continue the resistance under the conditions prevailing would be a venture bare of hope. In spite of heroism, it would be found to end in failure. In view of the crushing superiority of the Allied forces, there would be nothing dishonourable in surrender, especially as after one had fulfilled one’s duty, one is entitled to avoid needless shedding of blood.”

The ultimatum also gave instructions regarding the course to be taken if the garrison agreed to surrender. The Fortresses were about to deliver another bombing attack this morning, when they saw two flags hoisted at last.

Admiral Cunningham and General Eisenhower witnessed the naval bombardment of Pantelleria on Tuesday from the bridge of the British cruiser Aurora, according to a message just received from Allied Headquarters in North Africa. They saw the dramatic combined naval and air assault. Other ships taking part in the bombardment were the cruisers Newfoundland, Orion, Penelope, and Euryalus. MR. ROOSEVELT’S COMMENT Expressing high satisfaction at the surrender of Pantelleria, Mr. Roosevelt declared the people of Italy, once their Fascist leaders were overthrown would be given a free choice of Government, says a Washington message. Mr. Roosevelt reminded the It-

alians that the effects of the Allied campaign against Italy were-the logical and inevitable result of Mussolini’s ruthless, traitorous course. Mussolini had betrayed his country m the struggle for personal power and aggrandisement. u , , After referring to Mussolini s stab in the back,” Mr. Roosevelt said, the Allied nations had no choice but to prosecute the war against Italy until complete victory was won.

AERIAL ENCOUNTERS

RUGBY, June 11. ; A Malta message states that the island had three alerts yesterday afternoon. During the first, a small number of enemy fighters approached the coast but were intercepted by Spitfires, which destroyed one of them. Heavy anti-aircraft defences engaged the raiders. During the second alert, the raiders did not cross the coast, but in the third, a small number appeared over the island. The Air Command announced yesterday that our fighters destroyed a Macchi 202 over Sicily and fighterbombers attacked factories at Pazzallo and Gela aerodrome. Our intruders were over Sicily and southwestern Italy last night. Railway sidings, road transport and trams were attacked. To the third anniversary of Italy s entry into the war 31,300 persons had been killed in air-raids on the island, and 11,579 died from injuries.

ITALIAN FLEET

“PEP” PROPAGANDA

LONDON, June 10. ' “The Italian Fleet is at action stations, ready to repulse the enemy s attack,” said the Italian Under-Sec-retary of the Navy (Riccardi), broadcasting over the Rome radio on the occasion of Italy’s Navy Day. “Any moment now may be the eve of battle.”

In an order to officers and men of the Navy, Riccardi said: “I call on you sailors to remember that Italy’s future lies in your hands. I am full of confidence. Our future, in spite of the present adverse happenings, will be secure, but you will have to sacrifice your lives if necessary. The struggle will be long and hard.” Riccardi’s announcement followed a heavy barrage of internal propaganda aimed at stimulating the morale of naval officers and men. All reports emanating from Italy indicate that the nation is pinning its hopes on the navy and its ability to counter the Allies’ coming amphibious operations. Italian newspapers are full of glowing tributes to the courage and skill of naval commanders and men. One radio commentator said: “The Italian fleet is so very daring. It is there, ready, whenever it is needed.” The Berlin correspondent of the Stockholm newspaper “Allehanda” says: “It is pointed out here that except of the important naval bases there are no real coastal fortifications in Italy. These are impossible because on the length of the coast. The Italian defence will therefore be mobile, with reserves left inside the country and rushed to landing points.” “The Italians will defend the homeland to the utmost, if, as is probable, it is attacked,” says the Rome radio. “The Italian forces believe that hard and even harder trials are still to come, but they will resist them all.”

According to the Rome radio, Mussolini has ordered numerous local government changes affecting 44 city prefects, of whom 24 will be changed from one city to another. Fourteen are removed from office. Half the cities mentioned by the radio have been heavily bombed or are in likely invasion areas.

It is signifificant that in the last six months Mussolini has changed all his Ministers, all his under-secretaries, all his chiefs of staffs in the high military command, and all the Fascist leaders —some of them more than once. ROMMEL’S POST. LONDON. June 11. “Reports from Vichy confirm that Marshal Rommel has been chosen to command the defence forces along the western part of the German Mediterranean wall, with temporary headquarters in the Riviera,” says the Madrid correspondent of the “Daily Mail.” “He is now making frantic efforts to organise the defences. The building of forts, artillery emplacements, and anti-aircraft posts is reported to have been speeded up, but the Mediterranean wall is still far from complete.” The Berlin News Agency states: The Aegean Islands are being converted into fortresses in readiness for an invasion. Their defences include concrete blockhouses, barbed wire entanglements and artillery. Messages from Ankara say that there are intense German, defence measures in Jugoslavia throughout the entire Adriatic coastline. It is reported that the puppet Croatian Government has been reorganised, to include a number of Germans.

INVASION CRAFT

STOCKHOLM, June 11

The German naval spokesman (Admiral Luetzow), at a Press conference in Berlin, said that light invasion craft were assembled at British ports along the Channel. This did not necessarily mean that action was imminent,- as such concentrations had been observed before, but the Germans were closely watching events.

FIGHTING IN MONTENEGRO

RUGBY, June 11.

Severe fighting continues in Montenegro. where the fifth German offensive against the patriots shows no slackening, according to latest information reaching Jugoslav circles in London. In the last forty-eight hours fighting was particularly severe. Some districts reported that in one sector several enemy divisions were engaged against the patriots.