MESSINA CAPTURED

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 August 1943, Page 5

MESSINA CAPTURED

SICILIAN CAMPAIGN ENDED

U.S.A.-BRITISH ARMIES JOIN

HAULS OF MEN & MATERIAL

LONDON, August 17. Troops of the 3rd Division of the United States 7th Army reached the outskirts of Messina at 8 o’clock last night. This is announced in a spe-i cial communique issued this morn-; ing by Allied Headquarters in North; Africa. The 3rd Division is the one; which landed at Licata, on the south; coast of Sicily, and drove across the; island to Palermo, on the north coast. | The usual Allied communique, issued earlier, said that the advance on Messina was continuing successfully. Leading elements of the Bth Army had reached Santa Teresa di Riva, 19 miles from Messina, and early] yesterday morning a commando, force had made a daring landing; further up the coast only eight miles I from Messina. This landing was; made by a strong force, according to a 8.8. C. reporter, and was successful. The 8.8. C. reporter also said that evacuation traffic had decreased] since noon yesterday, and the intense anti-aircraft fire round Messina had greatly diminished, although there had been a slight increase in the barrage from the mainland. LATER. The fall of Messina is expected at any moment. General Eisenhower said last night that the city would fall within 24 hours. The latest report says that American troops, earlier reported to have reached the outskirts, are now moving into the heart of the city through the waterfront area. stroncTdefence LONDON, August 17. A British United Press correspondent with the Bth Army says that the British are now facing a fairly strong enemy rearguard. The Sth Army regained contact with the enemy late yesterday after a two days’ advance through minefields and demolitions without any other opposition. The British were repulsed by a sharp enemy counter-attack in the mountains, btu quickly regained the lost ground. The American 7th Army, east of Milazzo, to-day fought another of the fierce, short battles by which the enemy is attempting to delay the advance. The Americans, who had moved into a small town, found German rearguards awaiting them. The Americans pushed on, fighting through the streets, and soon captured the place. The immensity of the task which has been allotted to the Allied sappers in removing obstacles left behind by the enemy is told by a 8.8. C. correspondent. He says that as he drove down the road towards Taormina, he found the route blocked in every possible way. At one point a w'hole railway bridge over the road had been demolished, and there was only a twisted mass of blackened steel and masonry spread all over the road. In addition, the roads were heavily mined and a number of casualties had been caused among the sappers of the Royal. Engineers. “DEMOLITION” SKILL. RUGBY, August 17. A military commentator in London said that by extremely skilful use of demolitions, the Germans avoided being pinned down, although last night’s commando raid may have pinched out the rearguards facing the Eighth Army on the eastern coastal road. From Messina to the cape north of the town are six beaches, each about a mile long, suitable for embarkation of the remaining enemy forces, especially as they arc covered by guns on the mainland. It is very improbable that the enemy got any heavy war material away. The extent of the evacuation of troops and the number of prisoners etc. are not yet known. RESISTANCE* CEASED. (Recd. 12.55 p.m.) LONDON, August 17. A special Algiers communique states that American troops captured Messina. The Seventh American Army and the Eighth British Army have" joined forces in the town of Messina. All organised resistance has ceased on the island. The prisoners captured by the two armies are not yet all counted, nor has al] the enemy material in our hands been ascertained. Enemy batteries on the foot of the Italian boot are shelling Messina. The Algiers radio stated that large quantities of war materials and large numbers of Axis prisoners have fallen into our hands. The enemy has begun demolition operations in the toe of Italy, indicating preparations for a withdrawal northward should the Allied forces cross to the mainland. The Rome radio, this evening, reported that a large Allied invasion fleet had been sighted off Catania, including barges laden with troops and tanks. s CLAIMS. AS GOOD AS VICTORY. (Recd. 10.55 a.m.) LONDON, August 17. The Germans claim that all their forces were evacuated from Sicily. A special German High Command communique, states: “Evacuation of the island has been progressing according to plan for the last fortnight. The heaviest losses were infficted on the enemy in defensive fighting and fierce counter-attacks. All enemy attempts to cut off our troops by continuous air attacks against the Straits of Messina or by Naval forces in the Straits of Messina, failed. Our forces succeeded in carrying out a systematically large-scale action, crossing to Calabria with the result that at 6 a.m. to-day all Germans and Italians with their heavy weapons, tanks, guns, motor-cycles and war material had been transferred across the Straits to the mainland. General Hube who was in charge of the Sicilian fighting was one of the last toj leave the island. Commanders of troops fulfilled an achievement which will go down in military history, just as would a victorious battle.” The Berlin radio says: Our entire army from Sicily is now ready to strike with all its tanks, guns and vehicles on the Italian mainland. The German News Agency claims that all military installations m the town and harbour of Messina were destroyed before evacuation and adds: In the Sicilian campaign, the Allies used six tank divisions, four tank brigades, 18 infantry and one marine divisions, two air-borne divisions, 1,600 fighters, 1000 bombers, and over 800 special purpose planes. Their naval forces comprised six battleships, two aircraft carriers, between 18 and 20 cruisers, 85 destroyers and a transport fleet sufficient to land ten divisions. The Berlin radio's commentator (Capt. Sertorius) claims that the Allies were heavily mauled in Sicily. “The first Canadian division, for instance, after losing 75 per cent of its effectives had to be withdrawn from the front Line.”

WHITEHALL’S REJOINDER. (Rec. 1 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 17. The German claim that the Messina evacuation was a great achievement is not taken seriously in Whitehall. If is pointed out that 130,000 prisoners had been taken up to yesterday week, and this has probably increased by many thousands more in the last few days. The total enemy losses are estimated to be about 250,000, which is nothing short of a major military defeat, which cannot be balanced by evacuation of a fragment. It is suggested that for the Nazis to get any of their forces away must seem good to them, after the capture of the entire German and Italian armies in Tunisia. NAVAL ACTIVITY. RUGBY, August 17. “Latest reports show there has been intense naval activity in and around the Straits of Messina off the north and east coasts of Sicily and both coasts .of Italy,” a naval communique said. “Gunboats and destroyers operating on the right flank of the Eighth Army daily bombarded the coast roads to Messina. Light coastal forces have been operatingeach night in the straits. Destroyers on patrol towards the southern end of the straits on Saturday night saw demolitions in progress on the Sicilian coast near Scaletta, and on the south coast of Calabria. On the same night, naval forces, engaged in a sweep of the Italian coast to Cape Rizzauto, and met three E-boats. After firing a torpedo the enemy fled at high speed. Sealeri, on the south side of the Gulf of Policastro was heavily bombarded from the sea on Saturday night. One thousand shells were fired into the port in 20 minutes. At an early hour on Monday, south of Capo Bonifati, British naval forces sank an armed lighter and two escort craft. Port Viba Marina was again bombarded from the sea. The American Navy on Monday morning landed an amphibious group from the American Seventh Army near Milazzo. The landing was made without great difficulty. This was the third such landing conducted by the American Navy in co-operation with the Seventh Army in the past ten days. During Monday a light formation of enemy boats was driven oft by American naval units, north 01. Messina." SUBMARINES’ SUCCESSES. RUGBY, August 17. An Admiralty communique says: “British submarines destroyed nine more vessels in waters around metropolitan Italy. Off Corsica, a British submarine engaged a minelayer Oj the Fasana type and drove her ashore, the enemy vessel being ultimately destroyed bv a torpedo. Two large transport barges under the German Ensign and escorting a naval auxiliary vessel were sunk by gunfire in the same area. ‘•North of Corsica in the Ligurian Sea an armed anti-submarine yacht was sunk by torpedo. A motor minesweeper and a naval trawler, bodi wearing the Italian Ensign, . were sunk by gunfire. East of Italy m the Adriatic, a large three-funneled transport was torpedoed while inward bound for Brindisi. She sank within three minutes. A supply ship of large size, intercepted in the same area was also sunk by torpedo. In addition to these successes, another British submarine damaged a me-dium-sized supply ship which was intercepted while outward-bound from Durazzo (Albania). The submarines which carried out these attacks were under the command of Lieutenants JS. Stevens D. 5.0., D.S.C., J. /’■ Wraith. D. 5.0.. D.S.C.. R. B. Lakin. D. 5.0.. D.S.C., and J. Whitton.

AERIAL ATTACKS 43 ENEMY LOSSES LONDON, August 17. A heavy and successful attack _on two airfields near Foggia, 80 miles cast of Naples, was made yesterday bv a large force of Liberators from the Middle East. This is reported m to-day’s Cairo communique. At one airfield the damage included the setting alight of two large oil dumps. At the other many hits were scored on the landing ground, workshops, administrative buildings, and living quarters. At this airfield more than 100 fighters came up m an attempt to beat off the Liberators. The fighters were very severely handled. Forty-three, including 29 Messerschmitt 109’s, were shot down. In these and other operations eight Allied aircraft were lost. ATTACKS ONTRANSPORT. RUGBY, August 17. The retreating Axis forces which have been able to make their way to the Italian mainland are finding even there they have little respite from the fierce air attacks which the Northwest African Air Force are maintaining, says a correspondent in North Africa. The evacuation was chiefly carried out by night, and last night for over 100 miles along the Italian coastline Wellingtons of the R.A.F. patrolled the beaches between Raimi and Pizzo, in the toe of Italy, attacking concentrations of coastal vessels and concentrations of troops disembarking. Other Wellingtons. in bright moonlight, bombed the airfield at Viterbo. 45 miles north of Rome, while Wellingtons of Ihe Coastal Air Force went inside the boom defences of Port Imperia, in the Gulf of Genoa, and torpedoed a medium-sized merchant vessel. Reconnaissance reports from pilots later in the area showed no sign of the vessel. During the day. there was a continuous attack against enemy communications, railways and bridges being bombed on land and merchant vessels attacked in the Straits. A Beaufighter squadron missed breakfast to carry out an attack on coastwise shipping, and after the attack saw smoke. coming from a merchant vessel which was hit by a torpedo. A second merchantman in the same convoy was hit amidships by a torpedo.

CLIMAX APPROACHING

LONDON. August 16. Members of the British War Cabinet were in constant session in London on Monday. They also made several trans-Atlantic telephone calls to Mr. Churchill in Quebec. It is believed that Italy is in the grip of a new crisis.

The “Daily Mail’s” diplomatic corespondent says: “The impression, given at Whitehall is that important developments are pending. News from the Continent indicates that the situation in Italy is approaching a climax'. The Allies clearly are determined not to be diverted from their real purpose in Italy. Several broadcasts to-day were abandoned. The telephone and telegraph communication between Italy and Switzerland has been cut. This means that there is no news of events inside Italy for more than 12 hours. Re-

ports leaking from other channels, however, describe chaos caused in North Italy following the R.A.F.’s latest smashing rayl.” THE NEXT STEP. NEW YORK, August 17. The “New York Times” says: Military experts in Washington speculate as to whether General Eisenhower will call a brief halt at Messina in order to consolidate gains, or will pursue the beaten enemy immediately to Southern Italy.The “Times” adds: It is recalled that the Allied armies took a breathing spell after the Tunisian campaign. However, experts point out that the situation in Sicily is entirely different. They explain that the Luftwaffe has almost completely been knocked out of the sky in this theatre, and that the Allied control of the Mediterranean is now unchallenged. Moreover, General Eisenhower’s armies have sufficient supplies. The experts are of opinion, that the first phase of the next Allied strategical step may be an attempt to soften up Southern Italy by air power. ARMIES TO PUSH ON. (Rec. 1.5 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 17. In London it is thought possible that the Allies will push on to Italy almost immediately. ” The Allies have sufficient supplies and men for the operations. The Germans who escaped from Sicily are by no means out of Allied reach, for the invasion of Southern Italy would mean they would again have to fight after five weeks of campaigning. Morley Richards, “Daily Express” military writer, attaches significance to Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham’s statement that the Allies now had sufficient supplies in Sicily to carry out “other expeditions.” Richards says the Allies landed 160,000 troops in the original invasion of Sicily and more have followed. There is therefore a formidable army in the island. Only part of this army has been in action, because it was impossible to deploy great numbers over the limited Sicilian communications. The fact that they arc stocked up and ready five weeks after the invasion of Sicily is due to the speed the Ameri-1 cans showed in occupying three-quar-ters of the island.

TEST CRICKETER’S WOUNDS

LONDON. August 17

News of Captain Hedley Verity, the Yorkshire and England cricketer, was received in Leeds yesterday. While in action in Sicily in July, Captain Verity was wounded in the chest and elbow, according to a letter from his commanding officer to Verity’s wife. This officer spoke to him but received no reply. When last seen Captain Verity was being attended io by his batman. “There is a hope that if his wounds were not fatal Hedley may be a prisoner,” says the letter. THANKS FOR PARCELS RUGBY, August 17. Broadcasting from Sicily to-night, General. Montgomery voiced the thanks of every soldier of the Eighth Army for the telegrams and parcels sent to the troops, which, he said, were a great help in maintaining the morale of the Eighth Army at a high level.