IN THREE WEEKS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21150, 19 July 1943, Page 3

IN THREE WEEKS

FALL OF SICILY

AXIS FALLING BACK RELENTLESS PRESSURE (11 a.m.) LONDON, July 18. Under relentless pressure from the Eighth Army, the Axis forces defending Catania last night were falling back to the approaches of the bombarded and burning city, says Reuter’s correspondent at Allied headquarters. General Montgomery's army has rolled up the enemy’s right hank and the battle of Catania is entering the last phase. Nevertheless the reformed 15th Panzer Division stands across the Eighth Army’s path, apparently determined to light grimly Cor the key city. The Germans drawn up for Catania’s defence have to nurse the disquieting knowledge that further reinforcements from the west of Sicily are unable to reach them except by long and devious routes. The Germans know that they are in this battle alone because the direct communication between the Germans holding the coastal region south of Catania ami the Axis forces south-west of Sicily were cut when the Canadians caplured Caltagirone, which commands the road south of the Catanian plain lo the coast. To-night, a week after the first landing, the whole Allied front, now shaped like a giant W from the Catanian plain to the Canicatti area, is being pushed forward.

The British ‘ United Press correspondent with the Allied forces says that the latest estimate is that Sicily may fall within the next three weeks. The Americans on the left flank captured Girgenti, the main south coast port and naval base, and arc continuing the advance in a north-westerly direction. Girgenti is situated four miles inland behind Porto Empedoele end is the biggest rail junction in the south of Sicily, linking Marsala, Palermo, Ragusa and Catania. There are no further important towns ahead of the Americans all the way along Ihe coast to the north-west if they continue to advance in that direction. Yfler the capture of Caltagirpne and Grammichele yesterday, the Canadian.in the central sector are making a most spectacular mountain advance and carving out a still larger salient. Gigantic Transport Fleet

A correspondent with the United States forces in Sicily says that thousands of American tanks, many manned by Tunisian veterans, are being landed to support the American Seventh Army. They are being ferried to the beaches from a gigantic Allied transport fleet. Allies warships are gradually silencing the Axis land batteries trying to shell the tank landiiig craft. A compilation of the last seven days reports show tlit' trie Allied casualties are amazingly light, states the Associated Press Algiers correspondent. There are proportionately fewer Americans injured than British and Canadians. The greatest number of killed and missing are among the airborne troops. One British division effected a landing on the east coast of Sicily without a single fatality or serious injury. Hospitals prepared in North Africa for from 10,000 to 20.000 wounded are actually caring for a fraction of what was expected. Italian prisoners told an American doctor of Italian parentage: “We did not shoot to kill. We shot to perform our duty until we could decently surrender. We knew six days before starting that you were coming to Sicily. All Italians secretly wanted you to land to save us from this abominable war.”

The New York Times Algiers correspondent says that a British naval officer who interviewed 450 prisoners reported that for the first time in his experience he found the Italians hostile to Mussolini and Fiscism. A favourite saying among Italians, which was culled from Allied leaflets, is “The Italians will fight to the last Italian.”