“IN TIGHT SPOT”

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

“IN TIGHT SPOT”

AXIS AIR FORCER MYSTERY OF CAMPAIGN RAIDS NON-EXISTENT GO a.m.) LONDON, July 18. Field Marshal von Richtofen is in supreme command of the combined Axis air forces in Sicily. An agency correspondent at Allied headquarters states that the sending of Marshal Richtofen from Russia to Sicily is taken as an indication that the Luftwaffe was in a tight spot. Another agency correspondent states that it is believed that the figure of (50.000 Germans in Sicily is correct. They expected to put up a good fight, but are too few to defend the island.

One of the greatest mysteries of the Sicilian campaign is the failure of Axis planes to attack in strength, says a correspondent representing the combined American press. Raids have been non-existent in the past few days. Italian ground crews captured on Camiso airfield said that the solution was a shortage of pilots. The Italians expected the Germans to throw in thousands of planes against the Allies because the Germans insisted that they had more planes and pilots than the Allies.

A further indication of the shortage of German pilots is provided by the fact that some German planes shot down were manned by Italians. Marshal von Richthofen Ls known as a ruthless commander and usually appears when the situation for the Axis is critical.

The Daily Herald’s correspondent at Allied headquarters says that the way in which Royal Air Force fighter sauadrons arrived at captured Sicilian airfields provided a striking demonstration of the technique for the invasion of Europe. Within two days of the invasion, squadrons found restored landing grounds, dumps, and workshops awaiting them prepared by Royal Air Force ground units which went in with the assault forces.