CRACK STARTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21152, 21 July 1943, Page 3

CRACK STARTS

ITALIAN STRENGTH THREE-PRONG ATTACK PRISONERS’ DISCLOSURES LONDON, July 19 The 15th Army Groups’ threepronged drive in Sicily is advancing at all points, state the latest despatches from Allied headquarters. The Allies are now striking against the core of Axis resistance. However, only the Eighth Army in the easternmost thrust against Catania is meeting fierce resistance from the Germans, who are fighting on their last lateral line. The Italian forces have begun to crack in most sectors except Catania. A second column of Allied tanks is reported to have by-passed Catania and struck in the direction of Paterno, at the foot of Mt. Etna. The navy is reported to be shelling Acireale, about 10 miles north of Catania. In addition to the major thrusts, the Americans who captured Agrigento and Porto Empedocle are moving further along the south-west coast in the general direction of Sciacca. The Allied possession of Caltanissetta and Piazza Armerina means that communication through Enna is so directly menaced by our advance as to be useless to the enemy. The Axis is left only with a strip of country some 30 miles wide along which to move his forces in the north-east half of Sicily. Any troops he may still have on the west side of the island are in danger of being completely isolated. Canadians’ Thrust Speeding north-west along the twisting dusty mountain roads, the Canadians have thrust into the heart of Sicily. A press correspondent witn the Canadians says: ‘“After the British troops had captured Vizzini, Canadian infantry and armour struck west to capture Grammichele, fought a fierce engagement with a German and Italian force, and pressed on to occupy Caltagirone, 35 miles west of Augusta.” It is revealed that General Montgomery visited the Canadians in Sicily. Many, prisoners-of-war. stories are j circulating round the front, according! to one press correspondent at Allied-, force headquarters. He quotes two of them. An Italian soldier who was i not informed of the landing until two days afterwards and seeing the ships lying off the Pachino Peninsula, thought that the Italian navy had put to sea. Then there is the story of the German who hid in an Italian home to evade the Canadians. At night the Italians tried to murder him, but he got away and gave himself up to the Canadians and asked to join them to fight the Italians. British Naval Freedom

Correspondents with the United States forces say that the wholesale surrender of groups of Italians in Sicily is undermining the German soldiers. A batch of 90 Germans who gave themselves up after slight resistance said: “Why should we lose our lives fighting to save this country if the peonle who live here won’t fight?” Tlie Daily Express' military writer, Mr. Morley Richards, says that the Germans may have given up hope of saving Sicily. It is remarkable that British naval units are able io patrol the Messina Straits without being attacked. Even if the batteries in the toe of Italy offer no opposition, this suggests that the prospects of evacuating . any substantial forces are declining. A considerable number of German air personnel has been flown off the island, but the bulk or the ground force seems to have little chance of escape.