Two-Fold Reasons For Americas Sicilian Success

Northern Advocate, 23 August 1943, Page 3

Two-Fold Reasons For Americas Sicilian Success

(Rec. 1 p.m.) LONDON. Aug. 22. Analysing the American part in the Sicilian campaign, a British Press correspondent attributes, the American success firstly to the fact that the Germans were obliged to split their forces to bolster up the non-fighting Italians, and secondly, to the fact that the Americans' artillery was too good for the Germans. The correspondent emphasises that all Allied arms engaged in the battle of Sicily worked as one. maintaining the closest liaison. He says it was the American artillery called “Long Toms” which had the tough job of blasting the Germans from “the most perfect defensive positions this war has yet seen.” North to Palermo and east along the coast as far as Cefalu the Americans had a walk-over, but at Cefalu they ran into German mountain positions extending to the south-east 40 miles and nearly 70 miles deep, right to Messina. It was mountains all the way for the Americans, who seldom came to grips with the enemy, but were always under the fire of German and Italian batteries directed from craggy observation posts that looked, as an American artillery officer said, “right down our throats.” They could observe every move the Americans made, particularly before Troina and Randazzo. ■ Yet beyond a doubt the Americans out-gunned the Germans. Just beyond Triona were the wrecks of four German tanks that received direct hits from Long Toms nearly five miles away. Supply System Superb The correspondent says the American supply system was superb. There was never a shortage of any essential things for as long as 10 minutes at any one time. The functioning of supply lines was dependent on Allied air control, which iwe had from the first day of the landing. “On the way to the front I drove 20 miles along a narrow mountain road past an endless chain of supply vehicles,” says the correspondent. “A single enemy aircraft could have caused great havoc, but none appeared.

“Ninety per cent, of the Allied invasion story is a success story; the other 10 per cent, represents lessons learned in the hard school of experience. It cannot be said that the operations of our air-borne troops in the initial stages were a complete success. Some tragic mistakes were made here, due mainly to inexperience. Doubtless the Germans learned many valuable lessons in regard to air-borne operations from Crete. We learned some from Sicily. “I know, however, that General Alexander has the greatest faith in the capabilities of our air-borne army. Those air-borne detachments who reached their objectives did magnificent work, particularly at Catania Bridge, the full story of which, when told, will rank with some of the greatest feats in British arms. The Allied commanders were fully prepared for 90 days of war in Sicily. It lasted only 38 days. There could be no greater tribute to Anglo-American arms.”