PROGRESS IN SICILY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24634, 13 July 1943, Page 5

PROGRESS IN SICILY

ALLIES' FIRM GRIP ON BEACHES REPORTS OF FIERCE BATTLE VAST CONVOYS BRING FRESH TROOPS H.\ telegraph—Press Association—Copyrigut (Received July .12, 11.20 p.m.) LONDON, July 12 Unofficial reports say that a fierce battle is now going on about i.O, miles inland in the south-eastern corner of Sicily. An American correspondent quoted by the Algiers radio says that fierce fighting is also taking place about one and a-half miles south-east of Gela, on the south coast. The Allied troops have engaged enemj* tank rcmfoiccments near the town. According to the Italian radio, the Allied landing forces have already set up artillery emplacements and are using tanks. Allied forces have made a new landing near Marsala, the seaport on the west coast, says the Algiers radio, quoting a Berlin radio announcement. The Algiers radio adds that operations are continuing successfully, but the Allies are facing new Axis reinforcements. The British United Press correspondent says the Allied troops in Sicily are advancing with the beaches behind them firmly in the hands of fresh troops, more of which are still being brought in from vast convoys protected by the navy. Several thousand Canadian reinforcements landed in North Africa within 24 hours of the start of the landings in Sicily. A substantial troop convoy carrying additional troops from England followed the ships carrying the Canadian assault force. Within 48 hours of the first landings the crisis in the Sicilian invasion had passed.

The Allies have widened their Sicilian front to 150 miles, %vith the establishment by the Canadians of an important bridgehead near Porte Empedocle, midway along the southern coast, says the Daily Mail correspondent.

British and Canadian troops have captured and hold the town of Pachino and the airfield near by. Pachino is three miles inland from Cape Passero, the south-eastern extremity of the invasion area. Two other aerodromes also have been captured, near Oela, on the south coast. The town of Gela also has been captured. An American correspondent says all the coastline along 100 miles of front round the south-east corner of the island is in Allied hands.

Of the three airfields in Allied hands American troops seized the two near Gela. The one at Pachino was taken by British and Canadian forces. The American troops who seized the Gela airfields are reported to have driven off Axis tank forces. Photographs taken by reconnaissance planes show that several other airfields have been knocked out of commission. It is officially stated in Algiers that the task of airborne units which landed in Sicily was not to capture airfields but to attack coastal defences lrom the rear.

The toughest resistance met in Sicily was near Cape Passero, '.••Sere British and Canadian troops landed, says Reuter's correspondent. The primary resistance was from Italians of semistatic coastal defence units. It therefore appears that stronger mobile central reserves, including Germans, are being withheld until the Axis commanders are positive that the south-east corner of the island is really the most threatened area. The Allies in the corner of the island have both Hanks protected by sea. They can aim to lop off the entire corner of Sicily and build a "wall" across the neck, forming an impregnable bridgehead. On the ether hand the defenders may be deliberately delaying their counter-attack in the hope of inflicting more extensive damage on the landing forces.