AERIAL CANOPY

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

AERIAL CANOPY

PROTECTING LANDINGS ATTACKS ON ENEMY LINES (Reed. 7,10 p.m.) LONDON, July 12 Spitfires and night-fighters from Malta helped to form an air umbrella over the Allied troops landing in] Sicily. Mosquitoes watched Italian aerodromes for signs of the enemy attempting to send bombers to Sicily. The Mosquitoes found only one Italian aerodrome illuminated, but after their approach the lights were switched off and stayed off. Bi(>; formations of all types of aircraft from the North-west African Air Force roared over south-east Sicily all day Saturday. They delivered knockout blows against Axis airfields and bombed and strafed railways, roads and troop transports. The newest deadly A 36 fighterboiiibers made more than 100 sorties, bombed and machine-gunned targels behind the enemy lines, and also operated directly in front of the Allied front lines. Anti-aircraft fire for the most part was negligible, but during the afternoon became more intense and more accurate.

Bomoers, without opposition, ranged over central and southern Sicily every hour from 5 a.m. Lightning planes, sweeping over south-east Sicily, caught a column of 99 trucks on a road. Some of the trucks were destroyed and the crews shot as they leaped from the trucks.

LIGHT CASUALTIES ELEMENT OF SURPRISE GERMAN TROOPS NOT USED LONDON, July l-_» According to an Algiers correspondent well-informed officers said that the services had been prepared for the heaviest casualties in Sicily, possibly up to 50 per cent. There was only one word-with which to describe their feelings when everything went so smoothly and like a practice operation at manoeuvres. That was, "amazing." One reason for the light casualties is that the attack was a tactical surprise to the enemy, according to one correspondent. Ho says that earlier resistance was weaker than might have been expected. The defences were manned entirely by Italian troops and these were unable to prevent the Allied forces from linking up quickly aftei landing. "It is highly probable." adds the correspondent, "that the enemy is holding tho hulk of his forces itt reserve until lie can be sure where our main attack will develop. We know there are a number of German troops in Sicily and so far they have not been used. Obviously the enemy believes that lie can hit us harder after we have committed ourselves." ISLAND'S DEFENDERS DIFFICULTIES OF CONQUEST REINFORCED LUFTWAFFE (Special Correspondent) LONDON, July 11 " Sicily will not be easy to conquer," says the Observer. "It is guarded by eight or more Axis divisions —possibly over 300,000 defenders. These will have some armour, but not much. Tliay will have the support ot the Luftwaffe, which has been reinforced, and which may seek to repeat the tactics it used against the Allied landing on l'antellaria Island.

"The Lultwafio lias been holding back,'' the newspaper adds. "Jt has done its best to conserve its shrinking assets. Jt is now putting over 1000 planes against the Allied assault. The, German High Command has ordered some of its best air officers to second the efforts ol Field-Marshal Ivesselring. There is every indication that the Germans may stake most of their defensive strength upon a sudden heavy air thrust against disembarking troops.

" Another indication of the defences is given by the largo 11 umber of Gerniaii specialists reported to be in Sicily. They number, perhaps, 13.000 or 20,000, many of them probably being artillery experts. The Germans and Italians have built strong concrete easemates to cover the most likely landing places, but these are only outposts of the defence system.

"The real emphasis of the defence lies on the mobile artillery with which the Germans have been training for many months. Their main form of defence against an Allied landing—as shown n the Commando raid at Dieppe —consists of rapid concentration and accurate artillery (ire from mobile batteries, which can be swiftly concentrated and dispersed.

".Men who have disembarked with varied multiple equipment provide an easy target for such swiftly concentrated fire. Their only safeguard against, it is the accurate bombing and strafing of the Tactical Air Force, it is, however, not possible to rely entirely on this. Dispersed movable batteries are not an easy target for fast-flying aircraft and therefore the Allies may have to rely on different tactics for the safety of their landing troops and for their opportunities to move forward." The Observer says that a point of interest is an enemy report of the presence of two Allied airborne divisions in the Mediterranean, for they present the obvious means of spreading an attack immediately into the interior of Sicily, thus disorganising the nerve svstem of the defences. ANTI-MUSSOLINI PLOT i Rood. 11 .So p.m.) LONDON, July T_> The Fascist: police discovered a plot against Mussolini in the Taranto Province, says the Moscow radio, quoting an Istanbul report. Dr. Vorolle, prelect of Taranto, and Dr. Pennine, local secretary of the Fascist Party, have been arrested, and there have been mass arrests among Fascist district leaders.