LIFE LINES CUT

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24636, 15 July 1943, Page 3

LIFE LINES CUT

RAIN OF ALLIED BOMBS PLANES SWEEPING SKIES MANY TARGETS SMASHED (Recti. 0.10 p.m.) LONDON, July 14 Powerful Allied air forces are striking heavily and are determinedly cutting away Sicily's life lines — her links with the Italian mainland and Sardinia, says Eeuter's correspondent at Algiers. A great weight of bombs in the past 36 hours has smashed railway lines, stations, bridges and port installations at Reggio and San Giovanni, which are the terminals of the ferrying linking Sicily with the toe of Italy. Another message reports that two vital railway bridges at the ferry terminus at Messina were destroyed on Monday. The first formation of Flying Fortresses scored direct hits on the east bridge and later the entire group covered the target area, including both railways. Tho industrial part of the city was also bombed. Again there was plenty of anti-aircraft firo, but no fighter opposition. Supplies Intercepted Torpedo-planes have sunk and damaged ships carrying much-needed supplies to troops from Sardinia. All tho time Sicily itself is under attack from

the air. Ports and airliolds liavo boon heavily bombed, Hundreds of fighterbombers have swept over the islands, wrecking convoys of men and materials streaming across to Sicily. Seventy-three enemy planes have been shot down in two days, compared with 20 of ours lost. Fighters based on Malta destroyed 34 enemy aircraft in the 24 hours ended at dawn yesterday. Eleven more were probably destroyed and 22 damaged. The failure of the Axis air forces is regarded as interesting and significant, says the special correspondent of the Press Association. Domination of the air has proved the key to successful warfare, but almost since the days of the Battle of Britain Germany has never reproduced the tremendous air power with which she started the war. Except where it had overwhelming superiority—in Poland, France, Crete and the initial stages of the Russian campaign—tho Luftwaffe has come off second best. The Luftwaffe had no reply for the terrific bombing of Germany by the Koval Air Force and the United States Army Air Force except fighterbomber attacks which, in comparison, were like a boy pea-shooting, Luftwaffe's Dwindling Power The Allies won mastery of North African and Tunisian skies and now dominate the Sicilian skies. They are also beating the U-boat with the help of air power. Various reasons are advanced for the Luftwaffe's dwindling power. They include the spreading of its forces between the west, facing Britain, and Russia and Italy, the heavy blow dealt German bombers at Dieppe, the policy of producing fighters instead of bombers, and tho lack of air crews. Whatever the cause, the fact remains that tho Allies have apparently won •■uul maintain air mastery. Unless and until the Axis can dispute it, successfully, tho air will automatically exert the greatest influence in winning the war. Considerable interest is naturally being taken in any Luftwaffe change of policy. It is believed that sooner or later Germany must stage an all-out air defence. HAVOC IN MESSINA PORT LIKE A SCRAP HEAP ißccrt. 10.15 p.m.) LONDON, July U "Messina looks far worse than it would if an earthquake had struck it. The port looks like a combination of a scrap heap and a brick kiln." This description, says the Algiers correspondent of the British United Press, was given by pilots on their return from smashing attacks on Sicilian ports and communication ceiltros. They say the devastation is widespread. One pilot said: "I doubt whether the German North Sea ports are any worse after three years' bombing." SUPPLYING THE POPULACE LONDON, July 14 Tho Allies have already unloaded supplies for the civilians of Kouth-eastern Sicily. These people had been getting very meagre rations of food, cigarettes and other commodities under tho Fascist regime. This news tows given in a message from Allied headquarters in North Africa. MURDERS BY GERMANS LONDON, July i:i The Germans have killed more than GOOD persons in Krasnodar, in the Caucasus, by poisoning, according to a report by .the Soviet Stale Commission which is investigating German