VIOLENCE GROWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24637, 16 July 1943, Page 3

VIOLENCE GROWS

AXIS ASSERTIONS TRIBUTE TO ALLIED SKILL ITALIAN PRESS ADMISSION (Reed. 11.40 p.m.) LONDON, July 15 "The fighting in Sicily has become a great battle, which is taking its course with increasing violence," says the Berlin radio military commentator, Sertorius. "The Allies are receiving reinforcements continuously. Their attempts to penetrate inland are backed most efficiently by a far superior air force, which is operating ceaselessly.

"It cannot bo said that the British and Americans are having a walk-over. Their progress in many places is really modest. They have won, in the Italian zone, approaches to the mountainous regions of the south-east, and have forced a path to the Catania Plain. They are supported by a battle fleet.

"The offensive aims at the conquest of the whole of the east coast and of Messina, thus completely isolating the island from the continent. It. is obvious that the Axis High Command already has made adequate dispositions to prevent the achievement of this aim." The Berlin radio claims that a large operation by British paratroops on the Catania Plain on Tuesday night, involving at least a regiment, completely failed. It says the paratroops, landing to attack the rear of the Axis forces opposing the drive against Catania, jumped into the middle of a German concentration, and most of the paratroops were killed or taken prisoner.

The Home radio says the Italian High Command expects _ that Allied troops from Pantellaria will soon attempt a landing on the west coast of Sicily. The command states that an attempted landing on Tuesday west of Licata was repulsed. The Vichy radio says the Axis has put all its available reserves into the field. Stiffening Axis resistance is slowing down ihe Allied advance, but more Allied reinforcements continue to pour into the Hand.

The Italian newspaper Giornala d'ltalia says: "The lmttlo <>! Sicily has entered an acute phase. The BritishAmerican command is taking advantage of the naval and air inferiority in which Italy finds herself, in spite of the assistance of the Merman forces, in face of the vast deployment ol" enemy forces." SIGNS ERASED

ANTIPATHY TO FASCISTS VILLAGERS' BRITISH SLOGAN (Rml 11.15 p.m.) LONDON*, July 15 The Sicilians in some villages have blotted out wall signs slating "Kvviva 11 Duce" and "ICvviva Mussolini" and have substituted "Kvviva George \" I," says lieuters correspondent. The people in other parts seem to lie entirely inert and uninterested. Peasants and village folk sit on the pavements as the troops come in and scarcely look up. The people are not hostile when questioned. They show a marked antipathy fo the Fascist regime and the Germans. There has been a steady trek back to farms and villages of civilians in numerous donkey carts, states another correspondent, lie says it is interesting to note that the men smile and salute in British fashion. Tito children laugh and cheer and give the "V" sign, but most of the women are serious and undemonstrative. Some raise their hand in a Fascist salute. Lorry loads of prisoners, nearly all cheerful, come in, many of the men singing. Judging by the number of men of apparent military age and fitness working on the farms there has been a certain amount of unofficial demobilisation by Sicilian soldiers, who have quickly seized the chance to return to their vineyards, vegetable gardens and homes as civilians rather than spend the rest of the war as prisoners.

"RED DEVILS" ARRIVE GLIDER'S TRIP TO SICILY 90-MILE AN HOUR LANDING LONDON, July Ir, A correspondent in one of the first gliders over Sicily last Friday night said the troops wore red berets and had left their metal helmets behind. Mo said_ it would be a good thing for the Italians to learn quickly that the 'tred devils"—the Italian name for the men in red berets—had arrived in their country.

A high wind was swirling dust clouds across the airfield as the gliders moved along the runway to begin their trip. In a moment, they were" travelling at over 100 miles an hour. At times they bounced crazilv at the end of the tow rope, and the glider officer had a difficult time. Rivulets of perspiration trickled through the blacking which he. with the other parachutists. had smeared over his face. Ho was only twice able to lift his hand from the controls.

_ At 10.10 p.m. the Sicilian coast was sighted, and the glider came under immediate fire from light anti-aircraft guns. They also "aw rather more searchlights than they had expected. I lie tow rope was released, and they began to glide down, Id find the field where it was planned they should laud. Italian guns got their range, and tracers and small calibre .shells went through the glider's; tail. When only 20(111. or 'iOOlf. from the ground, the glider officer decided to crash-land. He dropped the tinder-car-riage a jew seconds before the plane landed on hard reeky ground at 0(1 miles an hour. The men were bruised and shaken, but there were no casualties, and they were out of the plane at once to take up their defensive positions.

ATLANTIC CROSSED ALLIED LANDING CRAFT ( Rrt'd, p.m.) LOXDOX, July i Lauding era It, crammed with (mops and tanks for the invasion of Sicily sailed across the .Ulanl jc from America and Canada under their own power. siiys > Renter's correspondent with the .Mediterranean Fleet. These craft were not meant tor long voyages, but they safely wallowed across thousand,s of miles of ocean fight ing off submarine and air atiaeks. Others c)iu l sixef| across the Bay of Biscay from Britain, MALAY AND SHAN STATES (I,'rnl. r,p.m.) LONDON, July |.f TIIO Secretary of Si ato for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Anthony F.den, when asked if his attention had been drawn to the transfer by Japan of four Malay States and two Shan States to Siam in gratitude for that country's aid to Japan, replied that the British Covernmeiit did not recognise these transfers of territories which formed part of the British Commonwealth and Finpire. "Nor do we regard them as permanent." he added, "since it is the fixed intention of ourselves and our Allies to drive the Japanese from these regions." AMERICA AND CANADA (Reed, JO p.m.) WINNIPEG, July 15 "Talk of annexation between America and Canada i.s silly," said Mr. F. La (jiinrdia, flavor of New York, in an interview. "I know our people do not want if and your people do not want it. Little misunderstandings and irritations are avoidable if wo get, rid of tho diplomats and lot the people work things out for themselves."