WAVES OF BARGES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25275, 12 July 1943, Page 3

WAVES OF BARGES

STRONG NAVAL SUPPORT WARSHIPS SHELL COAST (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, July 11. Graphic stories of how the invasion looked from the air are told by Allied pilots returning from flights over the battlefield this morning, says the Algiers correspondent of the British United Press. Smoke and flame 10 miles inland from the coast were seen from the air. One pilot said that Allied warships were shelling continuously as our forces landed. They sometimes dashed close in to the shore, fired salvoes, and then swooped out again, landing barges seemed to be everywhsre, waves of them dashing towards the island in relays and others piling on the beaches. This pilot was over the island at 6.30 a.m., and even then a tremendous battle was raging below. He did not meet any air opposition over the island.

The awe-inpiring sight of a battle fleet in action is described by a bomber pilot who returned from plastering aerodromes in Sicily. “ The whole battle fleet,” he said, “ lined up in battle order in the Mediterranean. They stood out like a bte group of islands. The battleships all opened fire just after we passed them, and it sounded like a volcanic eruption. There must have been 40 miles of boats of all sizes off the Sicilian coast, and the sea was black with them. It looked like millions of flies as our boys poured ashore.” “The stab in the back of 1940 is now being avenged,” said Algiers radio, broadcasting to Italy. Earlier reports emphasised the immense damage inflicted on Sicily by the Allied air attack's preceding the invasion. About 12 airfields were put out of action, and the' island defences since last Sunday have been given hardly a minute’s respite. Aerodromes and ports, particularly Gerbini and its satellite fields and the port and aerodrome of Catania, have been battered many times daily and nightly. Only very light craft have been able to move in the Strait of Messina for the last 10 days, and evacuees from the north-west ports of Sicily have been able to move only under of darkness. Daylight trips are impossible Hard Nut to Crack It is emphasised that Sicily may not be an easy nut to crack. Landings on some parts of the coast, which is comparatively flat, are relatively easy, but the country inland is studded with good defensive positions. The island is covered by many roads, and well covered with railways, although the rolling stock suffered badly from Allied aircraft. Most of the Axis air bases in Sicily are clustered together in the western and 6outh-western corner of the island, although there are a few in the north-eastern area around Messina. The coastal area in the west, where the Allied troops landed, is rolling country, largely covered with vineyards and not crossed by important

rivers, says Reuter’s Algiers correspondent. This is the only part of the island with a fairly flat hinterland. The ground bordering the coast can be negotiated by all arms at most points, but a few miles inland the country, rises and becomes more difficult. On the northern side of the western tip the country extending inland from the Gulf of Castellamare is also largely covered with vineyards, but the slopes are steeper and the streams more deeply cut. Sicily, studded as it is with aerodromes and seaplane bases and with an important submarine base at Augusta, virtually cuts the vital sea lanes running through the 80-mile narrows separating it from the African mainland, says Reuter’s military writer. Its occupation by the Allies would restore complete control of the Mediterranean to the. United Nations and provide bases for a full-scale land, sea. and air offensive against the Italian mainland. Messina is separated from the toe of Italy by a strip of water only two miles wide at one place. The Italians, it is reported, had a fleet; of small boats standing by to evacute the entire population, which in peace-time numbered more than 4,000,000. mostly poor illiterate peasants. The Italians are also said to have Withdrawn all Italian currency from the island and replaced it with vouchers. Axis Conserve Fighters It was-obvious three days ago, when Air Marshal Kesselring suddenly'withdrew German fighters from the Sicilian area, that the climax of the air attack—invasion—was just around the corner, and that the Axis was conserving its fighters for the most important target—our land troops, says the air correspondent of the British United Press. He estimates that Marshal Kesselring has at least 500 fighters at his disposal in Southern Italy and an'unknown number of bombers. The prime factors in the situation, he says, are:— First, we. have air superiority in the general Sicilian area; secondly, we are operating from unbombed aerodromes in North Africa, a factor of enormous importance; thirdly, on the other hand the Axis has either to operate from the battered aerodromes in Sicily and only slightly less battered aerodromes in Sardinia, or to use aerodromes some distance back in the foot of Italy: fourthly, despite the heavy bombing of the last seven days, it would be unwise to assume that all the Sicilian aerodromes have been put out of action. In the Battle of Britain the R.A.F. proved under what incredibly adverse circumstances it was possible to maintain the operation of muchbombed airfields. Italian Morale Good “It cannot be doubted that the Italians will fight bravely and with the utmost determination in the defence of Sicily, and, if and when the time comes, in the defence of the mainland,” says the Press Association’s diplomatic writer. “The latest reports indicaie that Italian morale is fairly good. There is some slight disaffection in the bombed areas, but even this is certain to disappear now that the Allies have landed on Italian soil in Europe. There have been many purges in certain sections of the Fascist Party, designed to give" it. a firmer hand over the population. The Italian Royal Family has also been brought into the limelight in the last few months with the obvious object of increasing piitriotic fervour in the face of the .invasion threat. As the threat increased, German control of Italy became on the surface less apparent Italian detestation of all things German has not decreased, and steps were taken, for instance, to ensure that German officers in Italy wore civilian clothes. The food situation is not good, and military operations are likely to increase shortages.