SICILIAN INVASION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25277, 14 July 1943, Page 3

SICILIAN INVASION

♦♦ SATISFACTORY PROGRESS EXTENSION OF BRIDGEHEADS SEVERAL TOWNS CAPTURED (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) V. (Rec. 1 a.m.) LONDON, July 13. C During the past 24 hours there has been great activity on the beaches of Sicily as reinforcements, vehicles, and supplies for the Allied forces on the island are landed by the „ navy and sent forward to the operational areas. Good progress is being made inland, and V Allied troops have reached the outskirts of Ragusa. This news is given in to-day’s communique from North African headquarters. Syracuse is now in our hands, the communique says, with the port and harbour facilities apparently undamaged. Augusta, a port north of Syracuse, was bombarded yesterday by cruisers and a monitor. Naval operations in which more than 3000 ships of all types are taking part are proceeding satisfactorily. Good progress was made to-day on our bridgeheads, the communique adds, and, in some sectors these have now been increased to a depth of 20 miles. In the eastern sector our troops advancing along the coast met with some resistance.

Despatches from correspondents say that heavy air attacks were made against both ends of the Sicilian ferry, and raids were also made on airfields and enemy concentrations in the toe of Italy. In all cases good results were observed. Algiers reports state that Floridia, to the west of Syracuse, has been captured and also three more important towns. .Reuter’s Algiers correspondent says it is officially stated that Ispici and Rosolini were captured by the Canadians. Reports from correspondents say that the naval bombardment which preceded the landing was on a tremendous scale and that the anti-aircraft barrage put up by the ships was terrific. It is now revealed that two British capital ships took part in the operation. Between 900 and 1000 Italian and German prisoners were brought to North Africa from Sicily yesterday, says the Associated Press of America. All seemed in high spirits, and smiled broadly as they stepped off the boats. Most of them are youths in their teens, and were unkempt in appearance, with badly worn uniforms. The group included about 35 Italian officers. Four Italian lieu-tenant-colonels walked up and surrendered in one sector, explaining that they were caught while making a front-line reconnaissance.. The fall of Augusta is believed to be imminent, states * report received in Madrid from Italy. British troops are reported to be halfway between Syracuse and Augusta. Reuter’s Algiers correspondent says' that the Allied forces, besides pushing north and west of their landing points, are attacking Agrigento, as well as the outskirts of roads and communications, and are fanning out into the central Catania plain. An Italian coastal regiment was virtually wiped out on Saturday. . The Americans captured Licata at a cost of four dead and practically no wounded. More than 300 prisoners were taken. Rome radio announced that Lieutenant-general Enrico Francisci, of the Fascist Militia, commander of the Thirteenth Zone of Black Shirts and general liaison officer of the Sicilian Command, was killed in action. ‘Algiers radio, broadcasting to Italy, quoted an Allied headquarters spokesman as stating that the Allies’ peace terms for Italy are; — (1) For the Fascist regime and the armed force supporting it, unconditional surrender. (2) For the Italian people, freedom to choose any kind of nonFascist Government and thus become a respected member of the family of free peoples.

The Times, in an editorial, says that although by no means all the landing beaches of Sicily can yet be supposed to be immune from the enemy’s artillery fire, the Allied forces seem already to be disentangling themselves from the initial difficulties that persisted to the end of the Gallipoli expedition. This satisfactory beginning was brought about partly by the price less advantage of decisive air superi ority and doubtless partly by the enemy’s continuing embarrassment in having to be still on guard against possible descents on to the coasts of the island. The enemy may have deliberately chosen to reserve his strength for a later effort, rather than challenge the landings with his full power. The Daily Mail says that heavj fighting is inevitable, but the great thing is that the plunge has been taken and the invasion of Hitlers Europe has begun. The Allies are turning the mountains of south-east Sicily against the enemy by using them as a defensive shield during the establishment of bridgeheads,” says the military writer of the Daily Express, Mr Morley Richards. “The establishment of bridgeheads is the main task before an advance can be made in force. To put an infantry division into the battlefield requires 12,500 tons of war stores packed in more than 179,000 cases. This excludes tanks and field pieces, which have to be landed separately It was a.gigantic undertaking when it is remembered that the enemy has a field army of 200,000 men and nearly as many men again in static defence on the island awaiting the invaders. The New York Times says: There is . no doubt that the Allies have achieved initial success in Sicily with a military precision and co-ordination

of all arms unequalled in any military - campaign.” < “ Gela looked like an American \ amusement park on the 4th of July as American troops poured in from i invasion craft,” says the correspondent < of the British United Press. “ British 1 and American cruisers and destroyers < engaged the defences as the men went in The captain of one landing barge i said: ‘Flares burned. There were great I >-ed and yellow spurts of flame in the defences, tracer bullets slithered over the beaches and machine-gun bullets i whipped across the waters above us. : .Junkers 88’s and the shore guns began [ to open up. and shells plopped all ; around. The troops were pouring ! ashore from •the barges continuously. : They stormed their way towards die | town, where they met the enemy in ! some force. In spite of resistance the . men hurled the enemy back to the , cliffs. Parachute troops were fighting,) their way'towards the town. The fires l on the airfield added to the light.’ ” ■ j An instance of the civilian population of Sicily with the Allies occurred when an official in one town which was occupied easily offered ■ to visit n neighbouring town in which ; Axis forces were resisting to advise, ihem to surrender. As the result of* his visit the town surrendered. j Glider-borne troops were respon- j sible for the comparatively slight resistance met by some of the Sicilian . landing parties, says an eye-witness; with the air-borne troops. This correspondent tells a remarkable story of; being captured with the survivors ot one party of 70 who held their objec-1 tive for 14 hours against increasing Italian opposition before surrendering j when their ammunition was exhausted. Within an hour, however, a British reconnaissance party appeared and began shooting at the guards, enabling the prisoners to escape.