ACCURATE NAVAL FIRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25278, 15 July 1943, Page 3

ACCURATE NAVAL FIRE

OTHER TOWNS SHELLED (Rec. ITS a.m.) LONDON, July 14. Describing the capture of Augusta, the correspondent of the Daily Express says that a cruiser squadron which was patrolling- between Syracuse and Augusta had plastered the hillside town of Mellilli, eight miles south-west of Augusta, when it threatened the west flank of our land forces going north. The warships also bombarded the roads in support of our tanks. ■ Later, as the cruisers patrolled outside Augusta, a report was received that a white flag was flying at Cap St. Croce, north of Augusta. A Greek destroyer steamed inshore and put out a boat, but the boat was fired on, and the Greeks withdrew. Then every unit of our squadron pounded the enemy battery positions in the town. It was the most accurate shooting the correspondent had ever seen in the navy. The battery was silenced, and immediately the Greek destroyer returned to the harbour, accompanied by two other destroyers, to find , only one man left in the town. A transport later landed troops. All the . way from Syracuse to Augusta and beyond, under the lavastreaked saddleback of Mount Etna, there are the orange fires of ammunition dumps fired by the Italians, the red fires from Mellilli, black bursts from our naval bombardments, and white puffs from the 25-pounders creeping north. The small south-eastern port of Pozzollo fell to a lieutenant and a handful of men in a boat. They were from a small destroyer with a cruiser offshore ready to open fire. The town surrendered unconditionally. Shells were sent over Pozzollo later towards Modica, several miles inland, enabling the troops to capture the town.