AIR ASSUALT ON ITALY

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23968, 8 June 1943, Page 5

A IR ASSUALT ON ITALY

gig Day Raid By U.S. Bombers MESSINA FERRY MAIN TARGET (fI.Z. Press Association—Copyright) .< om ) LONDON, June 7. The Allied air offensive from vorth Africa against Italy and her kland defences was yesterday con,,ntrated against the narrow lifejfne linking Sicily with the Italian Middle East air communique reports that in daylight vestcrday a strong force of United States heavy bombers attacked Messina, on the east coast of Sicily, and San Giovanni and Reggio, in the toe of Italy. At Messina bombs burst on railway sidings and on oil installations in the harbour. Direct Mts were seen on the rail terminus at San Giovanni and targets at Reggio were hit. More than 30 enemy fighters tried to interfere. At least eight were shot down and others were damaged. From these and other operations all the American aeroplanes returned. To-day’s communique from Allied Headquarters in North Africa speaks of day and night raids on Pantelleria, It says: ‘‘On Saturday night aircraft of the Norih-west African Air Force attacked Pantelleria. Yesterday this attack was continued by medium and fighter-bombers. Eight enemy aeroplanes were destroyed in combat, and a Junkers transport was shot down off Sardinia by a Beaufighter. One Allied aircraft is missing.” "The German High Command’s decision to reinforce and fortify the outlying islands of the Mediterranean is too late,” says Reuter’s Algiers correspondent. "Long train-loads of antiaircraft guns, ammunition, aeroplanes, stores, and personnel have burdened the over-loaded railway leading southward from the Brenner to the Messina train-ferry, but now that the tremendous Allied air onslaught has started the enemy is completely unable to rush air force equipment to the beleaguered islands.” The attack on the Italian battleships at Spezia on Saturday was made by 100 Flying Fortresses. The attack, which was completed in six minutes,

followed reports that Italy was holding the battleships in readiness to resist an Allied invasion on her Mediterranean islands. The Algiers correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency says that the round trip took the Fortresses about 1400 miles. Reuter’s correspondent in Algiers dates that smoke and fires precluded accurate observation of the results, but one merchantman 350 feet long was hit amidships and blew up with a terrific explosion. ■“With the Fortresses’ raid against S' \ the Allied air pincers have ir» u on Europe,” states Reuter’s aviation writer. "Spezla is the first Axis target to be bombed by the Allies both from Britain and North Africa.’’ Reuter’s naval correspondent says that the Littorio class battleship which was reported to have .been caught at Spezia is one of Italy’s latest capital ships, Mussolini ordered four of these 35,000 tenners, which are armed with nine 15-inch guns. He had received two before December, 1939, and the other two were scheduled for completion in 1941. Evacuation Advised The Rome, correspondent of the Stockholm newspaper "Dagens Nyheter" reports that the Swedish Legation in Rome has advised Swedish nationals to evacuate the city. Italian radio stations yesterday kept up a stream of abuse about the Allied air attacks and at the same time warned listeners to be ready for something worse. Many stations continued to claim that the Allies attacked only churches, villages, and homes. The Rome radio said that “in order to match the atavistic efficiency of their British cousins and to fall in with the customs of their Redskin compatriots, the Americans have decided to employ Negro flying officers for terror raids against Europe.” Another Rome radio broadcast claimed in one breath that the Axis air forces commanded the Mediterranean and in the next breath said that the Allied air raids would get Worse. “The Axis air’ forces continue to maintain effective control over Mediterranean waters,” said the announcer. “The enemy air forces, however, continue their massed raids against Panlelleria. Sardinia, and Calabria. The British and American Bombing is only helping to unite Italians. Every fallen wall is one more reason for the Italians to resist, no matter what may happen.” As an example to the country, a Rome broadcaster cited the courage of Pantelleria’s garrison. “Panlelleria is ®ne of the most forward ramparts of Italy’s defences, and it is the symbol the tenacity of Italians,” ho said. Reports reaching Switzerland say mat Italians are now living under front-line conditions. A severe austerity drive has been organised. Many Italians have been imprisoned because they attempted to organise entertainments. Congestion on the roads and railways appears to be increasing, Rome is said to he without fruit and vegetables, because of the overburdenln3 of trains conveying troops and supplies. Food Shortage The Berne correspondent of the New York' Times” reports that the Italian Food Ministry has suspended a 1 exports of food to the Reich and ? l£ o ordered rSO per cent, reduction m the output of canning factories, bcc.; tJSe of a grave food shortage, especiaHy in Rome, where no shipments of vegetables and fruit have been received since last Sunday. The crisis seems to have affected the whole •JjJSfiltry. however, as farmers refuse sell their products, except in the Black market, where prices are skyrocketing. Mussolini, according to the Rome ‘“Uio, has decided to court-martial workers in areas exposed to air raids who desert their jobs and seek sancluary elsewhere. T Rmide information, Quoted by the "dependent French News Agency’s ,? rre |P on dcnt in Cairo, indicates that "e Fascist leaders are taking meaJf. r ® s to meet a military and political ’ I"he measures of the last few i s V" gPst that a Fascist Party Purge Is likely, so that, should a popu- j r revolt break out. no anti-Fascist! u,„, n ij Utra * elements within the party ' "ouid endanger its existence, , oimf U *u S correspondent. in Madrid | mo t , he Italian newspaper “Relaziwiii i n l e , rna zionali” as saying: “Italy will be defended to the bitter end. We; ," a "°t -surrender. Italy, in her alike s^a^es dignity .erj honour

i>''i ch y oificiai -- le Jm e radio repots !h*i i -raud, propaganda thc Vi:i ' y mnent’s mandv u in Norton.Junes assassinatecl --Lon-