PANTELLERIA TAKEN

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23972, 12 June 1943, Page 5

PANTELLERIA TAKEN

Surrender After Bombing

jPJED forces in POSSESSION

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 1 a.m.) LONDON, June 11. Pantelleria has fallen. This news is given in a special communique issued to-day by Allied Headquarters in North Africa. The communique says: “Pantelleria has surrendered and (as been occupied by Allied forces. The surrender of the island |g a result of continuous and intensive air and naval bombardment. Two previous requests for the capitulation of the garri--0 were ignored.” A correspondent says: “The white flag was displayed on Jemaphore Hill, overlooking the harbour, this morning. The (gland fell after one of the most devastating air attacks of the war.” “Allied troops have gained their first foothold on Italian soil” says a dispatch from another correspondent. “Pantelleria, one of the outer bulwarks of Italy’s defences, is now in our bands.”

The capture of the island gi jn attack on Sicily.

ives the Allies a useful base for

The Rome radio yesterday admitted ftat Pantelleria and Lampedusa might he battered to the point of exhaustion by the extreme violence of the assault. The British United Press correspondent at Allied Headquarters in North Africa, describing Wednesday’s aslaults, says: "We are throwing practically every aircraft capable of carrying bombs into the attack on Pantelleria, and it is believed that we have reduced the island’s defences to a point where they can hold out only a little longer. "Reports brought back by airmen lent out to continue the island’s destruction following the rejection of our ultimatum spoke of only very weak opposition from the island’s ground defences. Ton after ton of high explosives rained down on Pantelleria on Wednesday, keeping up the steady pulverisation which has been going on practically ever since the fall of Tunisia. "The enemy again tried to put up I fighter umbrella over the island, but only one of our aeroplanes is missing, against 12 of the enemy shot down. One pilot reported seeing only two hursts of anti-aircraft fire the whole time he was over the island. ■ "It seems evident from the airmen’s reports that the island’s defenders are cut of! from all hope of supplies by our air and naval blockade. Relentlessly hammered for so long, defenders must be very close to cracking point." The Berlin correspondent of the Stockholm newspaper “Allehanda” lays: "It is stressed here that Pantelleria is difficult to defend, as its garrison is comparatively small. It would have been impossible to provide a larger garrison with drinking water, as the supply has to be brought from Italy'"- , V\ Lampedusa garrison is so ■ /it would be overrun by a a'ding force.”

While Pantelleria was being blasted on Wednesday, 50 Liberator bombers dropped more than 100 tons of demolition, fragmentation, and incendiary bombs on the Gerbini and Catania aerodromes, in Sicily. Both targets, according to one air commander, were completely churned up. An Italian communique says that 41 persons were killed and 91 were injured in the Catania area. A photographic reconnaissance has revealed that the Allied air attacks on Naples caused the blowing up of a large merchant ship and the destruction of large portions of adjacent quays. The liner Lombardia and five other vessels were damaged. Damage to the dry docks at Gramli and to barracks and engineering works was also inflicted. An oil refinery, docks, and shipbuilding yards were damaged at Leghorn. Three supply ships were hit and considerable damage was done in attacks on Grossctto and Foggia. Lido di Roma and many other parts of Italy were severely damaged.