BOMBERS AGAIN OVER SICILY

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23975, 16 June 1943, Page 3

BOMBERS AGAIN OVER SICILY

18,000 Prisoners On Islands ALLIED SHIPS SAID TO BE MASSING (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) ’(Reo. 11 p.m.) LONDON, June 15. Air attacks on Sicily are being kept up. To-day’s communique from Allied Headquarters in North Africa says: “On Sunday night Wellington bombers of the Strategical Air Force attacked targets At Messina the railway yards and the harbour area received many hits, and several fires resulted. “The activities of the North-west African Air Forces yesterday were confined to reconnaissance and patrolling. None of our aircraft is missing. It is now known that four additional enemy aircraft were shot down on Friday, bringing the total to 18, for the loss of three of our aircraft.” A British naval squadron has'completed the mopping-up of the Italian islands in the Sicilian Narrow's. After the surrender of Pantelleria, Lampedusa, and Linosa, the squadron went on to take over the uninhabited island of Lampione, seven miles north of Lampedusa. Prisoners taken on the islands number 18,000, including 15,000 on Pantelleria. Both Berlin and Rome yesterday reported that Allied shipping was massing in the Sicilian Narrows, and admitted that an attack on Sicily and Sardinia was expected soon. Concentrations had been seen off Pantelleria and also a formidable armada of warships and merchant vessels off Lampedusa.

“The battle between the Axis Air Force and Allied convoys is continuing in the triangle between Malta. Bizerte, and the Sicilian coast,” said the .. Rome radio yesterday. The battle, which has now lasted for nearly three days, has not lost any of its violence. "As the battle nears Italy’s shores, the Italians know they must not only defend the soil of the motherland but Italy’s future in the Mediterranean. This doubles their energies. Our navy is'still powerful. Whatever comes, the whole of the Italian people are still ready to join in the struggle. Neither the ’ bombardment of cities nor the enemy’s threats have been able to weaken their resistance.” The Paris radio’s military commentator (Jean Paquis) says: “The Allied invasion is likely to begin this week. The British and American army has confidence in its numerical superiority for the initial attack, and also derives confidence from the fact that the greater part of the Luftwaffe is tied down in the east. Germany at present, gives the appearance of having lost all the initiative, but there is no doubt that she will strike at the right moment.” Most London commentators conclude that the Italian divisions stationed in Sicily appear inadequate to sustain a long defence, but the enemy probably pins his hopes of prolonging the fight on the air defence from the 20 or more airfields which Sicily possesses. The air correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph,” Air Commodore Howard Williams, says: “Three complementary needs govern any operations against Sicily and Sardinia. The first is to confound internal communications, large numbers of men being required j to move big supplies of water, food, and munitions for resistance. The second is to smash the Italian ports of departure. The third is to fight for air mastery over the airfields and ports of arrival in the islands. “Air Chief Marshal Tedder is likely to- neutralise communications,-• ports, and airfields first, and then concentrate on one section of the island he is .attacking with sufficient weight to enable the Navy to put the Army ashore with the minimum loss. He will then lift the air barrage and impose the same elimination tactics on the second area —a combination of the carpet he laid before Alamein, before Tunis, and before Pantelleria.” The operations resulting in the capture of Lampedusa, Linosq, and Lam-

pioui are described by the British United Press correspondent on the flagship of a British squadron which played an important part. Arriving off Lampedusa before midnight on June 11, the Navy found the Royal Air Force already at work. Then the ships opened their bombardment, to which Italian gunners replied, but the enemy was not on the target. During the night Lampedusa suffered a sequence of air and sea attacks that rocked the island to its base. At 6 a.m. on June 1 every warship of the squadrqn was ordered to move it. Soon shells were pouring in from all sides. Bombers continued the work throughout the day until white flags were raised at 6.16 p.m. After the surrender the Axis sent over at least 100 Junkers 88’s to bomb the island and harbour. One British destroyer was attacked 25 times, but was not hit.

Linosa was captured by a landing party in a ship’s whaler. This time there was no fighting back. The Italian garrison had heard what happened at Pantelleria. The Lampedusa garrison was quite happy to surrender, and the tiny island’s 300 inhabitants, most of' whom are engaged in cattle raising, greeted our sailors enthusiastically. From Linosa the squadron cruised to Lampione. which is only a chunk of rock, sticking up from the sea a few miles west of Lampedusa. It contained a single building housing lighthouse equipment, but the island was uninhabited. These four islands in the Sicilian Channel will be of tremendous service to the Allies. The Allies now have two excellent aerodromes and submarine and motor torpedo-boat bases at their disposal in Pantelleria and Lampedusa, and Linosa and Lampione will provide them with weather and communication posts.