REPORT OF ALLIED ULTIMATUM

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 218, 10 June 1943, Page 5

REPORT OF ALLIED ULTIMATUM

Cruisers And Bombers Blast Pantelleria CRESCENDO OF ATTACK (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) LONDON, June 9. It is officially stated in Rome that the garrison of Pantelleria yesterday rejected an Allied ultimatum to them to surrender. The island was attacked all day from the air, Rome states, and was also v olently shelled by an Allied naval formation. A communique from the Allied headquarters in North-west Africa states: “A force' of cruisers and destroyers bombarded Pantelleria yesterday. The results were satisfactory. There was a certain amount of retaliatory fire, but our force suffered neither casualties nor damage. The island was also attacked by our bombers yesterday and on the previous night. [Since the middle of last month Pantelleria, which used to be called “Mussolini's Malta,” has been shelled six times and bombed almost every day and night.]

As the Allied air offensive against Italy’s island outposts increases in intensity, recalling the technique of the African campaigns, in which every land attack was preceded by the maximum air blitz, the German commander in the south, Air Marshal Kesselring, has switched fighter squadrons to the threatened zone in a desperate effort to stop the paralysing raids. This intervention, however, has not interfered with the relentless onslaught and has cost the Axis heavy losses. It has only served to underline the completeness of the Allied air supremacy. When Flying Fortresses, Spitfires and VVarhawks pounded Pantellaria throughout Monday smoke rose 4000 ft. above the island, and by the time the last bomber left for home it was drifting almost as far as the coast of Sicily more than 50 miles to the north-east.

Reporting the operations on Monday, an Italian communique said: “The garrison of Pantellaria, reacting with undiminished bravery in the face of the uninterrupted air assaults, destroyed six planes, and a further three crashed after duels with German fighters. Enemy bombers over Messina and Trapani caused considerable damage.” An R.A.F. (Malta) communique yesterday stated that on Monday fighters and bombers attacked Palazzolo, in Sicily. Bombs burst among warehouses. Intruders attacked road transport at night near Comiso and extinguished a light signal south of Estilo.

Yesterday’s North Africa communique stated: “Our air forces repeated their attacks against Pantelleria, many missions being carried out by heavy, medium and fighter-bombers. Eleven enemy aircraft were destroyed. Two of ours are missing.” Messina Bombed Again. Today’s Algiers communique, reporting other operations yesterday, says that objectives in southern Sardinia were bombed. One enemy plane was shot down during the day, and from all operations one of our aircraft is missing. On Monday night heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force attacked the ferry terminus and railway installations at Messina, Sicily, states a Middle East communique which was issued today. Many fires were caused, including a large one near the main railway station. Yesterday light bombers and long-range fighters carried out a number of successful attacks on enemy shipping in the Aegean Sea and off the western coast of Greece.