WIPED CLEAN OUT

Grey River Argus, 4 June 1943, Page 5

WIPED CLEAN OUT

Italy’s Island Capitals MESSINA AND CAGLIARI (Rec. 5.5) LONDON, June 3. A special correspondent of the Italian paper “11 Popolo d’ltalia, after a visit to Messina, the chief city of the Island of Sicly, stated that the city is no longer even recognisable. 'The modern street of San Martino, and the business quarter have been almost destroyed. The University, law courts, churches and schools have disappeared. All the theatres are badly damaged. The cathedral, which was previously damaged, has been hit again. Those acquainted with Messina, says the British United Press Madrid correspondent, will know that if the town has been flattened, then the vital port with its railway communications and ferry slips, must have also been flattened, because the whole town clusters around the port. Cagliari, the principal port of Sardinia, suffered the same fate as Messina, according to the Morocco radio. For all intents and purposes, Cagliari has been razed to the ground. The overwhelming majority of its people fled to the hills. Islands Again Blitzed (Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON, June 2. Pantellaria Island, off Tunisia, has twice been bombarded by Allied naval forces since the week-end. The first attack was made on Saturday night. Many shells fell in the harbour area. The Italians put up no effective opposition and the Allied ships suffered neither damage nor casualties. The second attack was made yesterday. Barracks and battery areas were hit. This time the Italians offered some retaliation, but the Allied forces suffered no casualties. Pantellaria was als 0 attacked yesterday from the air. when bombers and fighter-bombers swept over the island. Mitchells, Marauders, and Lightnings yesterday continued the assault on ports and communication in Sardinia, hit - ting supply, vessels, railways, and port installations.

Warhawks attacked a seaplane base in an island off Sicily, destroying hangars and seaplanes. Flying almost at water level, Warhawks carried out the attack against the seaplane base on Stagnone island, mentioned in fhe Algiers communique. The Warhawk strafed a line of seaplanes moored in the harbour and destroyed a considerable number and damaged others. The only serious Tighter opposition was at Terranova, the port and rail terminus in north-east Sardinia, where Allied planes set on fire two ships. Whether the Navy has given Italy’s strategically-valuable and muchbombed island of Pantellaria the rinal kneck-out is not known for certain, but no enemy ships are reported to have put in there for the- past few dayfc. The ’ British United Press correspondent .with the Mediterranean Fleet says that as recently as the final days of the Tunisian campaign our light craft patrolling the Sicilian Channel to prevent any evacuation moves met a fair amount of shelllire from the island batteries when ne approached the coast. The fact that enemy shelling was negligible during the latest naval bombardments shows that recent air attacks had taken toll of the island's defences.