ALLIED FOOTHOLD IN SICILY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 July 1943, Page 3

ALLIED FOOTHOLD IN SICILY

Ten Ports and Towns Taken, including Syracuse EIGHTH ARMY UNITS UNDER MONTGOMERY IN CONTACT WITH GERMANS GENERAL EISENHOWER SATISFIED WITH PROGRESS SO FAR LONDON, July 12. General Eisenhower landed in Sicily from a British destroyer at dawn this morning. He stated that he was satisfied with the progress made so far. The Allied land forces now hold a stretch of land 100 miles long and in some places more than 10 miles deep. Inside this area and firmly in Allied hands are several airfields and ten ports and railway towns, including Syracuse, a seaplane and naval base with one of the best natural harbours in Sicily. Allied mine-sweepers are now clearing the harbour of mines. Some of the captured airfields are already being used by the Allies The enemy has made seven counter-attacks so far one near Gela with 45 tanks. All the attacks’have been thrown back and 2,000 prisoners have been taken, mostly Italians. War correspondents in the occupied territory say the civilian population is friendly. THE ALLIED COMMANDERS General Montgomery is in command of the British land forces in Sicily, Lieutenant-General Patten is m command oi the American forces, Air Chief Marshal Tedder is in charge of air operations and Admiral Cunningham is directing the naval operations. In supreme command is General Eisenhower, who has General Alexander as his deputy. General Montgomery is there as well, with units of his famous Eighth Army. These troops seem to have made first contact with the German troops in Sicily. This was in Syracuse. The British troops entered the town at 9 o’clock last night. There was some sharp fightingin the streets. A party of Germans tried to hold out in a barracks, but at dawn this morning all opposition was overcome. Among the places captured are Avola, Noto and Kosolim, on the railway line south from Syraculse. British troops have also captured a place eight miles inland from Syracuse, where bitter fighting was reported to be going on against strong German forces last night. More men and supplies continue to be landed. POWERFUL AIR ATTACKS In the air the enemy is putting up greater opposition. The latest losses are 45 Axis planes shot down over Sicily and two over Italy. The Allies lost nine machines. Allied air attacks are being kept up at a high pitch. Enemy airfields, both in Sicily and in the toe of Italy, are the chief targets, besides rail and road communications. Waves of Allied aircraft are playing a big part in hampering enemy attempts to rush up troops to the front. The roads provide first-class targets and already over 400 Avis vehicles have been destroyed. All were carrying troops or supplies. The Allies’ Sicilian front has been widened to 150 miles with the establishment by Canadians of an important bridgehead near Porto Empedocle, midway along the southern coast of the island, says the “Daily Mail.’’ Mussolini has sent a message to his troops in Sicily. It was quoted by the Rome radio, “I am with you in spirit, he said. News has reached London that the anti-Fascist group in Italy has arranged to co-operate with a view to forming a constitutional democratic republic. It is learnt that only a few hours after the first Italian prisoners were captured some of them were helping to unload ammunition from Allied lighters on the coast.