PICTURE OF ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 July 1943, Page 4

PICTURE OF ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY

Naval and Landing Operations Like Spithead Review VALUABLE PART PLAYED BY AIRBORNE TROOPS DIFFICULT UNDERTAKING CARRIED OUT TO SCHEDULE (British. Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July 11. v The Sicilian picture begins to take clearer shape as eyewitness accounts reach London. One account, received from an Allied force command post, states: “It was like a Spithead review,’’ was how a naval officer described the scene off the Sicilian coast yesterday. “Long lines of ships of all types and sizes were lying off the beaches, the only thing missing being the bunting. “Landing craft were fussing backward and forwards to the beaches, which were crowded with troops, and with naval beach parties supervising the unloading of equipment, guns and tanks, which went on steadily throughout the day. After the enemy coastal batteries had been silenced and our troops had broken through the beach defences, there was very little sign that we had landed on enemy territory. “During ths early stages of the assault, in the hours 01 darkness, the weather conditions made the landing of the troops no easy task. A high wind caused a heavy swell, but the Allied navies carried out their job without any hitch. In an amphibious operation, the Navy has complete charge until the troops actually put their feet on the land, and they have overcome the many difficulties magnificently. The huge battle fleet which covered the landing contained many Allied units and included a big American force, taking part on its first amphibious operation in a European theatre. ’Cruisers and destroyers silenced many coastal batteries which opened fire on our assault boats as they went in to the beaches. One of these batteries, whose code name was ‘P for Peter,’ after being silenced by the war-, ships, began to fire again, but only spasmodically. Its shells never fell within range of our ships, but apparently they annoyed a British Admiral, who sent a signal: ‘lf P for Peter opens his mouth again, give him the works.’ “Admiral Cunningham was afloat on Saturday afternoon, visiting in turn the naval forces off the Sicilian coast and the naval forces working the beaches. By this time the swell had died down and it was a lovely summer afternoon. As we passed through the long line of ships we saw a big transport unloading tanks into landing craft and watched troops being taken ashore without interference from the enemy. The only excitement was when a solitary enemy aircraft dropped a stick of bombs into the sea about two miles away. The little coast towns all looked deserted.”