EARLY IN ACTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 July 1943, Page 3

EARLY IN ACTION

ROYAL MARINES IN SICILY capture of coastal batteries AMERICAN WARSHIPS KNOCK OUT TANKS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, July 15. An officer of the Royal Marines, who was the first British officer ashore in Sicily, was also the first British casualty, says the “Daily Mail’s” correspondent, Noel Monks. The officer was leading an attack against an Italian coastal battery at Pachino 1 after the landing when a machine-gun post opened up at pgintblank range, and he was seen to fall. Another Royal Marine officer took his place, the machinegun post was overwhelmed, and the way cleared to the coastal battery. The marines were given the tough assignment —most important to the navy—of capturing coastal batteries, and they did the job efficiently, inflicting five times the number of casualties they suffered. A British United Press correspondent says that American warships fought tanks for the first time in history as American, troops repulsed a large-scale Axis counter-attack in the Gela area. The naval gunfire knocked out a number of German tanks.

PEOPLE OF SICILY STRONG ANTIPATHY SHOWN. TO FASCISTS & GERMANS. LONDON, July 15. A combined report from. a _ British Press party which landed in Sicily on Tuesday states: “We drove for many hours far inland through territory which was already in Allied hands after only three days of fighting. Everywhere there was evidence of how slight the defence had been. “In the first place, it was remarkable to see scores of Allied ships lying with impunity off this hostile coast. Throughout the day we did not see a single enemy plane. Everywhere on the roads we met prisoners who were as smiling, docile and lightly guarded as those we saw on the roads in Tunisia. 'Here and there by the roadside we saw captured guns and tanks, most of them undamaged. Several towns had been bombed. It has been found that this brings ftie garrison out to surrender pretty promptly. “Our troops report that much sniping is still going on in the areas from which_the main body of the enemy has withdrawn.” Sicilians in. some villages blotted out the signs “Evviva il Duce” and “Evviva Mussolini” on walls and substituted “Evviva George the Sixth.” The population in other parts seems to be entirely inert and uninterested. Peasants and village folk w’ho sit on the pavements as the troops come in scarcely | look up. The people are not hostile, i and when questioned they show mark-1 ed antipathy to the Fascist regime and I the Germans. ) ENEMY COMMENTS “ADEQUATE DISPOSITIONS.” TO PREVENT ALLIES ACHIEVING AIMS. LONDON, July 15. “The fighting in Sicily has become a ( great battle, which is taking its course with increasing violence,” says Berlin radio’s military commentator, Captain Sertorius. “The Allies are receiving reinforcements continuously and their attempts to penetrate inland have been, backed most efficiently by a far superior air force, which is operating ceaselessly. “It cannot be said that the British and Americans are having a walkover. Their progress in many places is really very modest. They have won in the Italian zone the approaches to the south-eastern mountainous regions and forced a path to the Plain of Catania. They are supported by a battle fleet. The aim of the offensive is the conquest of the whole eastern coast of Messina, thus completely isolating the island from the Continent. It is obvious that the Axis High Command has already made adequate dispositions to prevent the achievement of this aim.” The Berlin radio claims that a large British paratroop operatio’n on the Catanian plain on Tuesday night, involving at least one regiment, completely failed. The paratroops, who

were landing to attack the rear of the Axis forces opposing the drive against Catania, jumped into the middle of •German concentrations, and most of the paratroops were wiped out or taken prisoner. The Rome radio said the Italian High Command anticipates that the Allied forces from Pantelleria will soon attempt a landing on the west coast of Sicily. A landing attempt west of Licata on Tuesday was repulsed, it said.