SIGNIFICANT CHANGES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 August 1943, Page 4

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES

IN POSITION IN SICILY ALLIES ATTACKING ALL ALONG LINE. ENEMY MAKING COSTLY COUNTER-ATTACKS. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.55 p.m.) LONDON. August 2. The past 24 hours have seen significant changes in the position in Sicily, with the Allies making new advances all along the line in what is likely to be the final attack against the enemy forces hemmed into the island’s north-eastern corner. The whole front, now less (han 6C miles long, is in movement. The enemy in some sectors is coun-te-attacking desperately, but is being steadily forced back on an evernarrowing front and is suffering heavy losses. The Eighth Army has launched a powerful push south of Catania, the American Seventh Army has cracked the northern end of the Etna line, and the Canadians, in the centre, are steadily’ progressing, pushing down the highway running from Enna through the German bastion of Regalbuto, to Catania. This movement threatens to outflank the Germans’ defences south of Catania. The capture of San Stefano gives the Americans possession of the former northern terminus of the German defence line. The town is a road junction which formerly provided the enemy with important lateral communi-j cations. American spearheads are now) believed to be well along the coast east j of San Stefano. The American capture of Mistretta (about 10 miles inland from San Stefano) straightens out their line and gives the Allies command of a network of valleys leading inland to Troina (west of Mt Etna). The Allies have also captured Assoro, Nicosia and Nissoria, all of which lie west of Agira.

ALLIED AIRCRAFT ATTACKING ■ THE ENEMY EVERYWHERE. DESPERATE GERMAN DEFENCE OF REGALBUTO. LONDON, August 2. An Allied communique from North Africa reports steady progress on all sectors. Repeated strong enemy coun-ter-attacks have been repulsed by the Eighth Army. In the Canadian zone, heavy fighting is taking place, but our troops continue to push forward. The Germans are fighting desperately to- hold up the Allied advance on Regalbuto. In spite of very heavy losses the Germans are throwing in everything they have. Allied aircraft are attacking Axis communications throughout the bridgehead. They heavily bombed Sicilian ports still in German hands and shot up enemy shipping crossing the Straits of Messina. Allied air superiority, has become so marked that perhaps for the first time in this war more aircraft are available than can profitably be used.