SMASHING BLOWS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 August 1943, Page 3

SMASHING BLOWS

AT BOTH ENEMY FLANKS Of Diminishing Axis Bridgehead in Sicily ALLIED FORCES CLOSING ON KEY TOWN OF RANDAZZO AMERICANS LAND FROM SEA BEHIND ENEMY LINES LONDON, August 9. In Sicily, British, Canadian and American troops are converging on Randazzo, a key town in the centre of the Axis bridgehead. This movement threatens to roll up both the enemy’s flanks. The enemy is fighting desperately to hold up the Allied advance. The roads leading into Randazzo have been heavily mined and the bridges blown up. Every street has been turned into a strongpoint. The Americanrs have captured a town 13 wiles from Randazzo and the British at Bronte are only nine miles south-west of the town, which is now within range of artillery. Aircraft are bombing and strafing Randazzo continuously. Yesterday,’they struck from dawn to dusk and tremendous damage was inflicted. Traffic can no longer move in or out of the town. .... The Americans, on the north coast, made a daring landing from the sea behind the enemy’s lines and smashed up a convoy of enemy lorries moving up with reinforcements. They captured some hundreds of prisoners and turned the rest back in confusion. They then linked up with the main land forces and before the day was over San Agata and another place were in their hands. The Eighth Army has reached points eight miles north and 18 miles north-west of Catania. The Germans are fighting a very stiff rearguard action and have thrown in tanks in an attempt to stop the advance. ' Allied aircraft are ranging far and wide over the enemy bridgehead, attacking a variety of targets. Scores of trucks were set on fire and others were seen falling off .ledges on mountain roads. Masses of enemy transport are to be seen which have been hit by bombs and bullets from Allied aircraft. In the Straits of Messina, Wellington bombers again spent the night bombing the beaches on both sides of the waterway. The attacks lasted for eight hours and it is believed that considerable damage was done. The attack was taken up in daylight by other aircraft, which bombed and shot up every ship they could see and every troop concentration on or near the beaches.