HELL ON BEACHES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 August 1943, Page 4

HELL ON BEACHES

FATE OF THE GERMANS IN SICILY

LITTLE CHANCE OF CROSSING STRAITS.

TEMPEST OF ALLIED AIR & LAND ATTACKS. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, August 9. The British United Press correspondent at Allied Headquarters says Axis troops that survive the hell on the beaches of Sicily have little (Jhance of crossing the Straits of Messina unscathed. Although the straits remain the focal point of the Allied air onslaught, the rest of North-Eastern Sicily and also Southern Italy, are being attacked ceaselessly. One observer said: “The Allied air forces have spread a vast canopy of wings over the whole area.”

Everywhere the ground ahead of the Allied infantry is being relentlessly softened. Randazzo is being attacked all day and is rapidly becoming useless under continuous Allied air blasting. Railway installations and enemy troops concentrations in the town have been smashed. Streams of enemy armoured vehicles and supply lorries passing through Randazzo have been wrecked and are on fire. North of Randazzo, fighters swooped dowm on enemy convoys moving northward. Many lorries packed with troops, and also twenty supply vehicles, were set on fire. Similar attacks are being carried out along the rest of the front. Our bombers and fighters are fanning out in great waves over the retreating enemy forces. The southern tip of Italy is also being heavily pasted. Planes are blasting communication and supply lines and American Lightnings, attacking trains loaded with arms and supplies which are rushing southward to Sicily, completely wrecked two trains in the Gulf of San Eufamia and bombed and strafed six other trains 25 miles north of Reggio di Calabria. Marauders wrecked two large bridges on the main highways of Angitola and also damaged an important railway bridge.

The Rome radio asserted. that sixteen Allied divisions are at-present in Sicily and added that Allied warships again bombarded the Calabrian coast of Italy.

LINE ROUND ETNA

MOSTLY NOW IN ALLIED HANDS. TROOPS DRIVING ON RANDAZZO. (Received. This Day, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, August 9. The bulk of the German defence line around Mt. Etna is now in Allied hands. The British United Press correspondent with the Eighth Army reports that the Allies yesterday captured Trecastagni and Acisenantonio, west of Acireale, on the slopes of Mt. bitna, completing our hold on the territory south-east of Etna. Both villages fell after brief skirmishing. Suicide squads which are still being left behind to hold up 'Eighth Army forces advancing northward on the coast, east of Mt. Etna, are being slowly but surely knocked out. _ ; Reuter’s correspondent says the German evacuation from Sicily, which began ten days ago with non-essential personnel, now appears to be speeding up, as the Allies press back the enemy’s rearguard screen alo’ng the whole front. The Germans are not attempting to dispute Allied air supremacy, but they have thickened the anti-aircraft defences around the Messina Straits, till they are now

’’heavier than the inner artillery of

London,” according to " Air Marshal ,/ Eroadhurst, Air Officer Commanding, who added that it was the heaviest flak he had ever seen in the Mediterranean.

Randazzo, on which the Eighth Army, from Bronte, and the Americans, 'from Cesaro, are now converging, has become the focal point of the German defences. Enemy resistance to the Anglo-American thrusts is expected to be desperately heavy. Once Randazzo, which is reported to be in flames, falls, the Germans ■in the coastal corridor east of Mt. Etna and in front of the Eighth Army’s right wing will be greatly endangered.

RACE FOR MESSINA \ BRITISH AND AMERICAN | FORCES. TREMENDOUS AIR ONSLAUGHT > ON STRAITS. (Received This Day, 11.50 a.m.) LONDON, August 9. The British at present are slightly nearer Randazzo than the Americans. Great interest is being aroused in the friendly race for Messina which must inevitably develop at the end of the campaign. For the sixth day in succession, wave after wave of Allied planes today continued ceaseless attacks against the Axis forces trying to escape across the Straits of Messina, says the British United Press Algier’s correspondent. The process of cutting off Sicily is now being carried out by night and day. The possibility of the Axis evacuating any large number of their forces is rapidly diminishing. Wellingtons on Sunday night blasted the beaches and the Straits for over eight hours.

Bridges, railways and troop concentrations were smashed by a continuous rain of bombs. At dawn on Monday,

large formations of bombers and fighters were again over the straits, attack- \ ing enemy forces on the beaches, waiting- to be taken back to Italy. Axis | ships and landing craft trying to cross the straits were subjected to a hail of cannon fire.