SPEEDY RETREAT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 August 1943, Page 4

SPEEDY RETREAT

OF ENEMY IN SICILY BEFORE SEVENTH & EIGHTH ARMIES. Evacuation continuing apace. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.2 a.m.) RUGBY, August 15. In Sicily the enemy is now withdrawing rapidly’ in front of both Allied armies, while his evacuation to the mainland continues apace. Throughout yesterday, while our bombers were attacking beaches, and landing craft in the straits, the troops cf the Seventh and Eighth armies were unable to make contact with the enemy, who had moved back at great speed on the previous night. KNOCKED OUT THE GERMAN AIR FORCE. AIR MARSHAL CONINGHAM’S SURVEY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.25 a.m.) RUGBY, August 15. “The German Air Force has been knocked out,” declared Air Marshal Coningham, at his advanced headquarters in Sicily. “They are a beaten force, as, although some of their machines are quite good, they have completely lost fighting spirit. Their losses in) the Mediterranean theatre have been

astronomical and even if they had

the will, they are no longer able to compete with us. A few pickets

are left, such as that on the Channel coast.”

Air Marshal Coningham added that for some time he had thought the German Air Force was dying, and today in Sicily hungry Spitfires ranged the length and breadth of the island without even a sight of an enemy plane. Reviewing the Sicilian campaign, Air Marshal Coningham paid tribute to the work of the Flying Fortresses before the landings. The Germans had 250 to 300 fighters based on the Gerbini airfields, but as a result of the attacks by the Flying Fortresses, only about 30 of these fighters were left on the island when the Allies landed. Air Marshal Coningham said he had expected that the enemy would divert all his available air resources to Sicily, and the reason he did not do this was that he had no other forces available. The enemy had now been forced right back and was unable to use airfields in the toe of Italy.

Regarding the evacuation, the air marshal said: “We are unable to prevent it completely, owing to the narrowness of the straits, which are covered by a terrific barrage of 500 guns. Despite this obstacle, the Air Force is taking a steady 101 l of the enemy craft.”

Railways, road transport and shipping again suffered on Friday night from attacks by Malta’s Mosquitoes. Their targets included the Villa Laterno railway junction and road transports in the Foggio area, another station in Italy’s heel and rolling stock and station buildings at Picticci, where a large oil fire visible for 30 miles was started. The goods yard at Sibari and small craft moored off De Ciro were other targets in which fires were started. Light bombers joined in these and other attacks, making hits on buildings at Pizzo and Goya and starting more fires.