Strikes reduce steel output 220,000 tons
Loss called ‘worst domestic disaster since war started’
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Bomber output up 6% monthly
Need of post-war reserves cited by official
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Stampa Sera (July 14, 1943)
La battaglia nella Sicilia meridionale –
Il nemico impegnato su tutto il fronte in duri combattimenti
Aerei e sommergibili infliggono gravi perdite all’avversario – 5 cacciatorpediniere e 3 grossi piroscafi colati a picco – 6 incrociatori, dei quali 1 pesante, 2 caccia e un trasporto danneggiati
34 aerei anglo-americani abbattuti
Il Quartiere Generale delle Forze Armate comunica:
Il nemico, che alimenta continuamente la sua offensiva con nuovi contingenti, è riuscito a superare la fascia litoranea da Licata ad Augusta, spingendosi verso la zona montana sud-orientale della Sicilia e affacciandosi alla piana di Catania. Su tutto il fronte le truppe italiane e germaniche sono impegnate in duri combattimenti.
Nostri reparti aerosiluranti in azioni notturne lungo le coste della Sicilia orientale hanno affondato due piroscafi di grosso tonnellaggio e un cacciatorpediniere e danneggiato 6 incrociatori, di cui uno pesante, due cacciatorpediniere, un grande mercantile e altro naviglio minore.
In duelli aerei nel cielo dell’isola i cacciatori dell’Asse abbattevano undici apparecchi; dodici altri velivoli erano distrutti dalle artiglierie della Sicilia, 4 da quelle della Sardegna, 7 aerosiluranti da nostre unità in navigazione.
14 nostri aerei non hanno fatto ritorno dalle operazioni della giornata.
Nel Mediterraneo centrale un sommergibile, al commando del tenente di vascello Alberto Donato da La Spezia, colava a picco un piroscafo da 15 mila tonnellate. Un’altra unità subacquea, comandata dal tenente di vascello Pasquale Beltrame da Savona, lanciava una salva di siluri contro una formazione di cacciatorpediniere, dei quali due venivano colpiti. Un terzo sommergibile, al comando del tenente di vascello Renato Scandale da Castelfranco Emilia, silurava un cacciatorpediniere della classe JERVIS ed uno della classes FEARLESS. I quattro caccia predetti sono da ritenersi affondati.
Völkischer Beobachter (July 15, 1943)
Landungstruppen im Bombenhagel der Achsenluftwaffe –
Unvermindert heftige Kämpfe in Südsizilien
dnb. Berlin, 14. Juli –
In Südsizilien nimmt der Kampf gegen die gelandeten Briten und Nordamerikaner mit unverminderter Heftigkeit seinen Fortgang. Der Gegner versucht seine Brückenköpfe mit allen ihm zu Gebote stehenden Mitteln zu erweitern. Nordamerikanische Kräfte, die an der Südküste Fuß gefaßt und sichernde Vorhuten nach Norden ins Gebirge vorgetrieben hatten, griffen am Montag die deutsch-italienischen Sperrstellungen fortgesetzt mit Infanterie und Panzern an. Nach vergeblichen Vorstößen am Vormittag verstärkte der Feind in den Nachmittagsstunden seinen Druck durch frische Kräfte. Die Angriffe wurden aber unter hohen Verlusten für die Nordamerikaner abgewiesen.
Luftwaffenverbände der Achse griffen wirkungsvoll in den Erdkampf ein. Durch Bombentreffer hatten die feindlichen Panzer erhebliche Ausfälle.
Weitere harte Kämpfe entwickelten sich im Gebirge gegen die einige Stunden vor der Landung abgesetzten Fallschirmabspringer und Luftlandetruppen. Von der Küste her versuchte der Feind, mit diesen vorgeschobenen Kräften Fühlung aufzunehmen. Einige der Stoßabteilungen kamen ins Gefecht mit unseren Sicherungsverbänden. Während des Kampfes steckten die angegriffenen Briten einen Olivenhain in Brand, in der Hoffnung, hinter den deckenden Rauchschwaden gegen die deutsch-italienischen Linien Vorgehen und günstige Stellungen für die weitere Verteidigung finden zu können. Italienische Pioniere drangen jedoch in den brennenden Hain ein, rissen die ausgetrockneten, gerade von den Flammen erfaßten Bäume aus, zogen Schutzgräben und dämmten so den Brand ein. Dadurch machten sie den Weg für die Abwehr frei. Die Achsentruppen rieben einige der britischen Stoßtrupps auf und drängten die übrigen zurück.
Im Laufe des Montags verstärkte sich der Feind weiter und brachte neue Truppen an Land. Er versuchte erneut, an solchen Stellen festen Fuß zu fassen, an denen die ersten Ausbootungen am 10. Juli mißlangen. Teile der Landungstruppen waren zum Beispiel an einer der Buchten an der Südostküste abgewiesen worden, obwohl schweres Artilleriefeuer aus Schiffsgeschützen und fortgesetzte Bombenangriffe das Unternehmen unterstützten. Der Platz war dem Feind günstig erschienen, da die Küstenabwehr das Feuer nicht erwiderte. Die Küstenverteidigung hatte jedoch wohlbedacht den deckungslosen Küstenstreifen freigemacht, um bei dem zu erwartenden schweren Bombardement unnötige Verluste zu vermeiden. Aus etwas landeinwärts liegenden Stellungen beobachtete sie die Maßnahmen des Gegners. Als der Feind dicht an Land gekommen war, schlugen alle Waffen zu. Rasendes Feuer zerschmetterte die Landungsboote.
Nachdem der Gegner die Stärke der Küstenverteidigung zu spüren bekommen hatte, nahm er die Stellungen nochmals unter schweres Feuer seiner Schiffsgeschütze. Gleichzeitig griffen starke Bomberverbände den Küstenstreifen an und sicherten damit die Landung. An anderer Stelle hatte der Gegner Panzer gelandet. Durch den geringen Widerstand an der Küste ermutigt, versuchten diese, eine Straße nahe am Meer zu erreichen. Durch die unerwartete Ruhe unsicher geworden, tasteten sich die Panzer vorsichtig vorwärts. Plötzlich traf sie jedoch aus unmittelbarer Nähe ein Feuerschlag aus gutgetarnten Stellungen. Zwei der Panzer blieben nach Treffern unbeweglich liegen. Ihre Besatzungen flüchteten an den Strand zurück. Die übrigen Panzer nahmen den Kampf auf. Ihr heftiges Feuer blieb wirkungslos, da die Panzerkanoniere die Stellungen der Achsentruppen nicht erkannten. Als dann noch eine 8,8-cm-Flak von der Flanke her in das Gefecht eingriff, war auch das Schicksal der restlichen Panzer an dieser Stelle besiegelt. Zerschossen oder brennend blieben sie vor der Straße liegen.
Den ganzen Tag über griffen schnelle deutsche Kampfflugzeuge, Jäger und Schlachtflieger die an Land gegangenen Truppenverbände des Feindes, die sich in den von steilen Böschungen eingefaßten Straßenschluchten zum weiteren Vorstoß formierten, mit Bomben und Bordwaffen an. Durch Bombentreffer setzten sie Kraftfahrzeugkolonnen in Brand und vernichteten zahlreiche Panzer.
Härteste Kämpfe stehen auf Sizilien bevor –
Italiener fürchten die Feuerprobe nicht
Eigener Bericht des „Völkischen Beobachters“
al. Rom, 14. Juli –
Gefangene, die in Sizilien von den deutsch-italienischen Truppen gemacht wurden, haben ihr Erstaunen darüber zum Ausdruck gebracht, daß sie von der Bevölkerung nicht mit ebenso offenen Armen empfangen wurden, wie sie es in gewissen, vorwiegend von Juden bewohnten Gebieten Französisch-Nordafrikas gewohnt waren.
Noch am Samstagvormittag hatte der amerikanische Rundfunk die Stirn, Aufrufe in italienischer Sprache an die Sizilianer zu richten, in denen diese aufgefordert wurden, einem Vormarsch der feindlichen Streitkräfte keinen Widerstand in den Weg zu legen, sondern vielmehr die italienischen Behörden in ihren Abwehrbemühungen durch aktiven Widerstand zu behindern. Die Gefangenenaussagen beweisen, daß es in England und Amerika Leute gibt, die tatsächlich glauben, was ihre Agitatoren in Rundfunk und Presse ihnen vorlügen. Das ist das Interessanteste an ihnen.
Über die Härte der in Sizilien zu erwartenden Kämpfe gibt sich hier übrigens niemand einer Täuschung hin. Gayda im Journale d’Italia schreibt:
Härteste Kämpfe und wechselndes Kriegsglück erwartet die Italiener, die Achsenstreitkräfte und mit ihnen auch den Feind in dieser Schlacht um Sizilien, die das imperialistische Machtstreben Englands im Mittelmeer deutlicher beweist, als sie einen wirklichen Dienst zur Entlastung der Ostfront darstellt. Die Sizilianer und mit ihnen alle Italiener fürchten die Feuerprobe nicht. Sie sind zum entscheidenden Widerstand entschlossen und werden ihr Gebiet Zoll für Zoll verteidigen in der Gewißheit, durch ihr Opfer einen Beitrag zur Erhebung ihres Volkes zu leisten und von ihren Verbündeten verstanden und unterstützt zu werden.
Die Enna-Stellung
Popolo di Roma enthält folgende Angaben über den Verlauf des feindlichen Unternehmens:
Die Landung ist in zwei Abschnitten erfolgt: im Süden zwischen Licata und Gela, wo die amerikanischen Kräfte zu stehen scheinen, im Südosten zwischen Pachino, Syrakus und Augusta, wo englisch-kanadische Streitkräfte gelandet zu sein scheinen. Es ist unwahrscheinlich, daß, falls es den gelandeten Truppen gelingen sollte, sich auf dem Küstenstreifen zu behaupten, noch eine andere Landung im westlichen Teil Siziliens erfolgen würde, die von Tunis oder von Pantelleria zu starten wäre.
Über die Verteidigungsmöglichkeit Siziliens äußert sich das römische Blatt folgendermaßen:
Der strategische Mittelpunkt Siziliens ist seit den Kämpfen der Araber immer Enna gewesen, da man von dieser zentral gelegenen starken Stellung aus leicht sowohl nach Osten in Richtung auf Catania als auch nach Süden Licata und Agrigent sowie gegen Norden auf Termini operieren kann. Als man in den ersten Jahrzehnten der Bildung des Königreiches Italien einen Krieg mit Frankreich und eine französische Invasion befürchtete, war in der Tat die Enna-Stellung sorgfältig studiert worden, um aus ihr den Mittelpunkt der Verteidigung zu machen. Statt der französischen Invasion ist heute die englisch-amerikanische gekommen. Aber das Gelände der Insel ist immer das gleiche geblieben.
Allied HQ, North Africa (July 15, 1943)
Communiqué:
During the last 24 hours, our ground forces have made considerable gains under the command of the 15th Army Group.
In the eastern sector, the newly-constituted British 8th Army has advanced some miles beyond Augusta, which has been firmly secured.
In the western sector, the U.S. 7th Army has captured another important airdrome and several dominating hill features.
Both British and U.S. airborne and parachute troops have carried out successful operations.
Since this campaign started, a total of at least 12,000 prisoners have been taken during the past five days.
Air Communiqué:
Port and railway communications at Messina were attacked yesterday by a strong force of heavy and medium bombers.
On the previous night, the bombers had attacked the same target. Very get damage was caused and fires were started.
Yesterday and during the previous night, medium and light bombers attacked the communications center of Enna. Road and railway communications throughout Sicily were also attacked.
Fighter-bombers again carried out many attacks on enemy communications and motor transport, destroying a large number of vehicles.
Our fighters operating from North Africa, Pantelleria, Malta and from Sicily maintained their patrols over Allied shipping, beaches and the battle areas, and shot down three of the small number of enemy aircraft encountered.
Intruder aircraft operated over southern Italy during the night. Night fighters destroyed five enemy aircraft.
Following attacks by our torpedo aircraft in the Tyrrhenian Sea, an enemy tanker was blown up, a merchant vessel as left in a sinking condition and a small tanker left in flames. One Ju 52 was destroyed in the course of the action.
From all these operations, three of our aircraft are missing.
U.S. Navy Department (July 15, 1943)
Communiqué No. 441
North Pacific.
On July 14, during the early morning, a U.S. light surface unit bombarded Japanese positions in Gertrude Cove on Kiska. Enemy guns did not reply.
amazing! if they do come up with a answer, I would like to know. Unfortunately, in vast experience… I can only answer why women are like that because Women.
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The Pittsburgh Press (July 15, 1943)
AXIS DRIVE IN SICILY REPULSED
Messina almost destroyed by bombs; Americans take 6th airfield
Allied forces advance steadily in Sicily after repulsing a strong Axis counterattack on Augusta. About one-eighth of the island, shown by the shaded section of the map, is already occupied. The planes show location of five of the six airdromes captured by U.S. forces. Messina was almost completely wrecked by Allied bombers.
Yanks drive on Agrigento
By Virgil Pinkley, United Press staff writer
Allied HQ, North Africa –
Allied forces fought off a powerful Axis counterattack led by crack German units in the Augusta sector of Sicily and struck back today in increasingly heavy battles toward Catania on the east coast and Agrigento on the south coast.
U.S. forces on the south coast captured another Axis airdrome, the sixth seized by the Yanks since the start of the invasion five days ago. They also took several important hills, a communiqué announced.
U.S. troops in Sicily have pushed 10 miles north of Ragusa in heavy fighting and captured “the seventh airfield” to fall into Allied hands, the CBS reported today from Allied headquarters in North Africa.
What appeared to be the first major enemy counterblow was struck by strong forces in a drive that penetrated British lines to the Augusta Harbor before being repelled.
For several hours after dawn yesterday, while heavy fighting raged on the Augusta sector, the British were cut off, but they rallied and restored the situation and hammered their way back beyond the town of Brucello, about four miles north of Augusta on the road to Catania, where Allied warships and airplanes continued to pound the enemy rear.
The Axis used heavy tanks in their counterattack and a number were destroyed. Canadian tanks participated in the battle.
U.S. and British parachute and airborne troops carried out successful operations, but Axis resistance was stiffening on most sectors and was especially strong on the edge of the Catania Plain north of Augusta. A major battle for Catania was expected.
The NBC correspondent on a British cruiser off Sicily said that the British had captured Lentini and Carlentini, which close together about 10 miles west of Augusta, and had isolated an Axis division there. The capture was made by paratroopers and Commandos who landed in the enemy rear.
The Axis said that two Allied paratroop operations had been launched in this sector.
Axis artillery was in action against the British north of Augusta, but Italian prisoners said that the enemy was suffering heavy casualties, including many due to moving back through their own minefields.
NBC reported that a British cruiser squadron heavily shelled Catania late yesterday for 35 minutes and broke up enemy efforts to move a big gun train south of Catania.
The British occupied Melilli, which had been bypassed near Augusta.
Observers in London placed the British 8th Army only about 15 miles south of Catania.
The commanding general of the famed Italian Napoli 54th Division and his entire staff were captured by the British.
Yanks advance four miles
U.S. forces on the south coast extended the western flank of the Allied invasion front about four miles in hard fighting. The Americans were now near Agrigento and menaced the main Axis communication lines to the western
The western advance appeared to be a within few miles of Agrigento.
Agrigento is a communications center of 26,000, founded before Christ. Port Empedocle, which is nearby, had been shelled by U.S. warships. The Americans captured several dominating hills on the approaches to Agrigento.
The Sicilian population was reported friendly in most occupied areas, often waving, cheering and giving the V-for-Victory sign to the Allied troops.
In many instances, the Italians surrendered without a serious fight, but German troops fought hard and were disconsolate when captured. Many prisoners were being moved quickly to North Africa because of the food shortage in Sicily, where the Allies have been feeding the population as rapidly as possible.
12,000 prisoners captured
At least 12,000 prisoners have been captured, 8,000 of them by the Americans, the communiqué said, and Allied control of the Mediterranean is so secure that 8,000 of them have already been transferred to Africa.
The airdromes captured by the Americans were those at Comiso, Pachino, Biscari, Licata and two in the Gela area. In addition, the British captured the seaplane base at Syracuse.
Field dispatches indicated that the Allied forces were advancing toward the great central plains of Sicily on a 75-mile point.
Some forces may have already entered the flatlands, especially below the big east coast port of Catania, which was under relentless sea and air bombardment.
Eighth of Sicily seized
More than one-eighth of Sicily was now in Allied hands.
The Germans and Italians were still pushing reinforcements by sea despite heavy raids by Allied bombers and torpedo planes, dispatches said.
Allied planes, along with a British “mosquito fleet” of motor torpedo boats, were peppering the Strait of Messina, shortest route of reinforcement, without respite. Some torpedo boats have penetrated the straits to a point where it is only three miles to hunt out enemy torpedo boats that might harass Allied landings farther south.
An Algiers broadcast recorded by the Exchange Telegraph Agency in London said that Anglo-American-Canadian troops had breached Catania’s defenses and a Madrid report asserted that Allied spearheads had reached the outskirts of the city.
Another Algiers broadcast reported that U.S. troops had advanced nearly 19 miles north from Comiso, airport town seven miles west of Ragusa.
Catania
The approach of the 8th Army under Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery to Catania was indicated by an RAF announcement that the city, second largest in Sicily, was under aerial and naval bombardment “immediately ahead” of British ground forces.
U.S. troops under Lt. Gen. George S. Patton Jr. were pushing a four-pronged advance into the interior and westward along the south coast, the coastal force was believed 13 miles beyond Licata and only 12 miles from Agrigento and Porto Empedocle, where large enemy concentrations have been reported.
North of Licata, another U.S. force was only 15 miles from Caltanissetta, a large enemy base in the central plains.
2 columns drive north
Two other columns were driving north from Gela, some 20 miles east of Licata. One was only 10 miles from Caltagirone, a gateway town to the central plains.
Gen. Sir Harold R. L. G. Alexander, commander of Allied ground forces, in an interview with Mr. Gunther on his return from a visit to Sicily indicated that the invasion was going to schedule and up to program.
Gen. Alexander seemed particularly delighted at the way U.S. and Canadian forces conducted themselves, Mr. Gunther said.
Big air fleet blasts harbor
By Reynolds Packard, United Press staff writer
Allied HQ, North Africa –
Allied air fleets, including 270 bombers from the Northwest African and Middle East Commands, struck pulverizing blows at Messina yesterday, all but completing the destruction of the key Sicilian port, communiqués revealed today.
Two hundred bombers of Lt. Gen. Carl A. Spaatz’s force were joined in the assault on Messina by 70 Liberators from the Middle East. The Liberators dropped more than 400,000 pounds of explosives on the gateway to and from Italy.
The massive raids on Messina, across a two-mile strait from the Italian mainland, topped another 24 hours of non-stop attacks by Allied bombers and fighters blasting out a path of destruction across Sicily in advance of Allied troops smashing northward and westward.
An Italian communiqué reported that Allied planes raided Naples, one of the main reinforcement ports for Sicily, and the Sicilian northwest coast port of Palermo in addition to Messina last night.
Sever route
The around-the-clock attacks on Messina, plus other raids on the mainland ferry terminals of San Giovanni and Reggio Calabria, opposite Messina, and British torpedo boat attacks on channel shipping, were believed virtually to have severed that route of reinforcement and supply for Sicily.
The Allied air forces were also ranging over waters north of Sicily to stem reinforcement from that source. British Beaufighters yesterday torpedoed and blew up a tanker, set fire to a small tanker and probably sank a freighter, bosting the number of enemy vessels sunk in that area in the past three days to 14.
The Allied control of the air is so complete that U.S. and British fighters are operating from newly-captured airdromes in Sicily. Only a few enemy fighters were encountered yesterday, and of these, three were shot down. Three Allied planes were lost.
Set large fires
The 200-plane Northwest African Air Force that hit Messina in relays was spearheaded by Flying Fortresses and also included Mitchells, Marauders and Canadian Wellingtons and P-38 Lightnings running interference.
Large fires sprang up in the wake of the raiders and heavy damage was inflicted on railway yards, ferry ships and oil storage areas, where two heavy explosions occurred. A smoke pall covered the city as the last of the raiders left for the base.
Sandwiched between the Northwest African Command raids was the one by the Liberators of the U.S. 9th Air Force in the Middle East on railway yards. Many direct hits and explosions were observed.
Raid San Giovanni
Another formation of Liberators bombed San Giovanni, on the toe if the Italian boot opposite Messina, scoring hits on oil tanks, customs warehouses, the ferry terminals, a fire station, railway tracks and engine sheds. Two explosions were also observed among harbor installations.
Still another attack on Messina was made Tuesday night by Northwest African night bombers.
Day-and-night raids were made on Enna in central Sicily, where enemy troops have been reported massing for major counterattacks.
South African Baltimores and Bostons teamed with U.S. medium and light bombers in attacking road and military targets. troop concentrations and transport columns in the enemy rear Tuesday night. Some Baltimores attacked Axis positions as the U.S. 7th Army illuminated the entire countryside with flares and incendiaries.
Attack merchant ship
A communiqué said:
Our fighters, operating from North Africa, Pantelleria, Malta and Sicily, maintained their patrols over Allied shipping, the beaches and the battle area and show down three of the small number of enemy aircraft encountered.
A Ju 52 was shot down during attacks on shipping north of Sicily.
British Wellingtons from the Middle East Command attacked a merchant vessel in the Lefkas Channel off the west coast of Greece, but results were not observed.
One plane was lost from all Middle East Command operations.
Escort bombers
Lightning fighters escorting the bombers on the Messina raids encountered only a few Axis fighters, indicating that the pounding of airdromes in Sicily and southern Italy was bearing fruit.
Mitchell medium bombers escorted by Lightnings scored direct bomb hits on both ends of a railway tunnel in the region of Enna, and were believed to have sealed it against use for some time.
Patrols ranged Sicily all day, shooting up trains and trucks. Three locomotives were destroyed, along with 30 railroad cars and dozens of trucks.
Patterson: Conquest of Sicily sure
Washington (UP) –
Acting Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson said today that successful conquest of Sicily is assured beyond a doubt.
He said at a press conference:
There is no doubt about the outcome of the Sicilian operation.
Mr. Patterson revealed that the invasion has proceeded far more rapidly than Allied leaders expected and that casualties are far fewer than anticipated. However, he warned that hard fighting is expected.
The decision to undertake the offensive was reached at the Casablanca Conference between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill in January. The exact date was decided by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower before the end of the Tunisian operations, Mr. Patterson said.
Allies advance on Salamaua
Attack Jap bastion near New Guinea base
By Brydon Taves, United Press staff writer
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OPA gets general manager as Maxon quits in protest
Connecticut man gets firing and hiring powers over national and regional offices
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Ickes declines to free mines
Million-ton lag cited in production
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OPA will lift driving ban soon as Ickes will let it
Brown favors free use of basic gas rations; petroleum boss can’t see the supplies
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Dempsey given custody of his young daughters
Ex-champion rejects former wife’s plea to talk things over, as ‘mother and father’
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Yum, yum, yum –
Relief in meat shortage predicted for civilians
Lots of livestock, little feed, may bring sharp upturn in marketing soon, WFA officials say
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