Pacific News-Review

Notes And Comment On

The Progress Of The War

From July 14 To August 14

July 14; The Allied invasion of Sicily —prelude to invasion of Italian main land —gt>es well. The Allied forces — Americans driving westward, Canadians northward, and British eastward, to wards Catania —tighten their grip on South-east Sicily, while 3,000 ships land streams of reinforcements. Ragusa and Augusta have been taken.

July 15: The German summer offen sive, launched against the Central Rus sian front, is weakening, in the face of Russian resistance. Moscow reports that the Russians are now taking the offen sive in the Byelgorod area.

July 15: Allied forces in Sicily are within 12 miles of Catania.

July 17: Allied leaders, Churchill and Roosevelt, have called upon the Italian people to capitulate, pointing out that Catania is about to fall and the Allied forces are advancing steadily every where.

July 17: The Russians have launched a terrific counter-stroke against the Ger mans on the central front, and have driven big wedges into the German lines near Orel.

July 17: Australian and American troops in New Guinea have captured the Jap-held village of Mubo and are press ing on to Komiatum, overlooking Sala maua.

July 17: RAP by night and Americans by day continue bombing raids on enemy positions in Western Europe.

July 19: The Allied forces in Sicily are meeting strong German resistance on the outskirts of Catania.

July 19: Over 200 American planes attacked Buin (Bougainville) on Satur day and sank seven Japanese ships and shot down 49 fighters, for the loss of six American aircraft.

July 19: The Russians, pressing on Orel, now have advanced 44 miles.

July 20: Rome (for the first time) was heavily attacked by Allied heavy and medium bombers yesterday. Only mili tary objectives were bombed—principally railway marshalling yards.

July 21: American and Canadian forces have captured Enna, geographical centre of Sicily, and a vital junction.

July 22: Half Sicily is now in Allied hands, but Axis forces are clinging dog gedly to the key city of Catania.

July 22: Another Jap convoy attempt ing to reinforce their beleagured base at Munda, in New Georgia (Solomons) was smashed by US planes. A light cruiser and two destroyers were sunk, another destroyer probably sunk, and a transport and a destroyer damaged.

July 23: Six Messerschmitt 109’s were amongst the 19 enemy fighters shot down over the Ramu Valley this week—the first time German planes have been re ported in New Guinea.

July 24: The Americans have captured Palermo (capital of Sicily), and the Allies now hold the whole south and west coasts, and part of the east and north coasts.

July 23: Australian-based Allied air craft bombed Sourabaya (Java) —a round trip of 2.400 miles.

July 26: The enemy has fallen back in Sicily and has taken up a defence line from San Stefano (60 miles west of Messina), west of Mt. Etna, to Catania.

July 26: Mussolini to-day resigned the dictatorship of Italy. Marshal Badoglio took charge as Prime Minister, under King Victor Emmanual. and has placed the country under martial law. He has formally repudiated Fascism. The col lapse of Italy is expected.

July 27: The Russian drive continues

and is exerting great pressure on the German positions north, south and east of Orel.

July 28: There has been no peace approach by Italy. Although the fall of Mussolini is being hailed by demonstra tive Italian crowds as the close of an epoch in the life of Italy, no one knows what the next phase will be.

July 28: RAF and American raids on Germany continue. 5,000 tons of bombs have been dropped during the last 48 hours —2,500 Allied bombers taking part in the raids.

July 30: The situation in Italy remains obscure and confusing. No approach has been made to the Allies. Badoglio ap parently is co-operating with the Ger mans in trying to keep Italy fighting.

The Germans, as a precaution, are rapidly occupying key places in Northern Italy.

July 31: The Nazis are systematically occupying the Istrian Peninsula, and the whole of the Udine region from the Gulf of Trieste to the Austrian border.

July 31: Another great Anglo-Ameri can raid on Hamburg makes the seventh in five days, the total bombs being about 7,000 tons. (The bombs on London dur ing 11 months’ blitz were about 7,500 tons.) Hamburg is now almost obliter ated.

Aug. 3: The air offensive has been resumed against Italy. Naples has been severely raided.

Aug. 3: American bombers from the Middle East raided the Rumanian oil fields at Ploesti. Betwen 150 and 200 planes took part in the raid; 20 were lost over the target, and another score were forced to land, en route.

Aug. 4: Allied artillery, man-handled up the coast from Nassau, is now shell ing Salamaua, while the aerial bom bardment of the airfield goes on.

Aug. 6; The British Army has taken Catania, key point in Sicily. The enemy is retreating east and west of Mount Etna.

Aug. 6: The Russians have captured Orel (one of the German’s greatest fort resses on their eastern front), which has been in Nazi hands for two years; and they are pressing on towards Bryansk, 75 miles north-west.

It now is clear that not only has the German summer offensive petered out, but that the Russians now are advanc ing all along their central front, in the biggest offensive they yet have launched.

Aug. 7: Munda, last Japanese strong hold on New Georgia, has been occupied by the Americans, after operations ex tending over five weeks.

Aug. 7: The Russians have captured Byelgorod, 175 miles south of Orel. This creates a direct threat to Kharkov (the great fortress which the Russians recap tured last winter, and lost again a few weeks later).

Aug. 9: The Americans, in another naval victory in the Solomons, sank a Japanese cruiser and two destroyers.

Aug. 9: Allied troops are again advanc ing in Sicily, and the whole German defence line west of Mt. Etna is crumb ling. Americans landed behind the Ger mans on the north coast and made im portant captures.

Aug. 10: The Badoglio Government has decided that Italy shall fight on. Mass demonstrations for neace are growing in number and strength.

Aug. 11: The Russians have begun new drives, one west of Orel and others north afid south of Kharkov. A threat to Smolensk is reported.

Aug. 13: Russian forces are closing in

on Kharkov, the capture of which is expected at any time.

Aug, 13: The Allies having captured Pandazzo, key junction north of Mount Etna, the Axis forces are all falling back on Messina, their last foothold. Ger mans, crossing from Messina to the mainland, are being bombed day and night.

Aug. 12: Mr. Churchill has arrived in Canada to confer again with President Roosevelt. Their last conference was in Washington three months ago. This meeting is made necessary by the rapid progress of events in Italy and Russia.

Aug. 13: Anglo-American bombers very severely damaged Milan, Turin, and other industrial cities in Italy, and again raided the Rome marshalling yards. They con tinue, day and night, their attacks on German cities. Berlin has been raided again.

Aug. 14: American Liberators, flying a round trip of 2,500 miles from Austra lia, bombed and severely damaged Jap held oil refineries and storage in eastern Borneo.

Aug. 14; The Badoglio Government, to avoid further bombing, has declared Rome “an open city.” This means that all Governmental and war-industrial activities are being withdrawn.