Current Events August 16, 1943;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, AUGUST 16, 1943:

United States troops were overrunning the Axis rear guard today in the vicinity of Milazzo, 14 miles vest of Messina, and it was officially stated that the end of the Sicilian campaign "is now at hand."

The American seventh and British eighth armies drove forward along the north and east coasts of Sicily to within artillery range of Messina today, and the triumphant end of the campaign was reported officially to be at hand. An American artillery expert said the seventh army probably was using 155-millimeter guns with a range of 20,000 yards

which, on the basis of the headquarters report, would put United States troops within a little more than 10 miles of Messina Lieut. Gen. George S. Patton's flying column had struck 14 miles-eastward to the Milazzo area, Isolating that Axis evacuation

Allied warplanes, displaying in the protection oftheir ground forces a vigilance equal to the zeal with which they carried the attack to the enemy, shot down 48 Japanese aircraft — 23 of them bombers — over the southwest Pacific battlefront yesterday.

Four Red army divisions pushed ahead from the .captured German bastion of Karachev on the 26 mile road to Bryansk today after severing the last main line of escape from Nazi troops trapped in" the Orel salient.

     THE DAILY TIMES-NEWS

                  Burlington N. C. Sunday August 16, 1943

SICILIAN CAMPAIGN IS NEARING CLOSE

Uniteded States Army Goes

Through Axis Rear guard

14 Miles From Messina

Campaign Is Now Described As Well

In Hand With Heavy Artillery

Fire Turned On Major City

By KEIJMAN MOBIN "-'

Allied Headquarters In North Africa, Aug. 16. — (AP)—

United States troops were overrunning the Axis rear guard today in the vicinity of Milazzo, 14 miles vest of Messina, and it was officially stated that the end of the Sicilian campaign "is now at hand."

The Americans, pushingup between 12 and 15 miles, advanced well beyond Barcellona

to within heavy artillery range of Messina and main escape hatch was already under ground fire as well as aerial bombardment. Barellona lies six miles southwest of Milazzo and 16 miles west of Messina.

The Germans were in flight and indications are that the Nazis have pulled out even their delayng parties and left Italian uniU to face the climactic British and American rush.

Armies Race On.

Big Guns in Position to Shell Italy;

End of Sicilian Struggle' At Hand

Yanks Now 10 Miles

From Escape Port

Pattern's Troops Isolate Milazzo;

British 8th Army Takes Taormina

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, North Africa (UP). —

The American seventh and British eighth armies drove forward along the north and east coasts of Sicily to within artillery range of Messina today, and the triumphant end of the campaign was reported officially to be at hand. An American artillery expert said the seventh army probably was using 155-millimeter guns with a range of 20,000 yards

which, on the basis of the headquarters report, would put United States troops within a little more than 10 miles of Messina Lieut. Gen. George S. Patton's flying column had struck 14 miles-eastward to the Milazzo area, Isolating that Axis evacuation ,

16 miles from Messina and plungingon toward the last Sicilian stronghold in Axis hands.

U.S. Planes

Shoot Down

Forty-Eight

Jap Aircraft

Twenty-three Are

Bombers; Fight

Stepped Up

Allied Headquarters in the Southwest Pacific, Aug. 16—(AP)—

Allied warplanes, displaying in the protection of their ground forces a vigilance equal to the zeal with which they carried the attack to the enemy, shot down 48 Japanese aircraft — 23 of them bombers — over the southwest Pacific battlefront yesterday.

This success, reported in today's communique from Gen. Douglas MacArthur's headquarters, was achieved at a cost of only five Allied planes and no more than three

pilots. The ration of nearly 10 to 1 bettered by far the all-over score of approximately 4 to 1 established In the six weeks since the start ofthe Allies' new Pacific offensive.

Might Stepped Up

Reds Drive

On Against

Nazi Stand

At Bryansk

Russians Cutting

Through Dense

Forests Now

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Moscow, Aug. 16 —

Four Red army divisions pushed ahead from the .captured German bastion of Karachev on the 26 mile road to Bryansk today after severing the last main line of escape from Nazi troops trapped in" the Orel salient. The Communist party newspaper Pravda said that the Soviet forces were cutting through ^dense forests, asking to prevent the Germans from organizing adequate lines on the Desna river. Karachev fell, pravda said, when four Russian divisions stormed strong Nazi fortifications on the hills commanding the approaches to the city an(J then pursued the fleeing Nazis Into the streets of the burning town.

Main Line Closed