Current Events July 19, 1943;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, JULY 19, 1943:

The Eighth Air Force's three combat commands—Bomber, Fighter

and Support—are ready to begin "continuous operation" in the American

part of the Allied air offensive against Nazi Europe from bases in

Britain.

While Allied air forces pounded home the Roosevelt-Churchill "surrender-

or-else" ultimatum with their greatest attack on the Italian mainland,

American troops swept through Agrigento and Porto Empedocle

over the weekend and Britain's Eighth Army inched its way within

seven miles of Catania in bloody fighting. Agrigento, a vital rail and communications

center, was taken by the U.S. Seventh Army with the help of heavy shelling by U.S. warships.

More than 200 U.S. Liberators, torpedo planes and Corsairs, in an air onslaught described as even more intense than the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, sank seven Jap

ships and destroyed 49 Zeros in 20 minutes yesterday morning near Bougainville

Island, largest and northernmost of the Solomons.

       THE STARS AND STRIPES

         Daily Newspaper of U.S. Armed Forces in the European Theater of Operations

                New York, N.Y.—London, England Monday, July 19, 1943

Allies Gain, 500 Planes Pound Naples

All 3 USA AF

Battle Units

In Operation

Bomber, Fighter, Support

Groups in Weekend

Raids on Europe

The Eighth Air Force's three combat commands—Bomber, Fighter

and Support—are ready to begin "continuous operation" in the American

part of the Allied air offensive against Nazi Europe from bases in

Britain.

In a weekend which for the first time saw attacks on Nazi targets by

all three arms of the USAAF in the ETO, medium bombers of Eighth Air

Support Command followed Flying Fortresses of Bomber Command and the

P47 fighters to France.

As .the mediums came home from an attack on the Abbeville railway yards.

Brig. Gen. Robert C. Candee, Eighth Support commander, declared it was

"just the beginning of continuous operation we hope to conduct operations

when the Fortresses can't."

                                                     Only Two Forts Lost

Navy Helps

Patton Take

Rail Center

Third of Sicily Captured;

Biggest Raid Stresses

Roosevelt Message

While Allied air forces pounded home the Roosevelt-Churchill "surrender-

or-else" ultimatum with their greatest attack on the Italian mainland,

American troops swept through Agrigento and Porto Empedocle

over the weekend and Britain's Eighth Army inched its way within

seven miles of Catania in bloody fighting. Agrigento, a vital rail and communications

center, was taken by the U.S. Seventh Army with the help of heavy shelling by U.S. warships.

With one-third of Sicily now in Allied hands, it was a bad weekend for Italy.

Her 207th division headquarters staff was captured, complete with commanding

general. Axis prisoners mounted beyond 30,000. And RAF night bombers, flying

from Britain, struck telling blows at transformer stations serving the two mam

north-south supply routes of Italy's electrified railways.

                                                  Biggest Raid on Italy

Destroy 7 Jap

Ships, 49 Zeros

20-Minute Attack Called

More Intense Than

Pearl Harbor

WASHINGTON, July 18—

More than 200 U.S. Liberators, torpedo planes and Corsairs, in an air onslaught described as even more intense than the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, sank seven Jap

ships and destroyed 49 Zeros in 20 minutes yesterday morning near Bougainville

Island, largest and northernmost of the Solomons.

This third blow in two weeks to Jap shipping in the Solomon area resulted in

the certain destruction of one light cruiser or destroyer leader, two destroyers, a sub

chaser, a tanker and two merchant ships. Six U.S. planes were lost, headquarters

announced.

The previous night Fortresses, Liberators and Avengers droned over the

Bougainville area for nine hours rendering prized Jap airdromes useless. Huge

fires were started. ;

                                                               82 Tons on Munda