July 1943

Sicily

Gen Keyes Provisional Corps jumps off at 5:00am. The 82nd Airborne Division on the left moves northwest along the coastal highway and reaches positions beyond Ribera. Casteltermini and Mussomeli fall to the 3rd Infantry Division which is on the right. The 2nd Armored Division is in reserve at Campobello preparing to exploit a breakthrough to Palermo. The Defense opposing the American advace is weak since the Italian mobile units and all the Germans have pulled out, leaving only ineffective and demoralized Italian static divisions for defense. The 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment advances 25 miles by nightfall, capturing hundreds of prisoners along the way. The 3rd Infantry experience is the same advancing 54 miles in 33 hours, on foot. At the same time, in the II Corps area, the 1st Infantry takes Enna without a fight. Their movement beyond, however, is making slow progress against Lt-Col Fritz Fullriede's 129th Panzer Grenadier Regiment. Italian mobile units attempt to slow down the Americans, but they have to keep falling back. During the night the unite of the 3rd Infantry Division move onto the heights overlooking San Stefano Quisquina defended by Italian Mobile Group B, reinforced by the Italian XII Corps' 1st Anti-Tank Battalion.

In British 8th Army's XXX Corps area, the Canadian 1st Division continues toward Leonforte, bypassing Enna and reaching positions north of Valguarnera. The 51st Division crosses the Dittaino River at Sferro, southwest of Paterno. The 231st Brigade, bridging the gap between the Canadian 1st Division and the 51st Division, thrusts to within 3 miles of Agira, where it halts to await clearance of Leonforte. Meanwhile the XIII Corps continues to meet firm resistance near Catania. The 5th Division crosses the Simeto to the west of the 50th Division, but its supporting weapons remain south of the river.