July 1943

Sicily

Brig R. Stuart Graham has brought up most of his 1st Canadian Brigade and early in the morning drives the Germans from the heights east of Leonforte.

Canadian engineers repair the road into Leonforte about 2:00am and at 9:00am Brig Christopher Vokes leads a rescue force into Leonforte. The column includes Shermans, an infantry battalion and an antitank battery and it turns the tide of the battle. At 10:00am the Edmontons are rescued and by afternoon the town is cleared. German artillery continues shelling the town from heights east and west of the town. These are cleard by 5:30pm but only after both sides have suffered more casualties. The early capture of the town forces the Germans to retire in daylight and are subjected to assaults by Kittyhawk fighter-bombers and lose numerous vehicles and men north and east of the city as they fall back to their next defensive point.

The US troops are closing in on Palermo on the north coast. Gen Giuseppe Molinero's Port Defense 'N' has made solid preparations for the defense of the city. All roads into Palermo are blocked by infantry companies supported by antitank guns. Unfortunately for the defenders, these companies simply melt away. The obstacles for the American now are blown bridges and scattered mines rather than a stiff defense. Although the Americans have outrun their supply lines, it does not matter as the Shermans use Italian gas to no effect and the infantry are more than a match for any defenders they encounter. Gen Molinero surrenders the city to Gen Keyes officially at 7:00pm virtually completing the second phase of operations. By 8:00pm the 2nd Armored and 3rd Infantry Divisions are entering from opposite ends. Limited mopping up must be carried out in the western part of island before final phase--the drive to the east--can start.

In the II Corps area, left flank elements of the 45th Division make contact with the 3rd Division in the outskirts of Palermo while others push on toward the north coast. The 1st Division continues north toward the coast on the right flank of the corps, taking Bompietro.