August 1943

Sicily

The 6th day of the battle for Troina begins at dawn. US XII Air Support Command is to provide direct fighter-bomber support. The first attack by the US 1st Infantry Division is not delivered on Troina, but in the area of British XXX Corps HQ of Gen Oliver Leese. The ground attack makes little gain north and west of Troina, but the 18th Infantry Regiment manages to seize and hold Mount Pellegrino 4 miles south of Troina. Here artillery observers can direct artillery fire which breaks up several small German attacks and knocks out 10 of Maj-Gen Rodt's artillery pieces. Since British XXX Corps was pushing pack right flank of the Hermann Göring Division, presenting greater threat to the left flank of the 15th Panzer Grenadier Div, Hube gives Rodt, Fries, Conrath and Schmalz orders to retreat in phazes to what Guzzoni called the Tortorici Line, defensive postions running from Cape Orlando on the north coast, thru Poggio el Moro, Randazzo, and Mount Etna, to Giarre on the eastern shore. The Germans withdraw from Troina during the night.

There is no Allied plan for halting the Axis evacuation from the navy or the air forces.

In the British 8th Army area, the XXX Corps continues toward Adrano while the XIII Corps overruns Paterno, Misterbianco, and Catania.