August 1943

Sicily

Patton orders Keyes, Bradley and Truscott to prepare for another amphibious landing behind the German lines. Bradley and Truscott object heavily, saying ground troops are moving faster now. Patton will not hear of it, so a landing is planned for by the 157th RCT of the 45th Division. Falcone falls to Truscott's troops and a few hours later the 3rd and 9th Infantry Divisions meet at Montalbano, which Fries had evacuated some time before. The 3rd Division is ordered to block the enemy withdrawal and continues rapidly along the north coast to Spadafora. The 9th Division remains in the Randazzo area. The 1st Division halts its advance.

The British 50th Infantry Division reaches Taormina and the 51st and 78th Divisions meet at Linguaglossa later in the day, completing the circuit around Mount Etna. Most of the Hermann Göring Division has already escaped when the British meet up with the rear guards later in the day. Montgomery also had plans to reach Messina using an amphibious landing.

The rest of the 29th Panzer Grenadier Division withdraws to Phase Line 3 during the night. Late in the day Fries and Conrath report the Allies have regained contact with their rear guards, so also during night withdraw to Phase Line 3. Both Allied advances are now restricted to a front of one division, the US 3rd, and British 50th because of mines, demolitions and blown bridges.