ITALY—A BATTLE GROUND

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 7, 17 September 1943, Page 4

ITALY—A BATTLE GROUND

THE confused reports emanating from the several fronts now actively opened on the Italian mainland, lends credence to the belief that the military situation from both sides point of view has reached a state of flux. Badoglio's efforts to prevent his country from becoming a battleground have been unavailing and the tide of war will yet surge about the very walls of St. Peter's unless a major and crushing defeat is suffered by the Nazi invaders and they are forced to beat a hasty retreat to the Brenner Pass The ferocity of the fighting can be gleaned by the reports of the progress of the Fifth Army, which in the Salerno region has been actually forced to relir-fl quish ground already won in the first thrust of consolidation. The Allied forces in this offensive are crippled to some degree by the limited air support which is due to the distance from the Sicilian air fields from which the bulk of the fighter 'planes are operating. On the other hand the course of the campaign illustrates only too well the great importance which the Germans attach to keeping the Anglo-American armies out of Italy. Hitler has sent his trump general,, Rommel, to take full charge of the situation and we can rest assured that nothing will be: spared to back him up to the full with planes, guns, men and munitions from the Fatherland. Italy's fair countryside must therefore become the scene of conflict and her priceless architectural buildings in danger of destruction. The fighting if we can read between the lines is developing into much heavier engagements than the Allied Command anticipated, and the present static position will not be relieved until steps have been taken to reinforce the bridgeheads and build up the air force into a heavier striking instrument which will give the land forces full cover.