KESSELRING AS HE SAW HIMSELF

Chronicle (Levin), 5 March 1947, Page 5

KESSELRING AS HE SAW HIMSELF

Received TiU'sdav, 7 p.m. YEXICE, Mar. 3. King Victor Emmaiiuel and Marshal Badogliu assured him that Italv would liglit on to the end beside Germany aller Mussolini 's eapture in June. 1943, said K esse Iring in evidence at liis trial. 1 1 e added: " We thought we eould rely on the honouralde vvord of a king and lield marshal. We had to pay lieavily for their t reachery. " Kesselring said Germnn losses in Ttaly exceeded 50,000 nien monthly. He was alinost certain the King or Jtalian (iovermnent gave informat'ion leading to the Allied air attack on liis hendquarters on Neptember !), 1943, whi(di in jured members of liis staff and alinost cJiniinated him. Kesselring declared that through all oflicial ehanges of policy the italians ahvays looked on him as their all y even after Ihe break. liis friondship for the Italians never changed. He placed alinost all iniportant cities out of the operat ion ' area to spare civilians eoncentrated air attaeks on purely militarv targets, and alnibst overstepped niilitury liniits to feed the people. The atrocities were niainlv the work of -Mussolini 's neo-Kascists. The armistice uitli the partisans in 1943 broke down because the Italians eould not forget Ihe atrocities the Italian San .Marco Battalion coinniitted. Kesselring said 1'onie was the ke.v position. "As Mr. "h urchill said to Field .Marshal Wilson in ('airo, ' who has Konie has Italv' li we had defended Rome liouse by house it would have involved the Allies in great (lilliculties. " He added that the Italians kept seven or the best divisions ne.ar konie wlien tliev eould have been fighting in the Soutli.' This eould be called Badoglio's bridal gif» to the. Allies before the armistice.