LOST MILLION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 1943, Page 4

LOST MILLION

FATE OF ITALIAN ARMY IN RUSSIA DIVISIONS CUT TO PIECES. HUGE FIGURES OF CASUALTIES ON ALL FRONTS. (By a Moscow Correspondent of “Soviet War News.") When Hitlerite Germany attacked the Soviet Union, Mussolini sent his expeditionary corps to Russia. Three of the finest divisions of the Italian Army, which, it was claimed, had distinguished themselves in the Greek campaign, made up this corps. In two or three weeks’ fighting two of these divisions lost over 50 per cent, of then’ effectives.

By the winter of 1941 the third, the “Celere” Division, was routed and lost nearly its entire manpower. During one year of war all three Italian divisions were replenished on three or four occasions, each time to the extent of about 60 to 70 per cent. Altogether the Italians lost about 50,000 officers and men in this period. In August 1942 six more Italian divisions were sent to the U.S.S.R. —the Eighth Italian Army under the command of General Garibaldi. Within a few days after its arrival at the front, the Second Infantry Division (“Sforccsca”) was routed and lost over 2,500 men in prisoners alone. Much the same fate overtook the Third, Fifth, Ninth and 52nd Infantry and Third Mobile Italian Divisions. In October and November last year all these divisions were again replenished by 4,000 or 5,000 men each. DISASTER MET ON DON. In the latter half of December Soviet troops taking part in the offensive in the Middle Don area routed the 35th Italian Army Corps, consisting of the Second, Ninth and Third Mobile Divisions and also the Second Army Corps, consisting of the Third, Fifth and 52nd Infantry Divisions. In several days’ fighting the Corps lost 10,000 prisoners, 22,000 killed and about 12,000 wounded.

Thus at the beginning of this year there remained of the Eighth Italian Army only one Alpine Corps, consisting of three Alpine Divisions and the 156th (“Vicenza”) Infantry Division, which arrived on the Soviet-German front in November last and formed a reserve of the army. The next Red Army blow was against the Alpine Corps. Between January 14 and 23 in the Vahtiki direction troops of the Voronezh front surrounded and routed such remnants of Italian troops as were still at the front. The Italian losses in six weeks amounted to 28,000 killed, about 24.000 wounded and 42,000 taken prisoner. During the war on the Soviet-Ger-man front the Italians have lost in all about 60,000 killed, about 69,000 wounded and 46,000 taken prisoner. Since Italy joined the war she has lost on all fronts over 850,000 killed or taken prisoner and 300.000 wounded. The remaining Italian forces are distributed between several fronts, a large part of them outside Italy. About 40 Italian divisions uphold the occupation regime in the Balkans. Some ten divisions have been transferred to France —in the areas of Nice, Savoy and Corsica. Some Italian forces are in Tunisia. So not more than 20 divisions remain in Italy. Italy’s naval and coastal defences cannot guarantee her against war being transferred to her territory. Even with the existing army the country is on hunger rations. Dozens of orders have been issued in Italian units punishing soldiers for begging or bartering equipment for food. • The Italian Army is even worse equipped than the Finnish and Hungarian Armies. Shortage of war material prevents the Italian tank industry from making up for the loss of four existing tank divisions. The aircraft industry is in no better position. The Italian Army is a most vulnerable link in the German-Italian coalition. Its rout on the Soviet-German front will further weaken the Hitlerite bloc. Since the above article was written, Italy has suffered further heavy losses in Tunisia and in her invaded territory of Sicily.