Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1943. “A SECONDARY THEATRE.”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 December 1943, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1943. “A SECONDARY THEATRE.”

TN stating that the u relatively slow progress” of the Allied armies in Ihilv is deliberate and that: “The spotlight, of strategy has shifted to Western Europe, where a great amphibious invasion is obviously being prepared,” an American commentator, Mr Hanson Baldwin, has added that Italy is becoming a secondary theatre. Presumably, however, Italy never has been anything else than a secondary theatre in the total pattern of the war. It was made clear by Mr Churchill months ago that the attack on the Axis in Southern Europe was not regarded as a substitute for the mass invasion of Western Europe which would be launched at the right time. What has surprised a good many people, with or without warrant, is that, the Allies have been content to concentrate so largely on a frontal attack on enemy defensive lines extending across Italy. In the difficult conditions in which they have been fighting, the Fifth and Eighth armies have accomplished a great deal. At the moment they are well advanced in the task of breaching the last enemy defensive lines covering Rome. In the Western Apennines, the Fifth Army, having stormed. and captured strong mountain positions, is almost within striking distance of Cassino. Beyond that town the Liri valley broadens and about fifteen miles further on access is gained to a network of road and rail communications extending north-west to Rome, south-west over hills to the port of Gaeta, and north-east to Avezzano, on the great cross-country road and railway route from Pescara, on the Adriatic coast, to Rome. The Eighth Army meantime, having forced the passage of the River Sangro and of the Moro River further north, is making promising headway towards Pescara, the eastern terminal point of the important cross-country route just mentioned. The two Allied armies have thus made considerable progress towards smashing a defensive system, of great natural strength and formidably organised, on which the Germans evidently hoped to make a protracted stand. .With hardening winter weather in prospect, it seems not unlikely that the Allies may before long be able to speed up their attack on the remaining defences covering Rome. It may still remain to be explained, however, why the Allies have relied as much as they have on frontal, assault as a means of smashing enemy resistance in Italy. Summing up a good deal which has been said in America, Britain and elsewhere in criticism of Allied strategy in Italy, the military correspondent of the “Sydney Morning Herald” observed recently that: “The present yard by yard fighting in the central Apennines is fundamentally different from the kind of campaign envisaged by the Allied leaders in September.” The Australian writer recalled that, in a statement on the eve of the invasion of Italy. General Eisenhower said: “1 do not believe in lighting battles to chase someone out of somewhere; our object is to trap and smash the enemy.” This statement by the Allied Commander-in-Chief in North •Africa and some, oilier authoritative utterances, notably President Roosevelt’s claim that the capture of Foggia, with its cluster of airfields, was “one of the most important Allied strategic successes” and “meant air cover for all future operations in Italy,” appear to provide some grounds for believing that, Allied strategic plans in Italy may have miscarried to an extent and that the extension of operations to the Balkans and elsewhere may have been delayed in a way that was not anticipated in September. On the other hand it still seems entirely possible that the arduous campaign in Italy may be built upon in a thoroughly effective way both in a bold extension of operations against Southern Europe and in an Allied invasion of the continent, from the west.