The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-08-06

shippingf and transporting 1t right up to the front lines.
 To keep the Allied armies ir Sicily going something more than 1000, 900 tons of shipping is con- stantly moving into the Mediter- ranean. More than 5000 ships were used in the initial invasions and most of them continue to operate 8 shuttle service.
 Allied air forces frequently em- ploy more than adozen different types of bombs on single raid. All aircraft fire at least three types o1 machine gun and cannon bullets namely tracers, incendiaries and armor piercers.
 480,00O Horsepower
 When 100 Flying FortresSes go roaring of over Sicilian and Italian targets, they have combinued horsepower of 48o,000 or sufficient power for seven super battleschips. These Fortresses consume about 200 gallons of gasoline per hour for each plane or 10000 gallons of high octane every hour when 100 planes operate.
 Some Allied dumps alone contain more than 5O,0OO mines and thous- ands upon thousands of shells.
 As Hitler's tide recedes, it leaves behind the wreckage of men, ma chimes, towns, cities and shipping ln amazing quantities. Entering Sicily by North Africa, one can see the first evidence of Hitler'S defeat in the vast airplane graveyards at prin- cipal airports covered by acres Of smashed and disabled planes. The once proud swastika is prominent in all of these junk heaps.
 Ruined and burned trucks, motor cycles and automobiles abound. Once splendid airdromes resembling those of New York now consist of blocks of shattered hangars, glaSsless win dows in buildings, jumbled heaps Of masonry indicating the violence of Allied air power that blasted the Axis from Africa.
 DccOdtC
 But that is all forgotten now along with the old battlefields of the Tu- nisian campaign which already have acquired the desolate emptiness and dreariness of abandoned battlefieldS the world over.
 Kasserine Gap, the Mareth Line and Wadi Zigzau seen from a plane show scarcely any signs Of the ex- tensive blood-letting there only a few months ago. A few slit trench es and occasional temporary air fields now rapidly returning to na- ture are the only indication of the recent great battles. Now all that is behind and everything is turning toward Sicily.
 I crossed the Mediterranean in an airplane troop transport crowded with eager youngsters fully equipped with packs and rifles peering ex- citedly from small windows for the first sight of their new battlefield. Their faces resembled those ot freshman football team.
 Returning from Sicily after visit ing the front, l rode in an am- bulance plane filled to capacity with drawn. weary looking men in stretchered tiers, all very quite and docile. Of course there were far more going over than returning wounded, but these two plane trips provided plenty of contrast
 Prisoners Relieved
 Axis prisoners provide more Of the flotsam of battle. Riding to the rear in trucks they appear happily relieved. However, later when they are sitting on the ground the acres of prisoners look rather pensive ex- cept when cameramen appear. Then they perk up, pose and grimace.
 Around the various air fields and military establishments, groups of prisoners look dull and uninterested while working but they go through the motion of toll.
 The varieties of uniforms are pre- dominantly German - yellow uni forms with peaked caps and an occasionlal German sailor. The Italian uniforms look crumpled and dirty.