Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-12-05
Americas Second Year War Roo Attack on Berlin
Initiative Passes to United Nations

The Axis forces were caught in a trap
which was slowly closing on them.
But at this point, Mussolini was
through. The dictator whose pompous
figure and bold threats to the enemies
of Italy had inspired the italian people
to launch on campaign for empire was
unceremoniously thrown out OF ONCE
by King Victor Emmanuel, who estab-
lished Gen. Badoglio, enemy of Fascism,
as head of the state.
During the first week OF August, Ca
tina, main defense point on the east
coast of Sicily, fell and the end was
almost at hand.
On August is Allied artillery had
come within range OF Messina and on
the 18th American troops moved into
the city, where they were under fire Of
German 15-inch guns across the strait
on the toe Of the boot. The fall of Sic
lily had been reached. The cost to the
Allies in all casualties was $4,000. The
Axis lost 10000.
Like lifting artillery barrage, Allied
planes struck deeper into Italy, plugging
the lines Of communication from the
north and preparing the way for the
invasion of the mainland, which came
when Gen. Montgomery sent his 9Th
Army across the strait into Reggie Gala
bria with orders to continue on until
Italy was knocked out of the war. The
invasion began on Friday, September 8.
After little diplomatic sparring
around, Marshal Badoglio surrendered
on September 8, bowling to the uncondi-
t1onal demands of Gen. Eisenhower and
later joining Italy in the war on Ger
many.
Hitler Acts Quickly.
Hitler was quick to act, Selling con-
troll OF all Northern Italy and rushing
a series OF defense lines while the be-
wildered Italians resisted the Nazis at
some points and meekly yielded their
arms at others. To make as much prog
ress as possible and to gain possession
OF Foggia and the IL satellite airfields
surrounding it, Gen. Montgomery put
part of his 9th Army ashore at the ma
val base at laramie in the tnstep of the
Italian boot
In the meantime, Gen. Mark Clark
sent number Of landing parties ashore
In the Naples area and Salerno was
quickly captured, the landing parties
holding off five vicious attacks by Ger
man mechanical division, aided in part
against the Nazis by naval craft which
stood OF shore and poured heavy shells
against the tanks as was done in the
Sicilian campaign.
Realizing the hopelessness Of the sit
uation, the Nazis abandoned all of
Southern Italy to Gen. Montgomery's
forces and threw everything they had
at Gen. Clarks Army below Naples. For
days the American position was pre-
carious, but flying columns from the
British 9Th rushed across Italy to meet
up with the Americans on the 18th and
the situation was saved.
On September 10, Sardinia was occu-
pied and French troops quickly beat
dowa all Nazi resistance on Corsica and
that island, too, fell into Allied hands
Naples Is Captured.
Finally on Friday, October 1, Naples
was captured and in the eastern theater
during the same week the British cap
tured Foggia
The Nazis made an effort to halt the
onward moving Allied forces at the Vol
turno River on the west coast. On the
other front, or the eastern flank, for the
Allied forces were in contact all the
way across, the British, employing leap
frog tactics which had proven successful
in Sicily, accomplished a landing at
Termoli. about so miles up the Adriatic
coast from Foggia, forcing a German
withdrawal to avoid entrapment.
During the week Of October 10 Gen.
Clark opened frontal drive on Ger
many's Volturno line and set up several
bridgeheads across the river, which was
in flood from heavy rains. In the mean
time two columns engaged in thanking
maneuver worked their way in behind
the Germans who fell back rapidly.
The Germans set up new defense line
on the Sangro River in the east which
in the waning days of November the
British managed to break while the
American 5th, impeded by heavy rains,
pushed slowly forward until now a full
retreat is under NAV