Evening star., 1943-08-07
Neck of Nuzi Power
Not Yet Broken
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.

By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.
The last act of the Sicilian drama is
rapidly drawing to a close Catania and
Palermo are in our hands; Adrano Is
menaced.
withdrawing round the western side of
Mount Etna, endeavoring to shorten
their line to one between that great vol
cano and the Tyrrhenian Sea on the
North-roughly, the line Naso- Randazzo
Such line would cover the approaches
to Messina from the West. The intense
German resistance in this area, coupled
with the collapse of all resistance farther
south, is eloquent testimony to the ma
ture of the German plan.
1t may not be possible for the Allies
to outfank this position by a thrust up
the East coast from Catania toward
Taormina. The road is narrow and thus
easily defended by small forces. 1t is
reported blocked by landslides, which
may have been aided by German demoli-
ton parties. However, the constant pres
ence of Allied warships off both the
North and East coasts suggests that
landing in the German rear may be at
tempted, and might well, under the cir
cumstances. prove decisive.
Meanwhile, the escape-hole at Messina
has been thoroughly blasted from the
air again. The report speaks not only
OF the destruction of shipping in the
harbor and of port installations, but
also of attacks on troop concentrations
already there.
This bears out the previous reports
that the evacuation of Sicily already is
well under way. 1t fits in with the
shortening of the German line, neces-
STATED by the reduction in the number
of remaining German troops who are
acting as rear guards to cover the with
drawal of their comrades.
Under the conditions existing in Sici-
ly, with the Germans being driven into
the apex of narrowing triangle, both
shores of which are commanded from the
sea by Allied fleets and with the air
overhead in full control of Allied air
power, the prospects for a successful re-
tirement of the German forces to the
Italian mainland do not appear bright
Some, of course, may get away. Some
probably have already done so. But 1t
does seem likely that the major part Of
the three German divisions-the 18th,
2eth and Hermann Goering Divisions
which have been fighting in Sicily will
either leave their bones there or be
compelled in the end to surrender like
trapped rats within blazing triangle OF
flame from which all escape will be
denied.
These Germans have fought well They
have put up brilliant defense, first OF
the rivers crossing the plain OF Catania,
then of the slopes Of Etna and of Ca
tania itself, and now they have sue
ceeded in withdrawing to a shorter line,
which they are defending with equal
skill and determination.
They are outnumbered at least two to
one, probably even more heavily. They
have no naval support and little air
support. But they are certainly making
fight OF which any army might well
be proud. There is no use in disguis-
Ing that fact. 1t is one we shall do well
to bear in mind for our future guidance.
We may well ask ourselves, II three
trapped German divisions, hopelessly
outnumbered and far from home, make
such fight as this for corner of
Sicily, how will the bulk of the German
army, with room to maneuver and with
better air support, fight for the defense
Of Germany itself when that time
comes?
We will also do we'll to remember that
the whole Allied force In Sicily amounts
to no more than 8 or 8 divisions There
are as many again, probably, In North
Africa. If re-inforcements have arrived,
there may be as many as 40 American,
British and Dominion divisions under
General Eisenhower's command. That
might we'll be enough to clean up Italy,
II only Italian resistance is to be en-
countered there.
But the Germans-not counting any
troops of satellite nations at all-have
over something like 300 divisions, per-
haps little less. OF these, 200 are on
the Russian front. That leaves 100 di-
visions for the garrisons of Western Eu-
rope, OF the Balkans and for the stra-
tegic reserve. Roughly speaking there
are about 40 of these divisions in France
and Northern Italy, about 20 in the Bal
kanS and about 40 in the strateoic ro
serve, which can be thrown in wherever
it Is needed as soon as 1t Is plain where
the need is greatest
Hence the Western Allies must still
limit their land operations to areas
where the Germans cannot deploy their
full available strength. And all the
Americans and British do in the Medi-
terranean Is directly connected with
what the Russians are doing as they
push on past fallen Belgorod to the as
sault Of Kharkov.
The German problems are greater
than ours and will presently become in
soluble. But the Germans still have the
option Of reducing their Russian com.
mitments by sudden withdrawal to
prepared positions we'll in rear of their
present lines, and so far as the Medi-
terranean theater is concerned the Allies
are not yet In strength sufficient to meet
IN the open field, in full battle, the
forces that would then be at the DISPOSE
ton OF the German high command.
The Western Allies must still, for
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