The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-08-24

This army, which included troops
rated as the best fighting units Of
the United States and Great Bri-
tain, had on its side absolute DOM
nation Of the air and absolute
domination of the sea. The Ger
mans put up tough resistance.
That the Germans were destroyed
or ousted from Sicily by the date
fixed in advance simply means that
the entire campaign was planned
with mathematical certainty to
bring about the desired result, re-
CARELESS of checks, delays or re-
verses, which were discounted in
advance and asSimilated as they
came along.
If the army commanders have
their way that Is the program that
will be followed in all subsequent
campaigns against Germany and
Italy overwhelming superiority
Of men and equipment plus careful
planning.
Mathematicians' Minds
This war in the field is being con-
Quoted by men who have the minds
Of mathematician. They do not
favor wild throws Of the dice or
spectacular adventures. Their stra-
tegy Is the same as the Germans
used earlier in the war before their
Russian mistake, namely, the ap-
plication Of irresistible force so that
there will be no chance of defeat
and a minimum of casualties.
otto clv Nf $hic V,ot,,ra raN,,frar
painstaking and detailed prepara-
ton. The Mediterranean was alive
with ships for weeks prior to the in
vasion of Sicily. During the fort
night before the landings, conveys
were entering the Mediterranean
which included such numbers of
vessels that it was impossible to
count them during the space of
time 1t took a plane to fly past.
Columns of Soldiers
The waterfront of Algiers and other
Mediterranean ports from which the
invading armies were dispatched
were scenes of seething activity with
long columns of soldiers marching
into transports which sailed as
soon as they were full. Many units
were transported directly to the
beaches in motor-driven landing
craft. The Germans knew all this
undoubtedly, but couldn't do any
thing about 1t because of the shat
tering anti-aircraft barrages which
awaited them If they dared come
anywhere near.
The enormous amount of effort
and strength which must be poured
into the organization Of a military
undertaking of even such q limited
nature as the Sicilian offensive was
amply demonstrated to all who
were in a position to see it. The
troops were trained, physically
and mentally. to the sharpest
point of combat efficiency. The
ships which carried them were
manipulated by the hundreds in
the darkness of the Sicilian coast,
which their captains had learned
by heart. They put over a barrage
of such shaking intensity that the
defending forces were driven from
the beaches, so that the landing
forces had no such reception as
greeted the soldiers who went
ashore at Dieppe In this war, or at
Gallipon In the last war.
Selected Areas Pounded
Air power had pounded the Sc
lected areas of the invasion area
for weeks in advance with a bomb
tonnage which equalled that which
used to be laid down by artillery
barrages on the congested western
front in the last war. New weaons
were sprung on the enemy, such
as the amphibious truck, a boat
which runs on wheels once 1t
reaches land. For the first time, ex-
tensive glider and paratroop oper-
atoms we're conducted by the
Americans and the British, with
success.
There were of course some un-
expected developments in the early
stages which were, however, swiftly
overcome by the planning In depth
which had been done with the idea
that no check, intention or acct
dental, should suffice to delay the
advance for an important space
of time.
Any such operation against the
coast of western Europe would have
to be magnified MANIFOLD In order
to make 1t successful. In fact, it is
expected that lane operation
against the Italian mainland will
be on much larger scale than
those against Sicily, If the Italians
refuse to accept the inevitable and
1t Is necessary for us to take them
the hard way.
Result of Planning
On the fighting trent in Sicily,
you saw how all the preparation
and planning, all the effort Of the
war industries, all the vast trans
port involved, in the last analysis
made their appearance on the bat
tlefield itself, In the scattered
groups of young Americans ad-
vancing from boulder to boulder.
The whole war effort was distilled
to this essence, that Of the young
men striving to get at the enemy
who was up the hill endeavoring to
kill them with his multiple mortars
and hand grenades.
Upon the spirit and fighting
qualities of these men the ultimate
outcome Of the war depends, and
their spirit and fighting qualities
depend in turn on the support they
get from home. War bonds are gov
| eminent investments At home. but