The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-09-21
interpreting
The War
BY KIRKE l. SI,rnra

M NJ
Anglo-American forces 9oN
IN sight Of Naples from the % o.a
tured heights Of Sorrento na enc cap
overlooking the Naples b. -..,''soIa
blocking their way 10 direct 1o. a4'
ward advance stands Mount ..'t w n
suvlus, as formidable ~ we We
Etna was in Sicily. -'0u0l
Vesuvius, rising nearly : mn
IN air behind narrow IVY oo lee,
shelf midway between The ' Uasta
efn and southern shores NJ w u. M
bay, affords a powerful rst,,l az
anchor for a new Nazi d s.a.uFal
line to protect Naples itself 'sSs
There is every reason IL e,a,
Allied enlightenment tactics by ' i"|
and sea or both if the ret~sa tara
German divisions falling h..
from the salerno bridge6eaJ 80
tor attempt a new stand ~ ' <5
slopes of the famous volcano 'D'
There is no doubt aboT+ .
retreat, only about the anon. a'al
ground the Nazis are Dren.r;. "
to surrender in Italy and abo,,
Allied moves to turn the re,roo.
into a rout. German evacns, ta'
OF the Sorrento heights. occnn;oa
by Fifth Army patrols without .a
parent heavy fighting, could bsT.
no other meaning.
1t may prove, however, that n.
pies itself is now regarded ss va
tenable by the Nazi high conn., r,'
mand except for delaying actios
based on Mount Vesuvius Tbar.
is a wider and deeper potent
Allied bridgehead just north of NJ
pies on the shores of Gaeta anI,
than the Salerno and Ebou MAN,
afforded.
With the islands of Ischja md
Procida, off the tip Of the NanIes
promontory, also in Allied hands
new Allied beach landings above
Naples are practicable. There *
an arc of flat land there On ,ne
Volturno plains, some 30 miles
wide and IS miles more in depth
before the inshore heights are
reached, inviting further Allied
amphibian operations TO bypass
Vesuvius and Naples and outtank
the Nazis from the north.
Important Italian help in routing
the Germans from the Whole south.
central portion of the italian boot
is forecast by developments on
Sardinia and Corsica. Both have
been effectively cleared Of Ger.
man forces by Italian forces act
ing apparently in direct compH.
ance with the broadcast appeal Of
Marshal Badoglio to all Italians
to turn upon their former Nazi
allies and fight side by side with
the British and Americans"
Allied seizure of the Gaeta
bridgehead would bring the in.
vading troops within $50 miles or
less of Rome. 1t would m k e
shuttle bombing of all Nazi es.
cape routes from the Italian PENN.
sula to the Pc line in the north a
simple matter either from bases
on the shores of Gaeta gulf Or
from Corsica, and Nazi command.
ers seem aware of that danger.
It may be that the Salerno VIC.
tory by General Clark's amphi6'
Gus force has cracked the whole
Italian peninsula to fast-paced Al.
lied occupation.
AS yet, however, the scope and
direction of the German retreat
from the Salerno front and from
the south is not clearly enough
indicated to furnish glimpse Of
Nazi defense plans. That enemy
forces along the southen segment
of the Fifth Army front are IN
flight northeastward to escape en-
trapment goes without saying N
view of the German retreat from
the Sorrento peninsula farther
north.
The implication is that the Brit,
ish forces on the east coast ana
from laramie are conyeT8ho
northeastWard for drive up ule
Adriatic coast which is easier ter
rain than the west coast. An AZ
lied advance to outflank the Ma.
ples-Foggia line from the e ~
should the Nazi attempt to SlalU
on that short front across the peH'