Evening star., 1943-05-30
Mediterranean Front

Italy, weakest and most vulnerable
member of the Axis, waits in fear, won-
dering as day by day her islands and her
home ports are blasted by Maj. Gen.
Jimmy Doolittle's bombers, which is to
be the raid just preceding invasion.
More rumors are floating around about
Allied plans in this area than any other
scene OF war. Repeatedly Axis sources
have stated that large conveys have left
Gibraltar. headed into the Mediteran-
mean, reports which have invariably
lacked substantiation from Allied
sources. During this past week, Rome
claimed that bombers, flying to Bizerte,
had found a great concentration OF
ramp-type invasion barges and that
these had been bombed with good effect.
This story also was not confirmed.
What was definitely fact and not fic-
ton, however, was the incessant raid
ing of Sicily, Sardinia, Pantelleria and
home ports Of the Italians Sunday a
summary of aircraft losses for the previ-
GUS five days was issued which disclosed
3o5 Axis planes destroyed to the loss of
18 Allied, or the very satisfactory ratio
of II to in our favor.
Sunday, also, began week Of destruc-
ton which saw Pantelleria, Italy's forti-
fed base about so miles from Cap Bon,
raided three times by American bombers
after which British Wellingtons flew
over and dropped a number of block
busters to take care of anything the
hoI ovorlnokoI
dinian targets were hit by bomb-carry-
ing Lightnings.
Monday 300 American planes struck at
nine separate targets on Sardinia and
Pantelleria also was given light going
over. Reports were widespread that
Italians on both the Mediterranean is
lands and in the coastal cities, dazed and
fear-struck by the death which they en-
joyed raining down on the Ethiopians, but
which seems less inviting on the receiv-
ing end, are fleeing to the inland noun
tains in Italy. The Rome radio admits
that Cagliari, capital of Sardinia, has
been abandoned.
1taly's Crown Prince, Umberto, was
quoted by the British radio as warning
the Italian people that they were short
of arms and munitions and that they
therefore must throw all their spiritual
and physical strength into the contest,
though the odds are on four-ton block
busters so far as effect on the outcome
OF the war is concerned.
More than 400 Allied bombers re-
turned to the attack on Tuesday, strik-
ing at all three of the islands concen-
trating on airflelds docks and Transport
tation facilities of all kinds. Twenty
three Axis planes were shot down and
II Allied planes failed to return
Wednesday 1t was the same story with
one addition. Allied planes crossed over
to the Aegean Sea to attack Axis ship
ping and add one more worry to the
Axis which is uncertain where the in
va!sion blow is first to fall.
Thursday and Friday the story con-
tinued-Allied raiders bombed the Ital-
ian islands. in one raid alone, 1000
augmentation bombs being dropped on
Sandman airfield with devastating ef-
feet among parked aircraft.
Rumors, as the week ended, were that
unrest in Italy is reaching a serious
point, although the government spurned
suggestion from England that Italy
get out of the war on the best terms
she can before Italy herself gets in full
measure what her islands are now re-
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