Evening star., 1943-09-12
The Race for ItoIy

ullLlly tnat detailed comment on
current happenings is vain, since de-
Velopments follow each other so fast
that the situation changes literally
from hour to hour. Out of the con-
fused military and political welter
into which the peninsula has fallen
it is possible, however, to perceive a
few basic features:
The first of these is that the Ba-
doglio regime has lost control of
Italy. The grip of the Germans has
proved stronger than was generally
supposed. and they are acting with
speed and boldness reminiscent of
their early "blitz" campaigns. The
industrial cities of the north appear
to have fallen into German hands
after more or less sporadic resistance
by the local Italian garrisons aided
by the populace. The quick fall of
Rome to German motorized units re-
vealed the weakness Of the Italian
defense. Indeed. the Germans con-
tinue to put up a fight even in the
south, as evidenced by their stiff
opposition to American landings in
the Naples area and the presence of
German units outside Taranto, the
naval base on the heel Of the Italian
boot.
The inability of Italy to defend it.
self either against the Allies in the
first instance or now against its for
mer German Axis partner is not sur
prising when it is remembered that
the greater part of the Italian Army
Is outside the countrys borders. 1t
is reliably estimated that of Italy's
regular formations, estimated at
sixty divisions, not more than twenty
were in the peninsula when Musso-
lini was overthrown, the balance be-
ing engaged in garrison duty from
France to the Balkans or at island
posts from Corsica and Sardinia to
Rhodes. The Germans saw to 1t that
none of these troops returned to
Italy. They have now been dis
armed and will probably be turned
into labor battalions slaving for their
German masters. The home forces,
dispirited, bewildered and sand
wiched in between German troops
better led and equipped, could not
have been expected to do much. The
peninsula thus becomes a battle
ground between Germans and Allies,
the Italians playing a minor mill
tary role. 49, w. .-. . ~
With the Italian Army virtually
out of the picture, the strategic sit
uation boils down to q race against
time between the Germans and the
Allies for possession Of key points in
what seems destined to become a
prolonged and desperate struggle.
The Germans seem to have won the
first laps in that race outside the
extreme south. On the other hand,
the bulk of the italian fleet has es-
capped their clutches and has taken
refuge in Allied or neutral ports, thus
giving the Allies undisputed COM
mand Of the Mediterranean, which
will facilitate further landings of
Allied troops wherever our high COM
mand may elect.
Another trump card in our hands
is air supremacy over the Mediter-
ranean and at least over Southern
Italy. It is doubtful whether the
Luftwaffe can spare planes enough
from the many other fronts it has
to defend for a decisive struggle in
Italian skies. Combined sea and air
mastery should 60 far to compensate
for the preliminary successes on land
which the Germans have won. Fur
thermore. as time passes. the 1tal-
ians should logically rally to the
Allied side against the vengeful fury
of their former partners, as is sug-
gested by the appeal issued to them
by President Roosevelt and Prime
Minister Winston Churchill to rise
Fundamentally against the Germans
and aid the great surge of lbera-
ton" Almost overnight italy is
transformed from an Axis partner
into the embittered victim and
enemy of Germany. Ultimately, that
will be factor of great Importance
from every point of view
'Aedeun Stote'