The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-05-30
Interpreting
The War
.... BY kirke L. Simpson

zap
ya"1lns for battered Nez. d.
sions south Of Rome. A..,s.5r ~.
of from direc: escape z5,..e.-.
by Fifth army ,a-se sc.,., :. -
Cistena saddle 10 viii -.-.
range OF Valnon:ooe, .aev -. =.
ing steadily compressed =. -.
Eighth army push Up ~ @-,.
from the south.
Allied capture Of Vz.~a9-,--.
any moment seemed ce-.s, A.
though heavy Naz. re.r.5rce,...
have obviously been ..-,s~
there. It would do more .es- So. -
the Via Caslllna and Is n ~.
ing railway, main Ge-m5g r~-
muncations trunk with lie .
Five miles beyond the .7v~ 49,,
the secondary road and 49,
system linking Rome with F-.s
none IN the lower Sacco vs.,sy
If it also is cut or .~,.--.
under Allied guntire. the D,.--, -.
German troops sill saS,....
along the LepIli ridge gs-. ~
the southwes ern flank Of the Ss~
co valley would become cr..os,
There IS only one other .asdea~..o
road northward still oDer -,
them, the Frosiaone- Sub:aco.A~sa.5
connection through the S.n9-.~,
foothills north Of the valley.
a substantial part Of the e..
mated eight Nazi divisions s.r
south Of the VaImontoae Dar,.
road block must be posted in 4-a
Lepini hills. That force IS ALREADY
Gu. off to the south by E.gb.7
Army Capture Of Ceprano. cu.,.s
the Via Casilina connection Wiz
the important highway nortaws,3
along the uppe- L;ri valley. :. q.
feet the German trans-pe-.ns..s.
defense line is already split in .w9
by tina. Allied advance in the
south. last reported well beyo1d
Caprano up he sacco and with
the French on the right Hank O.
the Fifth army converging also
on Frosinoae, largest and mos:
important transporta ion hub in
the valley.
"Piston" Tactics
It looks as though he Allied
field commander, General Sir
Harold Alexander, is repeating the
Piston" tactics he made famous
in Tun;sia. Again the Eighth army
is serving is he piston head with
the Sacco valley as the Cylinder
through which it is COMPRISING
the foe and the Fifth army al,
tempting to seal off the top of the
valley his objective Of destroying
man escape 10 the Rome defense
perimeter.
There seemed little question that
General Alexander was within
sight of achieving in the Sacco
valley his OBJECTIVE of destroying
much Of the two Nazi armies fac
ing him in the field.
For that reason Allied opera ions
in the upper and lower Sacco
valley areas outweighted in in
mediate Importance the two-tron-
Fifth army drive in the aorta to
outflank the Albaa nils, last bas'
: ion in enemy hands guarding the
coastal read to Rome. Desperate
enemy resistance in defense Of
that critical anchor near the coas,
indicates its importance not only
to any German hope OF retaining
i grip On Rome, but as key to
ave-sing a complete disaster n
the Sacco valley.
Key To Situation
The key to the tactical situation
still seemed to be the Fifth army
break-through across the ClSteIAa
gap into he upper Sacco valley
/ to invest Valrontone, hoWeve;'
That has certainly denied the
enemy any substantial use Of the
main escape routes and also
brought his secondary supply Or
retreat avenues into deadly per-.
Allied pressure against the Al
ban hills srong points may DE-
largely dive-sionary.
There is much to indicate cu[Ilo-
lative Nazi losses in amor Ila'
can no longer be replaced. RI
sone-s repor+ that German TANKS
are being dug in as stationary
strong points rather than kept mo-
bile. Coupled with increasing AZ
lied superioriy in tank power Tx
indications are ominous for the
Toe if he fails TO effect man..
withdrawal from the Leplnl A'--'
promptly. , d;s.
He is counting crushing ol,,
aster in the Sacco valley prime
ground for tank warfare.