The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-26
Interpreting
The War
BY K1RKE L. SIMPSON
UP War ANALYST

The foreshadowed Nazi ro4
in Italy to escape yawning A .rgat
traps is in full swing by Peg r1t,go
admission although the exac+ III
upon which the German Conn, -.i5e
ers. hope to halt is not vet ' INV
Gated. mus
Unopposed junction acrosr A.
Pontine plains by American VI TIe
ments of the Fifth army. Iir,,ie
the Anzio beachhead and +ba
southern front, followed a Ce9r,.
night time flight from the wb ,%.
coastal area. Canadian occuna
ton of Pontecorvo 7ea- the head .,
the lower Liri valley and unofG
clal Nazi reports that Aquna AVA
Piedmonte, inshoTe anchors Of A.
collapsed Hitler line above Coa
sino, also have been evacpstod
tend to confirm the impresgion
that the whole German front l.
being pulled back.
There is yet no intimation 4b,,
the foe intends to abandon Rom.
for Allied occupation, however a,
the contrary, Allied air scouts ba,.
reported heavy Nazi reinforce
ments filling the roads north
Rome and moving southwark Sew
en- OF the reputed Is Nazi division.
in Italy have been reported he'll
in reserve to the north and do
ployed to curb Italian antj.Naz
operations in aid of the advancin,
Allied armies.
German accounts indicate that
the retreat from the Pontine plain
was ordered to set up a temno.
rary covering front along the low.
err eide of the Sacco valley route
to Rome from the south. Cana.
dians a n d French on the RIGHT
flank of the Fifth Army are knock.
ing at the southern entrance Ia
| that valley.
If the Nazi grip on Aquino and
Piedmonte on the southern stones
of MONT Cairo, 5000 foot peak
north and slightly west of Cas-.
sino, has also been relaxed it indi.
Gates a line-shortening German re-
adjustment of the entire tranc.
peninsular front is in progress
Mount Cairo dominates the lower
Llri valley from the north. Its loss
would mean Nazi retirement to th,
massive ridges of the Apprentices
east of Rome to cover both the I'D.
per Liri valley and flank the Sac
CO route to Rome with a mini.
mum troop deployment while main
forces were concentrated in tn e
fiat lands of the Rome region il
self for the final battle for the
city.
The coastal hills east Of the
Pontine plain, from the Albans
just below Rome through the Le-
PM mountains to the lower end q
the Sacco valley offer good oppor-
tunity for a Nazi stand to cover
some such shortening readiust-
ment of front as seems in prog
recs.
The Alban-Lepini line, howeS,
is dangerously vulnerable The Cis.
terna saddle gap between the two
hill masses, is a weak point. al
which Fifth army troops are bat,
tering. A break-through into the
upper end of the Sacco valley
could disrupt indicated enemy gen
eral withdrawal plans COMPLETELY.
There seems to be no doubt that
the German command is striving
desperately to bolster that gap and
also strengthen the defensive line
between the Alban hills and The
: seacoast at which British elements
. of the Fifth Army are hammer.
ing.
The decisive battle for Rome ap.
pears likely to develop. therefore
on the northern and eastern force
in the south. Quick repair Of III:
Appian Way and other commun..
cation lines crossing the Pontine
, plain, supplemented by sea lanes,
, should give General Alexander OPP
, portunity to mass powerful forces
there promptly either to beat of
a possible German major counter.
attack or to drive through to or be-
, yond Rome, or even leap-frog up
, the coast beyond it to take enerT
Prime communications centerins
in the Rome hub in the rear