Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-01-08
| NEWS
BEHIND
The NEWS
By Pau.
| Mallor

WASHINGTON Jan Z The
W Ans lo-Amorican armies
landed n Italy. four months ago
Sept 81 haze taken only one
third of The boot advanced only
rs miles along both coasts IN
November and only seven or
eight miles on the Aduatlc
since then
This has been somewhat
startling disturbance 10 eNpec-
tauonS. the most peSslmlStiC ~
which m September anticipated
the fall of Rome before
Christmas
Tho answer lies N technical
military conditions and conSld-
erationS NOT generally evident
IN dispatches from the front
The result could not have been
otherwise
Foremost is The fact that the
Germans have thrown in there
practically the same GumbcT Of
troops that We have around II
divisions lnnll l6A nnA men COM
pared with the Roosevelt New
Year announcement that We
have 100000 troops overseas
IN all areaSl
Secondly, the ground favorS
the Germans, Is almost ideal
for defense. From coast 10
coast. the line is only about
$50 miles long. None Of II Is
level. The hills and mountains
have very narrow passes IN
which maneuNcr 81 troops is
impossible and tanks cannot
be used on battle scale hut only
10 occupy small towns and to
attack positions occasionally.
THEREFORE,, more troops
Il could not be used by either
side. unless a large amphlhious
movement TO land on the coast
IN the rear Of the line was at
tempted
We threatened such tactics AZ
the ourSet. but found such an
amphlblouS force would have 10
be extremely large 20 face the
German forces available, prob
ably larger than the troops
available in reserve Al least
we have not attempted such
action
With maneuVer impossible no
battles could be fought
Thus the fighting proceeds
from hill 10 hin sometimes
without infantry contact Such
strategy is wise TO save lives ,
WEATHER is frequently Of.
w fered as a military excise.
but tins time II added genuine
lmposSlhllltles- Rivers we're ali
normally swollen with rains
Cthey are generally only little
streams 30 TO 10 yards wide,
but some are rushing and deep).
The Germans prepared the
line 1t has held IN recent weeks
(Garghano River on the east 10
approximately PeSCara on the
RdTiaticJ with Italian labor
working since last October.
They did not dig a continuous
trench line and the warfare has
not degenerated into the trench
variety described by some OBJ
servers.
---LhnA-GAHA44-+i ta+ - ltt4+aF 49, --t,t++tt
boxes al advantageous hllly
points and constructed intermlt-
tent defensive posts in depth.
Instead of being trench warfare,
as IN France IN the last war,
She fighting has been hop-SkIp-
and-jump from one Of these hill
posts 10 the next tthe line oCCa-
Sionally being three miles or
more deep.
In many high places, we have
10 send in food and ammunition
10 our men with pack animals
In these high mountain areas
also. our troops had 10 he re-
frequently 70 rraW and
dry out
our complete superiority in
the AIR has been partly nulhhed
by thoroughly raln-Soaked and
muddy aviation fields and zero
visibility extending for weeks
When the weather breaks. We
may get something started
again. probably in the next few
weeks at least before. March.
When We break this line proba-
hly We can sweep on into Rome
Without organizing tremendous
amphiblouS attacks, there seems
nothing else 10 do.
Distributed nv KING Features Syndicate
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