Evening star., 1946-08-07
Lord Wilson BIames
MiscaIcuIations for
Anzio, Casino Losses
BY the Assoeioied Press

Allied miscalculations were blamed
IN part today by British Field Mar
shal Lord Wilson for the costly
stumbles at Anzio and Casino on
the long road to Rome early in 1914
In attempting to break out of the
beachhead at Anzio, where the
Nazis were caught unawares by an
amphibious end run, the American
and British forces ran into unex-
pected major defense positions, ~
Lord Wilson told the combined
chiefs of staff in belatedly released
report. sy,% ~,
At Casino, where a major Allied
assault was beaten off six weeks
later, although the stronghold was
almost obliterated by air bombing
and artillery shelling, Lord Wilson
acknowledged that he and his
commanders partly failed to esti-
mate the enemy's intention to main
tain a continued and stubborn de-
tense" in the ruins.
Lord Wilson, then Gen. Sir
Henry Maitland Wilson, the Allied
supreme commander in the Med
1terranean, contended that once
the Anzio adventure had been un-
dertaken "it was absolutely essen
tial that we concentrate our efforts
on the battle in Italy" until the
beachhead and the main front
before Casino were linked.
Churchill Supported Plan.
Winston Churchill, he said, was
an ardent advocate of pressing the
drive for Rome through the winter
At a Christmas Day conference at
Tunis in 1943, with Gen. Eisen-
hover about to leave for England,
the British Prime Minister urged
that ''it would be folly to let the
campaign in Italy to drag on" while
the Normandy invasion was being
prepared
The Anzio operation, for which
plans had been discarded, was
thereupon revived with American
Maj. Gen. j. P. Lucas in command.
Although the equivalent of three
divisions got ashore the first day
1t was four months before the AL
ban hills were taken and the vital
Nazi road to the south was cut.
Marshal Kesselring, the Nazi
commander, "skillfully employed"
defense forces quickly shifted to
meet the threat, his British antag-
onist acknowledged.
At Casino, on the main southern
front, Kesselring was equally unco-
operative, and with the entire
Italian winter campaign begged
down, Lord Wilson said the Allies
had to revise their plans.
Delayed Until May.
1t was May 10 before the Allied
attack under British Gen. Sir Har-
old R. L. G. Alexander regained
its momentum and June 6 before
Rome was taken. Lord Wilson'S re-
port covered only the dismal WIN
ter and spring operations.
The attack across the Rapido
River near Casino, where the Amer
lean 36th Division was riddled, came
two days before the Anzio landing
Lard Wilson duly recorded its fail
ure as one of series along the main
front. He did not disclose, however,
who gave the specific order for the
divisions attack, which echoed in
Congress this year. with veterans
of the 36th blaming Gen. Mark
Clark and demanding an official in
quiry.
Regardless of its cost and the
questions raised in the United States
and England as to its justification,
Lord Wilson asserted that the stale
mated winter campaign was a wal
liable asset" because it drew off Nazi
strength from the Russian front
and paved the way for the Nor
mandy invasion.
We had forced Hitler into fight
ing the battle we intended he should
be compelled to fight" he concluded.