SLOW PROGRESS IN ITALY

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24092, 30 October 1943, Page 5

SLOW PROGRESS IN ITALY

ENEMY ESTABLISHED FIRMLY ALLIED PLANS KNOWN AND FORESTALLED (N.Z. Press' Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, Oct. 28. "The Allied progress in Italy has slowed to such an extent that a new estimate of the entire situation is required,” says Joseph Harsch in the "Christian Science Monitor.” He says; "The Germans have stalled the Allied advance long enough to organise a powerful defensive line in the narrowest part of the peninsula, and they are now established on a 100-mile front defended by seven German divisions, with roughly 1000 men to each mile. “Statements by Allied generals show that they expected the Italian campaign to develop differently.. The discrepancy can be explained. First, the Germans chose to make a major stand south of pome, instead of falling back to Florence. Second, the Germans were able to organise a defence line south of Rome because they had thwarted the Allied drive across the Eeninsula from Salerno. This had een planned to Isolate. ,the Germans in the south. Third, the Germans were aided by a number of Italian officers who surrendered their forces. “The pre-invasion bombing of railways has not pr .alysed German troop movements as it had been hoped. The Gerntans obtained advance information of the Salerno landing from. Italian officers, and this made stouter resistance possible. The Germahs also saw no signs of any cross-Channel invasion, so they transferred very substantial forces to Italy. They now have ;27 divisions south of the Alps, and more are coming."