BEFORE THE BATTLE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 23, 28 January 1944, Page 5

BEFORE THE BATTLE

BOTH SIDES CONCENTRATING Rec. 11.15 a.m. RUGBY, Jan. 27. Five days after the landings at. Nettuno the fog of war is still dense over the new front. Dispatches so far received, however, still leave little doubt that the Anglo-American force has already accomplished part of its object by depriving the Germans of the use of the main railway leading south-east from Rome. This line runs south around the Alban Hills through ■Cisterna to Gaeta. " It is also probable that the accompanying : main road, generally known as the Appian Way, can no longer be used. The enemy cannot allow interruption of their communications between Rome and the Garigliano front, and are expected to react strongly to recover this route and above all to defend the only other routes. These run 10 or 15 miles further inland beyond the Alban Hills through Valmontone down the Sacco Valley to Cassmo. Meanwhile ,the Germans are not expected to withdraw from the Garig-liano-Rapido position, as that would yield the Allies the very victory they are seeking by landing behind the enemy lines. The situation therefore remains that both sides are concentrating before the battle begins. The Allies are moving almost uninterruptedly but comparatively slowly by sea, while tne Germans have railways and . roads which, owing to the Allied' air superiority, they can hardly use except by night. For the Germans more is at stake than a few square miles of Italian territory. The "Manchester Guardian' observes: "With the spring ahead .of them, the Germans will want to give their troops on the other coasts proof that amphibious operations are costly things that do not succeed.'—B.O.W.