PRIVATE WARS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 40, 16 August 1944, Page 6

PRIVATE WARS

ITALIAN FIGHTING

SITUATION IN FLORENCE

(Official War Correspondent N.Z.E.F.)

FLORENCE, August 13,

■ The situation in Florence remains one of the most unusual of the war. The Germans have withdrawn from a large part of the city, and while the Eighth Army troops have occupied the suburbs south of the Arno they are still not taking action which may giye the enemy an excuse to join battle in the city itself, with the inevitable destruction of many' beautiful and historic buildings. Meanwhile the Florentines who have vacated their homes on the orders of the Germans before they fell back are waiting more or less' patiently for conditions to return to normal. Others, who have seized what they regard as a good opportunity to settle old scores, have joined the Fascist or the Partisan bands, and with weapons and ammunition collected from any source possible are ranging the city in a private war. , Few New Zealanders. have seen Florence since our troops were transferred to a sector on the west, but today I crossed the Arno,into partisan territory on the north bank, where the main part of the city lies. Bursts of machine-gun and rifle fire a few streets away told of fighting between the Germans and the partisans. Many civilians, anxious to reach the comparative safety of the south bank, were queued up at a ladder leading down a stone wall to a weir by which the crossing was made. Here a New Zealander, not satisfied with the' work of the partisan. guard, was unofficially directing traffic, giving his instructions to the crowd in Italian, and his comments on the same crowd in good, round Anglo-Saxon. . AMONG THE PARTISANS. Near the beautiful cathedral •by which the famous Tower of Giotto stands, I entered .the headquarters of the Patriotti, as the partisans style themselves. It is in the fifteen century Palazzo Strozzi, which in recent times has been a library and art gallery. Now the library has been fouled by German vandalism, and the treasures of the art gallery have been removed for. safe keeping. In the courtyard a motley crowd of {youths wearing the red neckerchiefs and red, white, and green armbands, which are the partisans' only uniform, stood about awaiting the orders for the night's operations. Few were more than 17 or 18. They were equipped with an odd assortment' of rifles and automatics, and stuck in their-belts were grenades of German, Italian, and British make. One"youth, while I was there, rushed in with a hatful of ammunition, which he shared among his comrades. Their ( " leader, who told me he was a brigade commander— his brigade seemed!to consist of about 60 men—was not much over 20, but he had an air of authority, and I noticed that even a count who accompanied me—the descendant of a long.' line of. .Florentine noblemen—showed him considerable deference. The sun was setting as .we recrossed the river, throwing a ruddy glow along the Arno and over the historic Ponte Vecchio. Despite frequent notices on buildings, "Beware of enemy snipers," everything seemed peaceful; but with the approach Of darkness hideous bursts of machine-gun fire and the roar of artillery brought a sharp reminder of the war. ' ■• '■■'.■•■ : • .