INVASION OF ITALY

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 May 1943, Page 5

INVASION OF ITALY

MINISTERIAL WARNINGS

GERMANS PROMISE AID LONDON, May 15. The Italian Senate met for six hours yesterday to hear of measures taken to protect Italy’s sacred soil against foreign invasion. The Secretary of the Navy (Riccardi) emphasised the precarious state of Italy’s land communications in the event of invasion, and warned that though what was left of the Italian Fleet could not prevent a British and American invasion, it would do its utmost to interfere with any such attempt. The naval struggle for possession of North Africa had been a continuous struggle against an enemy superior in number, especially in his great naval and air reserves, said Riccardi. The fight for Tunisia had been particularly hard. It had been carried on within a very confined space for six months, during which the enemy had employed not only cruisers, destroyers, motor torpedo-boats, fast minelayers, and submarines, but above all, aeroplanes, and still more aeroplanes. Supplies could not always be shipped from Marsala to Cap Bon, but had often to be taken from other ports, involving a far longer crossing. Particularly dangerous was the last part of the shipping route, through the heavily mined Sicilian Straits, where convoys were constantly exposed to attack. The Air Secretary (Fougier) announced that 18,500 airmen had been lost in the African campaign. Italy had lately been placed at a great disadvantage in not being able to turn out such a variety of new aeroplanes as her enemies. “The enemy will certainly intensify his air offensive in the hope of breaking the resistance of Italy,” he said. “He will not abstain from terror raids against civilians. True to tradition, the Italian Ait - Force will do everything to meet the enemy and repulse him wherever he attacks. “The Italian Air Force since the outbreak of war has inflicted the following losses on the Allies at sea: Sunk, 145 merchantmen totalling more than 1,000,000 tons, and 67 warships; destroyed in the air .2343 aeroplanes, including 1944 in combat; probably destroyed in the air 1000 aeroplanes.” ARMY PREPARATIONS.

The Secretary for War, _ General Sorice, said that precautions had. been taken for the rapid transport.of troops to points where the enemy might land. A special mobile corps was being formed All vulnerable areas were being reinforced, including the coast of Montenegro, Dalmatia, and Jugoslavia. In the event of a successful enemy landing, a possibility that could not be overlooked, he said, special rationing and supply plans had already been worked out. New disciplinary measures were shortly being taken _ to strengthen the home front. Legislation had also been prepared for putting certain areas under military iusisdiction. The population. though somewhat, anxious, firmly believed in final victory and was determined to defend Italian soil. General Sorice added that rU Italian divisions had been lost in North Africa during the Tunisian campaign. Six generals and 23 colonels had been taken prisoner. The “Deutsche Diplomatische Korrespondenz,” the German Foreign Office official journal, declares that the German Army will defend every inch of Italian soil, just as if it were that of their own country. “The G-erman and Italian brotherhood in arms will stand its ultimate and sum-erne test, wherever the enemy attacks,” says the journal. It is reported from Berne that Italy is feverishly preparing against the threat of invasion. The Minister p Fducafion has ordered the closing of ail schools in the nation by May 22 in order to assist civilian evacuation and liberate 18 and 19-yeai-old Italians who have so Lar been exempt from military service. Ital ian troop trains are reported to be pushing to the Calabrian Peninsula. Marshal Badoglio returned from a flying tour of inspection of defences, and reported to the King and to military experts.

GERMANS IJU ITTING ?

(Rec. 1.50 p.m.) LONDON, May 16. German officials and Gestapo ■W'aus are 'withdrawing from Italy iT'seems’ "therefore, that unless this move is a “blind,” Hitler is about to abandon Italv to her late, and leave her to face the threat of Allied I’*’ vasion unaided. Reporting this, tho ‘iVlciil s clip loPiat'C correspondent says, lheie are unmistakable signs that. Hitler may withdraw his armed forces from Italy and establish strong fortress defences- for the orotection of the Reicn on the Brenner Pass. It would not be surprising to observers in London if he did so. There has been no official German declaration of continued A.xis solidarity, nor arc there indications that the Germans are ready to supuly Italv with the means for defence' In ' these? circumstances, n seems fairly certain that Hitlei is preparing to leave Mussolini in the lu r ch in the same way as Rommel deserted his Italian colleagues in the desert.

BRITISH FLEET

(Recd. 2 p.m.) LONDON, May 16. The German-controlled Scandinavian teleeraph bureau quotes a report from Madrid stating that shipping concentrations, including fifty freighters and tankers and the bau tieships Nelson and King George the Fifth, have been seen at. Gibraltar. The report adds that British naval forces at Gibraltar include the cai.tiers Formidable and Furious, sixteen destroyers; also one American and ,one Polish destroyer.