ITALIAN LOSSES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20958, 4 December 1942, Page 3

ITALIAN LOSSES

IL REVIEW DAMAGE IN AIR RAIDS BIG EVACUATION PLANS (By Tolegrapn—Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, Dec. 2. In the course of his speech to the Fascist Chamber of Corporations today, Signor Mussolini, protesting against the British bombing technique, said that 1876 civilians had been killed and 3332 injured since the outbreak of war. OI these, 838 were killed and 994 injured since November 23. The air-raid damage in Milan. Turin. Genoa, and Savona totalled 587 buildings destroyed. 5356 heavily damaged, and 13,606 slightly damaged. Women and children were being evacuated from the bombed cities and only necessary combatants would remain. Signor Mussolini added: “Germany will give powerful assistance in the form of anti-aircraft guns to ensure tht the ioint Italian and German defences give the raiders a hot reception. The Italian people are not inferior to the British and Russians We will show that the blood of theancient Romans flows in our veins. Wo shall hold hard.” Signor Mussolini dealt at great length with the Italian war profit and loss account. He claimed colossal sinkings of shipping and the capture of scores of thousands of British troops, including 21 generals. He said that the Italian navy alone had sunk 140 enemy warships. Treatment of Prisoners

“Italy respects international law in the treatment of prisoners,” he said. "The enemy does not. The British treatment of Italian prisoners has been almost universally inhuman. British soldiers have even flogged Italian officers.” The Italian casualties in the first 30 months of the war, he said, were as follows: —Killed: Army, 40,558. navy, 33,500; air force, 20,124; total 94,183. Wounded: Army, 80,772; the other services casualties are not given. Italian prisoners totalled 232,778 in addition to 37,000 missing. Signor Mussolini attacked Mr. Winston Churchill’s latest broadcast which, he said, was devoted almost exclusively to Italy. After bitter personal abuse of Mr. Churchill, Signor Mussolini made a long attack on Britain in which he reviewed the History of the past 300 years. It was the Duce’s longest speech since the outbreak of the war and consisted of 7000 words and lasted for 82 minutes, much of which was devoted to reassuring the populations of the big cities about the Royal Air Force bombing. The meeting carried a resolution expressing fidelity in II Duce and a determination to conclude the war victoriously.