The Northern Advocate "NORTHERN FIRST" Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper. THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 1944. STRAWS IN THE WIND.

Northern Advocate, 16 March 1944, Page 4

The Northern Advocate "NORTHERN FIRST" Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper. THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 1944. STRAWS IN THE WIND.

APART from the vital part which the war in Italy is destined to play in the eventual defeat of Germany, the fact that the New Zealand Division has been allotted a leading role in the Cassino campaign gives to New Zealanders intimate interest in the news liberated today.

Weather conditions, which have held up operations for some weeks, have evidently improved in the Cassino area, for it is reported that Cassino has been subjected to the heaviest aerial bombardment of the whole Mediterranean war. Commencing at dawn, and continuing till midday, there was dropped on one square mile of the German defences some 1400 tons of bombs.

Once again Mr. Churchill’s memorable epigrapi has been paraphrased by a war correspondent, who said that never was so great a weight of bombs dropped on so small an area in so short a time. The purpose of this deadly deluge was to soften the enemy defences preparatory to artillery and infantry launching an attack. There need be little doubt that the New Zealanders have again been given the honour of opening the attack, which it is to be hoped will prove as successful as that made at El Alamein. If within the scope of mortal achievement, it may be taken for granted that the New Zealanders will attain their goal, though it is clear that even with the terrific bombing to which the United Nations’ air forces subjected the enemy added to their, shelling by Allied guns,-the task which the infantry has undertaken is one of gigantic difficulty. Further news will be awaited with the keenest interest.

The hold-up which has occurred in Italy has been unfortunate. Whether more could have been done to exploit the “miracle” landing effected on the Anzio beachhead, and thus facilitate the task of the British and Americans in the Cassino area, is a matter about which uninformed criticism is of little value. Clearly, however, it is necessary that serious effort should be made to break the enemy in Italy as soon as possible, for Allied control of Italy is essential to the full development of Allied plans for the invasion of Europe. Use made of the limited advantage secured in Italy, allowing bombers to co-operate. in the bombing of southern Germany, as well as German occupied territory, has sufficed to suggest what the Nazis may expect when full-scale attacks from Italy, simultaneously with attacks from the west coast of Europe, are launched.

It would be foolish to think that the Germans will be easily moved from their strongholds in Italy. Rather is it to be expected that they will make desperate efforts to slow down the Allies’ onslaught. For that reason, there is every reason to expect that fierce fighting will precede the defeat of the enemy in Italy. However, there will be few to doubt Sir Harold Alexander’s confident prediction that the Anzio beachhead battle will be won by the Allies, and there will be none to doubt that the New Zealanders will play a glorious part in driving the Germans from their key positions in the Cassino area.

Obviously, the whole European theatre is livening up in readiness for a herculean effort in the spring. Evidence of this is to be detected on all hands. The greatest contribution at the moment is that of the Russians, whose victories in the souther 1 sector of their front, in the centre, and to a certain extent in the north,, is beyond computation. Unless there occurs something which,cannot be foreseen, and which there is no reason to anticipate, the Russians must in the very near future achieve sensational success.

While great events are being recorded in the east, British and American bombers and fighters are opening a second front of a nature disastrous to Germany, for bombing raids on unparalleled scale are being made with round-the-clock regularity. As a result, proud German cities have been laid in the dust and their usefulness as munition manufactories crippled or ended. A speaker who said, when referring to this terrible bombing, that a second front was already in full swing, surely spoke truth.

These developments are not being lost upon German satellite countries, some of which are showing transparent desire to break away before the real avalanche comes. While all these things are happening, evidence points to the imminence of the launching of the long-expected invasion of Europe. The action taken to°prevent the enemy from obtaining information from Britain per medium of the Germany embassy in Dublin is not the least eloquent indication of what British'and American forces are about to be asked to undertake.