AXIS DEFENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25280, 17 July 1943, Page 5

AXIS DEFENCE

UNEXPECTED WEAKNESS INADEQUACY OF MEASURES (Rec. 9.45 p.m.) LONDON, July 15. “ It begins to appear that neither the Italians nor the Germans are making any serious attempt to hold the island,” says the Daily Mail in a leader. “The Italian people, whatever may be said of their courage, are not efficient m war and never have been. » Military observers consider that the scale and the suddenness of the Allied attack have disorganised the defence plans, and the defenders’ equipment is inadequate for their task. Allied headquarters this morning reported that • our forces are not meeting any serious opposition.’ This was the sixth day of the invasion. Resistance should have developed in six hours. The enemy, if he intended to contest our landing, should certainly have thrown in a big counter-attack during the first 72 hours. •• Frankly,” the article continues, “we do not believe the Axis is in a position to mount an attack on the expected scale or anything like it. There may be hard fighting before our men, but the enemy cannot now fight hard enough to hold us up. They have lost any chance they may once have had of saving Sicily.”