Chapter 163 Volume 5, Chapter 8, Battle of Salerno‧Return

The Anglo-American attack on Salerno The German army stubbornly resisted and captured Taranto. Alexander came to the front line and the navy assisted in the battle. Stalin's congratulatory message. We returned home on the warship Renown. The progress of the war: Alexander's report of victory. My telegram to Eisenhower. !On September 25, my telegram to Eisenhower and my reply were suspended from the telegrams between the commanders. On the night of September 8, Alexander sent a telegram from Chip [1].That night, as the great Allied fleet approached the beaches of Salerno, they heard the announcement of Italy's surrender over British broadcasts.The news caused an unexpected shock among the fighting-minded soldiers, thereby temporarily relaxing their tension and having an adverse psychological effect.Many soldiers thought their task tomorrow would be easy.Officers immediately tried to correct this sentiment; they pointed out that whatever the Italians might do, the Germans were bound to put up staunch resistance.It was felt that the war was drawing to a close, but, as Admiral Cunningham said, it would be treachery to the Italian people not to announce the existence of an armistice in time.

【1】The commander's signal to launch a campaign.translator Under the cover of a powerful British fleet, the assault fleet sailed into the Gulf of Salerno and encountered only small-scale air raids.The enemy knows they are approaching, but it is not possible to tell where the blow will fall until the last moment. The Fifth Army, commanded by General Clark, began landing before dawn.The U.S. Sixth Corps and British Tenth Corps assaulted, while British and American Raiders attacked the northern flank.The escorting convoy had been spotted by the enemy at sea, and General Eisenhower's broadcast the night before had caused the nearby German troops to act immediately.

They disarmed the Italians, took over all the fortifications, and made full use of the advantages modern weapons provided the defenders in the initial stages of resistance to landing.Our soldiers were hit by well-aimed fire while wading ashore, and suffered heavy casualties.It was difficult to provide them with proper air cover, as many of our fighters were flying in from Sicily at a great distance, but they were reinforced by aircraft from the aircraft carriers. Once across the beach, the U.S. Sixth Army advanced smoothly, and by the night of the 11th it was within ten miles, but its right flank fell back to the sea.The British Tenth Army met more stubborn resistance.They succeeded in taking Salerno and Battipaglia.The Monte Corvino airfield was also in our hands, but it was still under enemy fire and so could not yet provide the much-needed refueling stations for our fighters.The Germans responded very quickly.A portion of their forces, against the British Eighth Army advancing hard in the toe of Italy, was being moved as quickly as possible to the new front.The bulk of the three divisions were brought in from the north and a parachute regiment from the east. [1] Owing to the scarcity of ships, especially of small craft, our own reinforcements were mobilized much more slowly.The German air force, though weakened by losses in Sicily, was now exerting great effort, and their new radio-controlled glide bombs were causing losses to our shipping.All the power of the Allied Air Forces was employed to thwart the approach of enemy reinforcements and to blow up their military assembly points.Our warships moved into the Gulf of Salerno to support them with their heaviest guns.The British Eighth Army, urged by Montgomery, advanced rapidly in order to make contact with the heavily stressed Fifth Army.All these efforts contributed to the defeat of the German army, and according to a senior German officer, the loss of strength of the Luftwaffe and the lack of any defense against our naval bombardment were decisive factors.

[1] About the order of battle of the German and Italian divisions on September 8. While the fighting for Salerno was raging, a very fine attack was made on Taranto.Not only Alexander, but Admiral Cunningham, who was primarily responsible for the execution of this attack, deserved the highest honors for the success of the venture.This first-class seaport can be used by an entire army group.The sudden capitulation of Italy to us was, in Alexander's view, an opportunity worth our risk.We did not have any transport aircraft to fly the British 1st Airborne Division, nor did we have any of the usual ships to transport them by sea.Six thousand of these chosen soldiers set out in British warships.On September 9, the same day as the Salerno beach landings, the warships bravely sailed into the port of Taranto and brought the troops ashore without any resistance.One of our cruisers was sunk by a mine strike, our only naval loss. 【１】

[1] I have in my house the Union Jack which once flew over Taranto, which was given to me as a gift by General Alexander.This flag was one of the first Allied flags to fly over Europe after our expulsion from France. According to the scheduled plan, my entourage and those who did not return to the UK by plane returned home by sea, and the warship Renown was waiting for us in the port of Halifax.When I was on the train, I got off to say goodbye to President Roosevelt.So I was with him in Hyde Park when the battle of Salerno began.On the night of the twelfth I boarded the train again, and reached the port of Halifax on the morning of the fourteenth.Various reports and newspapers received on the way made me deeply worried.It is obvious that a very critical and protracted battle is going on.As I have always been a strong advocate of this landing by sea, and feel a special responsibility for its success or failure, I am all the more concerned about it.Surprise attack, onslaught and quick decision, this is the element of all amphibious landings.After the first twenty-four hours of the landings, the convenience which the naval power had at random to choose the place of attack may well have disappeared.There were only ten people stationed in the original place, and there will be ten thousand people soon.I think back to what happened some years ago.I think of General Stopford, who in 1915 waited for almost three days on the beach at Suvla Bay, while at the same time Mustafa Kemal dispatched two Turks from the Blair line divisions, to previously undefended battlefields.I have also had a renewed experience that when General Auchinleck, from his highest central position at his headquarters in Cairo, observed with the old eye the vast and varied field he commanded, the relation The battle to the entire battle situation is heading towards an unfavorable ending for him in the desert.I had extreme confidence in Alexander, but I still spent the day with apprehension as our train rumbled through the delightful fields of Nova Scotia.At last I drew up the following telegram to Alexander, which I am sure he will not be offended by.This telegram was not sent until after our ship had sailed.

Prime Minister to General Alexander September 14, 1943 I want you to pay close attention to the pivotal avalanche battle plan first. None of the commanders who participated in the operation had ever fought on such a large scale before.The Battle of Soufra Bay was lost because Ian Hamilton had been advised by his chief of staff to remain at a remote central location from which he hoped to learn everything.If he had been there, he would have been able to prevent that fiasco.I am now so far apart and delayed in time that I can't claim to be able to judge everything, but I feel a duty to tell you about my own past experience of this kind.

2. Every effort should be made to contribute to the decisive battle at Naples. 3. You can ask for anything you need, and I will distribute the necessary supplies to you with the highest priority regardless of other considerations. His reply was quick and reassuring. General Alexander (at Salerno) to Prime Minister (at sea) September 15, 1943 I am sure you will be delighted to learn that I have anticipated your wise counsel and that I am now with the Fifth Army.I appreciate your offer of help.We are taking every possible step to make Operation Avalanche a success.Its fate will be decided within days.

I was also very relieved to learn that Admiral Cunningham had not hesitated to risk several of his ships of the line near the coast to support the army.On the 14th he sent the Vospite and the Valiant to the front, leading the main ships of the Italian fleet to the place of surrender, which had just reached the island of Malta.They went into battle the next day, and under the direction of the air force, they bombarded the enemy accurately with heavy artillery, impressing both friendly and enemy troops, and doing a great deal in defeating the enemy.Unfortunately, on the afternoon of the 16th, the Wospite was attacked by a new type of glide bomb, so that it lost its combat effectiveness.We already know some things about this glide bomb, and we will learn more about it in the future.

Prime Minister (at sea) to Admiral Cunningham (in Algiers) September 15, 1943 I'm glad you sent the Wospite and Valiant into battle. This campaign is extremely important, and you are absolutely right to take extraordinary measures. Please send them my best wishes. The following telegram was also sent: Prime Minister Stalin to President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill September 14, 1943 I congratulate you on your new victories, especially the landing in Naples.The successful landing of Naples and the division of Italy and Germany will undoubtedly be another blow to Hitler's Germany, and will greatly benefit the Soviet army's fighting on the Soviet-German battlefield.The offensive of the Soviet troops is now unfolding successfully.I think we can have more success in the next two or three weeks.We are likely to recover Novorossiysk within the next few days.

Aboard the USS Prestige is relaxing and enjoyable.This magnificent ship is docked next to the pier.Admiral Pound was on board, he had come directly from Washington.He behaved as usual, and no one who saw him would think that he was ill.I invited him to dine with us on the voyage home, but he said he would like to dine with his staff in his cabin.Half an hour after boarding, we set sail, and we crossed the ocean after a six-day tortuous voyage. The fighting in Salerno has continued unabated these days.The telegrams kept coming.Thanks to Alexander's kindness, I was informed of the whole situation, and his vivid telegrams gave me a complete view of the situation.

General Alexander to Prime Minister (at sea) September 16, 1943 I have just returned from an extensive inspection of the Fifth Army's front lines. I met with the commanders of both armies, all the division commanders, and several brigades at the front.Although I am not entirely optimistic about the war situation, I am more optimistic than I was twenty-four hours ago for the following reasons: Since the night of the thirteenth, the German army has not launched a fierce offensive.This allowed us to gain time, to strengthen our position somewhat, to rest the extremely weary troops, and to obtain some reinforcements, both in man and material.The Eighth Army was also getting closer.I can also encourage them and issue certain instructions, the most important of which are as follows: Hold the places we have occupied; strengthen the main positions at all costs by digging trenches, installing barbed wire, and laying mines.Reorganize the scattered and various troops and establishments.Prepare local reserves, and mobile reserves as strong as possible.Announcement to all units: The Eighth Army is rapidly approaching us; reinforcements are arriving day and night.The current weakness is (due to) the following reasons.The Germans were able to concentrate a strong force more rapidly before we formed sufficient forces to hold the positions captured in the first assault.The Germans occupied most of the commanding heights, and they watched us condescendingly until the beach.Our troops are exhausted.There are very few deep positions anywhere; we have temporarily lost the initiative.Last night our Air Force dropped a battalion of paratroopers in the Avellino area behind the enemy lines.Sixteen hundred soldiers from the 82nd Division were also flown in last night.I have agreed with the Navy to bring here fifteen hundred British infantry reinforcements by cruiser from Philipville; These reinforcements should arrive within forty-eight hours.I have urged the speedy arrival of the American Third Division, which will land on the 18th. The first men from the 7th Armored Division will arrive tonight, but it will take days to disembark and assemble.An infantry brigade will also arrive tonight.We have just completed three small airfields, and Spitfires are now operating from Salerno and surrounding areas. The entire air force is now concentrated in this area of ​​operations.We will regain the initiative, and as soon as we are strong enough, we will begin to take key positions.May God bless our cause and a little luck will ensure the success of our troops. Prime Minister (at sea) to General Alexander September 16, 1943 My feelings about the Battle of Avalanche can be expressed in Foch's famous saying "Seize everything".The Navy was right to bring their heavy warships into battle, because it was a battle of far-reaching significance.I think you are winning. Prime Minister to General Alexander September 17, 1943 I am delighted to feel that you have personally grasped the situation of the avalanche campaign. As you know, I was apprehensive about the pace of Avalanche force buildup.Montgomery expected to bring the Eighth Army into action on the 17th, which was good news. 2. In view of the superiority of the naval power, we are right to use battleships in the squadrons approaching the coast. 3. I wish you all the best.Please keep telling me what's going on.I am now in the midway of the Atlantic voyage, but can receive all communications perfectly at any time. It has been three days since the critical situation, but the outcome is still undecided.Battipaglia fell again, but the 56th Division, though weakened by heavy losses, managed to prevent a further advance to the sea from there.On the front of the American Sixth Army, the enemy saw a thinly defended gap between the army and the British army, rushed in from the north, crossed the Sere, and seemed to reach the landing beach behind the American army.The defensive force of the American artillery stopped the enemy's advance very well in time.The Allies held the line in dire straits.The U.S. Forty-fifth Division, originally left on board as a reserve, was now fighting at full strength on the Sixth Army front.Reinforcements have begun to arrive.Our 7th Armored Division and the US 82nd Airborne Division were transported by sea and air.After six days of intense fighting, during which we encountered moments of grave danger, the Germans were never able to force us back to sea.On the 15th, Kesselring realized that he could not win.Centering on his right flank on the heights above Salerno, he began to shift his entire front back.The next day, the Fifth Army and the Eighth Army joined forces.We won the battle. General Alexander to Prime Minister (at sea) September 18, 1943 The overall situation continues to improve, and the initiative is being transferred to us.The British Tenth Army was attacked in the north with some light force, but all these attacks were repulsed.On the front lines of the Sixth Army, the Americans took the offensive, and the fighting continued at Altavira.As you know, the outposts of the 5th and 8th armies have joined forces.The Seventh Armored Division is well on its way ashore; fifteen hundred infantry reinforcements to Tenth Corps arrived last night.About 1,600 American reinforcements will arrive in a day or two.The U.S. Third Division will begin disembarking tomorrow night.The stockpiles of ammunition and supplies are satisfactory.The Eighth Army is advancing on Aluita and Potenza, but as of this writing I have not had (any) report of where its advance troops have reached.The British 1st Airborne Division, active in the Taranto area, had joined forces with the Canadian forces, but their forces were too weak to harass the Germans.The 78th Infantry Division will begin landing at Taranto on 22 September, and the 8th Indian Division at Brindisi on 23 September.My present purpose is to organize three strong fighting forces: the American Fifth Army in the Salerno area, the Eighth Army in the centre, and the British Fifth Army under the Eighth Army in the Taranto area.From these strong bases we will push north.I have issued the following order: The Fifth Army will advance from the mountains northwest of Salerno and occupy the high ground near Avellino.The Eighth Army was to occupy the Potenza area.The next objectives would be: the Fifth Army to capture the port of Naples and the Eighth Army to capture the airfields in the Foggia area.I do not wish to mislead you by being overly optimistic, but I am satisfied that we are now in control and able to complete our future military operations as planned. When we reached the Firth of Clyde, there was decisive news from Alexander. General Alexander to Prime Minister September 19, 1943 I say with full confidence that the whole situation has turned in our favor and the initiative has passed into our hands. I will be back at my main headquarters in Syracuse tomorrow. On September 21, I telephoned General Eisenhower to congratulate him and to ask him to send his regards to General Clark. Prime Minister to General Eisenhower (in Algiers) September 21, 1943 I congratulate you on our successful landing and extension to the north. As the Duke of Wellington said when talking about the Battle of Waterloo: It was a really close battle, but your risky approach proved to be correct.Call Clark for me if you think it appropriate, I hear from all sides that he has done a great job.We work together in a way that certainly has not been seen among allies in the past. Two. If you can do it, I think it is really very necessary to send more French troops to Corsica, and a strong British or American contingent to Sardinia.We now have good ports from which to land, so they don't have to carry the fighting equipment at the same time, and once they get there, it will be an encouragement to the Italian troops, the French, and local patriots. 3. Regarding the cooperation with the Italian government, we will do everything in our power to support you; I am sure everything will go as you hoped. 4. Field Marshal Smuts will arrive in Cairo on Monday, September 27th, and stay with Casey; four days later, he will pass your field on his way to London.He has my full confidence, and you can discuss everything with him without any restraint.He will be living in London for a few months, taking on his full responsibilities as a member of the British War Cabinet.He will have a great influence on the public opinion of the place.I will be very grateful if you give him the most respectful reception.He was a great man and one of my dearest friends. If I had known what had happened to my sons and daughters, our delightful six-day voyage would have been in vain.Randolph was on the island of Malta in early September, recruiting volunteers for the Second Special Air Mission Regiment.There he met Commodore Laycock, a dear friend of his and mine.Laycock knew what was coming, saying: Commandos will have a chance to make their mark.Would you like to come? So Randolph agreed to go with him, and worked intently throughout the campaign. Mary experienced a different kind of danger.As the Majesty was yawing through rough seas, one of the officers suggested to her to go for a walk on the after deck.He should know that this is not allowed when the ship is sailing in a zigzag, because such sailing makes it impossible to estimate where the waves will hit the ship.Mary and her companions were leaning on the taffrail when the warship changed course.behold!She said: A lovely wave is coming!The officer saw the danger and shouted, grab the railing!In an instant a great wave swept them both overboard, and carried them across the deck to the gutter on the starboard side, where Mary would have fallen into the sea had she not been caught by the railing posts.The captain saw the real situation from the back of the stern tower, and was about to order to release the life buoy to rescue the drowning person, but the warship turned back to the original course, so that most of the seawater rushing on the ship rushed to the other side, and when Mary was rushed back by the seawater, Managed to catch the anchor cable.The poor officer was likewise swept up and down by the sea.They were finally rescued to a safe place, but their bodies were soaked by sea water.The officer was severely reprimanded.Mary changed her clothes.All this was kept from me until we landed. Another more pleasant thing happened around me.In our entourage were a dozen or so women of the Royal Navy, one of whom was very handsome.My private secretary, Leslie Ron, pursued her during these few days at sea and was successful.But about this matter, the two of them kept it a secret, and no one knew about it.Now they are happily married. On our arrival I received the following telegram. President Roosevelt to Prime Minister September 20, 1943 I am delighted that you have all returned home safe and sound, and hope you have had a uneventful voyage.Everything is calm here.Congress has been here for a week now, and it's still calm.I wish you three happiness. Once the battle of Salerno was won, the airfields of Naples and Foggia lay before us.The British Tenth Corps, with the American Sixth Corps on its right flank, repulsed the enemy's rearguard near Vesuvius, and advancing, past the ruins of Pompeii and Herculonian, entered the Naples.Great efforts now need to be concentrated on the restoration of the port of Naples, which has been utterly destroyed by an experienced enemy.But such repairs, in which the Americans are good, were so effective that within a fortnight it was able to load and unload five thousand tons of supplies a day.Two airfields near the city were soon to be used, a welcome aid to our fighter squadrons which had previously operated from the improvised small airfields.Meanwhile, on the east coast, the 1st Airborne Division had been on patrol as far as Joya and Barrie on 15 September.The 78th Division and an armored brigade landed behind the 1st Airborne Division and, together with the headquarters of the Fifth Army, joined the Eighth Army.Six RAF squadrons were also operating from Joya's airfield at the same time.The enemy withdrew from the Foggia airfield on September 25.Termoli was taken by commandos landing from the sea, and with the help of reinforcements, they held out against the fierce enemy counter-attack. [1] Both Pompeii and Herculonian were ancient Roman cities, which were destroyed by an earthquake in AD 63 and buried in the ground when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, and were discovered in the eighteenth century.translator A few days after my return to China, I sent a telegram to General Eisenhower. Readers should keep this telegram in mind when reading the various correspondence and memorandums I prepared during the autumn and winter.The second paragraph of this telegram seeks to ascertain the proportion of forces to be employed in our various plans of operations, especially where they are inappropriately deployed.These proportions should not be overlooked by anyone wishing to understand the debates described in the later chapters of this volume.War raises the question of the proper use of available human and material resources, and we often cannot reduce war to doing one thing at a time. Prime Minister to General Eisenhower (in Algiers) September 25, 1943 Since I have been pressing for simultaneous action on several fronts, I feel that I should present to you the priorities I have in mind for these several desired goals. 2. We should devote four-fifths of our forces to the military deployment in Italy.A tenth of the force was devoted to securing the capture of Corsica (where the fighting would soon end), and the Adriatic theater of operations.The remaining tenth should be concentrated on Rhodes.Of course, such a distribution ratio is only applicable to those elements with limited sources.I think these elements are mainly landing craft and ships for transporting assault troops, and light naval vessels. 3. I am sending you this telegram only as an outline of my train of thought, for I do not wish to make you feel that I am striving for simultaneous action on all fronts, without realizing how severely your constraints are imposed. General Eisenhower to Prime Minister September 26, 1943 We are carefully studying the human and material resources to provide the necessary support to the Middle East in this plan, and we are sure that we can meet the minimum requirements of the Middle East. When Montgomery was able to push the bulk of his forces forward to aid the right flank of the Fifth Army, all operations on the Naples front could be carried out more rapidly.As happens in the initial stages of every joint combat operation, we spread the front too wide, both tactically and logistically.We're working hard to improve the situation, and you can expect good news soon. Eisenhower's reply did not, as I had hoped, refer specifically to what I considered to be the most important part of my message, namely the small force necessary for auxiliary military operations. I continued to exchange letters with Alexander and Montgomery. Prime Minister to General Alexander September 25, 1943 I understand very well that the Eighth Army must concentrate its troops. 2. As regards the advance on a wide front, I appreciate it, since it is very difficult for the enemy to stop it, but, I think, you should also try to advance yourself with small amphibious forces. 3. You will see that I have declared in Parliament that the Italian campaign is the third front.The second battlefield is in Britain, which is still accumulating strength and has not yet launched.We should stick to this formulation, because it would save the Russians less displeasure, and at the same time avoid arguing with them about whether the Italian campaign was a second front or not. The Anglo-American Fifth Army entered Naples on October 1. Prime Minister to General Eisenhower (in Algiers) October 2, 1943 I am as glad as you are that our Mediterranean campaign has turned brilliantly, and that Sardinia and Corsica have fallen into our hands as mere windfalls of this campaign.I wish you all the best for your future. Prime Minister to General Alexander (in Italy) October 2, 1943 I think the Eighth Army's advance on the eastern flank is of great value. I note that Montgomery must shortly stop to bring supplies up, but I believe this does not mean that his scouts and light troops are in contact with the enemy's rear.According to various reports from our intelligence services, the enemy's purpose was to buy time and withdraw north without suffering serious losses.In any case, the enemy does not have the strength to establish a front against the forces you are deploying now.I attribute this advantageous position to your skilful raid, which took Taranto and its excellent harbor facilities in one fell swoop.Please accept my sincerest congratulations on this military action. I have studied the plan to be brought home by your officers and understand that you have completed the first and second phases of the plan.I hope that the third phase will be completed by the end of this month or in the next few days, so we can meet in Rome. General Alexander to Prime Minister October 3, 1943 I sincerely appreciate the kindness in your call and greatly value your compliment.Once I can get the RAF in place and our executives running smoothly, then everything will be smooth sailing. Now, I have established my headquarters in Bari, which is close to the front line and convenient to communicate with my two army commanders and the main base.Vice Admiral Corningham was of course with me. All in all, everything will be fine.When our main force falls short of the Germans, we shall continually attack it with lightly armed mobile forces and air forces, and constantly press on its rearguard. Prime Minister to General Montgomery (in Italy) October 2, 1943 I am delighted to see the Eighth Army striding so well.My warmest congratulations on all your achievements.I think you may remember that in Tripoli I told you where we were going to meet. general montgomery to prime minister October 5, 1943 Thank you for your kind call.We've come a long way, and we're marching very fast.We had to do this in order to go to the aid of Fifth Army, but it was a huge strain on my logistics organization because we had to move it from the toe to the heel during the operation, and now It has been stretched to the limit.When I reached the horizontal line of Campobasso, Termoli, I was obliged to stop the advance of my main body for a while, and send only lightly armed troops to fight across the horizontal line. During this period, I will lay a solid foundation for my logistics organization.Sending lightly armed troops into easy-to-attack areas can be very effective, and I rely on this method to maintain the initiative and make progress.After a short rest, I will march to Pescara and Ancona with all my strength.I look forward to meeting you in Rome. Both of our armies are now forced to halt their advance.North of Naples, along the Volturno River, the Fifth Army encountered stubborn resistance, which took time and supplies to overcome.As the Eighth Army moved northward in the toe of Italy, General Montgomery consciously risked everything logistically to reach the Salerno field.His base must now be moved from Reggio in the toe to Taranto and Bari in the heel.By the time this work was completed, the Eighth Army was on its last legs.And the use of its airfields by heavy bombers would not begin until Foggia had been captured.This is a colossal task, requiring the transport of thousands of tons of essential supplies, and it can only be accomplished incrementally.In mid-October, the Germans had nineteen divisions in Italy, while the Allies had the equivalent of eleven.In order to maintain our swift and brilliant victories, massive reinforcements will be required, as well as a great deal of reinforcement of our front.All these tasks put enormous pressure on our shipping. September is indeed a harvest month.Cooperation between the armed forces of the United Kingdom, the United States, the United States, and the armed forces has reached a record new level.The commander of the Tenth Army of the German Army in Italy later said that the three armed forces of our sea, land and air have achieved very coordinated cooperation under the command of a supreme commander, which made the Germans very envious.The Italian fleet is already under our control; its air and army, though mostly prevented from joining us by the Germans, are no longer against us.The enemy has been defeated in battle, and our army has advanced three hundred miles on the Italian boot.In the rear of our army, there are airfields and ports that we have occupied, which can fully meet the needs after expansion.In the debates of the Chiefs of Staff, an attack on Sardinia, which had been strongly advocated in lieu of an attack on Italy, fell into our hands as an added bonus on September 9th; Corsica fell to French troops two weeks later.With regard to the plan of attacking Italy, we were able to carry it out after a fierce struggle, which has now been proved justified, even beyond the hopes of its most ardent and persistent advocates. Great credit goes to General Eisenhower for his support of this brief, intense campaign.Although the specific command fell to Alexander, the Supreme Commander had really adopted the British strategic point of view and was ready to bear the final responsibility for this campaign.The obstinate insistence of his own military chiefs on their plans for Burma, while at the same time doggedly and rigidly prioritizing the plans for Overlord, went down to a lower level and became pedantic, thereby deepening needlessly. The Risks of the Italian Campaign.There is no doubt that Italy is the greatest prize we can gain at this stage, and we could have provided it with more resources, both men and materials, without delaying the main plan for the 1944 crossing.