Chapter 183 Volume 5 Chapter 28 Italy: Cassino

The government of Mussolini and Marshal Ciano Badoglio is in a bind My correspondence with President Roosevelt on this matter February 22 I address the House of Commons on the situation in Italy The bombing of the monastery at Cassino is bad The weather created a stalemate and President Roosevelt discussed Italian politics. The Russians recognized Badoglio's government. The Italian campaign stalled. Alexander convincingly explained the Anglo-American dispute over Overlord, the Anvil, and the Italian campaign. General Eisenhower. With General Wilson's opinion April 16th I sent General Marshall a telegram concerning the military situation.

The precarious and chaotic state of Italy's political situation has become more serious in the new year.Mussolini's shadow republic came under increasing pressure from Germany.In southern Italy, the ruling circle around Badoglio was battered by domestic intrigue and scorned by Anglo-American public opinion.The first to counterattack was Mussolini. He fled Rome and arrived in Munich, where he met his daughter Edda and son-in-law Count Ciano.Both fled from Rome when Italy surrendered.Ciano had voted against his father-in-law at the fateful meeting of the Grand Council of the Fascist Party, but still hoped to rely on his wife's influence to reconcile with him.This wish was indeed fulfilled in Munich, drawing Hitler's wrath, for he had placed the Cianos under house arrest upon their arrival.Mussolini's reluctance to punish traitors to Fascism, especially Ciano, was perhaps the main reason why Hitler despised his comrades at this critical juncture.

It was not until the waning power of the Saloan republic fell sharply, and its German masters expressed that they could bear it no longer, that Mussolini agreed to a planned spree of revenge.All those leaders of the old fascist regime who had voted against him in July, who could be caught in German-occupied Italy, were tried at the end of 1943 in the medieval castle of Verona, among them ciano.They were all sentenced to death without exception.Despite Edda's pleas and threats, Mussolini was unable to grant a pardon.In January 1944, this group, including not only Ciano, but also the seventy-eight-year-old Marshal de Bonno, who had joined Mussolini in the march on Rome, was charged with traitors. They were tied to chairs, shot in the back, and died heroically.

Ciano's end is exactly the same as the various features in the tragedy of the Renaissance.Mussolini succumbed to Hitler's demands for vengeance and was laughed at in vain, while the remains of this disintegrated axis, a bleak neo-fascist republic, still clung to the scraps on the shores of Lake Garda. In southern Italy, Badoglio continued to be plagued by remnants of an opposition party that had fought earlier fascism.Since last summer they have formed political blocs, not only eager to form a more extensive government in which they can participate, but also to abolish the monarchy, which they declare is broken by the long acquiescence of Mussolini's usurpation of power. popular expectations.In both the United States and Britain, their activities have increasingly gained public support.In January, a congress of six Italian political parties took place in Bari and adopted a decision to this effect.

So I call President Roosevelt: prime minister to president roosevelt February 3, 1944 It is my fervent hope that we will permit the present government of Italy to continue at least until the present great war between our two armies has failed to bring us to the occupation of Rome.I am convinced that it would greatly increase our difficulties if we were to replace the present regime in Italy, and to attempt to form a new one from among the powerless political parties.Moreover, once these parties entered the government, they would feel the need to defend Italian interests in a much tougher way than the King and Badoglio dared to do, in order to command the confidence of the Italian people.I think it would have been even more unfortunate if Badoglio had also stepped in.And, according to our intelligence, actions against the King of Italy may have enormous consequences for the Italian Navy.A large number of British and American troops are shedding blood, so please focus on the military aspects of this issue.

His reply reassured him. President Roosevelt to Prime Minister February 11, 1944 I have directed the State Department to take no action at this time with respect to the existing Government of Italy that would cause any change in its status quo.Wait until our military situation in the Italian campaign has improved sufficiently that we can meet the danger of a mutiny by those Italians who are currently assisting the Allies. However, I think you and I should regard this step merely as a chance for these two old gentlemen to live. I elaborated further on my insight: prime minister to president roosevelt

February 13, 1944 I completely agree with the section on the big picture that we should study after Rome has been taken.We are not there yet.The festivities in honor of Lincoln's birthday made Ye think not to discuss crossing the river until he reached the Fox River. The existing power is the legitimate government of Italy, with which we have concluded an armistice, by which the Italian navy surrendered, and part of the Italian army and air force fought alongside us.The present Italian government will be far better at following our command than any other government we have painstakingly managed to form.On the other hand, its control over the fleet, army officers, and other armed forces is stronger than that of governments formed from corrupt and incompetent parties.What's more, the above-mentioned political parties have no status, whether in terms of elections or appointments.A new Italian government will inevitably use confrontation with us to establish their prestige among the Italian people.It is likely that it will seek to refuse to implement the terms of the armistice agreement.As for the transfer of part of the Italian fleet to Russia without provoking mutiny, I hardly conceive of it doing so, and even if it did, its orders would have no effect in the Italian Navy.Therefore, I hope that we will discuss together again when the time comes.I fully support the State Department's handling of the Darlan issue.People in the State Department now seem to express regret for that incident.In retrospect, I think the matter was handled appropriately.It is because of this incident that thousands of British and American soldiers are alive to this day, and have given us Dakar, for which we could not then have drawn large numbers of troops.

I got a letter from Hopkins.He is full of indomitable spirit.It was said that he was debilitated and required further operations, which made me very suspenseful.It would be much appreciated if I could get any news of him, for I think he holds an important place in the Twelve.Just received the sad news that his son was killed in the Battle of the Marshall Islands. Since I don't know whether his health will allow him to know the news, please pass it on. 【1】It refers to the twelve warriors under the Frankish king Charlemagne in the eighth and ninth centuries AD.translator As the President and I agreed on the main points, I explained the political situation in Italy in my speech to the House of Commons on February 22:

The war in Italy will be a hard and long war.I do not yet believe that any other government now conceivable in Italy could similarly bring the Italian armed forces to do their bidding.If we were victorious in the present campaign, as I firmly believe, and entered Rome, we would be free to discuss the whole political situation in Italy, and there would be many favorable conditions which are not presently available.Only in Rome could a more broadly based Italian government be best constituted.But it is difficult for me to predict whether such a government would be as beneficial to the Allies as it is now organized.Such a government would, of course, resist, so far as it dared to try, the demands made upon it in favor of the Allies, in an attempt to strengthen its position among the Italian people.However, when the battle is raging and the outcome is uncertain, it is not my wish to carry out vacillating reforms.When you have to hold a scalding coffee pot, it's best not to break the handle until you're sure you've got another one that fits and works, or at least doesn't have a rag at hand.

The representatives of the various Italian political parties who had gathered in Bari a fortnight ago were of course eager to form an Italian government.But until the present king of Italy abdicates or his heir invites them to govern, they have no powers conferred by elections, and certainly not powers conferred by the constitution.Nor is it certain that they have any effective authority over the Italian Armed Forces which are currently fighting with us.Italy was dying under the weight of the scourge of poverty.Food is scarce; food ships have been requisitioned due to our expanding military operations.I estimate that the Allies have added 12 million tons of ships this year, but there is still a shortage of ships and difficulties in transporting food as every ship brought in has been requisitioned due to major military operations.

It would be a mistake to think that this political condition or power in Italy could function as soundly as in a country not defeated by war, or under the long oppression of fascist rule. .It is only after we have taken the capital that we can see more clearly how to deal with this situation, and at the same time have more ways to play with the camera.Therefore, the provisional policy agreed upon by His Majesty's Government and the American Government is to strive for victory in the Roman campaign, and to decide on new steps after the land is occupied. On February 15, the second major attack on Cassino began with the bombing of the monastery.The high ground on which the monastery stood, overlooking the confluence of the Rapido and Leary rivers, was the central point of the entire German line of defense.The place proved to be a fortified and impenetrable obstacle.At the top of the cannon-scarred cliffs on both sides is the famous building, which has been looted, destroyed and rebuilt several times in the wars of past ages.Whether it should be destroyed now is quite controversial.The monastery was not inhabited by German troops, but the enemy's fortress was inseparable from the monastery's own buildings.The monastery controls all positions.The commander of the army there, General Freiberg, of course hoped to use the air force for a heavy bombardment first, and then attack with infantry.Army Commander General Mark Clark reluctantly went to General Alexander for permission, which was granted, and the latter took responsibility for the matter.Therefore, after sufficient warning to the monks on 15 February, more than 450 tons of bombs were dropped, causing significant damage to the monastery.The tall city walls and the main gate outside still stand tall.The results of the bombing were not good.The Germans were now able to make use of the ruins of the ruins under every possible pretext, thus giving them an even better chance of defense than if the buildings were intact. The 4th Indian Division of the U.S. Army recently took over the offensive task on the northern ridge of the monastery.For two days and two nights they fought in vain to seize the hill which lay between their position and the monastery's hill.On the night of February 18, a third attack was launched.The battle was fierce, and all our soldiers who attacked the hill died.Late that night, a brigade took a small path across the hill and attacked the monastery directly, only to find that it was a deep valley full of mines and under the control of enemy machine guns at a very close distance.The brigade suffered heavy losses here and was forced to halt its advance.While this fierce fighting was taking place on the high ground in front of the New Zealand Division, the division managed to cross the Rapido River just below the town of Casino; was forced to return.The frontal attack on Cassino has failed. In early March, the war came to a halt because of the weather.The fifth factor that led to Napoleon's defeat was that the muddy roads brought both sides to a standstill.We could not break through the main position at Cassino, nor could the Germans drive us into the sea at Anzio.The number of combatants on both sides was about the same.We have twenty divisions in Italy by now, but the American and French troops have suffered heavy losses.The enemy had eighteen or nineteen divisions south of Rome and five more in northern Italy, but they too were exhausted. We now had no hope of advancing beyond the Anzio beachhead, nor could we hope that our two separate teams would join forces before the Cassino enemy line had been breached.Therefore, the first task is to make the beachhead really stable, rest and reinforce the troops, store supplies to resist the actual siege and accumulate strength for the final attack.Time is running out as many landing craft must be allocated to Operation Overlord by the middle of the month.The deployment of the landing craft has been duly delayed, but it cannot be delayed any longer.The Navy has done its best, and its accomplishments are to be commended.The average daily tonnage of ships docking previously reached 3,000 tons; in early March, this figure more than doubled.I'm watching this progress closely. On March 12, I asked a question: How many people are receiving rations at the bridgehead?How many vehicles have been disembarked since the date of initial disembarkation?How much time can the reserves of food and ammunition be used for, and on what basis is it calculated? General Alexander replied: The number of people receiving rations is: 90,200 American troops and 35,500 British troops.About 25,000 vehicles of all kinds have landed.He also gave detailed figures on the supply of food, ammunition and gasoline.Stock is low, but the situation is improving. A few days later, Mount Vesuvius erupted violently.Outward traffic at Naples airport was partially suspended for several days, but port traffic continued.On March 24, the Admiral of the Navy received a report that, while the traffic in all the ports at Naples amounted to 13 million tons a year, Vesuvius spewed out an estimated 30 million tons of lava per day.Such an action from us to God can only be praise. While the fighting I'm describing was going on, Badoglio was under political siege.Due to the uproar of public opinion, Roosevelt was forced to come forward to support major changes in the Italian government.He suggested that we can give in to the pressure of public opinion. I telegraphed him and said: prime minister to president roosevelt March 8, 1944 The call made me very uneasy.You agreed with me on February 11th, but the passages in your telegram deviated completely from this; in your (later) telegram you earnestly reassured that the matter was settled.On the basis of this initial assurance, I have made a statement to Parliament. I considered it hard, and at last it was difficult to believe that any new fact of importance had taken place, or that the Allied forces were incapable of maintaining order in the areas occupied by Italy's unconditional surrender.It would be a serious mistake to concede to (partial) demagoguery, especially to the threat of the intrusion of those official-minded politicians.In that case we may well have a government in Italy which will not be obeyed by the armed forces, but which will defy the allies, and thereby try to win the confidence of the Italian people.In fact, we are about to encounter another government of the Charles de Gaulle type, which is more difficult to navigate.At the same time, in the hour of a thrilling battle, we must abandon the useful government of the King of Italy and Badoglio, who are trying to atone for our sins, and are doing what they can to help us. I am willing to admit that the course you suggest will be more popular, and at least temporarily successful, but I am convinced that it is unfortunate for a victorious conqueror to be thus compelled to act by a part of a defeated people.It is also unfortunate that there are apparent public differences between you and me, and between our two governments.With regard to the Darlan incident, I have given you and the State Department my loyal and strong support.In light of the important battles we are fighting now, and the important battles ahead, the need for concerted action between our two governments is even greater now. On the same day, his reply encouraged me to believe that we had no differences.My highest wish, he said, is that you and I continue to cooperate in full harmony on this question, as on all others.We may differ on timing, but such problems are solvable.On important goals, such as self-determination, we are completely in agreement. However, the pressure of public opinion remains the same.The idea of ​​negotiating with the six opposing parties was supported by the highest headquarters in Algiers, and General Wilson telegraphed it to the Committee of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington and London.He served two countries and thus had the right to do so.My opinion, however, remained unchanged; and my colleagues in the War Cabinet, after learning what had happened, generally agreed with me. prime minister to president roosevelt March 13, 1944 I fear that if we drive out the King of Italy and Badoglio at this stage, it will only complicate the task of the army.As far as I understand, the same is true of the opinion of the USSR.They were of course very practical, and their aim was of course a Communist Italy, but until all the conditions were in place for a radical solution, it might be in their interest to use the King of Italy and Badoglio.I can assure you that I, too, take this danger into account.My opinion remains that we should have a broad-based government, taking into account the views of the democratic northern Italians and taking representatives from there.Of course, if we were unable to take Rome within a few months, we would have to have acted sooner, but that would not have the advantage we had after taking the Italian capital.When Rome is captured, we have a better chance of finding a truly representative basis. President Roosevelt's reply disappointed me. President Roosevelt to Prime Minister March 13, 1944 I am very sorry if the previous telegram did not make it clear.I never intended to express to you an agreement to suspend political decisions until the occupation of Rome.The political situation in Italy had developed rapidly since the last exchange of letters and messages, and the military situation had not matched it.The occupation of Rome is still far away, and major political decisions must now be taken. I do not wish to be compelled to take drastic steps against our Italian friends without good reason.In the present circumstances, the Commander-in-Chief and his Anglo-American political advisers recommend that we immediately support the program of the six opposition parties.Thus, our considerations on political and military issues happen to be completely converging this time. We need only inform the Executive Council that we support their proposals, and ask the King of Italy, if necessary, for his opinion, and we need not ask any other questions. The Italians would present the solution to the King of Italy and implement it themselves. Why we have been so slow to support a policy so consistent with our common military and political goals puzzles me.Our continued tolerance and apparent support for Victor Emanuel is beyond the comprehension of American public opinion. The Russians are now complicating matters by sending an official representative to Badoglio's government without consulting us. prime minister to president roosevelt March 14, 1944 The Russians have announced that they have sent an ambassador plenipotentiary to the existing Italian government with which we are still nominally at war.I do not think it wise to accept, without further consideration, the proposal of the said six parties, which immediately calls for the abdication of the King of Italy, and the appointment of Lord Croce as Regent.I will, however, consult the War Cabinet on what you rightly call an important political decision.Our war against Italy, which has lasted from June 1940 to the present, has cost the British Empire 232,000 casualties, as well as loss of ships.I am sure that you will take our opinion into account on this matter.We should strive to act together.Don't forget that I have made a promise to the public that any disagreement will necessarily be made public. These communications were discussed in the War Cabinet, and I conveyed their conclusions to President Roosevelt: March 15, 1944 I have consulted the War Cabinet this morning on the suggestion that the British and American Governments should accept without delay the proposal of the six parties.The War Cabinet asked me to make sure that they fully agreed with your desire for a government of a broader basis in Italy; as for the future form of government of the Italian people, it could only be settled in accordance with the principle of self-determination.They also agreed that timing needed to be discussed.On this point they were convinced that it would be better to wait until we had become masters of Rome before cutting off relations with the King of Italy and Badoglio, since it would be more likely than at present to establish a more representative state on the basis of Rome. , more solidly based government.They felt that a weak and ultimately failed democratic government was the last thing that could be done for our common good and for the future of Italy.Even the settlement reached in Rome cannot be considered final, because when the northern provinces and the great industrial centers that are important to our interests in a democratic solution, such as Milan and Turin, are liberated, the The question needs to be reconsidered.They do not believe that those six political parties are truly representative of Italian democracy and the Italian nation, or that they can replace the present Italian government, which is faithfully and effectively working in our interests. The War Cabinet, in reaching these conclusions, of course referred to the call from the Allied Commander-in-Chief (General Wilson), but did not agree with him.In the meantime, we should quickly discuss the Foreign Secretary's proposal to the State Department.Of course, we have also seen that if the occupation of Rome is delayed for too long, say two or three months, the timing issue needs to be rediscussed. Finally, with regard to any differences of opinion that may exist between our two governments, they asked me to emphasize the enormous importance of not revealing to the outside world the importance of Russia acting independently of establishing diplomatic relations with the Badoglio government when it did not negotiate with other allies. time, this is especially important.In a few months' time the three governments may act in unison, and at this moment it would be a great misfortune if our separate views should be contested in Parliament and in the press. This issue has come to an end for the time being. While Anzio was no longer a concern, the entire Italian campaign was still dragging its feet.We had hoped that by this time the Germans would have been driven back north of Rome, and that we would have been able to mobilize our best troops for a strong landing on the Riviera to aid the main effort across the English Channel.The aforementioned campaign is called Operation Anvil, the principles of which were agreed upon in Tehran.Before long it became a dispute between us and the American allies.The campaign in Italy had obviously been going on for a long time before this dispute arose, and the immediate task was to break the stalemate on the Cassino front.After the failure of the February attack, planning for a third campaign at Cassino began shortly thereafter.However, due to bad weather, the attack was not launched until March 15th. The main objective of this campaign was the town of Cassino.First came the heavy bombing and shelling, which consumed almost a thousand tons of bombs and twelve hundred tons of shells.Then, our infantry began to attack.Alexander said: After eight hours of such violent bombardment, it seems to me inconceivable that any troops are still unharmed. But the army does exist.The German 1st Parachute Division, perhaps the most tenacious fighting unit in the German Army, was entrenched in the rubble, fighting to the bitter end with the New Zealand and Indian forces.By nightfall the town was largely occupied by our troops; The Fourth Indian Division went north and south, and also made great progress. The next day, it reached two-thirds of the height of the monastery mountain.Then, unfavorable circumstances arose on the battlefield.Our tanks could not cross the large craters caused by the bombardment and follow the infantry's charge.It took almost two days for the tank to function.The enemy has added a small number of reinforcements.The weather changed suddenly, with wind and rain.Our army gradually succeeded, but could no longer achieve the same victories as before, and failed to overwhelm the enemy in fierce battles. I don't understand why we didn't make a flank attack to drive the enemy out of a position which two battles had proved to be impregnable. Prime Minister to General Alexander March 20, 1944 I want you to explain to me why this front line of about two or three miles, with regard to the passage formed by Casino, Abbey Hill, etc., should be the only object on which you must repeatedly attack.There are about five or six divisions attacking these key areas, and they have been exhausted.Of course I don't know the terrain or the fighting situation, but from a distance it puzzles me why we can't flank the enemy if we can hold him down here.At the same time it seems difficult to understand why this most strongly defended point should be the only way of our advance; if this point is saturated (in the military sense), why no progress can be made on either side of it .I have the utmost confidence in you and have decided to support you no matter how difficult the situation, but please explain to me the reasons for not taking the flank action. His replies are clear and eloquent, illustrating the situation in terms as it was written at the time, which will be of great value to the military historian. General Alexander to Prime Minister March 20, 1944 I have the honor to answer your call of March 20th.Of all the principal positions along the Adriatic to the south coast, only the valley of the Liri leads directly to Rome, and this is a good place to exploit our superior artillery and armor.Apart from the mule road, the main road, Route 6, is the only way across the Rapido River to the Leery Valley from our mountains.Here the exit to the plain is blocked and controlled by Mount Cassino, on the summit of which stands the monastery.We made several attempts to encircle the flanks of Abbey Hill from the north, but all of these attacks failed because the deep ravines and precipices here restricted military action to small detachments of infantry.Their supplies can only rely on porters, and a few supplies rely on mules for transportation.These mule tracks were built by us with great difficulty. Moreover, the Abbey Hill is almost completely cut off from the north by a deep and steep valley, which has hitherto been found to be impassable.The wider detour is made even more difficult by having to pass Mount Keiro, a precipitous mountain covered in deep snow.The Americans attempted to attack the flanks of the Casino Bastion from the south, across the Rapido, but, as you know, this attack also failed, and the 34th and 36th Divisions suffered heavy losses. Crossing the Rapido from the south of Cassino presented many difficulties: flooding at this time of the year, muddy swamps posed problems for erecting bridges with no way to transport bridge materials, and enemy positions on the far bank obstruction.Moreover, it has been shown that the crossing of the Rapido from the south of Cassino was subjected to heavy fire from the German artillery emplacements hidden in the immediate rear of Cassino, or in the foothills to the west, and in the foothills south of the valley of the Leeri. shoot. Freiberg's plan of attack was to attack the bastion directly, pinning victory on surprising the enemy and concentrating overwhelming firepower to smash the enemy's resistance.The plan was to raid the town of Cassino, then rush to the south and east slopes of the monastery hill, and take the bastion from a place where the enemy could not seriously hinder our movement.The plan was almost successful in the initial stages, with only minor losses on our side.We have captured and continue to hold two bridges over the Rapido River: one on Route 6 and one over the railroad bridge; both bridges can run tanks. The Gurkhas had taken and still held within two or three hundred yards of the monastery.The reasons for our failure to successfully capture the target within the first forty-eight hours may be summarized as follows: At Cassino, the use of tanks or other combat vehicles had been greatly hampered by the bombardment wreaking havoc on roads and marches.The German paratroopers were extremely tenacious. They were bombarded by the entire Mediterranean Air Force and were bombarded for six hours with the unprecedented concentration of fire from the better guns of the 800 guns.I doubt that any other army in the world could have fought with such prowess.Tomorrow I will meet with Freiberg and the Army commanders to discuss the situation. If we stop here, we will hold the bridges and adjust our position so as to maintain the favorable points we have gained.After the Eighth Army is reorganized, it will embark on a plan to enter the Lili River Valley on a large scale.According to this plan, the attack must be carried out on a wider front, and the required troops will be larger than the army Freberg commanded in this campaign.Soon, the snow on the mountains will melt, the river will fall, and the ground will harden a bit, making it possible to march in areas that are currently impassable. Prime Minister to General Alexander March 21, 1944 Thank you for your detailed explanation.You've reached this point, don't stop.The enemy is indeed on the verge of extinction.Wish you all the best. We are all very worried about this war at present. The fierce attack and counter-offensive on the ruins of Cassino did not come to an end until the 23rd.The New Zealand and Indian troops could no longer fight.We occupied most of the town, but the Gurkhas, because of the steepness of the hills, could not receive supplies even by air, and had to retreat from their stronghold on the monastery hill. General Wilson, at my request, reported the number of New Zealand casualties in this battle, totaling: 1,050 in the 2nd New Zealand Division; 401 British and 700 Indian in the 4th Indian Division Fifty-nine people, a total of 1,160 people; 190 people from the British 78th Division; a total of 2,400 people. The above figures represent a significant price to pay for what appears to be a small gain.We had, however, established a bridgehead on the Rapido at Cassino, which, together with the deep salient across the lower Galligliano, which Tenth Corps had built in the same month, would be at hand when the final victorious battle came. , but has great value.Here, and at the Anzio bridgehead, we have about twenty elite German divisions immobilized in central Italy, many of which would have otherwise been diverted to France. Our army must rest first, and then re-attack the Gustav Line, in order to have any hope of victory.The main force of the Eighth Army must be brought in from the Adriatic.The two armies must concentrate on preparing for the next battle, the British Eighth Army must concentrate on the Cassino position, and the US Fifth Army must concentrate on the lower Galligliano River.In order to mobilize the army, General Alexander needed almost two months. This meant that Mediterranean forces could only assist the fight across the English Channel with fighting south of Rome in early June.The American Chiefs of Staff were still striving for an auxiliary landing in southern France, and we debated for weeks what order to give to General Wilson. Here I have to describe the course of the dispute between Britain and the United States. At first, it was a dispute about the two battle plans of Overlord and Anvil, and later it was a dispute about the battle plan of Anvil and the Italian campaign.The reader will recall that when I spoke with Montgomery at Marrakesh on December 31, he said that more troops were necessary in the initial onslaught across the Channel; President Roosevelt said that Bedell Smith and Montgomery were convinced that it was better to have a fuller and more extensive Overlord plan than to expand the Anvil plan beyond what we had roughly determined before Tehran. Not long after General Eisenhower arrived in England, he held a meeting on January 21, at which this matter aroused fierce debate.He himself was a firm believer in the immense importance of the Anvil Project.He thought it was a mistake to weaken Project Anvil in order to strengthen Operation Overlord.The results of the meeting, he telegraphed to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, said: Overlord and Anvil must be considered as one unit.If there are sufficient manpower and material resources to mobilize, the ideal method is that Bawang uses five divisions for the initial attack, and Anvil uses three divisions for the initial attack.However, if manpower and material resources are insufficient, I have to assert that we should use five divisions for the initial attack on Bawang, and only one division for Anvil.The anvil is only a threat to the enemy for the time being, until the enemy's strength is weakened, and then actively use this plan. Regarding this telegram, the British Chiefs of Staff stated their own opinions to Washington, namely: (1) The initial attack of the Overlord plan should be increased to five divisions, no matter how much force the Anvil plan required for the initial attack. （2）應該力求做到用兩師或兩師以上的兵力進行初攻，來實行鐵砧計劃。 （3）如果運送不了這麼多師參加戰鬥，地中海的登陸艇必須減少到一次登陸一個師的規模。 美國三軍參謀長不同意這種看法。他們認為，以威脅代替實際的軍事行動是不夠的，他們堅持使用兩師兵力實行進攻。關於這個電文，我曾有如下摘要：一次登陸兩師兵力，以執行鐵砧計劃，顯然使它享有超過霸王計劃的優先權。這直接違反了艾森豪威爾和蒙哥馬利兩位將軍的意見。 二月四日，英國三軍參謀長在和我充分討論以後，拍發一份很長的電報給他們的美國同僚；其中強調：首先需要考慮的是，應使霸王計劃獲得成功，妥善的解決辦法是按照最高司令的要求為霸王配備兵力，然後再把可能獲得的任何額外人力物力分配給地中海方面。鑒於意大利戰爭的進行情況，他們對於執行鐵砧計劃是否明智，提出了疑問，並指出當初在德黑蘭之所以贊同鐵砧計劃，是因為預期德軍會撤退到羅馬北面的戰線。但現在無庸置疑地可以判明，德軍是力圖竭盡全力抵抗我們在意大利的進攻的。他們又指出，法國南部和諾曼底海灘相距約近五百哩，而從意大利或其他據點，正像通過羅納河河谷一樣，可以發動牽制性的進攻。鐵砧計劃的地點事實上距離太遠，不能與霸王計劃互相呼應。 美國三軍參謀長對此提出建議，主張這個問題應由艾森豪威爾將軍以他們的代表的身份和英國三軍參謀長舉行會議求得解決。我們對此欣然同意，但在數星期以後才取得協議。 艾森豪威爾將軍仍舊不願放棄鐵砧計劃，但他開始懷疑，從意大利撤回那些久經戰鬥的師團，是否仍有可能。三月二十一日，他徵詢威爾遜將軍的意見。後者答稱，他極力反對在佔領羅馬以前從意大利撤回軍隊。他還建議取消鐵砧計劃，如果德軍崩潰，我們才應該在法國南部登陸。 這使問題急轉直下。英國參謀長委員會電告華盛頓，因為既不能從意大利戰爭中撤出軍隊，又不能從安齊奧橋頭陣地撤回登陸艇，鐵砧計劃顯然不能按照規定的日期執行。 美國參謀長聯席會議表示認可；他們同意威爾遜將軍準備於七月分在法國南部登陸，如果決定在意大利一決雌雄，則要盡量地牽制和殲滅在意大利的德軍；並且認為到六月初旬，時機必已成熟，屆時可以決定究竟執行哪個計劃。 我自己堅決贊成繼續在意大利進攻，下列電文可以為證： 首相致馬歇爾將軍（在華盛頓） 一九四四年四月十六日 我們在地中海新增加的極為可貴的登陸艇又要放棄，自然使我們甚感痛心。這些登陸艇無疑是屢經周折才能得到，是你在一定條件下欣然撥給我們使用的。我感到難以忍受的是，經過長期努力並遭受重大損失以後，正當勝利在望的時候，卻預先要同意停止對戰爭的接濟，或者必須停止戰爭。我們在意大利的軍隊的人數並沒有大量超過敵軍。我們的軍隊包括七八個不同的種族，而敵軍則全是德國人。天時多雨，我們一直不能充分發揮炮隊、裝甲部隊和空軍方面的優勢。亞歷山大報告我說，在他的主力部隊衝過拉皮多河後，將立即從安齊奧灘頭陣地向東北，而不是向東南出擊。這樣，我們未必能有停止前進的時機，未必能說：在這裡停止前進，採取守勢。全部人員登船去參加鐵砧戰役。同時也未必能得到確切的時機，根據想像來事先作出中止對意大利戰役的供應，以便滿足鐵砧計劃需要的決定。一個目標分散、瞻前顧後的軍隊，勢必會出現離心離德的暗流。這種情況也將影響所有後勤人員，他們是不會不知道情況的。請勿忘記，當七個最精銳的師被調去參加霸王戰役，正是在意大利作戰的軍隊受到嚴重犧牲的時候。 二‧當然，假如意大利戰役早就發生不利形勢，而我們在其他敵軍的防線前面欲進不得，被迫普遍採取守勢，在那種情況下，若要抽調出精銳部隊，當然是可行的。但橋頭陣地供應浩繁，仍然迫切需要使用我們的登陸艇進行支援。倘若沒有你們的太平洋登陸艇，鐵砧或其他兩棲戰役，都不能進行使兩師人同時登岸的作戰行動。 三‧因此，我認為，我們必須全力以赴地進行意大利戰役，因為許多美英士兵已經為它犧牲，同時將它看作和霸王戰役一樣，是成敗存亡在此一舉的戰鬥。到五月三十一日，我們很可能會看到許多現在還看不到的事情。我為我們必須放棄這樣一個大好時機甚感惋惜。 四‧迪爾告訴我說，你曾希望我更加大力地支持鐵砧計劃，因為你在德黑蘭初次提出這個建議時，我是熱烈贊助的。請你平心而論，回想一下形勢已經有了巨大的變化。在十一月間，我們曾希望於一月分佔領羅馬，當時許多跡象表明，敵人正準備向意大利半島北部（退卻）。但事實恰恰相反，儘管我們發動了巨大的兩棲遠征，我們還是被阻截在原地未動，而敵人則以八個機動師投入羅馬南面的戰役，這就是我們曾希望在鐵砧戰役的全面行動中要牽制住的那八個師。因此，這點既使人歡欣，也使人大為失望。 五‧這個困難問題之所以產生，完全是由於特別缺乏坦克登陸艇。英美這樣兩個大國的計劃，竟然會因為缺乏一二百艘這種類型的艦艇而受到限制和不能貫徹，歷史家是絕難理解的。美國政府甚至很不願意全力製造坦克登陸艇，以便充分供應我們；我們若得到充分供應，就可以在對日戰爭中支援你們。我對於這種情況是深為憂慮的。由於缺乏這種特別類型的艦艇，我們在你們左翼方面的全部戰鬥力量將會受到限制；我擔心我們會受到不公平的指責指責我們不努力，其實我們倒是決心要全力以赴的。 威爾遜收到了反映我的觀點的指示。我在四月二十四日致羅斯福總統的電文中這樣說： 我對於意大利發生的情況極為快慰。我認為，我們雙方已成功地達到了所追求的目標。目前缺少的只是勝利。亞歷山大來此商談了幾天，我和他作了幾次長談。他極力為自己所採取的行動或未採取的行動進行辯護，指出他的部隊人數多得有限；部隊成分複雜，與清一色的德軍相比，它卻有不下七種不同國籍的士兵；天氣惡劣；地理條件又極困難。最遲到五月十四日，他將開始進攻並全力推進。如果這個戰役獲得勝利，或者只要打得猛烈，也會很好地與其他計劃互相配合。 意大利南部的政治情況重又緊張起來。根據憲法制定的妥協方案已經達成，規定意大利國王將他的權力授予他的兒子翁伯托王儲，由王儲任攝政。君主政體的命令將在獲得最後勝利後等待公民投票決定。王室諭令已於四月十二日簽署，俟盟軍進入羅馬後生效。本月底，巴多格利奧改組了他的政府，延攬了南部的主要政治人物，其中聲望最著的是克羅切和斯福札。 當我們的軍隊準備進攻時，威爾遜將軍調遣他所率領的全部空軍來困擾和挫傷敵人，而敵人也像我們那樣，正利用喘息機會來進行休整補充，準備再戰。強大的盟國空軍參加轟炸敵人的陸上交通線，希望這些交通線能經常被切斷，而敵軍在缺乏接濟的情況下被迫撤退。這項軍事行動，我們樂觀地稱為絞殺，目的在於封鎖通往意大利北部的三條鐵路幹線，主要目標是橋樑、高架橋和其他鐵路交叉點。盟國空軍力圖使德軍糧盡彈絕，從意大利中部撤退。 這種努力持續了六個多星期，造成了巨大的損失。在羅馬北面很遠的地方，鐵路運輸時常停頓，但這次努力並沒有能實現我們所希望的一切。敵人將他們的海岸航運發揮到最大的效能，再把物資轉給汽車運輸，並且充分利用夜間運輸來得到供應。但敵人不能建立充分的物資儲備，以應付長期的猛烈戰鬥，在五月底的陸地大戰中，他們已大大被削弱了。 我們各個獨立軍隊的會師以及它們對羅馬的佔領，要比我們預料的迅速得多。德國空軍企圖保衛它的交通線，曾遭到嚴重的損失。到了五月初，它僅能集合戰鬥機七百架，來對抗我們的一千架飛機。 到此為止，我們可以擱下許多事情正在成熟中的意大利戰場，來敘述橫渡英吉利海峽的那個最重要的戰役了。