SOUTHERN THEATRE: Italy in Arms

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For all his cheek-puffing and chest-swelling, his bellicose roars of Roman conquest from the balcony of the Palazzo Venezia (TIME, June 17), Dictator Benito Mussolini last week did not hurl his Italian war machine into World War II in German Blitzkrieg style. He had entered the war not to fight so much as to share a victory. Waiting for that time, he naturally edged into action cautiously. He laid some mines, dropped a few bombs, fired a few torpedoes, started a few tanks rolling in the remote Somalilands (see above). His people were not spoiling for a fight and he appeared to be spoiling only for the spoils.

The hard-pressed Allies exchanged a few sharp jolts with him in northern Italy, Libya, Eritrea. The British clamped shut, at Gibraltar and Suez, the gates of their Mediterranean cage for Mussolini. This action cut off Italian East Africa from Rome. The Allies rounded up throughout the world such Italian merchant ships as did not scuttle themselves or hole up in neutral ports, including the Umbria en route to Eritrea through the Red Sea with 5,000 tons of air bombs and thousands of bags of cement.

But hundreds of German officers and troops were reported moving into Italy as mentors for the Italian Army. Grand Admiral Erich Raeder appeared there to advise the Italian Fleet. Large numbers of Italian officers & men were reported moving into Germany through the Brenner Pass, to make the Axis effort look more joint.

Little old King Vittorio Emanuele III was pressed into service. This pint-sized (5 ft. 3 in.) King, who really prefers peace— and for whom the Italian people preserve filial affection, was strutted off in all his regimentals to some secret "zone of operations" where he proclaimed: "Soldiers of the land, sea and air.

"As Supreme Chief of all armed forces, in accordance with my sentiments and the traditions of my house, I return among you as I did 25 years ago. . . .

"I am thinking of you deeply while you are sharing with me our profound attachment and complete dedication to our immortal country. Gird yourselves to face difficult tests, together with allied Germany, with uncrushable faith in mastering them.

"Soldiers of the land, sea and air, united to you as never before, I am certain that your bravery and the patriotism of the Italian people will again assure victory to our glorious arms."

Personnel. The High Command of those glorious arms was announced by First Marshal Mussolini: Chief of the General Staff — Marshal Pietro Badoglio.

Chief of Staff for the Navy — Admiral Domenico Cavagnari.

Chief of Staff for Air — General Francesco Pricolo.

Under Marshal Badoglio was a vice chief of the General Staff, General Ubaldo Soddu, but the Army's No. 2 man and field chief was Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, commanding the divisions along the French frontier. Crown Prince Umberto commanded an Army facing toward Yugoslavia where danger seemed small indeed this week. Commanding a southern defense corps headquartered in Sicily was Marshal Emilio De Bono, a white-bearded little Fascist oldster who planned and provoked the Ethiopian War, then botched it. Commanding in Libya was that "accomplished ruffian," Air Marshal Italo Balbo, Libya's Governor.