First Blow

. The curtain had gone up on the last act of the Battle of Europe. Beyond doubt the fierce Allied offensive in Italy was the opening scene. General Sir Harold R. L. G. Alexander made that clear in his order of the day:

"From east and west, from north and south, blows are about to fall which will result in the final destruction of the Nazis and bring freedom once again to Europe. ... To us in Italy has been given the honor to strike the first blow."

D-Day Jitters. Nazi-controlled radio stations nervously announced that D-day for invasion had arrived. Even the usually conservative communique of the German High Command picked up the theme.

It recognized the urgency of the day by using the word "invasion" for the first time, explained solemnly that Allied air attacks on western Europe could now "be regarded as preparatory to invasion." An official military spokesman added that the High Command "expects the flare-up of fighting in Italy to spread to other sections of the European battlefront."

That was a safe enough guess; fighting had spread already. From Yugoslavia Marshal Tito reported heavy Partisan attacks on German communication lines through the Vardar and Ibar Valleys, main routes to Greece. Albanian and Greek Partisans also reported fresh activity against German forces. From restless, suffering France came details of the tough resistance put up by the Maquis of the Haute-Savoie region.

How to Influence People. How dangerous the Germans considered their position in France could be judged from the text of a Gestapo memorandum to Secret Military Police, smuggled out of France by the underground:

"On declaration that any area becomes a zone of operations: all civilians aged from 16 to 50 must be at once formed into labor units and sent as far as possible from the zone. ... If there is passive resistance . . . form reprisal camps for recalcitrants. In case of violence, military law. ... If operations are actually in course in the area: immediate execution without judgment.

"Make immediate contact with the Milice [militia of renegade Frenchmen], at once appointing Milice chiefs to their corresponding grades in the Waffen SS. . . . The Milice will be immediately mobilized. It will be supplied with food and ammunition from [German] Army sources."

The memo concluded gloomily that it would be impossible to make any use of the French gendarmerie or Gardes Mobiles, which are "riddled with resistance operatives."

Final Warning No. --. The Allies had not yet given the word to the conquered to rise up and smite their oppressor: that word probably would not come until Allied troops crossed the Channel. But Russia, ready to start a new drive which presumably will be geared with the invasion, joined the U.S. and Britain in one more stern warning to Germany's collaborators. Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria and Finland were told to pull out immediately, or share in the full disaster of Axis defeat.

The drama moved thunderously to its climax.

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