Hello and welcome to Between the Lines, the podcast that unfolds faded pages, desiphers

the handwriting and dips into the details of diaries, logbooks and letters written this

same week in 1943, some 80 years ago.

We followed the course of Operation Chastise closely, but the air raids at this time weren't

confined to German dams.

There were also assaults on cities such as Duisburg and Dortmund, where over 2,000 tons of

bombs were dropped in one night alone.

In fact, the British newspapers reported that Allied air crews flew over 5,000 sorties

in the last seven days, and that's just in Central Europe.

This attempt to interrupt the war machine was of course supported by a strategy that

included plans for many other countries.

To that end, Winston Churchill flew to Algiers this week.

He wanted to convince General Eisenhower that a focused assault on Sicily should be followed

by a push up through the boot of Italy.

Let's start with a look at diary entries written by someone who's already stationed in

the Mediterranean.

We'll go to the west coast of Italy, to Marino, where we find Dr. Wilhelm Mouse, the Chief

Medical Officer for 14 Pansacore.

Mouse is hearing about his own troops' arrangements for Sicily, for the island of Sardinia, and

also for a small town called Casino.

22 May 1943

I spend the day in Marino.

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