English Translation

161. - Catania and the reports from the further withdrawal of the Axis troops to prepared positions in Sicily have now led almost all the people to the opinion that a further holding of this island had become impossible and that in the next few days their complete task had to be reckoned with. Although people still believe that even the overall loss of Sicily would not have a particular strategic impact, the majority of the German population fears for the further development of the Mediterranean. More and more it is expected that Italy, especially because of the air raids on Italian cities, which are likely to begin even more, will capitulate and the Allies will land in Italy itself and in the Balkans. At present, however, the terrorist attacks on German cities as well as the narrators of bomb victims who have already arrived in the Protectorate are a major cause of concern. Especially in connection with the bombing of Hamburg, very numerous rumours are being spread at present, which cause great dismay and excitement in the population. ooo death victims were to be lamented in Hamburg, that the plague was broken out, because for days the corpses lay piled up on the St.:asses, the mothers had brought their dead children in the suitcase, that organisati•n had completely failed for the intended relief measures. e.g. It could be observed that travellers from the Old Kingdom, in particular, are bringing rumours into this room and that they are spreading them in public even before Ischechen. In this context, criticism of the German Air Force and Air Defense Partition is once again practised in a very abstract form, which "despite its so often done exhibition today is no longer even capable of wrestling daily attacks of the enemies here Phodn". Especially in this context the jokes and harmful remarks about leading personalities, hee salta e.g. Hermann Göring, about party and state more and more - 3 -