What's happening in Italy?

 For the time being, Stan and his unit remain in Sicily, but what is happening in the wider Italian campaign?

Montgomery crossed the straights of Messina on 3 September and a week later, the American army's 6th US Corps and the British 10th Corps landed in the Bay of Salerno, thirty miles south-east of Naples.  By 18 September the Germans had begun to withdraw to the north of Naples.

As can be seen from the cutting below, from the Birmingham Daily Gazette of 2 October, the British press were being very positive about the progress being made in Italy, but behind the scenes there was still lack of planning and agreement about the purpose and direction of the Italian campaign.  On 20 September, Montgomery wrote in his diary:

"One cannot get away from the fact that I was ordered to invade the mainland of Europe without being given adequate resources, and without even being given any object .... the High Command in this Mediterranean Theatre of War invaded Italy, and thus embarked on a major campaign on the continent of Europe, without having any clear idea - or plan - as to how they would develop the operations and fight the land battle.  There was no object laid down.  The whole affair was haphazard and untidy."

References:

'The Imperial War Museum Book of the War in Italy, 1943-1945' by Field Marshal Lord Carver, pub. Pan Books, 2002

'The Battle for Italy' by Major General John Strawson, pub. by Canelo, 2023