Once There Was A War Summary

Once There Was a War Picks up with the invasion of Italy. The author then details the invasion from his perspective. While the Invasion pushes inland the fleet continues to fire on the enemy. The enemy planes are continuously trying to destroy the allied command ship. The author then experiences the different greetings of the liberated Italian people. Afterwards, the author recalls a rescue mission of a local bartender’s pregnant daughter from enemy territory. Later on the author describes a PT boats attack on an enemy convoy. As the PT boat travels to intercept the convoy they are attacked by an enemy aircraft, which they shoot down. As they travel they encounter a ship in the darkness. After the ship passes them they encounter an enemy convoy.
They attack the convoy successfully than retreat to safety. In the author's next correspondence he details the invasion of the enemy occupied island of Ventotene. In order to conduct the invasion a team of 40 paratroopers are brought in from North Africa. Before they attack the island they offer its defenders a chance to surrender. The defenders agree to surrender and a small detachment of 5 men are sent ashore to investigate. The party of men become lost in the darkness first sailing into a small cove and then onto a sandbar. Eventually they find the harbor and are greeted by the surrendering Italians. They are shocked to learn that the Germans had planned to ambush them, but their two accidental landings caused them to believe that they were actually landing troops behind them, so they retreated. Furthermore, they have destroyed the radar station and retreated to defensive positions on the island. When the paratroopers land, knowing they are outnumbered, they hatch a plan to convince the Germans to surrender. After lying to the Germans about the size of their force the Germans surrender and the American forces take over the