THE ITALIAN FRONT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 149, 24 June 1918, Page 6

THE ITALIAN FRONT.

A CHANGED SITUATION. AND LOST OPPORTUNITY. SYDNEY, this day. The Australian Press Association learns that 1,070 Austrians were taken j prisoner, and 5 mountain guns and 73 i machine guns captured on the British, front in Italy, where our counter-attacks! recovered ground taken by the enemy, j Austrian gains west of Brenta are insignificant, Italian counter-attacks having rendered them unimportant. The Austrians did better on* the Piave front, where they occupied a continuous front of IS miles, no mean achievement, which if they had been- able to develop before Italian reserves were available would have made the situation serious. But. on the 18 th inst the situation was altered to the Austrians' disadvantage. Thirty-nine divisions out of fifty-nine still gave the Austrians large reserves behind the mountain front, and it was possible they would resume the attack on this front while keeping up pressure on the Piave. Although the Austrians had been defeated, so far it was too early to say they will not attempt to retrieve the situation. The Italian reserves carried out a series of counter-attacks, broke the Austrian line, and gained the banks of the Piave. The enemy's difficulties were increased by the river flooding. The obtaining of supplies and reinforcements by the enemy are rendered difficult now, there being no bridges except one north of Montello, which is being heavily bombed by British airmen. No enemy reinforcements have reached Montello since the 18th inst., and the Austrians are used up. — (A. and N.Z.)