Progress of the War

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15567, 17 April 1916, Page 6

Progress of the War

Coincident with tlie comparative calm on the "Western front, there is news of considerable activity on the Italian and Russian fronts and in Armenia and Mesopotamia. The Italian commu- j nique records the capture of Austrian positions on a crest 10,S00 feet above sea level in the Adamello zone in the western Trentino. The Austrian report admits the loss of this position 1 and the ''evacuation'' of positions ' south of Mount Sperone, north-west of Lake Garda, the capture of which was reported by the Italians last week. The iufrequency with which the official communiques are telegraphed might in-die-ate that operations are more or less spasmodic on the Italian front, but an

unofficial review of tlie recent fighting shows that the Italian efforts have ] been well sustained and have resulted i in fairly considerable gains in nearly 1 every sector. Many villages and for- ( tified hills in the Trentino have been j ' occupied, ard eight forts on Lake j Garda, doubtless in the vicinity of j Riva, are being besieged. Tolmino, on ; the Upper Isonzo. is said to be under j fire from three sides. The news from the Russian front indicates that the floods in the northern districts arc now subsiding, heavy fighting being reported at several points. The Germans claim that Russian attacks northwest of Dvinsk and south of Lake Xarotch were repulsed with heavy losses, but the opposite view is stated in the Petrograd communiques. Two German attacks west of Dvinsk were defeated. North-west of that city the Russians were successful in occupying hills west and couth of the village of Garbounovka, and held them against several counterattacks. At present the fighting appears to bo chiefly positional, but the approach of bettor weather will doubtless bring an extension in the operations. There has been heavy fighting on the Strypa in Galicia. The Austrians admit having withdrawn from what are described as "advanced redoubts." The Russian communique mentions no advance, but claims that heavy losses were inflicted on the enemy. The Russian campaign in Armenia and Kurdistan is progressing favourably. Tho Turks apparently attempted to make a stand against tho Russian centre west of Erzeroum, and also agaunst the forces advancing southward of Bitlis. Their attacks were everywhere repulsed, and they are now said to be retreating in disorder in both regions, with the Russians in energetic pursuit. In tho region of Bitlis the Russians inflicted a heavy defeat on tho Turks, who had been reinforced by a fresh division, from ' Constantinople. Despite the bad weather last week, the British succeeded in driving back the Turks over ..a ' distance of from ono and a half to three miles. The enemy was forced to evacuate* sonic flooded trenches at Sannaiyat, and his troops were heavily 1 punished in tho process. More inter--1 csting news may bo expected from this region during the next few days. Tho ( German communique says there is 1 nothing to report from the Verdun front. The French report confirms ! this so far as infantry operations are concerned; but say that there is an intenso bombardment on both sides of 1 the Mouse, which may bo the prelude ! to a renewal of the enemy's offensive. ' Minor activities are reported on the L other sectors of the "Western front.