THE WAR ON THE ITALIAN FRONT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3105, 8 June 1917, Page 5

THE WAR ON THE ITALIAN FRONT

slight retirement at flondar London, Judo 6. An Italian official report states: "Southward'of Jamiao the fighting is lees intense. Wo slightly withdrew from tho 7iow lino fronting Ploiidar to a rooro tactically advantageous position."—Aiiß.-N.ij. Cablo Assu .-Router. GRAPHIC STORY OF DESPERATE AUSTRIAN ATTACK ASSAULTING TROOPS TRAPPED IN A BARRAGE. (Itec. Juno 7, 8.15 p.m.) n London, Juno li. Tho "Daily Chronicle's" correspondent on tho Carso front, describing tho Austrians' desperato counter-attacks on Mount Faiti on June assays: "Tho Austrians for several duyn plastered tho now Italian positions with shells of all calibres. While the Italians feverishly were striving to dig shelters on tho stonv slopes, the Austrians in tho darkness launched two Hungarian battalions of specially-trained storming troops to clear tho way for tli'e main attacking forces. An Italian Staff oflicer describes them as tho best troops tho Italians had yet encountered —big men in the prime of life. They fought desperately and forced their way into the salient, with the assistance of a tremendous barrage. The Italians, threatened on both flanks, fell back, and tlio Austrian supports began to ascend tho slopo to tlio salient. But they never got there. The Italian gunners have learnt much in the last few months. Their curtain of firo shut in the stormers as if into a chamber. Then canio dramatic war. As tho famous Romans ol the Tiber brigade, with all Homo's historic traditions inspiring them, they swept into the breach. The Hungarian stormers fought like trapped beasts. A desperate and implacable bayonet and grenade battle raged, while 'the rival battw'ios stormed with she'll from both sides. A thousand dead lie in the sun awaiting burial. They aro part of the terrible harvest of the last sixty hours, in _ which the enemy, at a conservative estimate, lost eighty-five thousand men. -Aus.-ft.fi. Cablo Assii.