GREAT BATTLE SUBSIDING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 239, 27 June 1918, Page 5

GREAT BATTLE SUBSIDING

■ BUT ITALIANS STILL EXPLOITING THEIR: VICTORY FRESH FUEL FOR AUSTRIAN REVOLT By Telegraph-Proas Afisociation-Copyright. London, June 25. The Piave Battle is apparently dying down to local actions.-Aus.;N.Z. Cable Assn. _ T „, Rome, June 25. The' Italian troops have completely leoocupicd the west bank of the Piave. -Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. i THE ITALIAN OFFICIAL REPORT Eec. June 26, 7.30 p.m.) n, London, , June 25. An Italian official report states: "The Italian Third Army on Monday, having compelled the last of the enemy rearguard to surrender, reoecupied com-, pletely the right bank of the Piave, taking prisoner eighteen officers and 1607 men ■ Along our northern front at Grappa, after a heavy artillery action, .we gained considerable ■ ground and inflicted-heavy losses, taking 1333 prisoners and sixteen machine-guns."—Aus.-TJ.Z. Cable Assn-R«uter. THE AUSTRIAN REPORT —! (Eec. June p.m.) ' • ' . London, June 25, 6.30 p.m. K wireless Austrian official report states: "There was bitter fighting on June 24 between the Asiago and the Piave. Tho enemy is attempting to recapture tho hill positions lie lost on Juno 15. The Italians everywhere wetre thrown back. The Galician-Croatian, Upper and/Lower Austrian, ■ bileeian, Rosnian and Herzegovinian regiments particularly distinguished themselves. The enemy is feeling his way towards tho Piave with patrols. • Our covering: troops in tho Santa Dona district warded oft strong attacks during tho last few days Wo carried out movements according to plan without tho loss ot material. " Tho Italians since June 15 havo lost over fifty thousand prisoners including eleven hundred officers. Tho enemy's total losses at the lowest estiniato must bo a hundred and fifty thousand.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.Reuter. .. . . ' . ' ITALIAN SUCCESS CONTINUES. . - .' - . / London, Juno 25. Tho Exchange Telegraph Agency's Eomo correspondent states that Siguor Orlando, tho Italian Premier, informed the Senators and Deputies that tho Italian success continues, and tho Austrinns arc suffering enormous losses. Tho "Giornalo d'ltalia"' states that the troops in tho armies of tho Archduke Joseph and General Wurm are practically surrounded, and must surrender or be annihilated.—AU3.-N.Z. Cal>le Assn. ANOTHER STORY OF THE-AUSTRIAN COLLAPSE. London, Juno 25. ■ Tho "Daily Telegraph's Milan correspondent writes :'l'he constant presBure by tho Italians and the uninterrupted bombardment of the bridges and footbridges rendered the situation of tl» enemy troops on tho west bank of tho Piave tragically hopeless from the outset. Some divisions in the Montello re-ion were seven days without supplies from the other sulo of tho river. The Italian advance on tho Montello sector was splendidly carried out. Some of tho troops crossed the Piave north of the mountain, taking the enemy in the rear and. others smashed Iho lino at Col dolla Madonna, and drove tho Austrians pellmell 'into the river, while the right wiiig occupied Nervesa. Tho iiround along the lower Piave is literally strewn with dead. After the third day of the Austrian offensive tho enemy realised that ho was caught in a trap. Day and night shells wero poured on tho .passages and bridge Only the charred posts of .tho woodden bridge near Musile remained. Shellhro wiped out the engineers, who mado- desperate efforts to repair the bridges. Thoso at Salgareda and Grisolera suffered in a similar way, and whole convoys of supplies, drawn up on the opposite bank, became an easy mark for the Italian guns.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ■ THE POSITION ON MONDAY EVENING (Rec. Juno 26, 8.25 p.m.) London, June 25. The latest detailed dispatches from tho Italian front give the position at fiix o'clock on Monday evening, when tho situation was still obscure. Fighting was still proceeding on the mountain road left of Montello, and the Italians wore approacning Monlello and Monte Asolone. . The Anstrians wero putting up a stubborn resistance, but six thousand prisoners hud alreadybeen taken. Tho 'Vustriaiis on the Piave sector woro -already in tho ol'd lines. Tho Italian sweeping-up operations are much hampered by the floods in the Piave. Bridges have been washed away. It is not expected that General Diaz will risk big operations eastward of the bridges.-Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. , "SHOCKING LOSSES" (Rec. June 26, 11.50 p.m.) London, Juno 25. Correspondents on the Italian front insist that the Austrian losses were shocking. Twelve divisions which maintained a foothold west of the Piave were pounded by the wholo of the Italian artillery. Many Austrian units left two■jthirds of their effectives on the battlefield. Austrian supplies of ammunition and food were irregular and deficient. . It is a strange fact that though tho Austrian artilkiTy was heavily massed on the banks of the Piave at tho outset of the attack, their light and medium guns had )>one when the retreat commenced. Apparently tho Austrian commanders had designed to make an offensive elsewhere, when surprised by the utter failure of their plans.—Aus.-N.Z.'Cablo Assn. - THE PLAN BEHIND THE STILL-BORN OFFENSIVE TO FORCE ITALY OUT OF THE, WAR. (Kec. Juno 27, 0.40 a.m.) Washington, Juno 25. Italian Embassy dispatches state that, tho Austrians aro in full retreat. Papers found on prisoners show that Austria expected to force Italy out of tho war and make a separate peace. The Austrians fought bravely because they' were promised food and .booty. Italian hydroplanes set on firo an Austrian ship that' was steaming along the Eastern Adriatic Coust.-Aue.-N.Z. Cablo Assn, A SUNDAY PROCLAMATION TO THE ARMY GENERAL DIAZ APPEALS TO THE TROOPS. London, June 25. Advices show that Geueral Diaz on Sunday issued a proclamation explaining the deep importance of the effort to be made, and exhorting tho troops to show tho enemy their full force, and during tho night the armies continued the advance. The Italian Embassy in London confirms the statement that prisoners already counted total I forty-five thousand, and that enormous booty was taken. A nemi-official communique nntici pates that tho enemy will attribute the retirement to a spontaneous decision because tho .Piave was flooded, but tho retreat was precipitate. The enemy massed twenty divisions on the right bank of the river, and brought up artillery in great numbers. Tho Italians are proud of beating all tho Austrian Army.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn,