The Austrian Failure

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4900, 20 June 1918, Page 5

The Austrian Failure

Mies Full of Oonfidenoe

Enemy’s ' Effort Cains little

Heavy Losses in the Mountains

Precarious Hole on the Piave .

(United Ptei=>M Association —Oooyrijorbt,. >

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association LONDON, June IS. British and French military critics opine that the Italian situation is excellent. The principal battle is being waged for Montello crest, which is crossed north aud south hy twentytour roads. If this was taken it would! enable the Austrians to dominate from flank and rear the Italian position on the Piave. The French press is satisfied that the Austrian offensive is a failure.. The battle in the mountains in northern Italy is dying down. It is fiercer towards the sea. The Italian command is satisfied that it is able to hold the enemy. The United Press correspondent on the Italian front reports: The enemy losses in the British sector were nearly sixfold ours. The general result might suggest a highly successful British assault. Captured documents show that the Austrians hoped on Sunday to secure the j heights commanding the whole of the Astieo Valley. j The latest news indicates that the ; enemy position at Montello and Sant. Adona are exposed to concentrated Italian fire and that they will ,soon be untenable unless supported by a general enemy advance on the Piave. ' An Italian evening communique says: The enemy on the _l7tli (Mon-I day) did not renew his infantry at-: taoks on the mountains and on the j Montello front. ; Our troops made successful drives 1 'and occupied a number of positions, j capturing machine-guns and! some j hundreds of prisoners. j Important actions developed south; of Montello and along the Piave, in j the zone between Ziiison and Fos- i salta, but the enemy everywhere was | stopped by our- counter-attacks and! abandoned, several hundreds of pris- j oners. !

ENEMY FAILURE CERTAIN N.S. WALES’ GOVERNOR’S REMARKABLE SPEECH. United Press Association—Copyright. (Beceived June 20. 12.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, June 19. The Governor, speaking at Murwillumbah, said the press descriptions of the military situation this year had not been very fair. He knew more andi had better sources of information than the press and he said: ‘‘l tell you most emphatically that there is no chance of the Germans taking Paris, Calais, or Amiens. Th° Germans are staking their all on the West front, but they are doomed to failure.”

Attempts to cross the river he-' tween Maserada and Pandelue were' repulsed with bloody josses. j Other counter-attacks, now devel-1 oping on the lower Piave. have as- j sured us of advantages. \ I THRUST TOWARDS VENICE WILD ENEMY CLAIMS. Reuter’s Telegram. VANCOUVER, June 18. ] The Austrians have reached the < Italian second line to a depth of. j three miles on a fifteen' miles front j c between Zengon and the Adriatic, i \ and are thrusting towards Venice. I r The enemy state they • have cap- ; ( feured 30,000 prisoners and reached. ( Fosetta Canal. t

A FRANK REVIEW. POSITION SUMMED UP. MONTELLO NOT SECURE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association deceived June 19, 8.55 p.m.) LONDON, June 18. At latest reports the present position on the Italian front is as follows : The Austrians reached the right bank of the Piave from the Conegliano railway to the Zenson bend. Advancing about a ’ mile, the Austrians reached the second Italian line on a thras-mile front. Between the Zenson bend and the sea they have thrown. 14 bridges across the Piave and, have secured two-thirds of the rising ground near Montello; otherwise they have made no progress, k Since Monday the Austrians have apparently been trying to link their two bridgeheads on the Piave frqnt. Already the Austrians have used 33 divisions in the attack, including a division of dismounted cavalry. The enemy and the Piave bridges are incessantly bombed and machinegunned bv our aeroplanes. The Italian Command feels comfortable about the present position, except at Montello, where plenty of reserves are available. Danger certainly exists regarding Montello, but. the position is not extremely serious. The Austrians advanced the four miles very slowly. j

The British front is intact. The Austrian losses are heavy, andi they could have progressed further if they seriously, desired'. Their lack of persistence is possibly due to disaffection. . There is certainly some demoralisation.

AUSTRIANS DEAD IN HEAPS. STUPENDOUS LOSSES CONFIRMED-. ' HORRORS OF MT. GRAPPA. Australian and N.Z. Ct.hl-' Association (Received June 19, 9.10 p.m.) ROME, June 18. The din of battle is now loudest [on the Piave, having lessened on i the mountain front, where'the enemy ! losses are stupendous Along a 25i mile front, between the Val d’Assa ! and Mont Tomba, the Austrians lost j fully a third of their storm troops, > which were left strewn on the ground E before ■ , withdrawal to. the original j entrenchments. I No fewer than nine desperate as- | saults on Mount Grappa, always with j fresh reserves, failed before the enI emy desisted, and the craggy. slopes are black with corpses and littered with broken machine-guns and rifles. FALL OF MONTELLO. AUSTRIANS’ COSTLY SUCCESS. Reuter's Telegrams. (Received June 19, 10 p.m.) LONDON, June 18 (5.30 p.m.) The Austrians have gained Montello heights. AUSTRIANS ON THE PIAVEMAY BE MADE PRISONERS. < Reuter’s Telegrams* (Received June 19, 11.45 p.m.) . LONDON. June 19. Reuter’s correspondent at Italian headquarters points out that unless the Austrians can establish bridgeheadig where they crossed the Piave and get their guns 'over, especially on to the small section of Montello which they had,' probably the only result of - the crossing would bq that they . would become prisoners. Call ■ and see the line of winter blouses now on sale at S. Stone’s. Real bargains, from ,4s lid up.*