ITALIAN CAMPAIGN

Grey River Argus, 25 October 1915, Page 5

ITALIAN CAMPAIGN

GENERAL OFFENSIVE BEGUN. SANGUINARY STRUGGLE IN PROGRESS. (Reed. 3.30 p.m.) LONDON, October 23. Though the Balkans campaign, is holding first place in public interest there is a sudden renewal of interest in the Italian campaign which is watched with the closest attention and hopefulness. There seems no doubt that a general Italian offensive has begun in earnest. The communiques. on both sid»s cevotejthe most attention thereon. It is clear that the fighting is conducted with the utmost fury. Official statements emphasise the bloody nature of the struggle. An Austrian commenique states tn»t a general Italian attack on the coastal district began as expected. After fifty hours' -violent bombardment bitter fighting progresses at Tolmeno bridgehead and the edge of Doberdo Plateau. After partial success all the" attacks broke down with heavy losses. Enemy detachments penetrated the Austrian trenches but not a man survived. When the day closed the field in front of the .Austrian positions was covered with Italian dead. There was a particularly bloody struggle at Monte San Michele and furious hand-to-hand encounters. The enemy losses were heavy. The Italian version states that the offensive began successfully in Tyrol and Trentino, extended ajpng the whole front to the. sea progressingfavourably. After an intense artillery pfepartion on the whole of the Sonlo front the Italians attacked strong positions consisting of several lines of trenches covered with extensive entanglements. The Italians dashed" forward under a concentrtaed enemy fire of artillery machine guns, rifles and showers of grenades. The attackers carried with the bayonet a number of important positions in the Monte Negro zone, numerous trenches in the Santa Lucia-Tol-mino sector and at Monte Sabatino, north of Gorizia, and broke the lines at Carso in several places. ,