300,000 GERMANS OPERATING.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10119, 29 October 1917, Page 5

300,000 GERMANS OPERATING.

MACK EN&EN DIRECTS THE OFFENSIVE. NEW TORTURE GAS IN USE. Ward Price, telegraphing later from the Italian front, says 300,000 Germans have been added to the Austrian forces in the I son 7,0 Valley, between Plezzo and Tolmino. This vast strength is being employed on a concentrated front of twenty miles, thereby increasing the forty Austrian divisions facing the Italian Second Army by 50 percent. There are also certainly reinforcements behind Mackensen is directing the offensive. Otto'Von Bn low is commanding a. German contingent. The Italians facial one of Germany’s supreme efforts with singleness. of purpose and complete harmony of action. The Germans carried out the task of transporting a. huge military organisation which was no longer needed in Russia to a place where they can housed to the best effect. Th transport has been an immense, feat, the Germans uprooted whole armies and carried them across Europe. Taking advantage of the thick fog, the Germans suddenly thrust at the Italian outpost south of Monte Nero, where a German Army Corps attacked an Italian brigade, bursting through by sheer weight, of numbers, and reaching the banks of the Isoiizo. Favoured by the night’s rum, the Germans pushed three miles up the '.alley and seized Caporctto town. I hey then divided. Part attacked the Italian bastion at Monte Starasbilla; the rest pushed on to Robec, hoping to turn the whole lino of the Italian defence. Fortunately Imth Gcrman efforts wore hold up. M win while othoi Germans made frontal attacks on ihe mam Isonzo line, while attacks from the German bridgeheads at Santa Maria and Santa Lucia south of Tolmino succeeded by a surprise. The Italians were driven out of Globocak, one of the key positions of the main defence. It was essential to retake Globocak. Immediately a brigade of Bursaglioras was sent forward with orders to recapture Globocak at all costs. 1 hey did so with bomb and bayonet. '1 he line was restored. The Germans on the Italian front are using a new torture gas, which produces a terrible itching even through the masks. Flic inventors are Imping to force the Italians to remove their masks and die from gas shells. The fiercest fighting went on in the Bainsizza plateau. Before an onslouglit ill greatly superior numbers the Italians fell back a mile and, as it was difficult to cross a swift river over bridges constantly under fire, they took the precaution to send all heavy material to the. tight bank, from whence the artillery is now supporting the infantry and lighter guns on Bainsizza. The excellent quality of the Julian defence is shown in the fact that. 700 prisoners wore taken in counter-attacks on Bainsizza and elsewhere. The Carso was subjected to a tremendous bombardment, the Germans hoping thereby to hold the Italians to the ground.

ITALIANS REPULSE OFFENSIVE THRUSTS. LONDON, Oct. 27. An Italian oflicial message says:— Aftor crossing tho boundary lino between Monte Canin and the head of the Judrio valley tho enemy attempted to reach the opening on the plains. Tho hostile effort on the Carso is increasing. Wc repulsed strong offensive thrusts. A HOMERIC STRUGGLE. (United Service.) LONDON, Oct. 27. Mr Jeffries, the British correspondent villi the Italian army, says:—A Homeric struggle occurred at the Pass of Plezzo, where tho Italians made tierce individual resistance and held the heights, heaping tho mouth of the defile with Austrian dead. The Austrians changed their plans, and while clouds of mist hung over the morass of mud they made a surprise attack up the valley of * the Isonzo. [fere the battle was intensely bitter, the object appears to bo to gain access to the Delta, roads beyond Bainsizza, thereby splitting tho line and opening the way to Fruile. An entire German army corps debouched into the Isonzo valley, pouring through tho pass upon Caporeito. between Monte Nero and Polounik, with terrific speed, the. men almost leaping along tho valley. An Austrian army corps was massed in the attack on the Plezzo Pass, but the intrepid Alpini on the advanced heights are still making a gallant defence.