FURTHER RAIDS INTO GERMANY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16897, 9 July 1918, Page 5

FURTHER RAIDS INTO GERMANY

As a result of the operations on the southern sector of the Piave front, the Austrians have been ejected from many positions occupied since last November, and have been forced to retire to the eastern bank of the New Piave. The ground won by the Italians has been firmly consolidated. Further local successes have been gained in the mountain sector, and three enemy attacks repulsed with heavy losses. Since June IS the .Italians have captured 53 officers, 23,900 men, 63 field guns, and 1200 machine=guns, and much other material. American troops executed a successful enterprise in the Vosges, securing prisoners. West of Chateau Thierry there has been further local fighting. The Australians made a further advance east of Villers Bretonneux on a front of 2000 yards. There has been artillery activity in the Bethune sector and between the Aisne and the Villiers Cotterets Forest. The enemy attempted on Sunday to raid a British position at Locre, in Flanders. The aerial offensive was steadily maintained during the weekend by all branches of the British air service, an aggre» gate of over 20 tons of bombs being used to good purpose. ITALIANS, WIN AND CONSOLIDATE GROUND ON PIAVE. THREE ENEMY ATTACKS IN MOUNTAINS REPULSED,

OVER 24,000 PRISONERS TAKEN SINCE JUNE 15By Telegraph—Press Association— ■

Australian and N.Z. and Reuter. (Reed. 10.10 p.m.) T.

LONDON, July 7.

An Italian official report states: We consolidated ourselves on the ground recaptured on the right bank of the New Piave. There is every indication that the enemy's losses were much higher than was foreseen. The French made a brilliant raid at Zocchi, on the Asiago Plateau. , Three on Cornone, between the Frenzela Valley and the Brenta River, were sanguinarily repulsed.

An Austrian official wireless message states: As the delta of the Piave had become untenable without- heavy sacrifice, we withdrew to • the dyke position! on the eastern bank of the main branch. The operation was carried out on Friday night. The enemy felt his way at mid-day on Saturday as far as the river- ' Earlier Italian reports stated After five days' bitter and uninterrupted struggle the enemy on Saturday afternoon was completely driven to the left bank of the. New Piave. We recaptured all the coastal zone which the enemy has occupied since November. We have captured since June 15, 523 officers, 25911 men, 63 guns, and 1234 machine-guns, and much other material, and also recovered all guns and material lost in the first phase of. the struggle. -Our pressure continuing firmly, again broke the-stubborn enemy defence. Yesterday we, gained more ground, reaching the righ;. bank (jf the New Piave from Grisolera to the river mouth. A violent offensive was attempted by th& enemy northward in the direction of Chiesa Sannova, which Was arrested. Renewed violent attacks on our positions at Ponte di Salton,' north-west of Monte Grappa, failed.

INTENSE STRUGGLE AMONG SWAMPS AT PIAVE MOUTH

ENEMY GROUPS CUT OFF AND ENGAGED SEPARATELY.

ONLY PRISONERS NOW REMAIN WEST OF THE RIVER. Australian and N.Z. (Received 1155 p.m.) LONDON, July 7; The correspondent of the Daily Chronicle at the Italian front states

that the whole Venetian Plain to the Piave is clear of the enemy. There is not a single Austrian on the west bank of the river except 24,000 prisoners. The enemy has'held since November a triangular sector from Porto di Piave to Cortellazzo, with the,apex at San Dona di Piave. The soil being sodden, they could not dig trenches or operate in large masses. They had to split into innumerable small groups, converting every factory, farmhouse, and cottage into a fortress, fixing machine-guns in every suitable tree-fork and sowing them along the banks of the countless canals. The Italians have taken 300 machineguns, but hundreds of others are buried under the demolished buildings or sunk in the swamps. The Italian artillery cut off supplies from these groups by destroying the largest bridge over the river and keeping the three. others under constant fire- The defenders consisting of Bosnians and Herzegovinians, fought stubbornly. w Four columns of Italians, fcersaglieri and infantry, carried out the toilsome task of breaking the enemy defences in guerrilla warfare, fighting continually up to the waist in water. Sometimes the combatants, losing their weapons while floundering in -the swamps, engaged in hand-to-hand struggles, tearing each other with their teeth.

ITALIANS FIGHTING AMID DITCHES AND MARSHES.

LONDON, July 7.

Mr. Ward Price says that a curious semi-submerged battle is proceeding as a result of the Italian effort to eject Austrians from the Piave estuary, which has resolved itself into a series of fierce little struggles, often hand-to-hand, on islets, causeways, and dykes. The dead and living alike fall into the dykes and are swallowed pitilessly in the slimy water. The Italians are slowly pushing out the enemy.

ATTEMPTED ENEMY RAID IN FLANDERS FRUSTRATED.

ARTILLERY SHOWS ACTIVITY IN THE BETHUNE AREA.

FURTHER GAIN BY AUSTRALIANS SOUTH OF SOMME. Australian and N.Z. and Heuter. (Reed. 9.35 p.m.). LONDON, July

Sir Douglas Haig reports: We repulsed an attempted hostile raid on Sunday morning near Locre, in Flanders. There was hostile artillery and trench mortar activity in the Bethune sector. The Australians on Friday night advanced their line north-east of Villers Bretonneux, south of the Somme, on a front of 2000 yards.

OUTBURST OF ARTILLERY FIRE SOUTH OF THE AISNE.

SUCCESSFUL' AMERICAN ENTERPRISE IN VOSGES.

PROGRESS MADE ON LINE WEST OF CHATEAU THIERRY. Australian and N.Z. and Reute. (Reed. 10.10 p.m.) LONDON, July 7. A French communique states: There has beer artillery activity south of the Aisne in the regions of Longpont and Oorcy, on the edge of the Villiers Cotterets Forest. American troops executed a coup de main in the Vosges, and brought back prisoners. An earlier report states: West of Chateau Thierry we made pro„e„ in the region of Hill 204, and took prisoner.. The front was quiet elsewhere. Eighteen enemy aeroplane, were brought down and 66 tons of explosives dropped on enemy zones from Monday Saturday, ' - .