ENEMY REORGANISING HIS DEPLETED FORCES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10001, 19 June 1918, Page 7

ENEMY REORGANISING HIS DEPLETED FORCES

By Telegraph—Press Associativa—Copyright. Australian ;\nU >':•■ Z'-j y -nr.d Cable Association and Reuter. (Received June 18, 7.45 p.m.) . LONDON, Juno 17, 9,30 p.m. A British Italian official message states:— Thfi artillery battle has died down. The enemy is reorganising after his severe defeat, Captured maps show that thoj enemy's objeotives were most ambitious, including the capture of lit. l'au and Cimadioionte. Our prisoners now number 716. while the booty includes four mountain guns, fortythree machine-guns and seven flame-throwers. Considering the severity of the bombardment and the intensity of the fighting our casualties were of the slightest. Our airmen on Saturday and Sunday dropped over 300 bombs and fired over 25,000 rounds on. troops and transport attempting to cross the Piave. An Italian official message states:—Following Saturday's heavy losses tho enemy on Sunday limited 'his action to hindering with intense fir« our* own and Allied counter-offensives. The latter, however, were able to gain partial successes and rectify thuir line at several points. The battle proceeded with extreme violence aWng the Piave. The enemy, heedless of losses, continued his powerful pressure in ordar to extend the occupation of Montecello and thereby open the -way' to the plains. 'We strongly engaged the. enemy on the " line Giano-Mc'iitello C'rest-St. Andrea, holding our positions on the river between St. Andrea and Fossalto. <ind also effectively opposing an advance before the hends of the St. Dona. We and our Allies hnve now taken. 4500 prisoners, including 261 taken by the French. Forty-four hostile aeroplanes were brought down in two days. ITALIAN COMMAND QUITE PREPARED FOR OFFENSIVE Reuter's Telegram. (Received June 18, 7.53 p.m.) HOME, Jun<n 17. Italian war correspondents state that the date of the enemy's offensive was fixed for a waek ago. The Italian Command was prepared, for the enemy's movements never escaped observation even in bad weather, though large movements of troops were carried out with the c-DJecfc of diverting attention from the real point or attack. The Italian-Franco-British artillery counter-preparation began at midnight before the enemy's preparation started, and the Allies' artillery fire was so rapid and accurate that the enemy's lines were thrown into confusion. Even the infernal fire of two thousand Austrian .'guns failed to silence our artillery. The enemy's first waves cdn- ', misted of Czechs and Slovaks, but their losses were so heavy that they wqro withdrawn to the rear. The principal effojt was entliisited to Gkineral Ohenchemeil, who was ordered to descend by the IVal Brenta to Bassano, while General Kirschbaeh's «rmy was ordered to cross tha Piave, aiming at TraTiso. , Austrian heavy guns shelled tdwns and villages far in the rear. 300 gas shells falling in Treviso alone. FURTHER DETAILS OF THE OFFENSIVE , Published in "The Times,". ~.,.,. (Received June 18. 9.35 p.m.) :,. LONDON, June 17. Mr W T ard Price, writing this evening, says: The large number of Austrians who have been taken prisoner on the Italian sector the energy of the attack and the determination with which it was countered. Most of the ■ ground gained was along the Piave, where the enemy made three principal crossings and established three bridgeheads preparatory to blinding tho Italian artillery and aeroplanes with vast quantities of smoke shells. Both the river trenches werti enveloped in dense black fog. The Austrian patrols hurried fdrward in boats and rafts, crossed the river under a random fire and ~ then 'pulled over reinforcements in pontoons. Tho most notable orossing r on. tho important Montello sector, where the Piave leaves tho a rTo'Sß<J£n±{Mßs;and.,enters.the .Venetian Plain. •< :,,;.* •riim.,; Z.J.F The resultd on the British sector .were bitter/"'"lt';is reported that the earlier resistance! exhausted four enemy divisions, whose casualties are estimated at 5000. Ours were comparatively trifling. We took 700 prisoners and captured many guns. Our patrols are constantly collecting abandoned war material. The enemy . is thoroughly demoralised. Their deficiencies in comparison with the British are more evident than ever before. Apparently only-fifteen fresh divisions are available for the continuance of the disappointing Enterprise. The French flung back the enemy easily after a brief attack on the adjoining British sector. BRITISH SUCCESS GREATER THAN AT FIRST INDICATED Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received June 18, 11.20 p.m.) LONDON, June 18. Mr Ward Price states that the most important attempt by the Austrians to cross the river Piave wag at the Montello sector, because that point represents the hinge between the* mountain and Piave sectors. Latest reporte allow that the fighting on the British front was more successful than first accounts indicated. The enamy has so far engaged twenty-nine divisions Out of fifty-nine. Reuter's Telegrams.(Received Juno 18, 5.5'p.m.) LONDON. June 17. Reuter's correspondent with the Fremch Army in Italy, writing on the 16th, status that he interviewed a high British officer, who expressed* himself in every way, satisfied with the result of tho Austrian attack against the British. "Our airmen on the Piave," he says, "broke up at least seven bridges and fired twenty-five thousand rounds at a low altitude." AUSTRIAN SET-BACK OF HIGHEST IMPORTANCE GENERAL MAURICE EXPLAINS POSITION. Australian ami N.Z. Cable Association. (Received June 18. 5.5 p.m). ' LONDON, June 17. General Maurice writes:— The Austrians' main attack in the mountains was on. either side of the Brenta on a front of twenty miles with the object of securing issues to the plains byway of the Bitmta and Astico Valleys. If the attack had been successful the Italians would havei been compelled to fall back from the Piave in the most difficult circumstances for fifty miles across the Brenta to a longer and less secure line bflhind Astico, involving the abandonment of Venice and Padua. Therefore the complete failure of tho attack in this sector is of the highest importance. The Austrians' attack across the Piave is less vital. It appears to be . divided into two parts, the first against the Montello Ridge, and the second .'" against the Lower Piave. They crossed the Piave at tho foot of Montello . but thair progress so far has been insignificant. ' JUJSTRIAMS DRIVEN BACK~FROM THE PIAVE v LONDON, Juno 17. - Signer Orlando reports that the Austrians who crossed tho Piave have fceeaij jdriven hack with heavy losses. AN AUSTRIAN~OFFICIAL CLAIM 'U PRINCE SOHOMBIJRG WOUNDED BY A SHELL.., r Australian and I'l-i.i' Z;;;i,;...: i>.ol» Association and Iteuter. /:' . LONDON, Jane 17. An Austrian official report states: —We captured enemy positions'on tho Piave. and astride tho Oderzo-Treviso railway on a broad "front. We took possession of defensive works on the eastern edge of Montello, and penetrated the high road. ~.-...,,.„.■ Prince Schomburg was wounded by a shell. • • . On the Piave we took 10,000 prisoners and captured fifty guns. Our first ■assaultiastride tho Brenta penetrated the enemy's third positions and we took 6000 prisoners. Wo partially maintained our gains. The o'nemv recaptured Ramiero Mountain, east of the Brenta, and forced lis to evacuate a portion of the captured territory in the Seven Communes. Wo captured Dossoalto, near Riva, and stormed Dorno di Oavento, in. the. .Adamello region. A later message states that the Austrians claim 15,000 prisoners! and tho capture of Gamporile. (Received Juno 18, 5.5 p.m.) f , . , » t ■ ■• «• , LONDON, June 17. A wireless> Austrian official message states:—Wo maintained on Sunday agaanfft violent attacks at Brenta the mountain positions wo carried on Saturday. W«i adyancod westward m the Montello region, wrested moro ground westward of Sandona. and captured Oapoile. Prisoners taken on the south-western front now number 12,000. en °" AUSTRIAnTIAN THAT FAILED (Received June 18, 11.20 p.m.) '. •. Diplomatic dispatches from Italy state that tho th« Italian defence* m tho Brenta region, capture Bassano, simultaneously cross the Piave, capture the railway junction at TrOviso", and tran tho Alliw ■between giant pincsa* ■ ' uo ■ tt "' eß

SPLENDiD SPIRIT OF ITALIAN ARMY

Reuter's Telegrams. (Received Juno 18, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 18. Reuter's correspondent learns from an Italian military 'source that all past losses of material 'have been mado good. The munition factories are working magnificently. Tho troops have been highly trained and reorganised. They are better fed and have been granted increased pay and insured in case of death. Provision has also been made fo'r reinstating tho injured in civil life. ConsQOjuantly the .spirit of the army is splendid and higher than it has ever been. It is believed that the forces of the belligerents are about equal in number, and th<j Opposing divisions about tho same, although Austria has larger reserves. It is also believed that tho present offensive was forced upon Atostria by the German High Command owing to pressure from the Gorman people, despito the knowledge of thei existence of disaffection in tho Austrian Army. AUSTRIAN CHECK MAY BECOME COLOSSAL DEFEAT Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. ~ _ f , TT x . . PARIS, June 17. 31. Slnrcol Hiutin writes:—"The two days' battlo in Italy gives the impression that the Emperor Charles has sustained a reverberating chock, which may shortly bei transformed into a colossal defeat. Although tho enemy engaged with sixty divisions, ho has not reached a single objective." FROM THE ALPS TO THE SEA BATTLE PROCEEDING WITH FLUCTUATING SUCCESSES. na . . , „. . ROME, June 17. uitrcial.—-1 ho determined resistance of our troops prevented the enemy breaking through. The battlo is proceeding on the wholo front from the Alps to the sea, with alternating fluctuations, but the Italians, by valiant counter-attacks, have succeeded in re-establishing their original line. FIGHTING JN THE BRENTA VALLEY VARIOUS ENEMY ONSLAUGHTS BROUGHT TO A STANDSTILL. m a ■ i ■ 'c •. . , LONDON, June 17. *i 4 Austrians funonsly renewed tho assault against the rocky walls of the .Brenta Valley, hoping to force their way to Bassano, which was tho first days objective; tout their efforts were in vain. The onslaught at Monte b-rappa was also brought to a standstill. The enemy's infiltration across tho Piavo followed the bombardment quickly, profiting 'by gas and smoke clouds; but our counter-attacks pinned the enemy to the banks of the stream. A battalion of tho 96th Austrian Regiment crossed in boats on the Molino-Seger-Stlettutoi sector, making use of the islands in tho centre df the river. A second battalion also tried to cross, but the Italian firo mowed down half of it in mid-stream, and nearly a thousand survivors were captured. SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES EXPECTED IN AUSTRIA tv, x xi. x , , ROME, June 17. Ihe newspapers assert that the explanation of the failure of the offensive is to be found in the complete success of the counter-attacks. It is significant that no Germans, Bulgarians, or Turks tocfe part in the attack. Tho failure is expected to produce serious internal consequences in Austria a i x * xi. <■« • , ROME, Juno 17. A correspondent of the "Oomere della. Seira" states that the Austrian assault on the first day succeeded only in gaining some positions in our advanced hne. These small initial successes were wiped out by counter-attacks. Ihe Italian, French, and British troops on the Asiago Plateiau offered a steadfast resistance and threw back dense wave after wave of attackers. Tho banner of the plateau is intact. HUNS OFFER "HONOURABLE PEACE" TJTALY REJECfTS THE PROPOSAL. ««'. , r, * «■ WASHINGTON. Juno 17. Official cables from Rome state that Signor Orlando, tho Italian Premier announced m a speech that Italy had refused Germany's offer of an "honourable peace. ,