THE ITALIAN FRONT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3327, 19 December 1917, Page 17

THE ITALIAN FRONT.

Italian official reports state: The enemy took possession of trenches eastward of Capobile with a small garrison, but our counter-attack retook the entire position Our batteries shelled enemy masses at Col della Beretta, in the Monte Tomba region. We sanguinarily repulsed a powerful attempt to retake positions in the Capobile region. Between the Brenta and the JPiave Rivers the Austrians violently attacked the Col della Berretta and Col della Rio. I he Germans in strong force stormed Monte Pinoncia and the defences of Calcino Valley. The struggle continued all day. We temporarily abandoned a few positions, reoccupying nearly all of thorn during our counter-attacks. We regained a great part of the trenches in the Col della Berretta region, which we were unable to reoccupy on the 11th. Wo sanguinarily repulsed two violent attacks in the Calcino Valley, ihe enemy attacked in force eastward ot the Brenta at midday, and the attack continued fiercely all afternoon, but eased at night owing to the heavy enemy losses. A powerful attack at Caldipo Papeyex broke down. A firm resistance compelled the enemy to suspend an infantry attack on Col Capr'ile and Col della Berretta. Our aeroplanes shelled his concentrated troops. The enemy launched dense masses in an ercircling movement against our salient at Monte Solaroilo, but our infantry, aided by Italian and French batteries, repulsed the enemy, yielding only a short section ot ground after inflicting immense losses. ITALIAN NAVAL RAID. - AUSTRIAN BATTLESHIP SUNK. Italian official reports state: Our navy destroyed a bridge between Vianello and Sacco, dislocating intense traffic. Our light craft on Sunday night (9th inst.), penetrating obstructions both above and below water, entered the harbour of Trieste and discharged four torpedoes against two warships of the Monarch class, all of which exploded, and the battleship Wien (one of that class) was sunk. Our vessels returned safely, despite the enemy's intense fire and discharge of torpedoes. . ~■■ ~ Two Italian torpedo boats cut eight cables protecting the entrance to Trieste Harbour and removed some mines. They found the Wien unprotected by torpedo nets, and the Austrian searchlights failed to pick up the torpedo boats, which launched torpedoes against the Wien and another battleship. Indescribable confusion followed among the Austrian ships in harbour, and the torpedo boats escaped amidst a violent fire from the shore batteries. Most of the crew of the Wjen were saved. ITALIAN BRAVERY. Mr Ward Price telegraphs: In fighting like that on the Asiago Plateau last week men vanish, not singly or in companies, but in battalions. The new heroic standard of resistance to the point of extinction has never been upheld with more complete selfsacrifice than by the Alpini and Bersaglieri, who held Monte Fior to enable their comrades to take up a line of resistance in the rear. These battalions were engulfed in an .advancing flood of Austrians; but, though fully cognisant of their fate, they stood their ground, although isolated. . When their last cartridge and bomb had been spent they shook hands, awaited the enemy with the bayonet, each setting his back against a rock. Prisoners, relating to the story of the grim scene, declare that it was a shambles. THE PIAVE LINE. There is another lull on the Asiago Plateau, but Prince Conrad is being reinforced daily, men and guns pouring down the line from Trentino to Grisnolano. Six divisions are concentrated on a six-mile •front. The enemy's front-line troops have to be relieved daily, owing to the losses inflicted by the Italian machine guns and rifles, which are as important as shells in this mountain warfare. Reuter's correspondent at the Italian Headquarters writes: The enemy continue to mass troops and artillery in the Trentino, especially on both sides of the Brenta River. Allied aircraft regularly bomb the AustroGerman reinforcements, but fresh contingents fill the gaps. The enemy artillery is overwhelmingly superior, and it has destroyed the Italian defences, the defenders' casualties being heavy. The Italians resisted so fiercely that the enemy's losses averaged 50 per cent, of their strength. The Corriero della Sera states that the Austro-Germans will make tho Piave line secondary to the mountain front, where heavy reinforcements havo been sent to try to reach the plain and strike at the roar of the Piave defences. The German divisions havo been transferred from Monte Paleson westward, where they have the advantage of the Val Sugana railway, connected with Southern Bavaria. The British have transformed Montcllo into an imnregnable fortress. Mr Whyte Williams, New York Times correspondent, who has toured the Italian front, says that the Italian lines are impregnable, and he is convinced that the Austro-German offensive has failed. The Italians and the All-'es have greatlv strengthened tho Piave lino, and snow w'll soon prevent an Austrian offensive in the mountains. ANGLO-FRENCH COOPER ATION. Reuter's correspondent in Italy says that tho first shots between the French, who are commanded by General Buchesne, and the Austrians have been exchanged. The sector tho French have occupied is one of tho most, dangerous and exposed on the whole front, and its strong holding is of the utmost importance. Its defences have been thoroughly organised on the same scale as tho lines in France. Mr Ward Price, writing from the Italian front, says: The British soldiers greatly anpre'eiate the change from Flanders mud. The enemy opposite us have not_ yet appeared in force or established positions on their side of the Piave River. Montcllo. which forms part of our sector, is a curi-ouslv-shaped hog's back, rising to a height of ioooft. . „ . Signor Orlando, tho Premier, addressing the Chamber, said that the military situation had greatly improved, thanks to the resistance of the Italian troops. Italy was equally grateful to the glorious Br'tish and French troops for confirming allied solidarity. The Government, ho added, was promoting a scheme to insure every soldier for £4O. Italian industry, commerce, and

agriculture were in a highly satisfactory positron. AUSTRIAN LOSSES. Reuter's correspondent at Italian Headquarters states that it is -estimated that 10,000 Austro-Germans have been lost since the beginning of tho offensive in tho Trentino. Nevertheless, the enemy are renewing their desperate efforts to enter Venetian Plain, employing whole divisions for each attack. Apparently Generate Hoetzendorff and von Bulow are determined to pass the Alpine bulwark before the sever© winter sets in. Italian scouts have ascertained that the enemy have cor.centrated 2500 guns on less than a 10-milo front between the Brenta and Piave Rivers. Judging by their present action, the enemy have reverted to their original idea that entry to the plain is only possible by the capture of the Monto Grappa Pass, where nitherto they have encourtered redoubtable resistance, whole battalions of Italians allowing themselves to bo destroyed in preference to yielding. Now their British and French Allies are beside and behind the Italians, and the intervention of the former saved tho day, giving a well-deserved rest and breathing space to the Italians, who havo endured the unparalleled strain of five weeks' unremitting fighting. [Monte Grappa is midway on the line from the Brenta to tho Piave, at the point where their courses most nearly converge.] AUSTRIAN OFFICIAL REPORTS. Austrian official reports state :_ We captured tho bridgehead at Brcssanin, at the mouth of the Piave, and took 234 prisoners. We took prisoner in four days' fighting in the Meletto region 639 officers, 16,000 men, 293 guns, and 233 machine guns. HUNNISH BARBARITY The Gazetta del Popolo (Turin) publishes . an Austro-German proclamation ordering the men, women, and children of the Udme to work in the fields from 4 in the morning to 8 o'clock at night, and threatening those who are lazy with imprisoment and beatings. Tho paper points out that Italian prisoners are beinc compelled by the enemy to work under shell-fire. THE DANGER ON THE WESTERN FRONT. Le Matin's Zurich correspondent says that the German newspapers are publishing violent articles against the Entente.. They declare that von Hindenburg, in conjunction with the Austrians, is about to subject the western front to the same treatment as Italy, and that Britain and France will have to resist a blow from almost the whole of the Central Powers' forces, which will crush the Allies and finish the war. Colonel Repingtoh writes: —"There are now 150 German divisions on the west and 79 on the east front; but the latter are denuded of all fighters between the ages of 19 and 35 for the west front. Possibly more complete divisions are following. We must expect half a million fresh fighters on the west,- and many more guns and aircraft. Germany may maintain with safety second-grade troops on the east front; but the whole of the German forces fit to fight are concentrated for a decisive blow on the west, possibly in the winter or the spring. Exhaustion of reserves and want may compel the enemy, to strike more quickly than we think. In any case, the long German defensive has ended, and wo must take corresponding precautions. Whatever is done must be done quickly. We have, roughly, two million men on the west and one million elsewhere. We need a million men in order to maintain our existing forces." Believing that conditions in Russia and Italy give them ground for initiating operations on a grand scale against the French and British von Hindenburg and von Ludendorff desire completo Austro-Hungarian cooperation, both political and military. But, owing to the strong peace feeling in Germany and Austria, the militarists will make a real attempt on December 17 to secure either peace or a prolonged armistice with Russia. In return the militarists demand a free hand in the west. Meanwhile tho German Iron and Steel Association demands the annexation of the French iron region at Briey and Longwy, because Germany's iron may be exhausted in four or five generations. Count Czernin, Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister, has arrived at Berlin, accompanied by the head of the press department of the Foreign Office. It is believed to bo his intention to start a campaign to prepare the Austrians for the demand which Germany is making for their help on the west front. The Russian defection has released large numbers "of Austrian troops. It has also intensified the Austrian people's war-weariness; but the German newspapers refer to the necessity for Austria returning the help already given her by assisting to defend Alsace-Lorraine and secure the hold on Belgium.