AUSTRO-ITALIAN OFFENSIVE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 1407, 1 June 1916, Page 3

AUSTRO-ITALIAN OFFENSIVE.

AUSTRIANS LOSE 5000 DAILY.

ITALIAN WINGS HOLDING AN I) PUNISHING THE ENEMY.

ASIAGO EVACUATED

NEW YORK, May 31. A message from Milan states that a Swiss officer who has returned from Trentino says tlie Austrian losses in. the 12 days of the offensive averaged 5000 (I aiiy/

Other reports from Berne state, that 69.000 Austrians were fighting on the left wing and after seven days, more than half of these had been destroyed. Although the enemy was prepared at all points for a sensational march to victory he found the evacuated territory denuded even of greenstuffs. Calculating that the Italians would retreat precipitately, * the enemy expected ample stores in the captured territory, but the field telephones had been busy, with the result that the invading army was without food for 24 hours.

A Vienna communique claims that the Austrian forces, crossing the Posina rivulet, captured a height on the southern bank. .-'

Homo repoi is that very heavy fighting continues on the plateau of* Settece muni, where the Austrian pressure is strongest. The Italians evacuated Asiago, but are holding the hills to the east. Tho Austrians ai*e slowly advancing in the mountainous country north of the town. . * >■ ■ Tlie Italian wings are. holding and punishing the Austrians very severely. . An admirable motor transport saved the situation for Italy, enabling great reinforcements to reach' Arsiero and the Asiago plateau in time to stop the gap due to the breaking of the first line.

Tlie most serious loss is the big guns abandoned on the Monte Maggia-Spitz Lonezza line.