ITALY AT WAR.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 456, 27 July 1915, Page 8

ITALY AT WAR.

RAID BY HYDROPLANES. I FIERCE FIGHTING ON THE CRESTS. ROME, July 20. An official statement says:—"Our hydroplanes flew over Riva and dropped 18 bombs oil the railway station with excellent results. "The enemy on Saturday vigorously attacked the positions we had captured on the Luznica crest, Monte Nero region. They were, repulsed with great losses. The Carso action continues in our favour." MILAN, July 2(5. Details of the action at Monte San Michael cabled last week, show that Italian artillery swept the hill from dawn to late in the afternoon, when four battalions of the Bersaglieri attacked and stormed sovie positions, | but there was a terrible Austrian resistance at the summit, where the enemy were strongly entrenched. A fearful melee ensued. The Bersaglieri, who were mostly Sicilians, dropped their rifles and jumped into the trenches, fighting with knives. Eventually the Austrians fled, and the Italians fortified the position, undisturbed, until two in Jhe morning, when the Austrians, strongly reinforced, counter-attacked and overpowered the Bersaglieri. The latter retreated, but fresh Italians arrived, and three regiments recaptured the hill with the bayonet. Since then it has been firmly held, enabling the Italians to use the Gradisca bridge, over which great numbers of troops on Saturday. The Austrians have also- been rushing up reinforcements. MANY, AUSTRIAN PRISONERS. ITALIAN GOVERNMENT'S PURCHASES. ROME, July 26. Since the beginning of the war 18,000 Austrians, including 700 officers, have been made prisoners. The Goverriment has decided on large purchases of American meat and grain to supply to army and navy until July, 1916, also for the general population. This step has been taken to discourage the increasing amount of speculative dealing. The Government has already secured 7,000,000 quintals of grain for the forces. Though the crops are not abundant, they are several million quintals in excess of those of 1914. SUBMARINE CAPTURED. GERMAN CRAFT'S FATE. ROME, July 26, A German submarine, with 40 of a crew, has been captured. It attempted to attack an Italian ship 011 the night of the 11th. The torpedo was caught in a metallic protecting net, and did not explode. The submarine was taken to Venice.