THE ITALIAN WAR.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13794, 15 June 1915, Page 5

THE ITALIAN WAR.

OCCUPATION OF GRADISCA. LARGE AUSTRIAN FORCE AMBUSHED."' SKIRMISHING ON THE TYROL FRONTIER. ENEMY'S RETREAT CONTINUED. SUCCESSFUL AIR RAID AT POLA, Rome, June 13. The Italians occupied Gradisca on Tuesday. The announcement was delayed until both sides' of the Isonzo were in Italian possession, and permanent occupancy p£ the town assured. Seven thousand Austrians participated in a surprise attack. Three .columns followed a narrow mountain track with machine guns strapped to mules; but the Alpini detected the movement, and the Italians were .ordered to lie concealed.

The Austrians fell into the trap, and Aipini and Bersaglieri wprang from the rocks, trees, trenches, and ditches and attacked them, furiously, while their machine guns battered the Austrian rear.

The Austrians, after a desperate resistance, returned seme miles, and the guns fell over a precipice.

There has been further skirmishing on tho Tyrol and Trontino frontiers. The enemy continue to retreat. ■ In the Carnic Alps the Alpini captured the Volais Pass, and took some prisoners. . In the middle Ison//) we succeeded in; a sudden attack on the left bank of the river near Flava. v The enemy fiercely counter-attacked, .but ultimately retired, leaving numerous dead and 200 prisoners. „;. On the lower Isonzo our heavy artillery destroyed a dyke, near Sagrado, witli which the enemy flooded the conntry and impeded our advance. A document signed by General Rohr found on , a captured Austrian officer states that an. inquiry has been opened regarding grave dereliction of duty by an Austrian detachment which failed lamentably in a sector where it might easily have held the Italians, who-clam-bered over the rocks in the rain and ! mist and broke the Austrian front be- ' cause two companies of reserves were i asleep. | The "Messagero" states^ that a ! dirigible raided Pola, and almost comi pletely destroyed the arsenal. Near by were six warships, including one battleship, two cruisers,' and several submarines, a number being damaged. Bombs also struck several floating docks.