ITALIAN'S HEROISM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11511, 6 October 1915, Page 4

ITALIAN'S HEROISM.

GIVES LIFE TO BLOW UP GUNS. AUSTRIAN RTJSK DEFEATED. War in the same ali tho world over. Men find tragedy and cr-vcly in -t, whether on the plains ot : Flanders and Northern Franco or amour; the mountains of the Trci'.tirio or the valley of tho Isonzo (wrote Ernest Mnith, spo~ cifcl cornespondent of the London "Daily Express/' from Rome on July 14). For a month no v.- tho Italians have boon in tho tronch'.'s at Podgora, to tho west of Gorizrt. They have Had their nightly searchlight battles, turning tho powerful rays of their iors on to each other to netitn'iso their eft'ecr, midr, ay between the trenches, mrir.li to (he anmsanent of the occrip'ints on both 'i'c-s. A regular jockeying for searchlight posii.'nii's generally re-iuts in one being brought into use at a point which enables a hurried hash being swept along tho opposing front and secures tho doSired information, namely, that tho enemy is still there ami is not preparing a night attack. In tha particular trench facing our Allies' advanced posit.on near Goriza the principal defence for the last month has been two machine puns. The other night, when the searchlight srtocaaded in reconnoitring it. what was the surprise of our men to find two he'd guns mounted between dusk and midn-ght. Did this mean an attack at dawn? The Eoklier; in the Podgora trenches were warned, and stood to arms for the rest of the night. A SCOUT'S RETURN. At dawn a lieutenant crawled out of tho trench to try and obtain a clc?Jor look fit tho two now arrivals. For two hours he was absent,» but no anxiety was fe't for his safety, as he was known to bo an expert scout, and was as lithe as a snake amongst the rocks and hillocks with which the country abounds. Suddenly he tore back to the shelter of the trench, followed by a had of bullets. He had accomplished his mission without being seen, and it was only when he had to jump over the vi ire- entanghmenti of bis cwn defences that the enemy spotted him and opened fire on him, hastening his return. Ho jumped into the trench roarmg with laughter, and when he told his comrades that the two guns were only painted wood they joined in the merriment. A notice was drawn up and posted in the trench: Messrs Blank, of Milan, whose representative, Sergeant-Major De Falso, can be found in this trench, are willing to supply guns of any calibre hi cardboard or papier-mache. Prices reasonable. Orders may be placed at any battery. This was only half a 30k© so long as it remained on our side, so news of the discovery was tent back to the aeroplane park, with copies of the notice, which an airman in the course of his. reconnaissance oi the enemy's position dropped in his lines later in the day. But the lieutetant had made another important discovery. The enemy had 'brought up two more machine guns, and these were concealed in an outwork in advance of the trends. A council of war was held. So cunningly were the mitrailleuses hidden that the artillery had to confess that they despaired of the success of an attempt to blow them to pieces by shell fire. ON AN ERRAND OF DEATH. A captain volunteered to blow them up. Tying a couple of dynamite cartridges around his waist, he commenced to crawl along the path that the lieutenant hail followed in the early morning. Three hours passed. Everybody was on the tip-toe of excitement and expectation Suddenly the noise of a distant explosion rolled across the valley. Soon after the sergeant came back. The two machine guns had been put out of action—but the captain would never return. The stealthy approach to the enemy's gun emplacement had been watched by the sergeant. He had been seen to wait his Spportunity until the sentinel had pa seti from the emplacement, to where the wooden guns were mounted, and dallied there, perhaps exchanging jokes with tho guards mounted over these on the impression that their presence was likely to make on the Italians. . . He was digging a hole with his hands to put the cartridges well under the guns when the sentinel eaw him, and fired with such good aim that the captain rolled over wounded. But he had still the energv left to apply the rus« and fire it. One machine gun was blown to pieces, the other rendered useless. In the torn-up ground though was stretched the dead body of the heroic officer. Early the same afternoon, with this menacing outwork removed, a forward Italian move was ordered. The capture of the trench was the objective. Fired with the example of their captain, who had given his life to make the task of his men more easy, tne Italian infantry raced towards tho parapet and drove the defenders out at the point of the bayouet.