ITALIANS IMPORTANT VICTORY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 16718, 11 August 1916, Page 5

ITALIANS IMPORTANT VICTORY.

SEVERE iIOW DEALT TO THE AUSTRBAHS.

RUSSIANS NEAR STANISLAU.

fIUSTRO-GERMANS FALIING BACK.

ANGLO-BRITISH PROGRESS.

DESPERATE ARTILLERY DUEL AT VERDUN.

s- Ffiriqus Allied ofiensivos are in progress on all fronts. In the Somme region -he Alli-5 -ire bombarding the enemy's lines with great effect, but no substantial advance has been made. On the Eussian and Italian fronts the Austriaus'are being routed with heavy loases, and they are retreating in disorder. One- -a«'ain the Thiaumont Work has been captured by the Germans, but \jt will probably be back in French bands within the next twelve hours. The Anglo-French offensive on the Somme provides an interesting situation. The objective of the AWed commanders is to force a wedge eastwards towards St. Quentin, but they have now reached a position In the Somme area are.faced-with tremendous difficulties. The town of Combles is i^tron-iy fortified, and so are all the towns along the whole German front soutirof Combles. Glory, Peronne, La Chopellette, Etcrpigny, and Brie are protected by the Somme canal and railway, and are bristling with fortifications. The absence of big villages, railways,' rivers and facilities for improlised defences was undoubtedly the reason the Pozieres route was taken, the Allies' design being to force their way to the main ridge, gain the open country, and then turn eastward.. ow4ig to the great enemy concentrations opposed to them, however, they have been compelled to churn the whole countryside into a' heap of smoking shell-craters before they could go forward. They have now reached a position analogous to that suggested by the problem of-nn irresistible force meeting an immovable body. Having i cached this stage,'it was apparently decided to make a violent offensive all along the line, and force a passage of the Somme at one, or perhaps two, particular points under cover of the bombardment. The places chosen for these vital thtusts have not yet been disclosed, but perhaps an indication may be given bvthe details of the operations during the nest 24 hours. " The Italians, after capturing the Gorizia bridgehead, Uave forced their way onwards and captured the town of Gorizia, and taken ten thousand prisoners and much booty. Tbe capture of Gorizia is of great strategical importance to th e Italians, as it gives them an easy route to Trieste. Mean--n-hib they arc making a strong advance in the Trentino, and have now gained ■sucb* command of the situation on both the Trentino and Isonzo fronts that they will shortly be able to organise a powerful offensive. -" If, as --bite cables state, the Russian's have occupied Tysmienica, they should'now be within four miles due east of Stanislau. A late cable this morning states that they have also crossed the Koropietz river to Monaster Zyskn,l>o miles north-east of Stanislau, so that they now hold a semi-circle round'the town, which .will be shortly subjected tq the greatest artillery pres. sute. Tha fall of Stanislau may now be hourly expected. In this region General Letchitsky has captured 7,500 prisoners, which, with the 8,500 taken on-the Sereth. totals 16,000 in two days. The Italians took 10,000 at Gori- ■" zia, and th:s 26,000, on the top of their enormous losses during the last ,two months, accounts for the Austrians' general state of collapse.

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