THE ITALIAN THEATRE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16259, 9 July 1918, Page 7

THE ITALIAN THEATRE.

COASTAL AREA CLEARED

ENEMY DRIVEN ACROSS PIAVE.

(By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z Cable Association.) (Reuter'a Telegrams.)

LONDON, July 7. An Italian official message says: — "After five days of bitter and uninterrupted struggle, the enemy on the afternoon of July 6th was completely driven to the left bank of the New Piavc. *;We recaptured all the coastal zone, which the enemy had occupied since November. "Our captures since Juno 15th include : — Officers ... ... 623 Men 23,911 Guns ... ... 63 Machine-guns ... 1,234 "We have also captured much other material, and have also' recovered all the artillery and material lost in the first phase of the struggle." An earlior Italian official messa&e said:—"On the Lower Piave our pressure. continuing firmly, again broke the stubborn onemy dcfence yesterday. We gained more reaching the right! bank of the New Piave from Grisolera to the river mouth. A violent offensive in return, attempted by the enemy northward in the direction of Chiesanuova, was arrested. Renewed violent attacks on our positions at Porte-di-Salton, north-westward of Grappa, failed." (Received July Bth, 10.10 p.m.) LONDON, July 7. An Italian official report states: — ''We are consolidating onr positions on the ground recaptured on the right bank of the New Piave. "There is every indication that the onemy's losses were much higher than was foreseen.

"F/onch troops made a brilliant raid at Zoochie, on the Asiago plateau. "Three enemy attacks on Monte Cornone, between tho Frenzela Valley and the Brenta, were sanguinarily repulsed."

(Australian and N.Z. Cable (Received July Bth, 11.55 pjn.) LONDON, July 7. The "Daily Chronicle's" correspondent on the Italian front states:—

The whole of the Venetian plain to the Piave is clear of the enemy.' Not a single Austrian remains on the west bank of the river, except 24,000 prisoners. The enemy has held since Noj vember a triangular sector from the mouth of the Piave to Cortellazzo with i the apex at San Dona, but the soil being sodden they were unable to dig trenches or operate in large masses, but had to split up into innumerable small groups, oonverting every factory, farmhouse, and cottage into a fortress, and fixing machine-guns in every suitable tree fork, sowing them along the bank of the countless canals. The Italians have taken 300 machine-guns, but hundreds of others are buried under the demolished buildings or sunk in the swamps. The Italian artillery cut off supplies to these groups by destroying the largest bridge over the river and keeping three others under constant nre. The defenders, consisting of Bosnians and Herzogovinians, fought stubbornly. Pour columns of Italian Bersaghen and infantry carried out the toilsome task of breaking tho enemy defences. It was guerilla warfare tho men fighting continually up to the. waist in water. Sometimes the combatants lost their weapons while floundering in the swamps and engaged in hand to hand struggles, tearing each other with their teetli.

THE AUSTRIAN REPORT. LONDON, July 7. sajß' Wir 88 s^mn official message "Yesterday fighting was continued at the mouth of the Piave. On the southern wing of our positions the «nemv succeedcd in pressing us back towards the main body."

(Received^July Bth, 10.10 p.m.) LONDON, July 7. An Austrian official report states:

'As the delta of the Piave was untenable without heavy sacrifices, we withdrew to the dyke positions on the eastern bank of the main branch. The operation was carried out on the night of July sth. Tho enemy felt his way at midday on July 6th as far as the rivor."