A VICTORY THAT TOOK. FOUR MONTHS TO, PREPARE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2754, 25 April 1916, Page 5

A VICTORY THAT TOOK. FOUR MONTHS TO, PREPARE

THE ITALIAN COUP ON THE COL DI LANA.' (Rec. April 24, 9.35 p.m.) . , , „ London, April 24. The "Mily Chronicles' Milan correspondent writes: "The destruction of the Austrian positions oil tho Col di Lana was a herculean task. It involved lour months' pi operation. Tho Italians had to bring a gallery 250 feet long through solid rock. The work began on Christmas Day, and the engineers toiled incessantly night and day. Early in March a noiso in the hills a'wpke the enemy to what was going on, and they started to counter-tunnel. Tho Italians hurriedly laid mines with ten tons of gelatine and dynamite, blocking in the charge with a formidablo shield of thick armoured steel, in order to prevent the destruction of the tunnel, where forty soldiers, who had volunteered, waited in readiness to rush the position. After the explosion the mountain was shaken as if by a terrifio earthquake. There was a hellish roai\ and tho soldiers dashed through tho tunnel, to find that the enemy's positions had been shattered, and heaps of corpses strewed tho debris. The survivors surrendered. STRONG POSITION CARRIED BY ASSAULT. (Rec. April 25, 0.25 a.m.) Rome, April 24. An Italian communique states: "We took by assault a strong entrench-' mont 350 metres long, east of Seltz, the enemy losing heavily, and captured much munition, including liquid firo implements. FRENCH AIRMAN VISITS SOFIA TOWN THROWN INTO A PANIC. (Rec. April 25, 0.25 a.m.) Salonika, April 24. 'A Frenoh airman dropped four bomba into Sofia, causiug ftvea and piulfl. Ho made a »on-atop louxupy of 400 mU«s,