AUSTRAIANS NASSING FOR ANOTHER ATTACK.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2779, 25 May 1916, Page 5

AUSTRAIANS NASSING FOR ANOTHER ATTACK.

FIRST EIGHT DAYS OF TERRIFIC FIGHTING HOW THE AUSTRIANS MASKED THE BLOW By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rce. May 24, 8.30 p.m.) , Rome, May 24. An Italian official communique statu): "The enemy is reported to be massing between Lake Garda and the Adige. "The enemy's aeroplanes bombed different places on the Venetian Plain, but did no damage. A few people were injured." AUSTRIAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. 7 (Rec. May 24, 10.20 p.m.) Amsterdam, May 24. The Austrian communique states: Our total captures are 23,883 Italians, in. eluding 482 officers, with 172 guns. We have made further progress south on tho Tyrol front, with the occupation of Cimama Driolo and a height westward of the frontier." WERE THE ITALIANS CAUGHT NAPPING ? HOW THE AUSTRIAN OFFENSIVE OPENED. (Rec. May 21. 9.30 p.m.) tj. • •i , , , , ... Rome, May 24. It is pointed out-that the Austrian offensive synchronises with Italy's <le« claration of war. Three Slav deserters on May 14 approached the Italian tranches, and stated that tho attack would be begun on the following day. The Italians were not certain where on their 350 miles of frontier tho blow would fall, until a bombardment of incredible violence began. Scores of 12-inch guns were suddenly veveal&d at <Jawn, mouuted on Austrian crags, overlooking most of the Italian positions. T wo thousand cannon had br.-cn assembled, of every calibre, from mounted artillery to 16-inchers. The fir r swept over the valleys, while swarms of aeroplanes soared above the Italian lines, correcting the range bv wireless. When the Alpini recovered from the & rs fc shock thev found that tlie vast nettrenches which they had patiently constructed for months had been obliterated The Austrian infantry onslaught began in the evening, but tho Italian mitrailleuses out down hundreds of tho advancing troops &s they approached in close formation. The entanglements were heaped with dead." - Tk* battle raged incessantly for eight days. The Alpini defended every foot, fighting always in the snow. Already there are eight thousand Austrian dead, rite Italians thijs far have resisted the Austrians* attempt to smash through and pom* tnrough into \erona. The. Austrians are , now occupying a, small strip of Italian soil between llonte Maggio and, Tonezza. . Italy is strengthening her third line of defence. It is believed that Monte Maggio and Tonezza will prove to be the extreme limit of the Austrian penetration, GENERAL SITUATION REVIEWED MOTIVE OF THE AUSTRIAN ATTACK. (Eec. May 24, 10.20 p.m.) ' . London, May 24. According to a message from Rome, the Italian Minister for War, after a protracted Council of War, has issued a statement reviewing the military situation which is developing against tho Austrian offensive, and which, he declares will leave the Italians in the supreme position. Ho said that thero was an expectation of a general movemont against the Austrians on the other fronts, especially in tho Balkans and Russia, and besides these, contemporaneous attacks were expected to be sprang by Italy's Allies in Prance. Military critics adviso a reconstruction or the Italian front, abandoning tho advanced positions, in order to bo better able to repulse the Austrians' forward ' movement. Several indications confirm tho slatemont that the design of the present strenuous campaign by the Austrians is to prevent Italy from participating in the struggle on the French front, nnd also to paralyse the movement of the Allies, which aims at joining tho Salonika .and Avlona forces in a simultaneous effort. . Another messago states that the Austrians have transferred to the Italian front a number of 380 and 420 millimetre guns, which have been taken from the warships which are bottled up in the harbour at Pola. The Athens correspondent of the Paris' "Matin" says:—'"According to a neutral diplomat who lias just arrived from Albania, the Austrians have withdrawn 50,000 troops from Albania during tSa last three weeks, leaving small detachments to guard the towns they have occupied. The abandonment of tho Albanian front is ascribed to the impossibility of bringing up food supplies." ITALIANS THREATEN AUSTRIANS' LINE OF RETREAT. London, May 23. Tho "Daily Telegraph" correspondent at Home reports that throughout Tues. day tho Austrians fought without elan, their own artillery driving tho men forward, Austrian gronades were plainly seen in one sector exploding amongst tho Austrian rear files, who seemed disinclined to advance. Tho unfavourable results of the German offensive at Verdun are reacting on tho spirits of the Austrians. Moreover, the Italian artillery has seriously damaged tho Carniolo-Trentino Tailway. The Italians continue to advance in Western Tiontino, to whero the enemy has dispatched reinforcements, fearing the Italians' progress may close tho return routo of nineteen Austrian divisions .

Apropos of the above referenco to the situation at Avlona (or Valona), the special correspondent of the Paris "Journal" says: "During the past two months the town and the port have undergone incomplete change. Tho place has becomo a veritable entrenched camp, whose impregnable' defences protect an Italian army which has been formidably strengthened. General Piacentini, who succeeded General Bertotti in tho command of the Special Expeditionary Corps, has now a fino body of troops under hiin, ready for all eventualities. • Aviators are (lying over the town, and strong naval units mount vigilant guard. The evacuation of Durazzo was accomplished under fairly favourable' conditions. Tho Austrians concentrated twenty-two battalions of important artillery on the mountain, but the Italians made clever use of their machine guns, and suffered only insignificant losses, while the enemy lost a couple of thousand men. In spite of tho difficulties duo to the intervention of the Albanians, all tho Italians were successfully ovacuafced. The Albanians were clearly hostile to the Allies, and tho Austrions have succeeded in forming them into armed bands, the total strength of which varies, in tho different estimates, from twenty to forty thousand men, half of whom are 1 Mirdites. As the result of a number of affrays General Bertotti had a number of Albanians shot. At the present time tho main Austrian army is north of the Skumbi. Tho Bulgarians are still at. El Basan, but an advance battalion has reached Berat. There have been some partial actions between Sumerft and Vojana. Everywhere the Italians have shown fine fighting qualities, which have disconcerted their adversaries; and the Austrian incursion into Albania liaa tost them dear,, owing to the difficulties of provisioning and the absence of roads. The Albanians will soon get tired of the pressure which is being put upon thorn, and Italy can regard tho situation it .Valona with every confidence."