THE ITALIAN COUP

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 116, 2 February 1918, Page 9

THE ITALIAN COUP

STORY OF THE ATTACK ; A MOONLIGHT SURPRISE London, January 31. An Italian semi-official report states: ■ "Violent artillery fire which preceded ; the Asiago operations revealed the cx- ! istence of 50 new enemy batteries. Nevertheless our infantry surprised the cneiiiy in the bright moonlight early en Monday morning. We captured tho Church di San Francisco and the Col_ del Rosso, and lost and regained them' after a stubborn fight. 1..A struggle for the peak of Valbella fluctuated, but tho j-\ summit remained firmly in our hands. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. . •" '■;;.. ITALIAN OFFICIAL REPORT. (Rec. February 1, 7.30 p.m.) London, January 31. An Italian official report states:— "Our detachments continued their ■ thrust southward of Asiago, and im-:. proved our position north-east of Col do Rosso. We brought down three, and the "(English four, of the enemy's aeroplanes."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assu.Reuter. • , "UNQUALIFIED ITALIAN VICTORY" DANGEROUS SALIENT ENTIRELY . EFFACED. ' ' (Rec. February 1, 5.5 p.m.) London, January 31. (Mr. Julian Price writes from '• the Italian front; —"The forty-eight hours' ; battle . ended abruptly in an "unqualified Italian victory. The sector, was a dangerous salient that for some time had menaced the Italian lines. _ It - was entirely effaced. The Italians' success is attributable to careful preparation- The attack took the ■ Austrians completely by surprise. When tho Italian storming troops broke through % Austriaus were almost in 'a' state of and made frantic appeals for reinforcements; These were hurried .up by all available means. Even aerial cable lines were to bring them from the adjacent summits. The enemy's reinforcements became in- *' extricably mixed in the darkness, aud suffered heavily in trying -to pass through a strong Italian; barrage over ground carefully registered. The prisoners include a very liieli percentage of officers."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. HOT FIGHTING ; (Rec. January 2, 1.40 .a.m.) London, January 31. j," Mr. Percival Gibbon- writes:—"the ! Italians are lighting in tho heroic style I of the Isonzo ind Carso fighting. The ! maiu attack was strongly resisted, and * \ terrible hand-to-hand fighting ensued. : i The artillery woke up viciously,, and fifty unsuspected batteries opened ['against the assaulting columns. Every j' yard was hotly contested, and each adi vance was followed by . a counter- ! attack."—Aus.-N.Z. ; Cable . Assn.Reutei\ J GERMAN OFFICIAL-REPORT. ' (Rec. February 1, 7.30 p.m.) London, January 31. A German official report states:— "An Italian attack south-west of Asiago broke down."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. ' .. - -