AUSTRIAN FORCES FIRMLY HELD

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 235, 22 June 1918, Page 7

AUSTRIAN FORCES FIRMLY HELD

:; ;:mm mm-., immense losses faiiSe of the offensive admitted ; . -. . By Telegraph-Press Aseoolatlon-Copyrisht. ' '. '"■■.- London, June 19, 7.55 p.m. An Italian official report states-.—"During Mondav night and yesterday the enemy did not renew the attack from the Asiago Plateau to Hontello. We completely repulsed partial actions in the Mount. Grappa and Montello regions. We carried out thrusts on the Asiago.Plateau, where Allied detachments captured, stores and; prisoners. Our unceasing pressure has shortened the front opened by the enehiy south of the Montebellune 'railway. O.ur deadly concentrations of artillery" fire are not giving-any truce to the enemy masses on the battle-front or those moving in. the back areas. After a quiet morning on the. Piave on luesday the battle broke out furiously in tho afternoon. The. enemy's fresh attempt to cross to the right hank from gan Andrea to Candelu was repulsed. On the. embankments of the river, between Candelu and Fossalla, the strenuous defence tried the enemy sorely. His impetus was broken by the unshaken valour, of. our infantry. An equally intense struggle raged on the Fossaltal sector, south-east of Meolo and. north of Caposile. The enemy was followed up by us, and defended :himself desperately over evnry yard of this theatre of epic struggles. Italian and Allied'aeroplanes took part in ;the battle. They dropped fifteen tons of tbombs,. and fired tens of thousands of machine-gun rounds upon the enemy troops, forced into 'a narrow.space on the right, .bank of .tho Piavo. The battle ■continues.bitterly: , '.The , enemy, 1 in, order to - preserve: his initial advantages,' is giving Up heed, to the immense, losses which we have been inflicting during' the past five. days. Our prisoners now number 9011, and we have captured many guns, and several hundred machine-guns. While fifty enemy aeroplanes have been brought down, only two Italian and Allied machines have failed to return." -Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-TCeuter.

(Rec. June 21. 8.55 p.m.) .' '>.

.._,,. _. ■ ■• London, June 20. _ An Italian official. report issued -in the evening of Juno 20. says:-"Tlie battle is continuing bitterly and uninterruptedly from Montello to the sea. We drove back the enemy on the evening of June 19 to north-west 'of the Montebellunn railway,-compelling him to withdraw, on the whole front of attack fomewhat towards the north-eastern fialient»of Montello, taking 1226 prisoners and capturing numerous machine-guns'.- The struggle along the Piave fluctuates fiercely on the front lines. The defence is sustained by our troops with , great stubbornness and bravery.. The enemy on the afternodn of June 19, attacking with fresh and numerous troops, gained at the outset some ground 'fronting the Zen«on. Our supports, which arrived immediately, forced him to retire. Our counter-attacks succeeded in greatly reducing the fighting on the sector westward nf Santa Donna, where we took 513 prisoners. The Czechoslovak units have valiantly Riven their first; tribute of blood for tho principles of freedom for which they are fighting on our side. s From dawn to sunset our Allied airmen and seaplanes , participated effectively in the battle. Fourteen enemy machines were brought down, irench units, by n successfql surprise operation on the Asiago Plateau' carried positions at Bertigo and Pennar. AVo completed the gains, capturing Monte Costa Liimm. Enemy attacks on Monte C'orno were repulsed "-AusJN.Z. .Cable Assn.-Reuter. .' ■.- / ■ DISASTROUS .AUSTRIAN DEFEAT. ANTICIPATED. ■ The Press assumes that Austria will be'unable fo avert n. disastrous defeaVin . Italy.. Her losses have been enormous.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. •'

; ■•■ SITUATION ON THE BRITISH FRONT UNCHANGED \ a t> •!• i. «"■ v' ' ••■.'■■■ ' London, June 20. m ■*■ i. * r . official report 'from the Italian front .says :—"The situation on the Untish front is unchanged. Our artillery carried out bombardments and harassing fire, while Aha enemy's artillery ie inactive. "We have now captured seven guns. There has been heavy fighting on the Piave front./ Tho enemv rnado mtle if any, progress. The river is in flood, and many of the enemy's"bridges have been- washed away."-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Keuter. , ' . . .;Eec. June 21, 11.10 p.m.) ,_..,., T , ,: «...■■■■ London, June 20. A Britisli-Ita ian official .report states:-"The situation on the British front is unchanged. total number of our prisoners during the battle on June h and 10 was 9 officers and ,1000 of other ranks. Our aircraft, were active on June 19, and destroyed.ten enemy machines. They dropped" 14601b. of bombs on various targets. There was..heavy rain this morning."-Aus.-N.Z. Cable ASall.-KCUtfir. ITALIANS ADVANCE TO THE PIAYE ~ .. RECAPTURE OF CAPOSILE. ■■.■■'■ . • .' i ~ '-The latest advices from Italy show tliat the Italians havo reached thTl'ia've near Saletto east of Treviso, ■ rind havf thus separated the Austrian lines onthe west side of the river. They havo recaptured Caposilo. Tho Piave is now subsiding, and the Aiistnans havo constructed many footbridges over the *iver.—Atis.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ' ■• ■ AUSTRIAN OFFICIAL REPORT ; Admiralty, per. Wireless'Press.-An Austrian official Boroentch'e southern wing in a steady advance, oUtnined irosh advantages' The lossetta Canal was crossed; at nme-points. The Italians are staking within? lollop our advance Prisoners were t-ikni from numerous units. Most eI ifc bom attacks especially on tot, sides of the Oderzo-Tveviso railway, broke down ,wth f™y los 'Hie Archduke Joseph's divisions pierced several Italian lines near Sovilln, at the southern foot of Jlontello. Our tains between • p nlniiw and the Brenfa and south-east of the Asiago were a S ain subjected to bttt£ ™ faults. In spite of great sacrifices, the ei.tmy was unable to obtain an advan--fus a - n N Z Cable AsL Keuter repmtetlly aml fruitlessly ndvanced on Dossoalto." (Eec. June 21, 8.55 p.m.) A wireless Austrian official report states:-"Tho battle for Veneti'a continues Iho eneniy on the Piave front made violent counter-attacks. Bitter β-htiii" occurred for our new positions on the Fossetta Canal, on the Oderzo-Treviso "rail way, and on Montello. In tho Montello region the battle increased in violence equalling the groat Carso battjes, 1 lie Italians at cortain'points drove forward storming-columns six tunes. His heavy losses forced the enemy to employ his reserves, without any system of throwing the divisions and regiments into battle All his efforts were in vain. Von Boreyitch's troops not only completely- maintained the captured ,11110s, but witli behanester e infantry divisions drove back the Italians towards the west to southward of tho Treviso railway. South-eastward of Asiago the Italians ngiiin stormed, with the somo ill-success as on previous days."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-licuter. FAILURE OF THE OFFENSIVE ADMITTED BY GERMAN PRESS (lice. June 21, 9.45 p.m.) ■ ' . ■ ■ . Amsterdam, June 20. German-comment on the Austrian qffcnsivo amounts to an admission of failure. Some excuse the faihiro by saying that the Italians discovered the exact time and place of the offensive. Most of..tho newspapers try to belittle Iho defeat, saying it was merely a push.—Aus,-M,Z. Cable Assn.