In The Trentino Battle

Horowhenua Chronicle, 25 August 1916, Page 2

In The Trentino Battle

I lOYK-WITNESS'S I>JSsCIUI»TION\ [ (rrom a London Times Correspondent). Italian Front, Treiitino, 11a,v. It is the fifth day of the Austrian offensive. "We have an action in progress,' says the colonel. The night is clear and in:ld. A moon, full red, is rising on the horizon. Headquarters are located in an ancient Austrian leiidal castle, which crowns a hilltop. At our feet the valley spreads out, and the mountain-chains to the right and left seem to meet at an angle in the j west. .Here a blackened mountain maw dominates the valley. It is the I'anarotta, the stronghold of the enemy "The eye of the Austrian?;," a- young officer exclaims, as from the crest a beam of light breaks forths, flaring with great intensity on the Italian positions lower down. Immediately an Italian light endeavours to shine directly in the path of the Austrian light and blind its rays. Another Austrian light darts forth from across the vai!ey. Promptly an Italian searchlight gives battle. Thus for more tiian an hour the opposing searchlights endeavour tn intercept one another. To-night the Austrians are on the offensive. 'I heir lights sweep the hillcrests,' pursued by Italian rays. The moon is now high in the heavens, the snow-clad peaks, the shadowy ravines. the villages within Italian lines, as well as those beyond the invisible r;ng of steel are bathed in a silvery light. We are less than four miles from advanced enemy positions.' The stago is set, the battle is about to begin. Information brought in during tile day tells of fresh units of the enemy, massid in second line. Deserters, surrendering to Italian patrols, report that an important action is impending. The General Commanding bids lis goodnight. • i Wc make our way on loot through <|iiiet country lanes. Through flie trees, the glimmer of the searchlights' flashes comes and goes like giant lire-flies. The clear notes of a nightingale ring out in the stillness of the night. Nestling in the valley lies a large town, which only a fortnight ago was filled with civilians, "redeemed Italians," who had enjoyed eight months of prosperity and liberty under Italian rule. Now these have been evacuated and scattered in the four corners of Italy, and the deserted houses and empty streets add to the unreality of the scene'. The whirring of field telephones wires which hang low, hastily looped over the branches of olive and mulberry trees, alone indicates any activity of man. There are no troops in sight, save a patrol which stops us and examines our papers. It seems difficult to realize that a: great battle is impending. No scene could be more peaceful. In the marshes, frogs are croaking in loud unison. The scent of new-mown hay is waftted across the valley. The minutes Jiang heavily. A halfhour passes. An hour seems interminable. This afternoon, beyond the mountains, in the next valley, not .more than nine miles away as the crow flies, a bloody action was fought. Not a sound of the cannonade reached us; what had happened there wc did notlmow.' ror the Austrians are attacking from a single base, and their battle line is not more than 15 miles long, pivoting on a central position, whereas the Italian forces in this same sector are compelled, by the configuration of the mountains and the intersecting valleys, to light separate actions which can only be co-ordinated with utmost difficulty.

Shortly before 1 o'clock in the morning the Austrian batteries open fire. Krom the west, the north, the east, the hail of shell and shrapnel tears open tho crest of the hill, the Monte Collo, against which the attack is directed. So intense an artillery iire has not hitherto been witnessed on the Italian front; 380's, 30o's, 240's, l-iU's, 105's rain upon the short line ol Italian entrenchments.

For more than throe bourn the bombardment continues. The Italian guu« apparently refrain from answering. Hut every battery is in readiness, ©very Italian gun is trained on tlie spot where the enemy must- pass. Every man is at his post, waiting, waiting. It is just before dawn. The ail' of tltifs Alpine valley its cold and raw. A bleak wind blows across the trees. The cannonade slackens. From our position we cannot see the enemy advancing, but the black, broad strip of new-ly-upturned soil 011 the crest of Monte Collo shows the effect of the bombardment. Split wide open like a yawning crater, the hilltop has beon ploughed up in every direction. Barbed wire pa'rapctfi and trench lincfi have disappeared, buijied under the tanglod earth clumps. A minute, perhaps live or tell! "They are coming is whispered in the observation post. A thunder of artillery greets the attacking forces. On they come. Instinctively one cifti dis-

corn a shadowy mass moving forward. Huddled together they crouch iou\ Hhells are tailing, aud then cease, juul file '"click," "click," of the machinegun's enfilading lire its Heard. Tito enemy readies the Italian advance trenches. The iirst streaks of light, grey nnd cold, show new att.-K'k ng i>rces coming up over the 11111. Thcv penetrate deep into the ploughed sou. They seem to hold the hill. Stumbling through the frittered terrar.i vhe Aiiktr'i.ns advance on the Itn'ian positions. Then, from out of the tnwn earth an Italian haltlion .springs up. One e.iu alno-t imagine, that one hears tliei 1 li'K.rsi; bnttle-cry, "Av.i-iti, .Si;voia-! | Avantil" as they Fall upon tliei' 1 i nemirs. Wo learn later that flip losses ha /e been heavy. The Italian positions li.ivi' bec.i badly damaged and have been temporarily evacuated. Moth side; have taken prisoners, and what was the battleground is now a neutral zone. Home hours later I again look across the Monto Collo. The hilhiest is deserted. Relow the summit tresh Italian troops are occupying new and stronger positions, while endle.ss •stream of pack-mules is windili'g its way slowly up the mountnin-side.