Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star WEDNESDAY SEPT., 5th. 1917. THE ITALIAN OFFENSIVE.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 September 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star WEDNESDAY SEPT., sth. 1917. THE ITALIAN OFFENSIVE.

The first phase of the Italian offensive on the Austrian frontier having been completed, they liave now to hold their own against the Austrian counter--tttacks, in their newly won positions. General Cadorna’s left wing has won a considerable success that it will take some time to consolidate before a further advance can bo made, it being necessary to organise' his supply lines and advanced dumps before making the next big thrust. Ho has compelled the Austrians to mass reserves in the Chiapovano valley and on the heights immediately west of it, and now may very well elect to proceed with the reduction of the mountain positions north-east of Gorizia, maintaining tho pressure on the Bainsizza front, however, in order to contain the enemy forces on that sector. This course is tho more probable because it would permit the Italians to concentrate at once for assauTt on San. Gabriele, the height south-east of Monte Santo, possesion of which is necessary to clear the southern flank of tho front on tho Bainsizza plateau and tho northern flank of the front east of Gorizia. Tho London '“Times” correspondent says that possession of Madoni and Koenec will give the Italians control of the southern outlet of the Chiapovano valley. If this means that the villages named are in Italian hands the claim

to the whole of tho plateau would bo 1 valid. Madoni may well be within tho vone of the advance but one cannot be !-n confident regarding Koienoo. br-can;-o tlic Austrians would bo bound to fortify Podlaka and Point 878 to tho north of it. and those are well to tho west of Koloni'o. The Austrian counter-attack on the northern Carso, says an EastCoast writer was apparently launched against Fniti Hrib and Volkovnink, two heights that the Austrians had one© regarded ns impregnable and that th® Italians hav® sinoe organised very

thoroughly. The F«»ui peak, was car- | tied in tho fighting last Autumn, when, it will be recalled, the Italians developed an exceedingly pronounced salient. They c-apturcd Fniti, but at tho same time the other peak remained in the enemy’s hands. In November the Italians organised a sudden local oflensivo with the object of widening their salient carried the A olkovumk position and established themselves along the line of tho Vipaeco, west of Biglia, facing north. The Austrians retained tho bridgehead opposito Biglia, but from that point tho Italians occupied the high ground over-looking the A ippaeco for a distance of more than a mile. Then their front ran north by a bend in tho river to a confluence of Vertoibtza, tho effect being to leave the Austrians, north of tho river, in possession of a curious salient, a mile in depth and about half a milo across. Then? has been nothing very definito in the way of news since the Italians carried Soio and tho Austrians claimed to have driven them out again. Tho enemy was in special strength on this sector, and it it not at all improbable that General Cadorna deliberately planned his offensive with the intention of making the main thrust on the left wing. The fierce fighting on the Carso and the concentration of land and naval artillery on the Hermada defences may have been designed to hold the enemy to his ground on the front where he was anticipating danger. The Italians were hound to make a forward movement north of Gorizia sooner or later and soon rather than late if their general plan of campaign was to be worked out methodically, and the very fact that the offensive was opened on so extensive a front is strong presumptive evidence that the main thrust was on the northern wing and not on the Carso. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that tho battle is developing according to plan. On the other assumption, indeed, could General Cadorna’s emphatic statement reported last week have been at all warranted.