KALIAN CAMPAIGN.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1917, Page 3

KALIAN CAMPAIGN.

ITALIAN SET BACK.

PREPARING TO EVACUATE.

LONDON, October

Italian official—Powerful enemy forces continued the offensive on our left wing on the Julian frou* We have withdrawn our boundary line between Mont Maggiore and eastward of Auzia, and have provided for the evacuation of Bainsizza Plateau.

ON ITALIAN FRONT

(Received Yesterday at 11.10. p.m.) LONDON, October 27. Itjalion official—After grossing the boundary line , between Monte Oani n and Hud Judrio Valley the enemy attempted to reach an opening on me plains. The hostile effort on the Carso increasing. We repulsed strong offensive thrusts. ,

GERMAN CLAIM

OF 60,000 PRISONERS

[ADMIfeALTY—PER WIRELESS PRESS, j

(Received Yesterday at 11.10. p.m.) German ‘official—The Anglo-French effort on Flanders yesterday failed. The French vainly endeavoured to secure a foothold on the north bank of the Oise Aisne Canal. Austro-Germans captured the mountain ridge at Sol Monte Matniur, and arc pressing on through' the Julian alps towards the Italian plain. The prisoners now total sixty thousand and 450 guns. The Italian Isonzo front is shaking, as far as Wippao, hut the enemy are maintaining their positions on. the Cor-

ITALIAN DIFFICULTIES

GERMANS BREAK THROUGH.

(United Service Telegrams.)

LONDON, October 27,

Mr. W. Jeffries states a homeric struggle occurred at the Pass of Plezzo. The Italians made a fierce individual resistance and held the heights, heaping the mouths of the defile with Austrian; dead. The Austrians changed their plans and while' clouds of mist hung ovet the morass of mud they made a surprise attack up the valley of Isonzo. Here the battle was intensely bitter The object appears to be to-gain access to the Delba roads beyond Bainsizza, thereby splitting the line and opening a way to Frenelle- An entire German Army Corps debouched ,nto Isonzo valley, pduring through the pass upon Caporeto, between Mont Nero and Polounik with terrific, speed, the men almost leaping along the valley. An Austrian Army Corps massed in attack at Pleggo Pass but the intrepid Alpino on the advanced heights me still making a gallant defence. ITALY’S DANGER. ITALIAN SOIL INVADED. [AUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.! LONDON, October 26. A wireless German official message states:—The northern wing of the Second Italian Army is retiring. We are advancing beyond Karfreit and Rongina, and we are already fighting in 'many places in Jltailan territory. Prisoners now number 30,000, of whom seven (hundred arc officers. The booty includes three hundred guns. , THE POSITION GRAVE. LONDON, October 26. An Italian official statement says : It is at present impossible to give all the details of the position a the front where the struggle continues bitter and undecided. The statement admits that the situation is grave: blit if the Italian troops fight as previously, the enemy is unlikely to tread Italian soil for long.

GENERAL CADORNA. WASHINGTON October 26. A semi-official despatch indicates that General Cadorna is preparing important movements. (LATEST PARTICULARS. The fiercest fighting went on on the Bainsizza Plateau. The onslaught in greatly superior numbers caused the Italians to fall hack a mile and as it was difficult to cross tho swift river over bridges, constantly under fire they took the precaution to send heavier material to the right bank whence the artillery was now supporting the infantry and lighter guns on tlie Bainsizza Plateau. The excellent quantity of the Italian defence was shown in the fact that 1 700 prisoners were taken in counter attacks on tho Bainsizza and elsewhere.

The Carso was subjected to a tremendous bombardment by the Germans hoping thereby to hold the Italians to the ground.

AUSTRO-GERMAN TACTICS

[AUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION]

LONDON October 27. | Mr. Ward Price writing from the Italian Headquarters on the Isonzo front says: We are on the eve of one of the most immensely powerful long-planned drives with which the Austro-Gerinans seek to crush their adversaries, by a single staggering blow. A terrible crisis is coming when each iside (shakes -iaH: upon a throw of milloins of men who will be strained to the limit of exhaustion. Italy is about to single-handed pUmost the entire Austrian- Army with at least ten German divisons and new batiteries of heavy gun s ranging all along the Front. The fighting is swaying this way and that. The ItaJans ; at the first onset lost some ground, hut these are only the first sparring blows. The heaviest possible fighting _is going on in the Isonzo triangle with Tolmino a 8 the apex. The enemy is using overwhelming number of troops in the effort to thrust ns from the Julien Plateau.

A NEW TORTURE. J LONDON, Oct. 27. i The Germans on the Italian front are . useing a new torture. The gas pro- ; luces terrible itching, oven through masks. The inventors are hoping to force the Italians to remove the masks and die from gas-shells. 1 HELP FOR ITALY. ! (Received, This Daw at 8.50. a.m.) ; WASHINGTON, October 28. The United States will provide Italy 1 with one hundred thousand tons of 1 shipping a immediately, mostly taken from the coastffL traffic.