THE WAR.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 June 1918, Page 2

THE WAR.

ITALIAN CAMPAIGN.

[PEII PUF.BS ASSOCIATION.—COPYRIGHT.] ENEMY EVERYWHERE HELD. MANY PRISONERS TAKEN. LONDON, June 21. An Italian official message states 1 hat tlio enemy pressure tit Montello continued strongly on Thursday, but was everywhere held. Our counter attacks ro-gained ground. •» The enemy attempted advances westward and southward. An animating struggle tool, place, particularly eastward of the Cnss-Cheller-Baeuaria line and in the vicinity of Norvsa station. We took four hundreds prisoners and recaptured two batteries which were promptly turned against the enemy. We completely repulsed an attack westward of Candolu. Our counter offensive before Fagare, iZenson, and Beguiu, on Wednesday night and continued irresistibly, carrying us to the positions of the previous day. The enemy suffered heavily. We took several hundred prisoners. The enemy westward of Sandona Valley attacked four times against LasBon, being forced lo desist by exceptionally heavy losses. Parties of sailors and Bersaglieri daringly broke in the enemy lines, prisonering 200 and firmly retaining the captured positions. We extended our bridgehead at Cavan and Cceherina.

American airmen participated in the battle' for the first time.

TRICKS OF THE AUSTRIAN. * WASHINGTON Juno 22. The Austrian have been discovered sending their soldiers, dressed in •TLilian uniforms and speaking the Italian • tongue inio the Italian franks with a view to creating disorder. Each Austrian so discovered was shot.

AN AUSTRIAN MESSAGE. ROME June 21. A wireless Austrian official message states that the enemy on the 20th made an effort of undimiuished violence anil vainly attempted to recapture the positions we won westward of the Piave. The struggle at Motifello increased with violence. Wo destroyed wave after wave of enemy storm troops. There was hand to hand fighting on a twelve kilometre front. The 'ltalians threw in reserve after reserve. We imprisoned 3,20() on the 19th at Montello. REVIEW OF SITUATION. THE AUSTRIANS DEFEATED. LONDON, .Tune 21.

A review of the Italian situation communicated to the Australian U l -s« Association shows that the Austrian gains west, of the Brenta are insignificant. The Italian counter attacks render them unimportant. The Austrians did better on the Piave river front. There they have occupied continuous front for a distance of U miles. This is no mean achievement, but one which if the enemy had been able to (levelope it before the Italian reserves were available, would have made the situation a serious one.

One the JBth, however the situation altered to the Austrians disadvantage for the Italian reserves carried out a series of counter attacks, and broke tbe Austrian line, and gained the banks of the Pinve. The enemy's difficulties were much increased by the river flooding. Thus the sending up of supplies and reinforcements to them was rendered most difficult There are now no bridges left across tbe Piuvo, except one north of Montello since the 18th.

The Austrians have so far used tip 39 divisions out of 50.

Still, tbe Austrians have, large reserves behind their mountain front. If is possible therefore, that they will resume, the attack ou this mountain front, while at the same time keeping up their pressure on tbe Piavo river line.

Although the Austrians have been defeated, it is too early to say that, they will not attempt to retrieve tho situation.

CONFUSED FIGHTING. SURPRISES ON BOTH SIDES. LONDON, June 22. The “Daily Chronicle's’’ correspondent at Italian headquarters says that tbe fighting on the Piace is most confused owing to dense bushes. There are frequent surprises on hot! sides. The Italian Divisional Headquarters were almost surrounded yesterday. The staff left its desks and snatched up arms and fought an enemy detach meat until the latter were driven off. Two hamlets on the Lower Piavo salient changed hands six times.

G ERMA NY'S IN TENTION S. LONDON, June 22. A Hague correspondent states that Germany proposes to send 12 divisions to Italy, twelve Austrian divisions replacing them on the West Front. ITALIAN REPORT. fAUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION] LONDON, June 21. An Italian official report states: Jii the region of Monte Relluna the whole force, of the enemy was driven trick yesterday towards the northeastern salient and Montello. There we.ro 1,206 prisoners taken and the ground was also gained elsewhere. BRTTSir TAKE PRISONERS. LONDON. June 21.

The Australian Press Association learns that. 1,079 Austrians were taken prisoners and five mountain guns were captured on the British front in Italy, where British counter attacks recovered ground that had been taken by tbe enemy. j FIRST PHASE OF BATTLE. LONDON, June 21. French critics believe that the collapse of the first phase of the battle has already been accepted by the Austrians as final..

SECOND AUSTRIAN EFFORT. LONDON, June 21 Marcel Hutin states that Emperor Karl has forbidden a second effort adding that- an offensive which gave the enemy 11,000 prisoners will not encourage the Austrians in their illusions. He adds that public ‘ opinion in Vienna, Buda Pesth, and Prague is greatly inir pressed by the, failuro, which synchronising with the critical food and political difficulties which the victories intended to avert. AUSTRIA’S HUGE LOSSES. Received, this day at 8.45 a.m. LONDON, June 23. The Daily Chronicle's correspondent at Milan states that Premier Orlando in an interview said the British com. , mandor on the Asiago plateau superinj tended personally the burial of over j 5000 Austrians in that sector. The | enemy losses at .Monte Grappa were j terrific. Nevertheless the Austrian’s spirits were remarkably high. Officers were now marching at the head of their troops, instead of following in the rear.

One haul of 2,500 prisoners included twenty officers.

ITALIAN OFFICIAL REPORT. {Received This !Viv at 11.25. a.m.) LONDON, June 22. A 1.20 evening report, states that the enemy’s offensive lias not been renewed since Thursday evening. Wo sanguinarily repulsed a strong local attack in the direction of Loscon. The enemy concentrated violent fire in the direction of Montello and Grappa region. Wo crushed subsequent infantry advances. We again enlarged our bridgeheads at C-avague-Chorina, penetrated a post on the Asiago Plateau and captured the garrison. We downed ten aeroplanes.

AUSTRIAN REPORT. (Received This Dnv at 11.25. a.m.) LONDON, June 22. A wireless Austrian official report says:—At midnight we repulsed Italian attacks on Montello and westward of Sntnoona. The. enemy between the loth and 20th Juno lost 42 aeroplanes and our prisoners now total 40,000, including a few Czceho-Slovak Legionaries, who were immediately subjected to the treatment prescribed bv martial law.

DIFFICULTIES OF CAMPAIGN. (Received Tlii«J4nv nl 11,25. a.m.) LONDON, June 22. Reuter's correspondent at Italian headquarters describes the difficulties of Ihe campaigning on the whole front, a mass of vegetation concealing the machineguns, while they made, canals, dykes and ditches with trailing vines overhead to impede the quick advauce. Altogether 12,000 Austrians were prisoncred since the opening of the offensive.

GERMAN SYSTEM OF ADVANCE. 'Received This Dnv at 11 25. n.m 1 [LONDON TIMES SERVICE--COPYRIGHT! LONDON, June 22. Air Ward Price says the enemy are using the Germans system of infiltration attacks by constant small. streams of patrols of assault troops with specially trained bombers, hayoneters, flamethrowers, and sniper machine-gunners. The fluctuating fighting produces otio sigliis. He saw naked wounded men peddling their bicycles, ihe pressure compelling the immediate evacuating of patients from the dressing stations without their clothes.