Italy

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 12, 12 August 1916, Page 5

Italy

THE FALL OF GORIZIA,

VICTORY OVER TElc AUSTRIANS

Frees Association —Copyright, Austra-

lian and N.Z. Cable Association, Home, August 10

During the bombardment two palaces at Gorizia, occupied by the staffs of two Austrian divisional commanders, collapsed. Bodies were found in the ruins.

The Austrian defeat is colossal and complete, perhaps the most disastrous in the whole war.

After the fall of the enemy defences at Sabotino, San Michelle, and Podgora, their whole defensive system broke down. Nevertheless they defended Gorizia to the last moment, furiously lighting in the streets and houses. Many of the latter were blown np with the garrisons. The Italians are now attacking eastward of the town, and the roads leading to the eastern heights are covered with masses of enemy corpses. The Duke D’Aosta had commarnl o! the troops in the capture of Gorizia. The first troops forded the Isonzo, the bridges having been blown up. They marched through the streets with water dripping from their uniforms. The inhabitants welcomed the Italians.

Thousands of the enemy who had hidden in caves wore taken prisoner. It is officially announced that there are 21,750 prisoners. The provision and munitions depots were almost intact. Several batteries of the heaviest calibre were also captured. The enemy territory captured by the Italians is twenty kilometres long and five deep.

It is semi-officially emphasised that the Austrians especially strengthened Gorizia, which was made a strategic point. The rapidity of the Italian success was duo, not merely to the formidable artillery and tbc determination ol the infantry, but also to the secrecy of the preparations. The Austrians imagined that their invasion of the Trentino had exhausted thp Italians, but GeneralCadorna, while • maintaining the pressure on the Trentino, profited by having inner lines between the Trentino and the Isonzo, and thus was enabled to rapidly trauspoi I troops and material to the Isonzo. He launched his offensive at a chosen moment, with terrible and irresistible violence.

THE KING ENTERS GORIZIA. THE CITY NOT DESTROYED. New York, August 10. The Evening World’s Rome correspondent states that King Victor Emmanuel XII., riding alongside the Duke D’Aosta, entered Gorizia, followed by cavalry and cycle corps. The Duke was with the troops three days before the fall of the fortress.

Notwithstanding the desperate fighting, the city was not destroyed by artillery fire. Many thousand inhabitants had previously evacuated the city, the Italians being particularly careful to avoid unnecessary damage to buildings. The fighting at the bridgehead was one of the most sanguinary episodes of the war, and before the final sortie, the bridge was being named the “Death Pass.”

EASTWARD OF GORIZIA. OVER 11,000 PRISONERS TAKEN. 18 AEROPLANES CAPTURED. London, August 10. An Italian communique says: Cavalry and cyclists are pressing east ward of Gorizia. They made many dashing charges, inflicting heavy losses and taking hundreds of prisoners. They pierced the strong entrenchments north-east of San Michelle near San Martino, and also occupied Boschini. Prisoners are still arriving, totalling hitherto 268 officers and 11,072 men. Great quantities cl material have been captured, including eighteen aeroplanes horn the military depots of Paravacini and Doihery. Hostile aircraft bombed Venice' Two persons were killed and some damage sustained. General Cadorna’s order before the Gorizia fight began was; “You v ust march like an impetuous, overwhelming avalanche, nothing stopping >ou. Avanti Italians.” Messages from Gorizia relate that several hundreds of Italian residents who had been living underground aGorizia for several weeks, rushed out Und greeted their victorious countrymen, bringing flowers and Italian flags from concealed places. They led cc way to other underground caverns, where thousands of Austrians, who were in hiding, were taken prisoners. During the lighting a large nunmei of Austrians wore drowned. 1110 - v repelled the advance until it was too late to escape hy the bridge. -Altov the fall of' the bridgehead the entrance to the city was comparatively

easy

ITALIAN OPERATIONS. Press Association— Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cablo Association. (Received 10.110 a.in.) .Rome, August 11 • The Italians have occupied Rubbi, Sanmartina and Del Carso.

PROGRESS of thf victory

fugitives from corizia. M’ereived 10..") p.m.l Uoiiu 1 , A ■ {ftis.i 11. Tiu* most stubborn Austrian opposition to our advance on Hit' fsonx:) was at Paclgora, wliero the Austrians emerged from caverns ami inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers. The Italian, drew a cordon urar.d the position, and r. sumed the ulvat.ee. They organised defences at

San Michele and other c mmanding positions. They saw the Austrians

swarming along the roads out of Clorizia with carts and motor lorries, and the Italian long-rangi', guns opened 'ire ( n the fugitives, spreading panic, death, and destruction. 1 im Italian advance on Corizia covers thirteen miles by three.

AUSTRIA’S STORY.

Amsterdam, August If

An Austrian official report states: Owing to the situation arising out of the evacuation of the bridgehead, the town of Corizia was given up. After a sanguinary repulse of fresh Italian attacks on the Doberda plateau, the required straightening of our lino was ranked out without hindrance. We took 4100 prisoners in this re* riou during the past few days. We I were unable to save six guns when the Italians entered Corizia. The uiemy’s strongest efforts on the 9th, ,vere directed against the Plava sector. Four attacks wore made on Zazcorza, and three on the heights eastward of Plava, but they broke against our firm resistance. In retaliation for the Italian battle-plane attack that was made on Fiume, twenty-one 1 Austrian aeroplanes bombed the arsenal, railway station and military objects at Venice with ravaging results, tons of bombs being dropped. f)nr aeroplanes returned unharmed.

AUSTRIANS SUSTAIN 50,000 CAS-

UALTtES.

PURSUIT OF THE ENEMY CON-

TINUES.

(Received 11.5 a.m.) New York, August 11

The Rome correspondent of the United Press states: The Austrians lost more than 50,000 killed and wounded and prisoners in two days fighting preceding the fall of Gorizia. East of Gorizia, the Italian cavalry are now pressing the,; retreating Austrians south oi Gorizia.

There is fierce fighting on the Carso Plateau.

Austrian prisoners report that the attack on Gorizia was a complete surprise to Berlin.