THE CENTRAL POWERS' COORDINATED OFFENSIVE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 121, 23 May 1916, Page 5

THE CENTRAL POWERS' COORDINATED OFFENSIVE.

AUSTRIAN DESPERATE THRUST AGAINST ITALY

ITALY'B ENEMY LOSES TWENTY-THREE THOUSAND MEN

THOROUGH CONFIDENCE IN ITALIAN OFFICIAL CIRCLES

ROME, May 22. The Austrian losses during the first three days of the battle are esti mated at 23,000.

A semi-official message states. The Austrians boast that they have made definite successes. It was inevitable that they should progress in the first offensive, but the history of all offensives in the war show that they are inevitably followed by long and exhausting checks. All the Austrian attempts were broken. They suffered cruel heavy losses. We regard the development of the present operations full of confidence. A communique says: After a bombardment, the enemy at Bonezugna hurled three -huge masses to the attack. After a desperate engagement they were driven back with enormous losses. There was an intense artillery action against our lines from Pasubeo to Terragnolo, and fierce infantry attacks from Astistno to B'renta, which our troops stubbornly held up, inflicting heavy losses, and recapturing a number of small forts.