ITALIAN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 17 June 1918, Page 5

ITALIAN FRONT.

AUSTRIANS ATTEMPT TO BREAK THROUGH. LONDON, June 15. . Italian official. —Early on the morning of the 13th ; after intense artillery! preparation, the enemy attempted to force the defences of Tonale Pass, launching an infantiy attack on Cady summit and Monticelle ridge. Our firm resistance broke the enemy Impetus on the advarced lines. Later our counter attack and deadly artillery concentration stopped the enemy and definitely drove him back. At night time our barrage fire promptly crushed a renewed attack northward of the road; The enemy's losses, particularly to his supports at the rear, were very heavy. "We took prisoner 130, belonging to four regiments.

At 6.50 this even<ng an Italian offi-! cial report stated: There is intensified artillery fire fiom the Lagarina Valley to the sea, and extremely violent artillery fire to the eastward of Brenta and the middle Piave. IMPORTANT DEFEAT OF ENEMY. LONDON, June 15. Semi-official. —The numbers of pris-. oners illustrate the importance of the enemy defeat yesterday. The object was to break through into the Camaja Valley ,the first day's objective being Ponte de Ligne, and the greatest precautions have been taken to effect a surprise. Infantry were conveyed to the line at the last moment in mortor lorries. An entire division was flung into action according to the latest German assasulting tactics against the slopes' of Cady Summit. Storming parties were nearly everywhere crushed under a hai 1 of shdapnel. The enemy gained a footing in only three advanced isolated Italian posts, from which they were driven out by counter attacks. ROME,/Tune 14. zThe "Messagero" learns that one of the Austrian dreadnoughts sunk, with 80 of her crew, was the Tegetthoff. ROME, June 14. The. King of Italy reviewed a Czech-Slovak corps, which is'now in readiness to fight for*ltaly.

ATTEMPT TO FORCE A PASS Received 8.45 a.m. ROME, June 15. Miliary critics consider the Austrian attempt to force Tonall Pass means the beginning of the delayed offensive THE AUSTRIAN OFFENSIVE. ALL DAY LONG ATTACK Received 9.10 a.m. LONDON, June 16. British-Italian official: After heavy bombardment from the sea to the Adigo the enemy's infantry attacked all day long. Four Austrian divisions attacked the B'ritish front. The attack on the right- completely failed with the heaviest enemy losses. The enemy on the left penetrated the front line on a front 0f"2,500- yards to a maximum depth of a thousand-yards, where ho was firmly contained; The enemy suffered very heavy losses. Our low fliers in the afternoon were continually engaged in machine-gun-ning and bombing enemy bridges and transport on the lower Piave, doing great damage. ITALIANS REPULSE AUSTRI. -S'S EVERYWHERE. ROME. June 16.

Signer Orlando announced, that an Austrian offensive opened with a violent bombardment at 3 o'clock this morning. An infantry attack was launched at 7 o 'clock along the whole front is engaged, since the offensive extends with equally extreme violence from the Astece to the Brenta, thence to the Piave and along the Piasse everywhere, involving the Astico plateau, Mount Grappa sector and plain. Our troops offered a magnificent resistance. The Austrians failed to achieve even the preliminary succes* customary in crushing offensives. ONLY A PRELUDE. TO A GREAT OFFENSIVE. Ecceived 11.50 ajin. ROME, June 16. The correspondent of the Couriere Delia Sera is of opinion that Austria's fruitless attack on Tonale Pass is prelude to the great offensive which has been long preparing. General Krobaten has employed a whole division. The only success was the capture of Height 2545, which is within three hundred yards of the Austrian starting point, and is dominated from Italian positions.