ITALIAN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 8 July 1918, Page 5

ITALIAN FRONT.

ITALIAN ATTACK. (ASSIST TROOPS. TWO THOUSAND PRISONERS. LONDON, July 5: Early this morning Italian warships attacked the coast between Rcvedolu, on the banks of the old Piave and Caorle,4n conjunction with an attack by troops ashore. The whole objective was to drive the enemy from the area between the two Piaves. The first flotilla beaded for Pola and detected a force of Austrian destroyer* coming south-west. The Austrians made off at full speed towards Pola, and a twenty minutes' running fight at 2000 yards range ensued, Austrian tracer shells falling accurately around the pursuers one of the Italian ships had her funnel ohelled and her engines injured. The largest Austrian warship was directly hit, and flames belched from , below the bridge, her speed being re- J duced. The Italian flotilla gave up the chose in order to protect another flotilla which was bombarding the coast. This force steamed up and down the- coast, firing at the Austrian shore batteries and encampment. At six o'clock the auxiliary cruisers, towing rafts, lay in toward the coast, while destroyers: issued clouds of smoke, masking movements of the whole group of ships. This miock landing produced wild fire ashore. Simultaneously a great attack by the Italian Army started from Chies>annova to the two Piaves. Nearly 2000 were taken prisoner, mostly Bosnians, who resisted vigorously. The Italians set fire to small bridges with floats sent down stream aflame, fed with petrol. The Italians, tinder heavy fire, built eight canal bridges on the battlefield, seven miles long and two deep. AUSTRIAN HIGH COMMAND

CHANGED. ON LUDENUDORFF'S ADVICE. LONDON, July 5. The Daily Telegraph's Milan cojre?

sp'ondent reports that the appointment of' General Von Below as Commander-in-chief of the Austrian army on the Italian front caused discontent in Austria. Von Lud'endorff made no secret of his opinion that Generals Conrad von Hoetzcndorff, Boreovic, and von Arz were incapable and the Emperor was compelled to sign a r c'<f<Js eree displacing them. The Municher Zeitung says that the Emperor Karl only yielded after "a. dramatic war council, wherein von Ludendorff declared that the Piavc disaster was due to incompetency, and demanded that the Austrian generals should be replaced by Germans. Karl, naturally mortified, hesitated to comply, whereupon von Ludendorff produced an autograph letter from; the Kaiser, insisting on the change. Karl, to the surprise of the Austrian generals, signed the .decree, and the generals' left the room in indgination, and none of them went to the station when;von Ludendorff departed. General von; Bci low has issued a proclamation to. the Austrian troops, saying: "The enemy

will soon be vanquished, if all do their duty.'' AUSTRIANS ADMIT REVERSE. WHAT THE ITALIANS SAY ABOUT

, IT. Received 10.40 a.m. LONDON, July i. Wireless Austrian official: Yesterday fighting continued at the mouth of the Piave. On the southern wing of our positions the enemy succeedec in pressing us back towards the main body. '"' Italian official: After five days of bitter uninterrupted struggle the "enemy on the afternoon of the 6th was completely driven to the left bank of the new Piave. We captured all the coastal zone which the enemy has occupied since November. Wo captured since the 15th of June 523 officers, 23911 men, 63 guns, 1234 machine guns, and much "dther~m*aterial. We also recovered all the artilleries anc material lost in the first phase of the struggle. , ;aia :,"?][ ion - ■> ■ >■■ V ] 'ITALIAN OPERATIONS. ; 'J oA AUSTRIANS SUFFER VERY HEAVILY. LONDON, July t>. In the Italian" operations west of the Brenta, four Austrian divisions were engaged, and suffered very heavy losses. The Italians between the Brenta and the Piave have not yet recovered all the lost ground. Italian official. —On the Lower Piave,, having repulsed a violent counter attack and destroyed new centres of the enemy's resistance, we considerably extended our occupation southeast of Chiesanuova and northward of Cava Uccherina, prisonering 419 and capturing a battery of six howitzers and many machine guns.

.We penetrated enemy positions north-east of Monte Grappa and repulsed two counter attacks on Asiago Plateau, inflicting severe losses. The British destroyed a posl at Canove.

Mr. Ward Price sayer- A curious semi-submerged "battle is proceeding" as a result of tne Italian effort to eject the Austrians from the Piave estuary, whicn has resolved itself into a series of fierce little struggles, often hand-to-hand, on islets, causeways, and dykes. Dead, wounded and living alike fell into dykes and are swallowed pitilessly in the slimy water. The Italians are- slowy pushing out the enemy '• - • """ ITALIANS GAIN" MORE GROUND Received 10.15 a,m!. LONDON July 7 Italian official: On the lower Piavc our pressure continuing firmly, again broke the stubborn enemy defence. Yesterday we gained more ground, reaching to the right bank of the new Piave from Gcrisolrea to the river mouth. A violent offensive return was attempted by the enemy northward in the direction Chiehanuova was arrested. Renewed violent attacks on our positions at Porte Di Salton, north-westward pf Grappa, failed.