ITALY.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 June 1917, Page 5

ITALY.

SUCCESS^OF UPHILL FIGHT. MARVELLOUS WORK BONE. 1000 PRISONERS "QUARRXEID OUT," Received June 24, 5.5 p.m. London, June 23. Mr. Perciva] Gibbon reports that the latest Italian' attack at tlfe western end of the Asiago plateau aims at driving out the Austrians who are commanding the heights there. The Außtrians for many montjjs have possessed the advantage o! the 'highest positions .everywhere in the Trentino, the Italians invariably attacking uphill. The success of the uphill thrust at Mount Ortigara is incontestable, the Austrian® having taken 1000 prisoners after literally quarrying them out of the mountains. The Austrians converted the precipices into a mighty fortress |sye'teni, placing batteries at points that Were inaccessible except by rofk climbers crawling up the mountain from staple to staple that were driven h by the Alpini under constant fire, and millions Of tons of lpck excavated from the Aus- ! trion galleries are lying in the VMleys like huge landslides. The Italians are indomitably progressing on the crests which dominate the situation, and will eventually neutralise the whole Assa Valley. ITALIAN CAPTURES. , A. and Cable Assoc. and Router. Received June 24, 5,6 p.m. 'London, June.23. Itjlian official: The enemy concentrat-. Ed a brisk fire oh our new position at Mount Ortigara, on the Asiago plateau. We replied effectively. On the 19th we captured in this area, four guns, fourteen machine-guns, one thousand rifles, and a large quantity of munitions and mining material. HEAVY AUSTRIAN LOSSES. Received June 24, 5.5 p.m. >. Rome, June 23. H Messogero states tl\at the Austrians, since June 10, have lost over ten thousand men in the Trentino.