ITALY.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1917, Page 5

ITALY.

HERMADA ISOLATED. TL'IUUFIC GUN DEFENCE. Received Aug. 25, 5.5 p.m. Rome, Aug. 24. lTernmda, Hill is being attacked on all -ides and is now isolated. It continues to pour fire from five hundred cannon and a thousand machine-guns. 'The Austrians recognise that its fall will probably cause a collapjo of the entire front. An Italian official message states: The battle is continuing, Wc carried new positions, and repulsed violent counterattacks. Tlie prisoners now rramber twenty thousand men and five hundred ollieers, with sixty guns. Our aeroplanes bombed massed troops and. tlie communications of the enemy, Who persist in fruitless att.:apts in the Trentino. AUSTRIANS LOSING GROUND. A STUBBORN RESISTANCE. Rome, August 24. The Austrian resistance on the Carso is stubborn on <.h» whole front. The Carso sector is? enormously valuable, to the enemy, and is held by the best troops, v.-ho are fighting; with great bravery, but losing ground despite counterattacks. The Italian toll of prisoners does not include wounded men, who are in larger numbers than in any other action on this front. MONTE SANTO CAPTURED. RETIRING EkVEMY PURSUED. Received Aug. 20, 5.5 p.m. Rome, Aug. 25. Italian official: The tricolor has flown since yesterday en the summit of Monte Santo. The second army troops are pursuing , the retiring'enemy en the Carso front. Fighting continues. Caproni, in the Chipovano valley, was bombed. [Monte Santo, a mountain on the east hank of the Isonzo. five miles north of Gorizia, yhich. had withstood all the efforts of the Italians.] ENEMY'S DEFENCE BROKEN. RETREATING AUSTRIAN'S PURSUED. AVIATORS BOMB INFANTRY. Received Aug. -20, 1d.50 p.m. Loud in, Aug. 20. An Italian official report states: Our second, army broke the enemy's defence at several points. The Austrians are defending every yard of their retreat over difficult ground, wh < the Italian; aro closely pursuing. Our airmen are flying low into tlia Chiapovano valley, which is crowded with troops, the infantry Leing repeatedly bombed. DESPERATE FIGHTING AT HERMADA. AUSTRIANS FOODLESS AND WATERLESS. Received Aug. 20, 11.50 p.m. Rome, Aug. 20. The fighting at Hermada was most fierce, a thousand projectiles splintering ■the rocks ami shattering th; caverns. H.unu.rec!°. of aerop'anes .verc dropping I'o/vb.' I'u.-n';.- '.' V- \:ca \. ;t..;/i.f. ,o&d. and water for five days on the rock-, which, has become an inferno. j ITALY'S MOST DESPERATE BATTLE. 05,000 AUSTRIAN'S OUT OF ACTION. 'LARGE -STORE? OF AMMDiNITTON AND GUNS TAKEN. ITALIAN AIR SUPREMACY. Received Aug. 20, 5.5 p.m. Rome. Aug. 25. It is estimated that 05,000 Austrians were put out of action in the first four days of the offensive.

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The Austrian?, assert twit the Kalians have 9000 giws ou a ninety kilometre* front. Milan, Au", 25. Enemy correspondents at tli.j front agree that the battle wis the most desperate yet fought o .. v.iie Jte.li.ia front. Prisoner;; toy th.M reserves are pouring in from all quarters. General HoltKcndorfl' has assumed :omaiaud of the Austrians. The Kalian, o-?pturod larg- stores of j films and ammunition at Selo. The Aus- . trianss tried to remove these, but the I Italian gunners shot the horses. Then ~ the gunner, tried to remove the, guns 1 by hand, but the barrage cut iliom oil', ; nearly all being tafeeu prisoner. The Italian air supremacy remains un- , ','hallenged. The sky swarms with Itali- ,. ana, but scarcely an Austrian can be . seen on the Italian side of the fighting . line. j Meanwhile Italian aeroplanes bombed th<i Austrian fleet, goading the Austrian 3 airmen into the air, but the latter , funked a light. e The Austrian commander, finding Trieste was within range of the new Italian guns, ordered the airmen to destroy the monitors at all costs. The Austrians ascended and threw bombs, but without result. AUSTRIAN LINES BROKEN. FIGHTING BY SEARCHLIGHT. AUSTRIAN'S REINFORCFn Received Aug. 26, 5.0 p.m. Rome, Aug. -'5. The entire Austrian first line of defences, and some places in the second and third lines have been broken. Night fighting is occurring on many sectors under powerful searchlights. The prisoners' condition testifies to the Austrians' inferior equipment, many being half famished. Prince Conrad has as"sumed the command ou the Carso. General Wurm lias been wounded or recalled. The Austrians have brought up fresh ' divisions, including large numbers of : sailors. ANGLO-JTALIAN MONITORS. A TRIBUTE TO TTTRTR EXCELLENT | WORK, TRIESTE WITHIN RANGE OP GUNS. Received Aug. 20, 5,5 p.m. Korne, Aug. 20. The Tri buna's naval correspondentpays a tribute to the excellent work of the British and Italian monitors in the Gulf of Trieste. These vessels threw hundreds of heavy shelf: on vital Austrian defensive works. The Austrians admit that the Kalian navy has beaten all records with heavy guns. While the Carso struggle was pro- . wodmpf, the Anglo-Kalian monitors, . escorted by numerous torpedo boats, . anti-submarine motor-boats, and aeronicies, proceeded to the gulf, where , they dodged the minefields and opened t «re ou Koveiei, Hernmda, and Trieste . docks.