ITALY.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1918, Page 5

ITALY.

AUSTRIANS FOODLESS, THEIR POSITION CRITICAL. London, June 20. Mr. Jeffries reports that the Montetio situation is very steady. The Austrians, for the time being, have ceased the offensive. There has been no opportunity to dig deep trenches, the troops being exposed to artillery fire. The dead are lying thick on the river slopes. The enemy seems indifferent and unable to react against the Italian movement. Prisoners declare that the Austrian forces' effectiveness has ended. They have plenty of ammunition, but no food. The troops w«re persuaded to take the offensive by the promise of rich food to be captured in Italy. Some pontoons of the bridge at Montello have disappeared. They have probably been carried down the swollen river. If so, the Austrians' position is likely to be critical. Swarms of British and Italian airmen are incessantly bombing the enemy. A Hungarian general at Montello was deserted by his staff and lost his way. He refused to surrender, and was killed. Mr. Ward Price confirms the reported statements by prisoners that they lave not received food since the offensive started, and that ammunition is running short. There is evidence of widespread confusion in the high command. Intercepted messages state that units are mixed up, that it is difficult to keep direction, and that the Italian resistance is most stubborn. —Times. ITALIAN SUCCESSES. AUSTRIAN LINES SEPARATED. London, June 20. ' Latest advices from Italy show that the Italians have reached the Piave near Saletto, east of Treviso, thus separating the Austrian lines. They have also reeaptured Caposile. The Piave is subsiding. The Austrians have constructed many foot-bridges.—Aus. N.Z. Cable As,iociation. British-Italian official: The situation on the British front is unchanged. Our artillery carried out bombardments aJiil harassing fire. The enemy's artillery was inactive. We have now captured seven guns. There has been heavy fighting on the (Piave front, but the enemy has made little, if any, progress. The river is in flood, and many of the enemy's bridges, have been washed away.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

EPIC STRUGGLES. ENEMY HEEDLESS OF LOSSES. London, June 20. An Italian official report savs: At night time on Monday and yesterday the enemy had not renewed his attack from the Asiago Plateau to Montello. We completely repulsed partial actions !n the Grappa and Montello regions. We carried out thrusts on the ABiago Plateau, where Allied detachments captured stores and prisoners. Our unceasing pressure has shortened the front opened by the enemy southward of the Monte Belluno raalway, deadly concentrations of artillery fire not giving,any trace of enemy masses on the battle-front or moving in the back areas. After a quiet morning on the Piave on the 18th, the battle broke out furiously in the afternoon. The enemy's fresh attempt to cross to the right bank from San Andrea to Candelu was repulsed on the embankments of the rive>. Between Candelu and Fossalta our strenuous! defence tried the enemy sorely. Bis impetus was broken by our infantry's Unshaken valor, which was equally intense as on the vaster front. The struggle raged in Fosßalta sector, south-eastward of Meolo and northwards of Caposils. The enemy was followed up by us, and defended himself desperately. In every yard of the, theatre there were epic struggles. Italian and Allied aeroplanes partiei- 1 pated, dropping 15,000 kilos of bombs I ind firing tens of thousands of machinegun rounds. The troops have been forced into a narrow space on the rigJn. bank The battle is continuing bitterly. The enemy, in order to preserve the initial advantages gained, does not heed the immense losses which we have been inflicting for five days. Our captures include many guns, while 50 enemy aeroplanes were brought down, and only two Italian and Allied machines have not returned.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. AN AUSTRIAN REPORT. London, June 19. A wireless Austrian official message states: General von Boroevic's southern wing, in a steady advance, obtained fresh advantages, and the Fossetta canal was crossed at some points. The Italians arc staking everything to stop our advance. Prisoners have been taken from numerous units. Most stubborn attacks, especially on both sides of the Oderzo-Treviso railway, broke down with heavy losses. The Archduke Joseph's divisions pierced several Italian lines near Sovilla, at the southern foot of Montello. Our gains between the plain of Brenta and south-eastward of the Asiago plateau were again subjected to bitter assaults, but despite great sacrifices the enemy was unable to obtain an advantage anywhere. The Italians repeatedly and fruitlessly advanced on Dossoalto. IMPENDING AUSTRIAN DISASTER. (Paris, Juno 20. Hie French press assumes that Austria will be unable to avert a disastrous defeat in Italy. Her losses are already enormous.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. FRENCH PENETRATE GERMAN LINES. Received June 21, 5.5 p.m. London, J<me 20 (12.45 p.m.). A French communique reportei Our detachments penetrated enemy lines between Montdidier and the Oise and in the region of Bois lo Chaume. We brought back prisoners.—Aus. N.Z. Cable

SIGN OF AUSTRIAN COLLAPSE. ITALIANS GALX INITIATIVE. Received June 22, 1.45 a.m. London, Juno 20. Mr. Ward Price states that Czechoslovak troops are fighting with the Italians and creditably participated in the attacks, which reduced the Sandana salient north-eastward of Veni<re ; where five hundred were prisonered. The Austrians have now passed five divisions to the west ibank of the Piave. The plainest sign of the collapse of the Austrian offensive is that the Italians have now gained the initiative, and are attacking to regain the lost fragments of their line. HEAVY FIGHTING. ATTACKS AND COUNTER-ATTACKS. ALLIES GAIN GROUND. Received June 21, 9.20 p.m. ! London, June £O. An Italian official message sent on j the evening of the 20th, states that the battle is continuing bitterly and uninterruptedly from Montello to the sea. AVe drove back the enemy on the evening of the 19th to north-west of Monte Belluna railway, compelling him to withdraw his wMe front of attack somewhat towards the north-eastern salient of Montello, and prisonering 1228, besides capturing numerous ma-chine-guns. The struggle along the Piave fluetaates fiercely On the front lines our defence was sustained by our troops .with great stubbornness and bravery. The enemy, on the afternoon of the IBth, attacking with fresh and numerous troops, ga.ined at the outset some ground fronting Zenson, hut our supports, arriving immediately, forced him to retire. Our counter-attacks succeeded in greatly reducing the fighting sector westward of Santa Donna, where we prisonered 513. The Czecho-Slovak units were valiantly given the first tribute of blood for the principle of freedom for which they fire fighting on our side. From dawn till sunset our and allied airmen and seaplanes participated effectively in the battle. Fourteen enemy jnachines were downed. French units made a successful surprise operation on the Asiago plateau and carried positions at Bortige and Pennar. We completed our gains, capturing Monte Costa and Lunga. Enemy attacks at Monte Corno were repulsed. —Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. THE AUSTRIAN VERSION. NOTHING BUT SUCCESSES. Received June 21, 0.30 p.m. London, June 20. Wireless Austrian official: The battle for Venetia continues. The enemy, on the Piave front, made violent counterattacks. Bitter fighting occurred for our new positions on the Fosseta canal, on the Oderzo-Treviso railway, and on Montello. In the Montello battle the fighting increased in violence, equalling the great Carso battles. The Italians at certain points drove forward storming columns six times, with heavy losses. We forced the enemy to employ his reserves, but all his efforts were in vain. General von Borevic's troops completely maintained the captured lines, and General Schariezer's infantry divisions drove back the Italians southward of the Treviso railway. South-eastward of Aei&go the Italians again stormed, with the Bame ill-success as on previous days. —iPress Assoc. AUSTRIAN RETIREMENT PROBABLE. Tmuß LOSSES ENORMOUS. Received June 21, 5.5 p.m. London, June 20. The Daily Chronicle correspondent's message from the Italian front states that an early Austrian retirement from the Piave would not be surprising. It is estimtaed that the Austrian stupefying losses exceed those of the Italians fivefold. They have already thrown in their reserves, whereas Italy's are intact. —Press Assoc. j A VALIANT ARMY. .THE ALLIES' CONGRATULATIONS. Received June 21, 11.30 p.m. London, June 21. The Press Bureau states that Mr. Lloyd George telegraphed to Signor Orlando (Italian Premier): "The Imperial War Cabinet and representatives of all peoples and nations in the British Empire desire to congratulate the Italian army on its splendid defence an the great battle now in progress. The War Cabinet has watched with pride and ad» miration the unwavering courage with which the brave soldiers of Italy, in company with the Franco-British, have repelled the offensive conducted with the whole strength of the AustroHungarian army. "This great success is a great source of encouragement to the Allies. Coming at the most fateful hour of the whole war, it is a good augury that the Alliance of the free nations will, ere long, free the world once and for all from the military domination which has threatened it so long."—Press Assoc. BRITISH-ITALIAN OFFICIAL. Received June 21, 11.30 p.m. London, June 20. British-Italian official: The situation on the British front is unchanged. The total of our prisoners during the battle of the 15th and 16th is 19 officers and 1060 others. Our aircraft was active on the 19th. Thev destroyed 10 enemy machines and (lrnripc'l lAflOlb (if mi various target? w."."- 1-esvv rain thi« momin»t—Am. X.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reu^r.