Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-31
ITALIAN DRIVES WIN
STRONG TYROL FORTS
NEAR CITY OF TRENT
Austrians Forced Back
Upon Rovereto as Fort
ress of Serravalle Falls
Before Heavy Artillery
of Invaders,

rectiOns, the Italians have reached
point only seven miles from that cit,
on the west, and are already about o
miles away on the south
In their main offensive up the VALLEY
OF the Adlge the Italians forced tn,
Austrians to evacuate the fortress Of
serravalle and are advancing upon Ro.
vereto, where a desperate battle is ex.
peoted. The Austrians have fallen
back upon Mori.
italian troops forced their way ur
the Valley of the Giurdicaria from the
Lombardy border, west of Lake Garda
and occupied the summit of Spessa,
near Storo. They then advanced and
with heavy artillery destroyed the mod
ern fort at Vezane, occupying the town
I Of the same name, which is seven miles
from Trent.
| In the Dolomite Alps, to the east Of
Trent, on the border of the Austrian
| Tyrol, a great artillery duel Is raging
above the clouds. On the northeastern
frontier of Italy, in the Carnic Alps
the Italians have seized the passes. One
force in this district is bombardlng the
Austrian fort at Malborgetto, while an
other force is advancing up the Rae
Raccolano Valley toward Predil Pass.
In the Trieste campaign the Austri-
ans are strengthening their positions
before Goritz, along the Isonzo River,
which the Italians have crossed further
to the south.
ROME, May S1.-Austran troops have
evacuated Fort serravalle. in the Adige
Valley. and are falling back upon the
Trentino village of Morl, 16 miles south
of Trent
Modern artillery fire completely wrecked
the ancient rock fortress at Serravalle.
After a 16-hour bombardment from the
heights OF Monte Altissimo the enemy
found their position untenable and fell
back under cover of the guns posted at
&ori to block the Italian advance up the
Adige toward Trent.
Dispatches received here today from
Udine indicated equally satisfactory
progress in the fighting In the Carnic
Alps, to the northeast After shelling
Austrian frontier Notifications, an in
vading army has moved northward in d
line parallel to the Valentino Torrent,
getto, the scene of historic battles of
century ago. In the same section an
other Italian force Is advancing up the
Raccolano Valley, in the direction OF
Predil Pass.
10 MILES FROM RoVERETo.
A pitched battle between one of the
three Italian armies now closing in upon
Trent and the Austrian defenders to the
south cannot long be delayed The
Italians moving up the Adige are now
within less than 10 miles OF the Tyrolese
fortress town of Rovereto. where the !
first great engagement In the Adige VAL
ley probably will occur. From the |
northern heights of Monte Baldo ridge |
italian shells already are crashing down |
upon the railway south of Rovereto.
The artillery duel in the Dolomite Alps, !
east of Trent, ecllpses any previous noun
tain fighting in the history of the world
Both Austrian and Italian batteries in |
many instances are mounted high in the
heights above the clouds and beyond de-
lection by hostile Syiators.
Omcial dispatcheS; early today men,
toned only minorS sklrmishes in the
Isonzo district on the east.
The italian Ministry of Marine has
closed the Strait of Messina to naviga-
ton.
A dispatch from Milan states that Ital-
Ian soldiers discovered a telegraphic ap-
paratus hidden beneath the altar of
church at Caporetto. Several Austrian
priests were arrested on the charge of
being spies and will be court-martialed.
The Italians are seizng Oglio Valley,
north of Lake Iseo.
The advance toward Trieste however
appears to have been hampered consld-
erably by floods in the Isonzo River. The
official statement follows:
FORT sURRENDERs.
I'm the Giudicaria Valley, on the Tren-
Lino-Tyrol frontier. we occupied an i'm
portant position, the summit of Spessa,
near storo. Our artillery destroyed the
armored fort OF Luserna, on the Asiago
plateau, which hoisted a white flag. See
ng this, the Austrian fort Belvedere,
situated further in the rear. Immediately
urned its guns against Fort Luserna.
THE modern work on the summit of
'ezena also was completely demolished
~ our artillery and occupied by infantry
rhe latter advanced at once as far as
he village of Vezana, situated below.
which had hurriedly been abandoned by
he Austrians. Our loss was slight"
The Giudicaria Valley runs almost due
asst from the Lombardy border, about 20
niles north of Lake Garda, directly to-
yard Trent, although the Giudicarla turns
outh and joins the Adge some miles fur
her south. Spessa and Vezana are on
he north side OF this valley. about 20
niles east OF the Lombardy border and |
even miles west OF Trent, commanding
he valley between.
The Asiago plateau is on the frontier '
n the east side OF the Adigs Valley,
bout 10 miles southeast OF Trent, the
orces operating here constituting the
pposite wing OF the Italian armies con-
erging on that city.
I'm CadoFe we occupied the defile OF
he Croci, the Cortina d'Ampezza walls,
nd all the valley surrounding that town
hip"
STRENGTHEN POSITION. 9
"on the Friuli frontier the Austrians
ing ago strengthened the positions on I
ne left bank OF the Isonzo commanding
ne passages OF the river, mounting a
Irge number of medium weight guns
hey also strongly hold several points on /
10 right bank, covering the city of
ortiz. Heavy rains have swollen the
yer 10 abnormal proportions. causing
to run swiftly. Nevertheless. our !
oops continue their progress with vigor. I
heir morale Is excellent" !