South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-07-30

| playmates, but only UP to a certain
age. One day they had gone to the
nearest city to pursue their studies
and later on had entered the military
academy. They belonged to the
wealthy families of the town.
The training and fighting qualities
of the Alpine were put to a severe
test during the advance in the Tren-
tino and Carnic frontiers where the
occupation of the passes and the sum-
mits dominating them had To be made
swiftly and effectively. The task de-
volved wholly on the Alpines and in
fantry.
ON May % at in the morning the
reveille was sounded and the Alpines
received the order to scale the sum-
mits facing them, chase the enemy
away and prepare the ground for the
infantry and artillery. Not in a single
instance did the Alpine fail to reach
their objective
The Austrians were surprised and
either fled or surrendered after a
brief resistance. At noon every bat
terry of mountain artillery was in it's
place and Smelling the Austrian forts.
simultaneously the infantry occupied
the passes and entrenched itself under
the protection of the artillery.
Capture Peaks.
precisely, in the Monte Nero sector.
the task entrusted to the Alpines was
harder and more complicated. The
advance there meant the capture Of
a series of peaks, strongly fortified
and well garriSOned, which guard five
roads leading into the PlOken plateau,
1000 feet above sea level. where, un-
der the plans Of Gen. Conrad, the
troops destined to invade Italy were
TO assemble. In 80 years Austria
spent $500. 900, 600 to fOrtify the re-
giOn between MalbOrghettO and Ora
disCa built four strategic railroads
for the swift transport of troops.
equipped the forts with the heaviest
and most modern guns. and garri-
sOned them with - II best troops.
Probably the eNact history of the
capture of the five peaks composing
the Monte Nero range will never be
written. but eye WITH esses maintain
that this history will be a hymn of
praise TO the Italian Alpine troops.
Gen. CadOrna never uses adjectives in
his official bulletins unless he is
forced to. Then the adjective stands
for what il really means In describ-
ing the capture of Mont POce. the
fifth peak. the general said the Al
pines performed feats which nobody
believed possible The Austrians
themselves regarded this particular
peak absolutely impregnable. To-
ward italy il was nothing but a sheer
wall. The only way of approach lay
through a deep gorge on the northern
side of the mountain looking toward
Plezzo. ON the Italian side even a
sentry was regarded as superfiuOus.
The only way To take the fort was
20 scale the wall and reach the
trenches Undecided. The Alpines did
it. Those destined TO scale the wall
went barefoot a boy went up first
with a rope. made il fast TO a rock
and then one by one the soldiers
climbed.
AuStrianS Surprised.
The rest is known. Two Austrian
companies were surprised and dis
patched in their sleep. Two more
shared the same fate. Later in the
day the Austrians launched against the
Italians a battalion of Hungarian
Honved. in a desperate effort TO re-
take the position. but the battalion
was annihilated and the bodies of the
Hungarians are still at the bottom of