El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-11-25
Italian Losses In Is Months
Of the Struggle Totals
100000 Men.
THOUSANDS DIE IN
INFANTRY CHARGES
Hand To Hand Fighting
Lasts Often for Hours in
Great Struggle.
UsTRO-HUNGARIAN HeadquAr-

STPO-HJJNGARIAN HeadquAz-
n rers on the Italian Front. Nov
I \ 25.-The terrible battle on thu
Carso plateau is raging with undinin-
ished fury. The awful struggle began
nearly IS months ago when king Victor
EmmanueFs troops crossed the lower
Isonzo, but still the world knows com
paratively little Of the events and rns
situation in this theater OF war
WORLDS Greatest Drama.
One of the greatest dramas OF the
world war has been enacted on ms
short front In their attempts to open
the vrav to Trieste the Italians, VINO
are fighting with reckless bravery.
have lost nearly SO0,0OO OFFICERS ana
men. but the steel wall OF the Austro-
Hungarians remains mistaken and me
Dual monarchy successfully continues
to defend its coast oistrlct ana -
aIl-important outlet to the Adriatlc
sea -.
Is primarily a war for positions The
lines on both sides seem TO be tmnoy-
able and have not been materially
changed BY the terrific efforts OF tEs
Italians, who since their entrance into
the war have made six determined e1-
forts to break through
Find No Weak Points
In their well prepared and well axe
weak points in the Austro-Hungarian
line. because there are none The
front is so short and the lines OF com
munication are so well organized thaI
large reserves can quickly De thrown
into any sector in which they may Do
needed.
AS the TANKS OF the Austro-Hungzr-
ians are protected by fortified noun
tains and the sea enveloplng tactics
are out Of question and the Italians are
compelled TO limit their operations 10
costly frontal attacks
Standing on the lowlands and on the
slopes of the Carso hills they are AT
disadvantage. despite their superb
ority in artillery. Their storming at
tacks against the enormously well for
titled Austrian positions on the heights
invariably break down Sometimes
thew push through sections OF trench
lines here and there. but their rush
is always halted and the Austro-Hua-
garian defence remains mistaken
1900 Guns Used in Drum Fire
Their last big drive was prepared BY
q drum fire of no less than 1900 guns
Of all sizes In three days they hurled
half a million shells against the Aus
trian trenches and Qualifications, but
when their infantry began TO advance
il was moved down in rows
In this struggle for positions min
ing operations play a very important
part The sappers on both sides are
continually digging tunnels under the
sections of mountain are blown into
the air by terrific explosions. The
Austrian and Italian positions are so
close together in many places that the
soldiers not only fight with rifle and
machine gun, but also indulge IN Ho-
merle word battles and Scolding duels-
The Italian artillery preparation for
the infantry attacks is always very
systematic and thorough With his
seemingly unlimited supply OF shells.
the enemy continues his drum fire IN
til he becomes convinced that the last
Austrian Qualifications are pulverized
and the nerves of the few defenders
still alive are shattered
Fight Hand to Hand.
Then the infantry advances in solid
ma sses- Generally eight stOrming
waves surge forward one after an
other. The hand-tO-hand battles which
follow often last for hours When
the awful struggles end the bare rocks
are covered with dead and dying, but
the general situation remains I'M
changed.