Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-11
VICTORY COMES AFTER
FIGHT OF THREE DAYS
Duke of Aosta's Army Covered With
Glory In Taking of
GoriZiu.
OFFICIAL NARRATIVES is GIVEN
Austrians Put Up Glorious Defense,
hut Finally Are Overwhelmed.
NcritabIe Tempest of Shells Falls
on Positions OF Enemy.

u ROME. Wednesday. August tvia
Paris. August l0D.--Thc operations
which led UP to the capture OF Gorizia
by- the Italians are described In the
following official narrative given out
here tonight:
THE attack began on August in
the Montalcoue section. against hills
S. and 1871. cast Of Rocca we stormed
a very powerful enemy work there.
taking 1i3 prisoners. hut the adversary
! had placed in abandoned trenches guam
/ titles of bombs which exploded, giving
off clouds OF poisonous gases. just as
/ our troops entered the captured lines.
I Heavy masses OF the enemy then made
/ Commentaries. and our troops. stupe-
/ fed or asphyXiated by the gas were
( forced TO fall back to their own
trenches
ARTILLERY SOUNDS
ENENII'S WHOLE FRONT
ON August the artillery sounded
/ tho enemy's whole front, with the OBJ =
! jeci OF distracting his attention and
fixing the ranges accurately. On the
morning of August our batteries
opened fire simultaneously on the rocky
barrier which, from Sabotino to Ca
vario. defends the lsonzo and Gorizia
Michele, which forms the northern edge
of the GoriZian Carso. The artillery
action of this day, long and carefully
worked out. represented n perfect en-
ample Of concentrated fire against for
tilted lines.
Thanks to our aviators and TO the
observations OF battery officers. the
positions of the enemy had all been
marked off clearly on target maps and
ranges for the extension and lenSthcu-
ing of fire. had been calculated with
the greatest nicely. Thus. at the APP
pointed time. vcritable tempest OF
shells fell in n wholly unexpected man
ncr on the positions OF the enemy. de
molishing everything systematically.
Infantry columns then advanced
with customary dash, we'll supported
by curtain of fire of our artillery.
and carried the entire formidable Sa
botino rampant, the point which forms
the base of the Gorizta bridgchcat.
ON the heights which cover the city
tu the west they stormcd the dcfcnscs
OF oslavia and of the summit of hill
206, which command Graffcnburg. On
the plain they drove in a defensive line
between the southern border OF rod-
cora and the lsonZo. They also at
tackled on the right bank of the river
as far as Saint Andrea. On the
southern border of the CarSo, Italian
troops captured the very strong lines
ON the summit of San Michele and the
Entertainments running into the San
MARITIME zone. Finally, in tho Monfal-
cone section. Il battalion of Bersaglicri
cyclists from the Third Fourth and
Eleventh Regiments. after "A desperate
struggle, Stormed all the dcfcnscs on
hill So, and held out there against vio-
lent concentrated artillery fire, rcpuls-
ing furious couutcrattacks by Austrian
infantry.
ONLY REMAINS TO TAKE
IMPOSING BARRIER
Possession OF the lateral pivots Of
tho Gorilla bridEehead being assured
by the conquest Of Monte Sabotino and
Monte San Michele, il remained to take
the imposing barrier formed by the
heights immediately TO the west OF the
city. The battle ebhcd and flowed in
ccssantly for three days. The ground
was fortified strongly and supported
by Il great number of lines of defeus.
thrown UP by the adversary close TO
Goriza. AN important center, which
rendered il easy to offer stubborn re-
sistance and enabled the Austrians TO
make violent counterattacks. inch by
inch and ut the cost of generous sacri-
fees. our infantry, with the admirable
60 cooperation of our artillery, conquered
first the crest and then the southeastern
slopes of the heights and stormed in
Vulnerable trenches, gradually driving
the defenders before them. notwith-
standing repeated countcrattaCks
AS n result of all these continuous
efforts, all the heights on the right
bank Of the 1sonzo forming the bridge
head of Gorilla and Monte San Michele
on the left bank, We're captured, and
arc securely held by Italians. The line
Of the lsonZo below Tolmino is assured
TO them, and their guns, dominating
Gorizia, drove out the enemy lurking
among the ruins. This mintcrrup,cd
threc-day fight covers with glory the
troops OF the Third Army, commanded
by the Duke Of AOsta"