New Britain herald., 1916-08-10
G0RIZIA'S FALL AS
 DESCRIBED BY ROME Brilliant Military Feat Accom-
 pliShed in Three Days Battle CITY ALMOST DESERTED
When Victors Marched in After Cru1nbling Defenses at Rridgchcad
 \ trian Soldiers, Others Having Fled.

Only Residents Were Wounded Aus
 trian Soldiers, Others Having Fled.
 Rome, Wednesday, Aug. g, via Paris, Aug. 10, 12:15 a. m.-The oper- atlOnS which led up to the capture of Gorizia by the Italians are described in the following official narratives giv- en out here tonight:
 "The attack began on August in the Monfalcone section, against hills S5 and 121, east of Rocca. We stormed a very powerful enemy works there, taking 143 prisoners, but the adver- sary had placed in abandoned trenches quantities of bombs, which exploded, giving off clouds of poison ous gases, just as our troops entered the captured lines Heavy masses of the enemy then made counter attacks and our troop, stupefied or asphyXiat- ed by the gas, were forced to fall back to their own trenches.
 "On August 5, the artillery sounded the enemy's whole front With the Ob- ject of distra acting his attention and fixing the ranges accurately. On the morning of August our batteries opened fire sim ultaneously on the rocky barries which, from SabOtinO to Cavario, defends the Isonzo and Gori- zia to the west and against Monte San Michele, which forms the northern edge of the Gorizian Carso. The ar tillery action of the day, long and carefully worked out, represented perfect example of concentrated fire against fortified lines.
 Foe Buried in Tempest of Shells.
 ''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 lengthening of fire had been calculat- ed with the greatest nicety. Thus at the appointed time a Veritable tenn pest of shells fell in a wholly unex- pected manner on the positions of the enemy demolishing everything sys tematically.
 "Infantry columns then advanced with customary dash, well supported by a curtain of fire of our artillery, and carried the entire formidable Sa- bOlinO rampant, the point which forms the base of the GOrizia bridgehead. On the heights which cover the city to the west, they stormed the dcfenses of Oslavia and of the summit of Hill 2O6 which command Graffcnburg. On the plain they drove in a defensive line be- tween the southern border of Podgora and the Isonzo. They also attacked 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 en- trenchments running into the San MartinO zone. Finally, in the Mon falcOne section battalion of Bersag- lieri cyclists from the Third, Fourth and Eleventh regiments, after a des- perate struggle. stOrmed all the de- lenses on Hill S5 and held out there against violent concentrated artillery fire, repulsing furious counter attacks by Austrian infantry.
 Battle for Three Days.
 Possession of the lateral pivots of the GOrizia bridgehead being assured by the conquest of Monte Sabotino and Monte San Michele, it remained to take the imposing barrier formed by the heights immediately to the west of the city. The battle ebbCd and flowed necessarily for three days. The ground was fortified strongly and sup ported by a great number of lines of defenses thrown up by the adversary close to Gorizia, an important center, which rendered it easy to offer stub 1 born resistance and enabled the Aus trians to make violent counter at l tacks Inch by inch and at the cost l of generous sacrifices, our infantry, i with the admirable cooperation of 1 our artillery, conquered first the ! crest and then the southeastern ! slopes of the heights and stOrmed in i numerable trenches, gradually driving l the defenders before them, notwith- l standing repeated counter attacks.
 AS a result of all these continuous efforts all the heights on the right | bank of the IsOnzo, forming the bridgehead of Gorizia, and Monte San Michele, on the left bank, were cap tured and are securely held by the Italians The line of the fsOnzo below Tolmino is assured to them, and their guns. dominating Gorizia, drove out the enemy lurking among the ruins.
 ."This uninterrupted three day fight covers with glory the troops of the third army, commanded by the Duke of AOsta
 Gor,izia Found Abandoned.
 Notwithstanding the desperate fighting around Gorizia, the city it. self suffered comparative little dam age When the Duke of Aosta entered the city after forcing the bridge across the river, GOrizia was found to be de- serted save by great numbers Of wounded and dying Austrians on the outskirts The duke was accompanied bv his cousin, the king. The only damage done by the Austrians was that occasiOned by their attempts to destroy military buildings filled with large quantities of supplies.
 "The fighting at the bridge across the Isonzo at Podgora, leading into Cor izia. was among the most sanguinary nnisodes of the war After the Ital-