The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-19
IN BLOODY fight
ITALIANS DRIVE
ALL ENEMY BACK
TOEASTERN BANK
Only Corpses of Austrians
and Germans Remain on
italian Side
LEFT MACHINE
GUNS BEHIND THEM
Hand -to-Hand Fl G h IN G
With Bayonets in Early
Morning Hours
CROSSING MADE
AT TWO POINTS
Italians Took 1,500 Prison
ers and Heavy Toll in
Dead and Wounded
CROSSING MADE
AT TWO POINTS
tBv Associated Press.l


Rome, Nov. 19.--ltalian forces have
begun an offensive on the Asiago
plateau and have occupied advanced
elements OF trenches, the war Office
announces today.
Further attempts of the Austro-
German troops to cross the PtaVe
have been stopped.
On the front west of the Piavs,
south Of 0uero, great numbers Of
Austrc- German troops are attacking
Morte Monfeneda and Monte Tomba.
ported from Berlin TO have been
taken by storm and the italians TO
have been driven from Monte Tomba.
The announcement follows:
"NoFtheast Of Asiauo the enemy
repeated his frultless and costly st
taoks 20 cain the lest heights. Be-
tween k1e Rrenta and the Piave the
last few days have brought the
(Teukanic) allies further successes
in the difficult mountain fighting"
Italian Headquarters in Italy. sum
day. Nov. 1S.--The Austrians, who
forced their way across the Piave
river above Zenson. have been thrown
into the river, drowned, bayoneted,
killed or captured, until now not an
enemy remains on the west bank at
that most threatened point. The fight
was one OF the most fearful chapters
OF. the war and one Of the most glor-
ious.
Details of the hight have been
gatherea from eyewitnesses who saw
the fearful carnage through Friday
night and yesterday and who stayed
until the whole west bank was clear
ed except for the corpses on the shore
and In the foreground.
The wounded were so numerous
that many have not yet received sue
cor. The enemy had staked every
thing on getting to the west bank OF
the river, and the Italians staked
everything on keeping him on the
eastern bank. This nerved both to
desperation. The Austrians made
the first move Friday in two separate
crossings a short distance above
Zenson, first at the village Of Fagare
and then an old mill, called the Sega
mill, near Follina-
Gross In Early Morning.
Several circumstances enabled
them to pass. They chose a place
where sand h0r ran in mid stream,
giving them a landing and dividing
the main stream into two small shall
low currents. Also there was a heavy
mist screening their movements.
They carried material for an i'm
provised bridge with uprights and
with the iron plates for flooring. This
was about o'clock in the morning
and in the mist at the early hour
they got across the second narrow
channel TO the west bank. The last
ten feet the men waded across in wa
ter above their waists. In their first
surprise rush they swept past four
ha&
turing the guns and driving the
Italians back into the village Of
Fagare.
Here the real night began as the
Italians had NOW recovered from the
surprise and they fought like demons.
III was a hand-to-hand fight through.
the streets OF the town with no place
for artillery or machine guns, the
Italians using bayonets, hand gren-
ades. knives and gelatine torpedoes.
The Austrians held part of the town
near the bank with the italians on
the land side. The Austrtans tried to
throw a line around the town and
succeeded In part on one side until
the Italian batteries to the north got
the range OF the line outside the
shelter Of the streets. This line was
the first to be demolished and then
the Italians on this side Of the town
advanced cheering. hewing their way.
Enemy Breaks.
The enemy held at first, then be-
San to seek cover and finally broke
as the Italians pushed into the town
hack 70 the river. Some plunged into
the water and sought TO get to the
sand bar. All the machine guns were
abandoned. Most Of the enemy fell
along the waters edge and the OBJ
server who saw the gruesome sight
says the bodies on the river bank
and III the water reminded him Of
seawaed after the tide had gone out.
Further up the river, at Sega mill,
the other crossing had brought on
another bloody fight which lasted un-
fil late yesterday when the whole
shore was cleared of living Austrians.
pll4f Ef 4yaa 1fssnH with dead The