Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-11-27
Austro- Germans Launch At
tack After Attack, But Fail
to Break Defenders Line.
INVADING FORCES
FIGHT AMONG SELVES
Odds Against Gen. Diaz's Men
Placed at Four or Five to One.
Lack of Officers Felt.

entire division of the enemy
made an attack yesterday in
the Brenta valley in an effort
to break through the Italian
northern front. Today's official
statement says these troops,
which attacked in massed for
nation, were driven back.
Heavily massed forces of Austro- Ger
man troops vainly trying to break the
Italian defensive line have suffered
great losses, according to official dis
patches today from Rome, and between
the Piave and Brenta rivers alone have
worn out six divisions. The dispatch
says:
Make Desperate Effort.
"The forces Of Krobatin and Won
Du1ow. united in the mountainous zone
between the Piave and the Brenta riv-
ers. have made a desperate effort to
break through the line. availing them
selves OF their enormous reserves esti-
mated at twenty divisions easily shift
ed, With large forces hidden in the
a small patrol composed of Prussian
soldiers with machine guns was sent
forward to gather Information and pre-
pare the attack. =
AfforL Af%or AffacL
sIn fact, after short while. the Aus
tro-Germans appeared in thick waves
and delivered i furious assault against
our positions. At the outset of the at
tack one of our officers was wounded
by an explosive bullet. The soldiers.
seeing their officer bleeding from a
large wound in his forehead. and wish
ing to see him avenged launched them
selves forward with the bHyonet with
such violence that all the Austro-Ger-
mans who had reached our line were
completely wiped out with the excep-
ton Of one. who, taking off his coat fled.
shouting I am an Alsatian' The enemy
renewed his efforts and delivered attack
after attack with unabated fury and our
wounded officer remained forty-eight
hours at his place directing counter
attacks
Bear Brunt of Actions.
THE Regina Brigade for eight con-
secutive days and nights sustained the
brunt of a score of actions bearing tenn
perature Of ten degrees below the freez-
ing point. Some enemy outposts during
the confusion of the struggle fought
among themselves. SO the 31st Land
sturm during an action near Monte
Flor fought from the evening until
troops which were totally decimated.
From the Asiago plateau to the
Piave the enemy has suffered appalling
losses without gaining any advantage. Be
enemy has already worn out six divi-
sions."
General Explains Situation.
By the Associated Press.
ITALIAN ARMY HEADQUARTERS
m NORTHERN ITALY, Monday, No
vember 26.-During a trip of 100 miles
today through the fighting zone in the
north the correspondent met the major
posed front between the Brenta and
Piave rivers, where the pressure has
been greatest and the losses heaviest,
and obtained from him details of the
situation. AS the general spoke heavy
cannonading resounded through his
field headquarters, and he looked out
upon a great stretch Of the Brenta
valley, where the enemy is concen-
trating his forces to break through to
Bassano and the Venetian plains.
Odds Four or Five to One.
The general estimated these odds at
four or five to one. based on reports
reaching him and which were much
heavier than heretofore known. But
even against such odds his men were
fighting with a power of resistance,
courage and dash beyond all praise. At
tacks were almost continuous at one
point or another. but the Italians were
only repulsed attacks, but driven the
enemy back after series of heroic
charges.
The general summed up the physical
conditions of the battle-ground which
made the struggle particularly trying
on the troops First, he said, there was
that terrible strain of endurance and
natural fatigue accompanying nights
and days of ceaseless fighting with the
relentless foe. Then there was the ex-
treme cold, with the temperature at
nights at about IA degrees above zero,
Fahrenheit. This extreme cold was
worse, he said, because the men were
without any kind of shelter. everything
having Deen swept away IN the terrific
artillery action and the constant shift
ing of position.
Soldiers on Barren Ground.
There were no trenches or dugouts,
which ordinarily give some shelter, and
there was not water from unfailing
sources, such as the soldiers should
have when going through such an
ordeal. They were on the barren ground
of foothills covered with rocks and
stones The ground was without habi-
tation or the slightest natural facilities
usually required by fighting troops.
After summing up the physical hard
ships the general added that there was
the still more serious condition of many
commands being with very few officers.
as the continuous fighting had told ter
ribly on officers. AS a result new men
were suddenly called upon to lead large
forces far beyond their experience, and
as well as junior officers
we're directing superior commands in
many instances. The general said there
nave been fearful losses among the
troops which required a constant re-
forming of companies. regiments, bri-
gades and divisions. But with all these
terrible conditions. the general said. the
spirit of the men was unabated in the
to hold at any cost