South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-11-04
ITALIANS HURL BACK
FOE ON TAGLIAMENT0
CcONTINUED PROM PAGE oNEl

and coming into the street with their
hands filled with watches and jew
elry while an other places having
things OF value were similarly raid
ed
Incident OF Retreat.
While the retreat was on the
enemy continued 70 push forward
close upon the retiring army. the
rear guard holding the pursuing
forces at most points One priest
sarbed in the uniform OF a chaplain
did heroic service in this respect. He
saw an artilleryman falter and or
dered him back 20 his task. The sol
der made a lunge at the chaplain,
who called a carbineer. The latter
placed the muzzle OF his rifle at the
soldiers breast and warned him that
any faltering at such a moment
meant instant death, whereupOn the
soldier returned TO his task
ThgS the commanders battled
AGAINST the enemy and also against
the abnormal congestion, with all
its terrOrs. miseries and fatigues.
which follows in the wake Of a vast
rearward movement
The latest reports tonight indicat-
ed no change in the situation for
the worse. ON the contrary there
We're several reassuring phases, so
that the situation as a Whole, APP
peared more hopeful.
Third Army Retreat Remarkable.
one of the most remarkable fea-
lures OF the Italian retreat TO the
TagliamentO line was the manner
in which the third army. occupying
the sOutherly end Of the old line
effected it's escape from the envel-
opment threatened by the second
army's enforced rearward move
ment.
While the second army was stead
ily giving ground in the earlier
sta ses Of the Austro- German thrust
the third army had held its own. not
yielding a foot, although a heavy
Commandment had been kept up
along its front. When heavy enemy
artillery fire began TO be heard. first
on its left flank and then towards
its rear however. il was recognized
that the position was a precarious
one for such a vast assemblage of
men and war material This led 10
serious consideration Of the ques-
ton of a retirement and il is believ-
ed the order was issued late on oct.
25. or early the following morning.
Even after the order TO fall back
was issued. however, the duke of
Aosta's men stood 10 their guns, un-
willing 10 quit the field they had
won with such heroic sacrifice. until
the boom of the enemy's guns be-
gan TO be distinctly heard towards
their rear Then began the stupen-
dous movement rearward and side
ward with the enemy lowering close
along the line of withdrawal and
Italian Bersaglieri brigades sacrifc-
ing themselves 10 permit the main
columns TO get clear with their guns
and munitions. The movement was
complicated by the fact that few
of the main roads ran east and
west. most of them running north
and south. Also there were but
three bridges across the Tagliamen-
TO. which stream il was necessary
for the colossal traffic to cross in
moving westward.
Marvel at Speed of Removal
1t is the judgment of military ex-
perts that this removal under Ordin-
airy conditions would require a full
month, yet il was accomplished
within an almost incredibly small
fraction of that period amid exhibit
tions of fortitude and display Of en-
durance under hardships and newt
able suffering almost without paral-
lei
During its retirement the third
army had become separated from
/ the second. leaving a gap. Into this
gap enemy forces pushed forward
and soon put into operation cum
ming device Austrian soldiers were
/ dressed in Italian uniforms so as
/ 10 permit them 10 spread out over
I the country OF mingIe with the
Italian forces on both sides OF the
gap. The Austrians thus CARRIED
/ We're enabled TO advance unoppOsed
and then opened fire with machine
guns on retreating parties. Some
/ of the Austrians were smuggled for
I ward in motor lorries and then
turned against the westward moving
\ force.
Conditions for the retreating
army became worse as the days
. passed and the supplies grew scare
err. Many men died along the road
. from exhaustion. However. with all
the inevitable misery, terror and
tragedy attending such a gigantic
operation the army itself had been
. preserved with most OF its artillery
and supplies. although the best in
formed military opinion believes
that another two hours delay in
Cadorna's order 10 retire would have
resulted in the loss of the entire
third army.