Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-11-19
ITALIANS BEAT BACK
VIOLENT PIAVE ATTACK
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past four Italian machine gun bat
teries capturing their guns and driv-'
ing the Italians back into the village
of Fagare.
Here the real fight began as the
Italians had now recovered from the
surprise and they fought like de-
mons. 1t was n hand hand fight
through the streets of the town with
no place for artillery or machine
guns and the Italians using bayonets,
hand grenades. knives and gelatine
torpedoes. The Austrians held part
of the town near the bank with the
Italians on the Landslide. The Aus
trians tried to throw a line around
the town and succeeded in part on
one side until the Italian batteries to
the north, get the range of the line
outside the shelter OF the streets. This
line was was first to be demolish ed and
then the Italians on this side of the
town advanced. cheering and hewing
their way. The enemy held at first
then began to seek cover and finally
broke as the Italians pushed into the
town back of 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 ater's edge and
those who saw the great Somme sight
said the great number of bodies on
the river bank and in the water re-
minded him of heaps OF seaweed
after the tide had gone out.
Further up the river at the Sega
mill, the other crossing had brought
on another bloody fight which lasted
In 70 Fh 10
shore was cleared of living Austrians
But it was lined with dead. The
movement here began late on Fri
day night and reached it's culmina-
ton about IL o'clock Saturday morn
ing. Friday night several Austrian
battalionS got across undertake cover
of darkness. They chose narrow
channels and some of the Austrian
officers rode across on horseback.
They took a position near the town
cemetery and opened on the Italians
during the night with machine guns.
The Austrians carried two search
lights which they played on the Ital-
ian position, while the Italians were
without searchlights. 1t was only by
the flashes of the Austrian machine
guns that the Italians could direct
their fire.
At daylight yesterday the enemy
still held his position at the ceme-
terry. The situation began to look
serious and for a time it appeared
as though the Italians would have to
fall back. The famous Bersaglieri
brigade was brought up fresh from
its heroic rearguard defense of the
main army as it retired on the field
Some of the other troops were from
nearby towns anu they were stirred
to a last desperate effort to save their
homes.
The Italians charged shortly after
dawn their line moving straight up
the hill to the cemetery. Against ma
chine gun fire and guns on the bank
the Italians moved with bayonets,
grenadeS and torpedoes. 1t was one
of those charges inspired by love OF
home and country which will live
always, and it was irresistible. The
enemy wavered and broke just as the
Italian artillery on a nearby height
got the range of the cemetery. But
the main fighting was hand to hand
with the enemy being pressed back
steadily to the river. where they
were cut down, droned, bayoneted or
captured. By 10 o'clock yesterday all
had been swept away except few
struggling groups, but by noon, not
one of the enemy's force was left
on the western bank.
In addition to some 1900 killed the
enemy lost 1900 prisoners including
two colonels and some thirty other
officers. All the Austrian machine
guns were captured and are now be-
ing used by the Italians.
Italian stretcher bearers did noble
service yesterday afternoon in caring
for the great number of Austrian
wounded who lay along the shore.
Two of these stretcher bearers wad-
ed out to the sand bar amidstream
where several seriously wounded
Austrians had dragged themselves.
They were brought back and cared
for carefully by the Italian hospital
corps. One of these wounded Aus
trians was wounded seriously in the
leg and he was supported between
two Italian soldiers on the way TO
the receiving station. The Italians re-
covered their dead, some of them at
the waters edge. One gunner was
found hanging lifeless over his ma
chine gun.
This summarizes most desperate
fight to preserve the PiaVe line.
Au.I.:ou A:rnIono Houorc