The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-11-05
HEROIC f|GHTlhG
or CAD0RNA's men

Italian Headquarters in Northern
Italy, Thursday, Nov. 1.-(Delayedl.
BY the Associated Press.-The cav
airy rear guard continues to screen
the movement of the main body OF
the Italian army to its newly chosen
position and at the same time 70
check the advance of the enemy lines.
night gives the first idea of where
the advance is making itself felt
along the hills connecting st. Daniele
del Fruili, the Ledra canal and Poz-
zuolo del Fruili, making curved line
some miles west of the Isonzo river.
Military necessity still restricts rig=
idly the sending of details of the
operation and the mention of places
but within these close limits some
general idea can be given of the
heroic resistance the main part OF the
Italian army gave to the rush OF
overwhelming numbers.
The greatest shock came on the
north where the Isonzo first was
crossed. Here occurred the weaken
ing of certain detachments of the sec
ond army which General Cadorna
had bulletined with the frankness of
a great commander. 1t was. this
weakening which gave the German
contingents the opportunity at a
critical moment to pass forward be-
tween a portion of the army on the
north and the line further south.
Now began the double exposure of
the southern force to fire. in the
front and on the flank which re-
quired a steady falling back until
| the entire army was in movement to-
ward the newly established positions
further west.
During this prodigious movement
of the main front and the rear guard,
which can only be, sketched in. the
broadcast outlines, some sections sus-
tanned shocks of exceptional intensity.
The commanding height of Monte
Nero, which the Italians had occupied
after deeds of great valor, was de-
Tended against onslaughts from three
sides which gradually developed to
development.
Added to this was the suddenness
of the surprise below from the north
which developed into a turning fire
on their extreme flank, gradually
extending to their rear. Under suen
circumstances it was humanely posi-
BILE that any army would be tried
sorely and it was to extrieate the
| troops from this situation that the
retirement began all along the ex-
| tended advanced position occupied by
the Italian army within Austrian ter
ritory.
This line stretched from Plezzp
| (F1itch) far in the north, southeast
ward through Gorilla to Monfalcore
on the Adriatie. The second army
occupied most of the front above
Grozia, the third army that below
Gorilla. -.
The retirement was accompanied BY
shielding operations Of the rear guard
which poured deadly fire into the
advancing columns and at the same
time destroyed powder depots. az
purpose Of giving time for the witi1-
drawal of the italian heavy guns anc
of preventing military stores falling
into the hands of the enemy >
The Germans encountered stub
born resistance on the .Bainsizza
plateau and heaps of enemy dead
mark the lines of their advance
Around Globo ridge Bersaglter1
brigade, outnunnbered five to one
held back the enemy while the main
line had an opportunity to get its re-
treat in motion.
In one of the mountain passes "a
small village commanding the pas.
Twas taken and retaken eight. times
during desperate. artillery, infantry
and hand-to-hand fighting.
Goriza was shelled heavily ant
what remained of what the correspon
dent saw there just week ago toda,
was further reduced to a mass O
iInL,.,s IS he hid r1,
from Goriza the Isonzo was blown VI
by the Italians and the enemy move
ment was thus impeded.
To the west of Goriza the town o
Commons also was shelled heavily
The great German guns opened en-
ormous craters and literally tore TIL
town to pieces. -.
AS depots and arsenals wer,
blown up, the whole sky was 1ighte,
with a red glare and dense masse
of smoke formed in an enormous pal
like the approach of an equinoctia
cyclone. Added to the fearful di,
and heavy shell fire on front an,
flank was the continuous explosion o
powder supplies as the Italians slow
ly fell back, screened by rear guar
of Bersaglieri brigade. which threw
up hasty breastworks and contests
every foot of the way.
This permitted much of the heav
artillery and munition supplies to o
withdrawn but it was a prodigou
task in the face of such odds and owe
steep inclines Some of the gun
'ners hastily improvised derricks GU
of ropes and hoisted and dragged tn
, guns by hand from the advance lin,
Not only is the main body of tn
Italian army intact, after havin
: dealt several blows to the enemy. bu
, it is now apparent that the Italian
A,.k-@