The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-19

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movement here began late on Friday
night and reached its elimination
about III o'clock Saturday morning.
Friday night several Austrian bat
talions got across under the cover OF
darkness. They chose narrow cham
rels and some Of the Austrian off,
GERS rode across on horseback. They
took a position near the town GENE
terry and opened on the Italians DUR
ing 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. It 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
cemetery. For a time IL appeared
the Italians would have to fall back.
But now the famous Bersaglieri
brigade was brought up fresh after
its heroic rear guard defense of the
main army as it retired on the field.
Some of the other troops were from
nearby towns and they were stirred
to a last desperate effort to save their
homes.
Italians Charge.
The Italians charged shortly after
dawn. their line moving straight up
the hill to the cemetery. AR1inst
machine gun fire and guns on the
bank, the Italians moved with bay
onets, 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, drowned, bayoneted
or captured. BY 10 o'clock yesterday
all had been swept away except a
few struggling groups and by noon
not one of the enemy's force was
left on the western bank.
In addition to some 1,5o0 killed, the
enemy lost 1900 prisoners. including
two colonies and some thirty officers.
All the Austrian machine guns were
captured and are now being used by
the Italians. IS
s- Changes Hands Six. Times.
by the fact that the old Sega mill, on
the rivers brink, was taken and re-
taken six times during the ebb and
flow. The mill is full of bullet holes
but shows no evidence of shell fire,
indicating that the fighting was en-
tirely at close quarters.
Italian stretcher bearers did noble
service yesterday afternoon in car
rying the great number of Austrians
who lay along the shores. Two of
these stretcher bearers waded out to
the sand bar in mid-stream where
several seriously wounded Austrians
had dragged themselves. They were
brought back and cared for carefully
by the italian hospital corps. One of
these Austrians was wounded SER
iously in the leg and he was support
ed between two italian soldiers on
the way to the regular station. The
Italians recovered their dead soSIe
of them at the waters edge. One
gunner was found hanging lifeless
over his machine gun.
This summarizes a most desperate
fight to preserve the Piave line.
Venice. italy, Sunday, Nov. 1s.-l
The rumble Of guns is heard
throughout the city by night and
day as the fleet and the Venice
coast batteries shell the enemy at
yesterday afternoon an Austrian |
airplane flew over the city, but it |
dropped no bombs. The batteries of |
Venice did not fire, but when the |
machine flew over the Grand Canal |
italian torpedo boats discharged a |
score of shots with effect.
The city's water supply has not /
been interrupted, although it is |
feared the mains coming from the |
north will be cut.