Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-03
REAR GUARD SCREENS
RETREAT OF ITALIANS
Advancing Hun Forces Held at Bay
While Main Army Is Ex-
tricated.
ADVANCE BELIEVED CHECKED
Suddenness Of Attack SO Surprising
Second Army Weakens. Permitting
Enemy to Pass Gorilla and Cor
mons in Ruins.
IRy Associated Press.l

mons III
TBv Associated Press)
,TaI,IAN HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTHERN ITALY. Thursday NoFem-
Der 1.-The cavalry rear guard con-
,inucs TO screen the movement OF 'he
main body OF the Italian army 10 i's
.,v CHOSEN position. AMI at the same
onocl the advance OF the enemy
lines. ,,
cor.,,, Cadorna's bulletin last night
-. IN. first idea Of where the al
,,or.a &c making itself felt along the
nils connecting st. panielc del Frulii,
tho I,edra Canal and Pozzuoio oo'
1,ru;,i making a curved line some miles
west Of the lsonzC River.
MILITARY necessity still restricts fisio-
10 tho sending OF details of tho opera
ton and the mcn;ion OF places ~.
within these close limits some genera
idea can be given of tho heroie re-
sistance the main part or the itai'""
ormy gave TO the rush Of OVERWHELMING
/. numbers.
The greatest shock came on the
north. where the 1sonZo hrst WAS
CROSSED. Here occurred the weaKehi"s
of certain detachments or inc Scco"u
ARMY 1t WAS this weakening "h'N'
gave the German continSeh's tne "'
portunity az q critical moment 10 pass
forward between portion OF the III NY
-, ,b. north and that on the line 1ur-
Their south.
Now began the double exposure OF
9 tho southern force TO fire In the front
and ON the flank. which required
steady falling back until the entire
,rr,y WAS in movement toward inc
u.wlv established positions turthcr
woe, During this movement OF the
,r,;n front and the rear guard. some
sections sustained shocks OF exceptional
Intensity. The commanding height OF
Monte Nero. which the Italians hao oc-
cunicd. was defended against on
slauchts from three sides, when Er"u-
uallv developed to enrclopment
stDDENNEss OF SURPRISE
roo MUCH FOR ITALIANS
,,os :, this was the suddenness OF
m. surprise blow from the nov"
-, d.v,lopcd into n turning hre
h.forc the southern armies, ana ALSO
=, ,heIr extreme tank, graduaitS eA
,o,dinr to their rear. Uhdcr SUI"
circumstances il was humnnely pos
.,h,o ,hnt any army would be trieu
soreIy and it was to cxtricatc the
,roops from this situation that the re-
,ircmcnt began all along the cN'ch"e"
advanced position occupied ny inc
Italian army within Austrian terr'torS'
This line stretched. roughly, from
pIczzo (Flitch) in the far north soulh-
eastward through GoriZia, to M"hta'-
cone. on the Adrintic. The Second
Army occupied most of the front above
Gorizia the Third Army that below
Gorizia.
The retirement was accompanied oS
shielding operations OF the rear guard
which poured deadly fire into the
advancing columns and at the same
time destroyed powder dcpots. arsenals
and bridges. with the double purpose
of giving time for the withdrawal OF
the Italian heavy guns and OF prevent
ing military stores falling into the
hands of the enemy.
The Germans encountered stubborn
resistance on the Eainsizza plateau,
and heaps OF enemy dead mark the
lines OF their advance. Around Globo
ridge a Bersaglicri brigade. outnum-
bered five TO one, held back tho enemy
while the main line had an opportunity
to get its retreat in motion.
GoRIZIA, SHIELDED FIERCELY.
REDUCED TO RUINED MASS
In one of the mountain passes
small village commanding the pass was
taken and rctakcn eight times during
despera artillery, infantry and hand
to-hand- fighting.
Gorilla was shcllcd heavily. and what
remained OF what the correspondent
saw there just week ago to-day was
further reduced to a mass OF debris.
One Of the main bridges from Gorizia
across the lson%" was "!""h UP oE inc
ltailnns' ana the 'h'''iH movement mus
was furthcr lmned"u
TO the west oil t"rl2la' the town Oh
Commons also WAS Shti!tu hcaNltS'
The great German guns opened rh"f-
nous craters ana A'eFaiIY tore the
town 10 pieces
AS depots ana afrcha!s were down
up the who!e SKY was hshteo WIN