Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-10-28
Austrian Army Supported by
Germans, Starts Offensive
RVaIing in Magnitude Won
Hinnenburg's at Tannenburg,
ON HOLDING OF PASSES
PIV0TS CAMPAIGN RESULT
Austrian Planes Soar Over
Lines as Shells Crash Near
Themi Defenders Prepared
to Meet 0nruSh Of Germans.

tsV MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL L4Asso wissI
Army Headquarters In Northern
Italy, Oct. 26 (Friday. BY the Asso-
ciated Press) Virtually the entire
Austrian army, reinforced by. heavy
German contrngents, conducted by the
'redoubtable Field Marshal Won Mack
ensen, now is facing the Italian army
in the greatest offensive since the be-
ginning of the war, with evident pur-
pose of invading the Friuli region. tho
easternmost province of venezla.
1t is now clear that the Austrians
and Germans sought to make a sur
prise attack at the leasv fortified point
on the north of the Julian front The
field of the present operations can be
likeped to huge letter r. From the
left arm of the T to It's foot is about
twenty-five miles On this left arm
Won Mackensen attempted to deliver
his big blow. The arm extends seven
miles westward from Tolmino, at the
central point of the T. Tolmino- and
the nearby villages OF Santa Lucia and
Santa Maria have become of chief in
terest as this was the point of the
surprise attack. t
Two Fighting Lines.
The lower stroke of the T is thirty
miles long from Monfalcone to the !,
sea, with Gorilla half way down. This
gave two main fighting lines, the
northern running horizontal, where
Il fierce bombardment seeks to pre-
vent the Italians from moving REIN
forcements to the threatened region in
the north.
The Julian Alps run back of the
northern line. and the Carso Alps
back of the southern line to the sea.
The distances stated are In a direct
line. The mountains gave an rregu-
lar formation, greatly extending the
opposing fronts.
Field Marshal Won Mackensens OBJ
jectve evidently was to re-cross the
lsonzo, where the Italians had driven
the Austrians back several miles into
Austrian territory. He screened the
movement by making feints toward
the south and also west of Tolmino.
but his main army struck straight for
the Isonzo, at San Lucia and Santa
Maria.
Easily Break Through.
The Italian forces were compara-
lively small at these outmost limits
OF their lines and It's advancing waves
succeeded in crossing the Isonzo with
little obstruction. Here,
however. they were faced by low
range of mountains In which the
passes are strongly held by the Italian
army, now heavily reinforced from
the center and the south.
The whole operation now pivots on
the possibility of Won Mackensen driv-
Ing through these places, where the
city of Cividale is the first important
place leading to the rich and level
plain All indications are that the
Italians are masters OF the passes and
can hold Won Mackensen against a
further advance. although the tre-
nendous force he has massed might
permit further scattered incursion.
Airplane Brought Down, =
The correspondent went over long
stretch Of the front today In company
with headquarters officers. Every
where there was evidence OF complete
in the midst Of the ter
rifle bombardment by both armies.
Much havoc had been wrought by
this fruitless bombardment. One she'll
struck building occupied by local
command, throwing up volcano Of
reports but not killing
any one
Further along, two Austrian air
planes flew low overhead amidst
storms of shots which burst like cot
ton balls across the sky. They were
and sailed off proudly, but
their pride was brief. An Italian Of
ficer told the sequel half hour later.
1--WE saw them coming" he said.
"and our batteries opened. A she'll
struck one machine amidships. The
pilot vainly tried to disengage him
self. He made a plunge from the
wreck and shot down inside our lines.
while flaming tatters Of the machine
trailed after him, like the smoking
remnant of discharged rocket"