The Washington herald., 1917-05-28
ITALIANS SMASH
AHEAD ON CARSO
Cadorna's Armies Now Less
Than Ten Miles from
Trieste.


London. May IA mocking. crushing
answer was that which Italy's Gorilla
and Carso armies today gave the Vienna
war ofice. The battle already is de-
cided in or favor" said yesterdays Of
icial statement from the Austrian capt.
tai. What Gen. Cadorna's armies have
since done was summed up In today's Dull
letin from the Rome war ofiice-
They have smashed solidly ahead on q
three-mile front on the Carso, advancing
At some points two miles toward Trieste,
from which they are now less than ten
miles. At the same time, they stormed
Austrian positions In the PLAYA sector,
registering substantial progress.
Twelve hundred and fifty prisoners
have been taken by them since yester-
day and the booty Is large AT one point,
a bold coup netted them a field battery
Of ten guns with ammunition
On the Gorilla front. they took one
gun. two trench mortars and seven ma
chine guns. Forty-four officers are among
the prisoners.
At one place the italian storming col
umns suffered a slight reverse, which Is
admitted by the war ONCE. This was at
CastagnaviZza, three miles northeast OF
Jamiano. Casta gnavizza forms the north
ern tip of the semi-circle that is being
gradually showed southwark in the d.
rection Of Trieste. Italian troops reached
and even passed this town, but so MUIR
derous was the Austrian gun fire that
closed in on the invaders from all ides
that Cen Cadorna's men were compelled
to evacuate ground. They stuck tena-
ciously to the towns western boundary,
however
The lower half Of the semi-circle, how
ever, was swung a considerable distance
49, - -
Of the Carso Plateau. Here the Italians
crossed the important railroad running
along the coast from Monfalcone to the
famous watering place Dulno. An extern
sion Of this road runs straight to Trieste.
Almost due north OF Duino lies San Clio
yanni, half way between the resort and
MOdeazza.
Crossed Railroad.
Near San Giovanni the Italians crossed
the railroad and then pushed straight
through to the outskirts OF ModeazZa-
The mathematical precision with which
the present offensive Is being carried on.
Is causing amazement and admiration
among entente military critics. One OF
the important defense positions wrested
from the Austrians in this latest ad-
vance Is Hill 49, southwest OF Modeazza-
Far to the north, on the PLAYA front.
Cadorna's infantry brilliantly carried
heights at the head Of the Pallcova
Valley. thus linking up the italian posi-
tiOns on Mont Cucco with those en- the
dominating Hill 3s3.
London, May n.-Frenehmen and
Teutons were hard at grips last night and
today in the famous quarries north OF
the Aisne. which Gen. Nivelle's troops
captured in the first phase Of the present
offensive and part OF which were retaken
by the crown prince last week.
The French, according to the Berlin
statement. launched five violent attacks
against these positions without, how
war office, on the other hand, announced
the repulse Of German assaults north Of
the Moulin De Laffaux. Strong artillery
actions in the Champagne are heralded In
new infantry fighting.
French flyers yesterday brought down
four German aeroplanes. Bombarding
squadrons hurled $500 Kilograms Of pro-
jectiles on works behind the German line
Berlin reports ''bagging" of fifteen entente
machines in yesterdays air battles.
On the Angio-German front only raids
and minor infantry actions are reported.
Russian aviators dropped six bombs on
the railroad station OF Pinsk, Petrograd
reported today. The western part Of the
town burst into flames and the railway
line was hit. Otherwise nothing Of i'm
pOrtance is reported from the eastern
front
The Paris war office In its night state
ment admits that one OF three Teuton at
tacks in the Champagne succeeded in
penetrating the French first lines. A
French counter attack. however, threw
the invaders back except in a few trench
elements. The German assaults were
launched at two points. near Teton, and
a little to the east of that point.