The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-06-21
SECOND PHASE
OF AUSTRIAN.
DRIVESTARTS
American AviatOrs Flying Over
Italian Front Do Excel.
t.,J lent Service -.
SITUATION STILL SERIOUS
SITUATION STILL SERIOUS
sY ASSOCIATED PRESS

oI rNo0V~tN SO Vo6So
Italian Army headquarters Thurs
day, June 2O.-The first American av-
iators to fly on the Italian front went
today on bombing expedition and
succeeded. blowing two holes in a
new Austrian bridge across the Piave
river. =.
The commander Of the Italian avia.
tion CAMP expressed satisfaction with
the work Of the Americans, The avia.
,tion forces on this front are display.
ing the most Intense activity. %@
Second Phase Offensive.
The second phase of the Austrian
offensive, featured by attacks to the
right; and left Of Valstagna, along the
Brenta river and In the mountains.
should logically begin son, now that
the effort OH the Piave has failed 1t
;is felt that II the Austrians do not. re.
new their efforts to-. penetrate to. the
plains through the Brenta region and
taking Monte Grapha it would be an
acknowledgment OF defeat.
.s...,,, Situation Serious, u tt>s,t3f +. ss;ia,
The situation, however, =, 4 is still re-.
garded as very serious and all prep
arations have been made to meet, any
new offensive. &&on> |.G y!c ..
:. Along the Piave the Italian positions
are virtually unchanged. The Aus.
trians are fighting well, according to
the Italians bat the latter are out.
CHASING them 1t is believed that the
Italians would have driven the Aus.
trians back across the river before
this bu tfor the nature of the open
ghting which American on this
front said reminded him of the Indian
combats in the old days. Might fight.
ing and bushwhacking methods are ne.
cessary although they are not favored
by the military authorities because of
the confusion and danger OF firing up.
on their own men, especially where
large bodies of troops are engaged.
Another difficulty has been the simil-
arity In color between the Italian and
Austrian uniforms
Losses Heavy.
The Austrian losses have been ex.
tremely heavy. Although there is
much, sharp fighting, there are many
iulls during which the only distraction
o fthe armies Is watching the bomb.
ing operations Of rival aviators. The
fighting on the MOntello plateau con.
tinues to be severe since 1t Is felt by
the Italians that the loss OF this posi-.
ton would be more important than
the withdrawal from few kil0meters
OF ground along the Piave. The c0ndi.
tions there are also bad, owing to the
wooded hills which are crossed by
seventy-two ravines, each of which
construes q separate line of defense.
Many Of them are still strewn with
dead, and indication Of the intensity
of the Austrian resistance as the en-
emy was slowly pressed back from
points he had won on the first rush.
The ,Austrians early in the offensive
had almost half the plateau but now
they have only about one third, in.
Guiding many of their best positions,
such as the town of Nervesa. which
has been set on fire by the Italian ar.
tillery.
No fear is felt in Venice that the
Austrians will get there. The cores
pondent on visiting the city, found an
absence of excitement and there was
no intention to leave on the part Of
the inhabitants. Large stocks OF
bandages which the American Red
Cross has had on hand in Venice for
the last few months have proved most
useful to the Italian wounded. A
number of cases have been turned
over othe British Red Cross at the
request of Lord ,Monson, British Red
Cross commissioner.