Omaha daily bee., 1918-06-24
ITALIAN GUNS
HARASS FOE
IN RETREAT
Austrians Unlikely to Escape
Without Large Addition to
Casualties Of 10000
Sustained to Date.
(By Associated Press.)

The first phase of the Austrian Of
tensive has ended in failure and de-
feat. The elimination of what was in
tended to be the crushing of Italy
between the jaws of the Austrian
pincers is the rout of the invaders.
With their backs to the swollen
Piave the Austrians for several days
had been trying to ward off the vi
cious counter attacks of the Italians
and save the situation. Now they are
endeavoring, and still under great
pressure to ford the stream and
reach the safety Of the eastern bank.
From the Montello plateau to the
Adriatic sea the enemy is in re-
treat. Already his losses are esti-
mated at 10000 men and the chances
Of his escape without additional heavy
casualties and men made prisoner
seem remote.
Under Heavy Fire.
Large numbers of pontoon bridges
that the Austrians threw across the
Piave have been swept away by the
now torrential stream, and on all
the sectors of the 33-mile front where
they gained edges of the Venetian
plain they are being sorely harassed
by the fire of the Italian guns and
rifles and by the machine gun fire
and bombs of the allied aviators who
have done such notable execution
since the attempted drive was started.
Extensive preparations had been
made by the Austrians for what was
10 be the death blow to King Victor
Emmanuers men. Thousands upon
thousands of men, many of them
brought from the Russian and Rou-
manian fronts, and guns and stores in
tremendous quantities had been par
celed among the various commanders
for the drive over the battle arc of
virtually 100 miles, running from the
Asiago plateau to the Piave and then
to the sea.
Undoubtedly the Austrian high
command had built largely for sue
cess on the belief that the Italian
morale had been shattered. The first
onslaught met a rejuvenated army
which fought gallantly. never ceding
an inch unless Ii was dearly paid for.
Aiding the Italians In the. mountains
were British and French armies. Ter
ritory taken in the mountains was al
most as quickly regained and the en-
emy held in check. j, ...,
Fall Back Under Pressure
Along the Piave, especially on the
Montello plateau, the gateway to, the
Venetian plains from the northeast,
and at several points farther south,
where the Austrians succeeded in
crossing the river, the Italians every
where imposed such strength against
the enemy that he was unable to en-
large his gains and then with re-
doubled efforts forced him to COM
mence retrograde movement which
has developed into disordered fight.
Large numbers Of the enemy have.
been. reported recently as coming up
behind the northern line in the noun
tain region, and it is not improbable
that shortly the second phase of the
battle will begin. Complete confidence
is felt in the Italian and other allied
commands, however. that the enemy
will meet foemen Of superior quality
and that his efforts will go for naught.
On the battle front in France and
Flanders tie Germans are holding
their men to the trenches, except for
small attacks here and there. There
is no indication that for the present
it is their intenetion to launch an
other big offensive. Both the British
and French have carried out suc-
cessfully several minor operations and
repulsed all the enemy's maneuvers.
Near Bligny in the Marne region the
Germans succeeded in gaining footing
in trench, but the Italian contingent
elected thenl