Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-06-26


counter offensive are brought
M To the neighborhood of 1S.-
900 men.
| tBy Associated Press
Now that the PiaYe line is
again intact. the Italians have
l begun operations on the noun
i. tam front looking to the fur
ther improvement Of the posi-
tioRs there. On the northwest
ern slopes Of Monte Grappa.
between the BTenta and the Pi-
ave, the Italians have gained
considerable ground and taken
more than 800 prisoners.
/ Rome. June 26. Italian troops
| on the southern part Of the Piave
] front have not only completely re-
occupied the Capo Sile bridgehead,
but have extended it and held tha
gain against Austrian counter at
/ Jacks. The extension was effected
| YESTERDAY. During The fighting,
ntar four houndred prisoners wer1
aken. The war Office made this
| announcement today.
/ Italian Army Headquarters, (
Tuesday. June 25--t BY the Associ-
| ated Press Under the fire OF
Italian guns and artillery which
we're brought up rapidly, the Aus
J TRAN withdrawal across the Piaye
Y soon became a disOrderly route. 1t
! is estimated the AustTians losses +
tatal more than 200 900.
| It was a terrible sight as the
maddened AustriaLs fled under the
deluge Of Italian bullets and shells
They leaped into the river and /
| grabbed pieces Of wood or any (
thing that would aid them, but !
| their eforts were iu vain. for as
the enemy troops reached the op-
! posite bank they weIe again
J caught by the tire Of the Italian .
! guns which had been trained ac-
eurately on the eastern bank /
On the Montello the slaughter .
| vas terrific Bodies OF Austrian
troops were moved down almost in
their entirety At the crossing at T
Aervesa both banks of the river
we're slrewn with dead and dying. :
while hundreds Of bodies were
| carried down in the current.
Along the lower Piaye, the Aus
trians found themselves, if possible,
IN a worse position and sustained +
! heavier losses.
Fail In Final Effort.
A single episode shows how and
WY the retreat started. On Satur-
DAY the Austrian command sent the
AInety-hrst Schuetzen brigade com
posed Of two regiments. with orders
TO widen the Austrian breach at (
| LampOl al all hazards. The brigade
attempted to carry out this order
and fought Ike wild men, but the
! Italian pressure vas so terrific that /
kney we're unable TO accomplish
ftaelr object, which was TO succor
ne Austrian divisions already sur
rounded in this section
After six attacks, which cCntin-
aed Saturday night and Sunday :
morning, there remainN a.
clock Mon ay afternoon only nine
ty men Of this brigade. The others T
we're either prisoners. wounded or
aead. The commanding officer then /
committed suicide ana the 80 sur
rendered.
In fleeing the Ausfrians left he
hind them much var r4rarfar Tive
enemy troops even threw awav tbair
5ifes and deserted hundreds nj ma
chine guns which were n have been
used to protect the retirement
=, Il I estimated that The number
- AaSlrlans on the western bank ,
'Ae Plave when the retreat be
saA was over one hundred thou
sand' This great number Of men,
-.3oHeVer. could do nothing against /
.i .ae Italian pressure despite con-
~AUous counter attacks
| tBy Associated Press. !
! Italian a,,ac,- -. 49,. ,..,.-..:.. /
front probsb bIv 80 ~ s ~ ii.o.i /. ID ~
Of forestaIIir,, - ~, " pul poSe
Effort tbera - a. -, ne t''i enemy
the Itslian ,ae,,T,-l q ~ a. - Improve
are being carried [u, sIso :. o'as ,ha
Asiago plateau '--'' - ''- Z