Evening star., 1918-06-26


Office made this announcement
today.
On the remainder of the front
the fighting was confined to ar
tiIlery duels and patrol actions.
Now that the Piave line is
again intact the Italians have
begun operations on the noun
tain front looking to the further
improvement of the positions
there. On the northwestern
slopes of Monte Grappa, be-
tween the Brenta and the Piave,
the Italians have gained consid-
cradle ground and taken more
than l 800 prisoners.
Italian attacks on the noun
tain front probably are for the
purpose of forestalling any in
tended enemy effort there as
well as to improve the Italian
positions. Strong raids are be-
ing carried out also on the
Asiago plateau.
Mountain Key Position.
1s,,n Yfa1ion oaJp IN Mopfa cr,nDa
Aowever, is the most important. as the
mountain is the key position to the
terrain between the Brenta and the
Piave, and dominates the hills south
ward to the Venetian plain. 1t was
on this height that the Austrians met
with failure in their attempts ten
days ago to reach the plain from the
north
$4,000 Prisoners Claimed.
ITALIAN ARMY HEADQUARTERS
Tuesday, June 25 (evening.-with
the capture yesterday of between two
thousand and three thousand prison
ers the total captures by the Italian
forces during their counter offensive
are brought up to the neighborhood
of $4,000 men. Many pitiable sights
were witnessed by the Italians during
I their advance over the shell-swepi
battle ground. Frequently they would
. come upon their own men who had
been taken prisoner and abandoned
by the Austrians in their retreat
Many of these were wounded, but
virtually all were stripped of theil
shoes and all their good clothing
Soon Disorderly Rour.
By the Associated Press.
ITALIAN HEADQUARTERS, Tues.
day. June 25.-Under the fire of Italian
machine guns and artillery which
were brought up rapidly. the Austrian
withdrawal across the Piave soon be.
came a disorderly rout. 1t is esti-
mated the Austrian losses tntal more
than 100000.
1t was a terrible sight as the mad
dened Austrians fled under the deluge
!. of Italian bullets and shells. They
leaped into the river and grabbed
aid them: they tied themselves to
mules and horses. but their efforts
were in vain. for. as the enemy troops
reached the opposite bank, they were
again caught by the fire OF Italian
guns which had been trained accur.
ately on the eastern bank for some
days. ON the Mente!lo the slaughter
was terrific. Bodies of Austrian
troops were moved down almost in
their entirety. At the crossing d,
Servesa both banks of the rive- were
etrewn with dead and dying, while
hundreds Of bodies were carried dowr
in the current to the sea.
Illustration Of Losses.
At one place the correspondent count
cd 500 bodies while walking a distanc.
of half a mile. One regiment of cover
ing troops which originally was com
posed of more than 1000 men. had lef
Monday but eighty-eight men to thu
company and these were prisoners.
Along the lower Piave the Austrian.
found themselves. il possible. in a wors,
position and sustained heavier losses.
single episode shows how and VIII,
the retreat started. On Saturday tn
Austrian command sent the 91st Schuet
zen brigade. composed of regiments Nos
81 and 80, with orders to widen the Aus
trian breach at Lampoi and to do thi
at all hazards. The brigade attempte,
to carry out this order and fought lik
wild men, but the Italian pressure wa
80 terrific that they were unable to ac
complish their object, which was to sue
cor the Austrian divisions already sur
rounded in this section.
After six attacks, which continue,
Saturday night and Sunday mornin,
there remained at / O'Clock Monday aft
ernoon only ninety men of this brigade
The others were either prisoners, wound
ed or dead. The commanding office
then committed suicide and the ninet,
surrendered.
Anniversary of Solferino.
Yesterday was the anniversary of tn
battle Of Solferino. In which the Frencl
and Italian armies defeated the Aus
trians fifty-nine years ago. The victor.
army in the present fighting.
In fleeing the Austrians left benin,
tsem much war material. The enem.
troops even threw away their rifles an,
deserted hundreds of machine gun
which were to have been used to protec
the retirement.
II 10 estimated that the number o
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