The sun., 1918-07-18
ITALIANS CAVALRY
DASH TRAPS ENEMY
Regiment Of Horse Enters
Foes Lines and Takes Air.
dromc by Surprise.
OVERCOME MACHINE GUNS
Charge Into Town RoutS Aus.
TRANS and Wins Supplies
and Prisoners.
OVERCOME MACHINE GINS
By WARD PRICE.

Special Gable Despatch 10 TUE SJN fror "A.
London Times.
Copyright. 1918: all rights rcssrled
ITALIAN ARMY HEADQUARTERS July
Ill have Just received an enthusiast.
Italian war correspondent, in whch he
says that during the recent operations
which led to the capture of Bcrat. an
important Austrian base in Albania,
the gallant British also covered them.
selves with glory
The work OF the Royal Air Force In
bombing a bridge across the Semenl
River, on the Austrian line of retreat,
was indeed of great value. completing
the Italian victory.
A long despatch in the Sccolo nv
Signor Lelli gives striking acooun,
of one Of the most successful surprise
attacks Of the whole war. In this or.
terprise the Italians thrust forward A.
night into the enemy's lines, taking the
Austrians completely by surprise Nes"
Fiere. at dawn, these cavalrymen cap.
tured an entire Austrian airdrome, IN
Guiding pilots. observers. MECHANICS ami
machines.
The horsemen swooped down just A.
the airmen and their helpers were ge.-
ting ready for their days work and
were in full possession of the airlrpme
when returning bomber, not realizing
that the airdrome had changed hands
during his absence. was about to alig''
when he was confronted by squadron
OF Italian horsemen charging toward
his machine. Horrined, he turned on
his motor and attempted 10 rise again
firing his machine gun, meanwhile, a.
the horsemen. The Italians answered
with burst Of fire from their carhnes
one bullet striking the aviator IN the
mouth when he was about Nifty fee
in the air. When this happened the
machine crashed to the ground
Sentries Killed at Posts.
All this was accomplished by one rer.
ment and three squadrons of cavalry.
closely followed by a battery NJ foll
artillery. Before daylight on Monday
this small force worked its way around
several enemy batteries. One sentry,
posted on the road taken by the cav
alrymen. was killed before he could give
the alarm. Later other sentries vere
met, and some were killed As dawn
broke. however. the advancing single
mediately attacked. The cavalrvmen
divided into two columns and novel
close to Feiri, behind which lay thel-
main objective. this being hr.lga
across the Semen River, and across
which the Austrians had arranged to zee
treat. Naturally this bridge vas
strongly fortified and when the Italians
attacked it WAS defended with desperate
energy by the Austrians.
As the cavalrymen pressed TOWARD
Fieri they were met by the concentrated
fire of machine and field guns at a range
of only 200 yards The horsemen rushed
these guns, in which operation marN ~
the men and animals were killed The
others pressed on. however. uutn 'ac'
were into the streets of Fieri Here 'h"
Austrians defended themselves W.t,
bombs. rifles and machine guns. kee1lrg
up destructive fire as they rctrcttei
from house to house. All the Officers ~
one of the Italian squadrons were killed..
An Austrian General with his -'t"
and his sixteen-year -old wife had retire I
across the river directly after the frs.
shot gave the alarm of an attasl-. au'
gradually the other Austrians followed
when Italian infantry and armrrsi
motor cars came up to support the rly-
alrymen in the attack.
Austrian Officers Trapped.
AS soon as the attack broke or 80
town the Austrian officers. i'm par,
loaded their baggage hurredly onto fl
train on the narrow gauge railway, and
this train was putting away at It's hest
speed when handful of CaValr! =
riding at top speed overlook the ua"
and forced it to stop. All the Austrian
officers, together with their baggage and
much war material, We're taken prlS."r
Among the prisoners Were many I'a'-
ians who had been captured during 'Gr
previous fighting in Italy and who hHd
been brought back and forced to worE
for their Captors. They were nearly
starved. Among the prisoners also were
four young Nienncse cafe waitress
who had been moved into this little ~
bantam village by the Austrian army
This victory shows how much de ,r
sometimes on these outlying campaigns,
planned and executed in accord VII ~"
traditions Of Italy's historic arms Ino
first honors in the victory which yielded
Berat to the Allies are due of coIrs. 10
the cavalrymen, who for twenty hot"- o
one day and fourteen on anotho~ wCrs
entirely without rest or food.