The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-06-21
ITALIAN ) DRIVE
AuSTRlA'vS BACK
IN Great BATTLE
Fighting Continues From MonteIIo
to the Sea-AllieS Win
CostaIunga.
LAT|NS TAKE 1900 CAPT|vES
Enemy Makes Fresh Attack at Zenson,
but Is Forced Back by Diaz's Re-
serves-Capo Sile Reported
in Italian Hands.

Rome, June 21.-From the Montello
to the sea the battle of the Piave river
Is continuing bitterly and without
pause, the Italian war office announced.
The Italians forced the invaders to
withdraw their whole front north OF
the Montebelluno railway.
More than 1,2OO Austrian prisoners
were taken and numerous machine
guns were captured.
Austrans Driven Back
The AuStrians launched a fresh at
tack on the Piave with strong forces
and succeeded at first in gaining some
ground in front of ZensOn Later Ital-
ian reserves were brought up and
forced the Austrials 10 retire.
French forces Oh the AsiagO plateau
stormed the Austrian positions at Ber-
tigo and Pennar.
Italian troops succeeded in capturing
COstalunga, the statement adds.
Vienna Claims Gains.
The Vienna report contends that the
Austrians have held all the ground
they have gained on the west bank of
the Piave and also have driven back
the Italians south of the 1revisO rail-
way.
The Italians, Vienna says, attacked
again southeast Of AsiagO on the
mountain front, but met with the same
poor success as on previous occasions.
The battle in the Montello region in
creased in violence, equaling that OF
the great battles on the Carso front.
Text of Rome Statement.
The text of the Italian war office an
nOuncement reads:
"FrOm the MOntello to the sea the
battle is continuing bitterly without
pause. We drove the enemy back to
the north of the Montebelluno railway
and made him withdraw his whole
front Of attack somewhat toward the
northeastern salient of the MontellO,
capturing 1926 prisoners and taking
numerous machine guns.
"AlOng the Piave river the struggle
Is fluctuating f1ercely on the front lines.
It is being carried out by the enemy
with decision and hardness and sus-
tanned by our troops with great stub
bornness and bravery.
Force Foe to Retreat.
"The enemy, launching to the attack
fresh and numerous troops, succeeded
at first in gaining some ground in
front Of Zenson, but he was promptly
checked and afterward was forced to
retire by our reserves, which immedi-
ately arrived.
"Our troops with energetic counter
attacks succeeded in greatly reducing
the fighting sector to the west of San
DOna di Piave. Prisoners to the num-
Der of 513 remained in our hands.
Tribute to SIovaks.
"Czecho-Slovak units have valiantly
given their first tribute of blood to the
generous principles of freedom and in
dependence for which they are fight
ing on our side. The Twenty-fifth in
fantry division, in the course of five
days of glorious fighting without
pause, the Bisagno brigade and the
Two Hundred and Ninth and Two
Hundred and Tenth regiments were
able in repeated counter-attacks to
bring out all Of their valOr.
"On the Asiago plateau French units
by successful surprise operation car
ried the positions Of Bertigo and Pen
mar, capturing 102 prisoners.
"Our troops completed the gains
with the capture of Costalunga, TAX
Ing another hundred prisoners.
Enemy attacks on Corno were re-
pulsed"
Italians Win capo SiIe.
London, June 21.-News reached
London that the Italians have regain
ed CapO Sile, the town on the lagoon
to the west of the Piave river near it's
mouth, which was captured by the
AustrO-Hungarians
By cOunter-attacking all along the.
Piave the Italians have gained further
ground on the MontellO, in the north
ern sector of the river front, and also
have made headway southeast of this
ridge, says the Evening Standard.
The AuStrians had been Occupying
narrow strip along the river bank.
The Italians drove in the Austrian
line and established themselves on
the bank Of the Piave below Saletta
(about 18 miles from the Adriatic).
Through the reaching of the river
here the Italians have divided the DO
sitiOns occupied by the Austrians.
Austrian General Heroic.
Deserted by, his staff on the Montel-
10 plateau, Maj. Gen. Won Kronstadt
Of the Austrian army fought single
handed against the Italian arditi until
he was wounded seriously. The gen.
eral died later in hospital.
1t seems that the general and his
staff became lost In the woods of Mon
tello and ran into unit of arditi.
When the members of the staff saw
the Italian soldiers. they ran away.
The general was called upon to sur
render, but refused and opened fire
on the arditi. In the exchange of
shots he received his death wound.