The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-06-26
AUSTR|ANS IN FLIGHT.
ENEMY IN RETREAT FROM MON.
TELLO PLATEAU TO AID.
Ratio.
With POntOOn Bridges Swept Away
Escape Without Further Heavy
Losses Seems RemOte-MOnstcr
Preparations for Death Blow to
Emmanuers Men Come to Naught.

H..
The first phase of the Austrian Of
fensive has ended in failure-in de-
feat. The elimination of what was
intended to be the crushing Of Italy
between the Jaws of the Austrian pin-
GERS is the rout of the invaders them
selves.
With their backs to the swollen
Piave River the Austrians for several
days past have been trying to ward
off the vicious counterattacks of the
Italians and save the situation. Now
they are endeavoring and still under
great pressure, to ford the stream and
reach safety.
From the MOntellO plateau to the
Adriatic the enemy is in retreat. AL
ready his losses are estimated at 1SO,-
600 men and the chances of his es-
cape without additional heavy casual
ties seem remote. Large numbers of
the pontoOn bridges that the Aus
trians threw across the Piave have
been swept away by the 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.
Monster preparations have been
made by the Austrians for what was
to be the death blow to King Victor
Emmanuers men. Thousands upon
thousands of men, many of them
brought from the Russian and Rou-
rnanan fronts and guns and stores of
tremendous quantities had been pa
celled among the various command
ers for the drive over a battle arc of
virtually 100 miles.
Undoubtedly the Austrian high
| command had built largely for success
on the belief that the Italian morale
had been shattered when last year
their great pincers closed in upon the
Italian front.
Such a belief, however, was entire .
ly erroneous. From the first onslaught
the enemy met a rejuvenated army
which fought him with the greatest
sallantry, never ceding an inch Of
ground unless it was dearly paid for
Aiding the Italians in the mountains
were British and French armies who
also fought nobly and everywhere de
feated the enemy
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-
'argc his gains and then, with re-
doubled efforts, forced him to COM
nence the retroerade movement
"hiNH IldS ueFelOpeU INTO QlSOrdorpd
flight.
Large numbers of the enemy have
been reported recently as coming UP
behind the northern army in the
nountain region and it is not improl,-
able that shortly the second phase of
he battle will begin. Complete con-
idence is felt in the Italian and 9TH
r allied commands. however.
On the battle fronts in France and
Flanders the Germans are holding
their men to the trenches except for
small attacks here and there There is
no indication that for the present it
1" their intention to launch another
zig offensive. Both the British and
"rench have carried out successfully
several minor operations and repulsed
al the enemys maneuvers.