The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-05-24
ATTENTION TURNS
|. IOMOUNTA!NS IN ].
*. ITALIAN TREATER
Expectations That Fighting This
Spring and SUMMER viii Cen :
ter 10 High Region
FIVE GREAT HIGHWAYS oa IN.
DEFENDED AGAINST ENEMY
Italians Break Up All Attacks
q Which Are Launched On
West Of Brenta Sector

Der of attacks which were attempted
by the Austriaps. In no instance was
the enemy able to gain and in nearly
all cases the repulse was attended by
considerable losses TO them.
Attention is now being ceute-ed
largely on the mountain front, for all
the Indications are that this is to be
the main scene Of coming operations
instead of the flat river country 70 tho
eHstt saysrecent advices from the front.
With these operations perhaps not far
off, i is well to take survey Of this
mountain section for its main points
are likely to be heard of very often III
the coming months Already alons
these mountain roads there Is the stir
Of great forces ~ men, guns and horses
moving. into position, and one almost
feels that a great battle is already on.
Natural Fortification ~ LIZ
The Pridentine Alps which stretch
| cross northern Italy form az natural
fqrtfication between the two opposing
| lines and 1t is IN the lower section
~ these ranges that the military on.
erations are now unfolding. While il Is
front of several hundred mflfs from
the AdriTtic up to the Swiss frdntier.
vet rart Of this stSetrh Is impeuetfabie
! mountain peaks covered with eternal
snow. and there, are practienlIy only
! FIVE Zines of approach where hfeaks IN
the mountain permit military operations
to be carried on. I...., - e.
These five lines of approach or com
munication through the Tridentine Alps
are the valley regions known as the
Valtellina. meaning see saw from its
winding character. which leads down
TO Lake Como and toward Milan; sec.
ond, the Val CamOuica, leading south.
ward toward Brescia; third, the Val
Giudicaria. which comes down inst east
OF the Adamello region with its line
Of peaks and skirts along the west shore
Of i AXE Garda: fourth, Val Lagarina,
which follows the course of the Afipe
river on the east Of Lake Garda, and
comes down from Trent toward Verona.
and fifth, the Val Sugana which fol.
lows the course nf the Brenta river
and winds around the Asiago region
down past Bnssano. '''+' o.. -
Fire Highway 49,.
These FIVE main highways through the
mountains become more important from
a. military standpoint, as they come
eastward toward the Asiago and Bren.
to region. All the chief pressure has
been in the easterly region, in the past,
and the indications at present are that
i will be in this region, 20. ..u IL
The great fighting ground, then
would be along the two valleys on the
east, Val Lagarina and. Val Sugana.
and chief attention should be centeredI
on them and their neighboripg heights
Of Asiago, the Grappa and Mount Tom.
ba. Both of them come down from
Trent, the Austrian storm center which
sends forward troops and supplies
through both these valleys to the noun
tain fronts beyond. From Trent the
enemy has railroads down both these
valleys.
* The Lagarina valley comes straigh,
south to Verona and the open plain. II I
was down here that the enemy made
his first rush two years ago. pushing
from Reverto west toward Mount Pa,
subio. He was driven back then. and
all the indications are that he will be
held again if he comes that way.
Brtnta River Approach
The most important approach is by
way of the Val Sugana, or Brenta river
From its headwaters near Trent the
Brenta makes a wide Circuit before 1t
comes down to the open plain at Bas
sano, and it is within this circuit that
he Asiago plateau and the hardest
fighting ground lies The Austrian rail
way from Trent comes down the valley
% PrimolanO, about twenty miles above
Bassano, thus keeping up steady flow
of men and supplies. That is why the
Italian airplanes have conferred atten-
tion on Primolano, which is often men
toned in the cOmmuniques as having
its railway stations bombed.
3 Tbe bomb swept and deserted town
Of Asiago is the center of this battle
region enclosed by the Val Sugana and
the BreIta river. The enemy lines rup
Just below the town. Near by arg
Mount Val Bella, Sasso ROsso and Me
lago, all the scene of desperate fighting
when the enemy tried to come down the
west bank of the Brenta. The rive,
itself comes through a rocky defile, 50
part Of the approach il over these In
teryening mountains which reach down
20 the river valley, ~ ~. NV. ...... "a
! This Asiago region Is cut by two
other local valleys, which are a mos
important part of the mountain opera
lions thongh they are not main high
ways through the Alps. These are tn
Valarsa and the Astico valleys, whicl
VIVID irregulerly down toward Vicenza
Much is likely TO be heard of this see
ton In the coming operations.
Val Sugana Field '.
East Of the Brenta river is another
part Of this same Val Sugana which is
also desperate fighting ground. Here
the enemy has made his main push TO
get down to the open plain, and here
he advanced furthest, toward Bassano,
yet the splendid bravery Of the Italiapr
held him in the mountains through the
winter. He is still there, around Mount
Pertico, Mount Asolone. Col Caprille
and Col della Berpetta" This is bloody
fighting ground and II will doubtless be
heard from very often as the opera
tions develop.
Still further east comes the dominat