Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-24
ATTEMPT TO CROSS
. TO EASTERN SHORE
OF SWOLLEN PAVE
Enemy in Retreat From
Montello Plateau to
Adriatic Sea.
MANY PONTOON BRIDGES
SWEPT AWAY BY FLOOD
Tremendous Preparations Made
for Final Crushing of the
Italian Armies.
SECOND PHASE OF BATTLE NEAR
Germans Keep Men In Trenches on
Front in France and
Flanders. s
MANY PONTOON BRIDGES
SWEPT AWAY BY FLOOD
SECOND PHASE OF BATTLE NEAR
Germans Keep Men In Trenches on
Front in France and
Flanders.

: The first phase OF the Austrian Of
! !cnsive 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
| pinccrs is the rout of the invaders
themselves
! With their backs to the swollen
iiave River. the Austrians for several
days pas. had been trying to ward or
1 the vicious counterattacks OF the Ital-
/ i1ns and save the situation Now they
! are endcavoring. and still under great
pressure to ford the stream and reach
safety on it's eastern bank
! From The Montello plateau to the
..dratic Sea; the enemy is in retreat.
! Already his losses arc estimated at
10000 men, and the chances OF his
escape without additional heavy cas-
unit!es and men made prisoner seem
remote.
T.arse numbers Of the rontoon
bridges that the \ustrians threw
across the Fiave have been swcpt away
hN the now ,orrcntiai stream. and. Oh
all the sectors of the rty-threc-milc
/ front. where they gained entrance 30
ward the Nenc ian plain. they arc be-
ing soreiE harassed by the fire of the
Italian guns and rifles and by tho ma
chine gun fro and bombs of the allied
| aviators VINO nave done such notanie
execution since the attempted dSjye
vas started. ~
THOUSANDS or MEN BROUGHT
FROM OTHER FRONTS
Monster preparations had bcen made
by the Austriars FOR what was to be
the deathblow 20 King Victor En-
n;anueis rnen. Thousands upon thou
! SANDS OF men. many of them brought
from tic russian ana Rouman,au
fronts and guns and stores in trs.
mendous quantities had been parceled
among inc various comma nder: 70. the
as'Nc over battle are OF virtually 100
miles running; from tho Asiago piatrnii
- INC Rave River and then following
that stream to The sea
,UndouDicdIy. the Austrian birhtco,,
mand had built largely for success on
the belief that the ltaf,an morale b.n
heen shattered when last wear their
Ereat p'nccrs closed in upon the I:al-
'"h front ana forced back tho line in
great 5cmicircle from the Julian Aims
|" INC rave and from the mouutsI,,., !,
me hoFih almost to the plains of
ITALIAN ARMIES OFFER
SriFT RESISTANCE
Slch belief. however. wac c,,tr.,,
sVf"nsons From the first onsIaurb.
,"r enemy met n rcjuvcnntcd ,r.,S.
Which fought him with the srcatos,ral
'ant!'' never ccding an inch of ground
"''tcS' 1T 'vas dearly paid for Ala.
,hs INC Italians in the mountains wera
oriilSh and French armies. yhn ,,s..
fought nohly and everywherc dofc,,
ca INC enemy. Territory taken ir tho
mountains was almost as uuici,l,. -.
gained and the enemy held in ,.hc,.,
NionE the Fiavc, especially or ,hc
MoHte'" plateau, the gateway 10 ,.Ua
Venetian plains from the northeast and .
80 several point" farther south. where
inc Austrians succeeded I'm c-osri,s-
the river, tho Italians evcrvwb.re ,,,
posed such strength against the cn.,,,
that he was unable to orI,r.-. Ia;
Eans. and then. with redoubled efforts
forced him to commence tho ratro,r,,.,
m"Ncnicnt which has deyelone, .i,,o
diSordrred flight
Large numbers of the enemy r,y.
hecn reported recently as coming IN
"cnind the northern line In the n,o,n
'fh region. and IL is not improbable, =
'hat shortly the second phase IF tho
Battle "Nl begin Complete confidence
IS teit in the Italian and other allied
commands however that the enemy
Hlii meet focmcn OF superior. o,ialJ,,,
ana that his efforts will go for nau-t-
NO INDICATION OF OFFENSIVE
on THE WESTERN FRONT
On tho battle fronts in Franco srd
FLANDERS the Germans arc holding their
men to the trenches, except for small
attacks here and there There is no
indication that. for the present. 4, ~
their intention to launch another bic.
offensive Eoth the British and French
nave carried out successfully several
minor operations and rcpulsed all thu
enemys maneIvers. Near EIiSny IA
the Marne region. the Germans succeed.
ed In gaining footing in trench.
but an Italian contingent Immediately
elected them.
And while her troops were being aut
to pieces on the battle line. :he deep.
eninE shadows of AN upheaval at home
in Austria continued to he reflected In
word from neutral points. Fresh riota
and conflicts marked Saturday MINT
in Vienna and again crowds attempted