The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-06-18
BATTLE BITTER
ALONG THE P'IAVE
Austrians Sustain Severe Cas-
uaIties Under Fire Of Al
lied Batteries.
COUNTER THRUSTS MADE
Rome Reports Checking OF En-
emy Efforts Between Zen
son and Fossalta.
Associated Press }

(ASSOclaCeQ ICoSJ
Italian Army Headquarters
June IS Bitter fighting is IN
progress along the Piave river
The Austrians are sustaining
large losses from the concen-
trated fire of Italian batteries
Repeated counter-attacks are be-
ing made by Italian infantry IN
flicting heavy casualties on the
enemy. - .,
Rome, Monday, June lS'-ln 'ne'l
.+toclss between Zenson and Fossaila'
along the Piave, the Austrians nave
been stopped everywhere says an On.
oia, statement issued tonight by the
Itol;.n war Office. In the mountain re-
zion and around Montello there nave
been no infantry attacks by the Ell
emy.
Z The allied troops have, taken seVerai
hundred additional prisoners ana some
machine guns.
The official statement says:
4.
x.,s,aan Naserada. and Candelu, nortn-
oast ~ Treyiso, were bloodily repuiseeo'
~, the lower Piave other counter u
Sansive actions in the course OF lnr,, ,.
da1o,onment resulted .adyantageousiS
for U.s."
-. Airmen Especially Active.
with the Italian Army, June II (ae-
,,,,odI --Despite adverse weather, az
o,, 10y IN the allied side have been az
i've bombing bridges and swooplns
So,,,, 10 an altitude of fifty teet' iioii, iis
which calling machine gun nre Wou,u
ha ro,,red into the Austro- Huhs ii''A
ranks. ,,,.re seen to
leap from bridges INTO tne tne Ans
JEatest information is that tne tao,, Au
.r;ans made really serious .'s a.eaon
arainst the British front Iiotivss Iitsvi
stata that the second days opJec'itth az
Included the heights comHlanoihe
The second and Sixteenth olylsiun'
were rushed up before the assaTtt Th,,tv-
ean These divisions ana tne SUI
eighth and Fifty second olslSio;S o;S De
Ir,,te the losses they were unapie ~
.ate anv impression against tne nn+ DIT
~. front The attackers lossee "N
sup into the thousands. ,,
rbe English casualties were very
hsNe Not only the allied machine guns ,ia
~ .ha harrage fire from AUSTRIAN
o,,ns caused the attackers eed SEAT at
1nsses. The Austrian gunners n,H o,eht
such short range that theS
their own men. .ooN re-estab-
,,1haS natroIs pushed out into no man
innS where some mountain guns On,
sozen machine guns were cap.u - -
~ Austrians were not aple u ~
tbe;r attack and prisoners as.et
that thev were demoraliZeo py .ho
reoeption they got. The Iomnlie' ,bere
dered out into no mans lanu ahan-
thew picked up enemy rlhes anu =
doned equipment. .he Austrian
.eee,s;Ie on the British front h"'
gained nothing.
"Hunaer Offensive"
"rbe hunger offensive as the .Aa
+ran prisoners describe 1t, Is pellis 70. IN
ried on with the greatest seFeil.S
the Piave front where II Is appai todins
the Austrians have masseu iaIe sto
tne " .onns In the mountain regions 10
the north. the fighting for the presen.
90 l;,nited to local attacks and coun'ei
attacks The enemy Is making oes
nerate efforts to retain the positlonss /
ha obtained during the initial stage VI
tbe offensive on the western DAMN ~, ",
tbe Piaye. at the points where ne sun
has a footing across the pver: Ihese
nnerations are costing him heaViiy'
F;erce fighting is taking place In the
Nervesa zone. where the river emerges
from the Alps to the plain. ana IN .ne
region of Fagare midway between 'he
Alps and the sea. ,r;,
!, Tteres is no question that the spIli'
of the Italian troops is exceiieh'. Ne
ertheless the general situation is re-
gorded as serious, in view of the 1act
that the Austrians, so it is stated, nave
Srorpht into action all their availaole
forces in the hope of breaking through
|tba Italian lines and scoring sucn a
decisive victory as to put italy out Oh
'the. war. 49,,
found copies of a speech delivered py !
Emperor Charles shortly before the OF
fensive was begun.
.Bcfore you is the enemy" said the
emperor. There glory awaits you, ana !
also honor. good food. abundant spoiis' |
Anal peace. With the help of God. !
make the supreme sacrifice for your |
kind. for liberty. and for your beauti-
full fatherland"
One of the prisoners, an ofncer' saia /
he always had maintained 1t was a
mistake to press the italians too hard. |
aThey fight like demons for their |
own SOIL" he remarked.
The civilion population In the area |
under shell fire shows perfect confid- |
ence. The people are attending to |
their daily tasks. Soldiers going TO the 1
front line march along the roads. sing |
ing gaily and stopping by the way to /
beg flowers to pin to their caps.