Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-17
ALLIES HALT AUSTRIANS' NEW
ASSAULTS ON ITALIAN FRONT
Continued from PAGE One

Continued from PAGE Ono
seems to be a disappointment to the
enemy in its early stages.
Battle Unabated
Along the 1OO.mile front, from the
Asiago Plateau among the mountains,
to the Adriatic Sea, the battle contin.
ues unabated. A succession of desper-
ate enemy efforts have broken against
the Allied positions.
The capture of 10000 prisoners Is
claimed by the VIENNA War Office,
but against this is toll Of 5000 pris-
oners taken by the defenders in addi-
ton to terrific losses inflicted on the
attacking forces by the Allied artil-
lery.r
On the British front, near Asiago.
east of the Brenta River, a brillia MT
counter.attack has elected the AUS
trians from all the positions captured
Saturday in the first rush when the
Austrians had penetrated two.thirds
of a mile on a front of a mile and a
half.
On the French front. between the
Brenta and Piave Rivers. the offensive
also seems to have been checked.
Territory Regained
The Italian War Office announces
that all the territory around Mounts
Solarola and Asolone (also between the
two rivers) which had been lost, has
been regained.
Enemy troops succeeded in crossing
the Piave at three points on the Vene-
tan Plains-near Nervesa. Fagare and
Musile. At no place, however. were
they able to follow up their advantage.
They were closely pressed by the
Italian troops, and severe losses in
flicted.
The heaviest fighting Is taking place
on the Asiago Plateau, between the
Brenta and Piave Rivers, the western
flank of the front involved.
Anticipating the thrust. the Allied
guns at many points forestalled the
Austrian assa ults, breaking the en-
emy's blows and moving down the
attacking forces with murderous
fire.
Reuters correspondent with the Brit
ish army in Italy describes The opening
of the offensive as follows:
THE Austrians opened a heavy bonn.
bardment at 3 o'clock this morning and
attacked the British positions on the
| Asiago Plateau at 1880 with a division
composed of Austro-German and Bos-
nian troops. The enemy objective. ap.
parently. was 10 reacn line OF nllls
/ about the plateau and Gina di Fonte
some four kilometers (2.5 miles) behind
our front. The enemy reached our front
lines, but made very little progress They
were repulsed on the right completely
! but gained few hundred yards near
! the left of our CENTER
Our line, following a shell-like de.
preston in which Is the town of Asiago
| is irregular in outline and thickly wood
| ed in places. Flat as 1t looks from our
positions the country is full of hidden
folds in the ground and lends itself
easily to attack by small isolated de.
! tachments.
"The morning of the attack was more
than usually misty and the bulk Of the
| enemy troops approached along the line
| of a railway running from Asiago to the
little village Of Cesuna. which wollows q
marked depression in the ground. In ac,
cordance with recent German methods
the attacking troops were rushed up dur
ing the night from Val Sugana by mo-
tor transport
! Heavy as was the preliminary bonn
bardment, gas shells were only sparingly
used against our troops. The attack or
the British formed only a part Of the
Austrian plan"