Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-18
MASS HUGE GUNS
AGAINST ITALIANS
More Than a Thousand As.
scmbled in Trentino
Sector Alone
ALLIES LINES PREPARED
BY AUSTIN WEST
Special Gable to Epcning Public Ledger
CopDrtoht. fafs. bv NciC 1'ork Times Co.

\ CopBrioht. fots. bu NciU York. Times Co.
Italian Zone Of War, June 1s.
Italy's hour has come. The long
expected Austrian attack. which in
extent, as in intensity, surpasses any
thing experienced hitherto on this
front, is now in full progress from the
Asiago plateau away down to the We.
netian gulf.
! The latest reports from various Sec
tors show that the enemy pressure Is
about equally strong at all points.
The splendid behavior of the italian
troops not only in resistance, but also
in prompt and vigorous counter-at-
| tacks. has thwarted so far the enemy
endeavor to rush the main line of de.
fense and while the Italians. French
and British have at divers places
fallen back upon these latter. they
have reoccupied their original posi-.
tions in others.
The terrific preliminary lombard
ment which was distinctly audible In
the neighborhood of Milan. began at
3:o5 o'clock on Saturday morning and
lasted uninterruptedly for, four hours
before the massed infantry was hurled
! forward.
| ..r Action Lacked Surpvise
/ InOugn accompanied II
rain of gas shells and special fiery
| liquids it lacked the element of surprise
and the consequent overpowering effects.
common to grand offensives, for General
| Diaz, having obtained beforehand very
prccise information of the cnemys inten-
tions. had ordered q twenty-minute vio-
lent concentration of artillery fire at
midnight and another twenty-minute
concentration at half past On the first
lines and the rear communications In
the mountain sectors as far as the Monte
Grappa range. where 1t was known the
Austrian onslaught would be fiercest.
Some idea of the situation may be
found from the fact that Austria had
assembled more than thousand cannon
In the Trentino sector alone and another
1900 of all calbers on a single front
from Asiago to the Brenta.
General Borcevitch, the Austrian COM
| mander-in-chief. extended Field Marshal
Conrad Won Hoetzendorfs command in
the Alpine sectors SO as to include all
the lines within the Grappa region held
by the British forces. ...
With his unprecedented wealth in men
and means. released from the Russian
front Hoetzendorf appears to be at
tempting for the third time his favorite
plan of forcing passage into the Brenta
valley an0 through the Frenzla corridor
upon, Van Stagna. with Bassano as his
objective. and thus pour out his forces in
the Vincenza plain.
British Fight Desperately
Between Monte Grappa and Montello
the Franco-British forces are confronted
by General Won Schenchenstners eleventh
army, the subcommand, of which is in
trusted to Lieutenant Field Marshal
Kletter. Here the fighting has assumed
a desperate character.
Along the Piave General kirkbac 4
armies have been REINFORCED by army
. corps under Generals Wurp and Hen
! riquess, which are bent on getting across
the river between Montello and Zenson
J The present offensive was originally
arranged for the first week in May, wher
the German auxiliary army under Vor
Below was to smash through the Giudi
caria valley, while the second. undel
. Won Bothmer. was to assail the vale,
Of the Brenta. but the whole Austro
German scheme was foiled because O
Germany's April failure 10 cut off tn,
British from the French armies II
| France.