The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-11-07
VICTORY
GREATEST Of ALL
NOTHING TO EQUAL 1T IN THE
WORLDS HISTORY.
100000 PRISONERS TAKEN

UUOJUUU I1OCVLIlO tHKLN
Over One Hundred Towns Liberated
BY Forces Inferior In Number to
those of the Enemy.-FIying
White Flag.
Washington, Nov. 5.-One half mil
lion Austrians were taken prisoners by
the Italian troops before the armistice
was signed, Rome cables estiamted
this evening.
Billions in Booty.
Booty captured was estimated al
several billion. Two hundred and
fifty thousand horses also fell into the
Italian forces hands.
"In the valley of the Trentino alone
more than one hundred and fifty
thousand prisoners were TAKEN" said
a cable to the Italian embassy here
today. "In Trieste with Italian occu.
Ipation yesterday the enthusiasm was
said to have reached a stage Of delir.
lium. Provisions and clothing are
arriving in great abundance,
| Worlds Greatest Victory.
(By Henry Woods.)
With the Italian Armies in tine
Field, Nov. 1.-THE moment the Au
strian armistice became effective the
Italian and the allied armies in ten
day battle had attained the greatest
military victory in worlds history.
When the. battle opened more than
one million bayonets with an auxil
larry million in the rear opposed them
| Almost Singled Handed.
The victory was obtained by the
Italians practically single handed
only five Anglo-French divisions and
one American regiment aiding them
They liberated more than one
thousand villages and exceeded the
loss in every item of the Caporetta
disaster, also the attacking forces
were far inferior to the enemy in
number
Every Detail Worked Out.
Every detail of the battle was plan
ned in advance thus permitting not
the loss of moment.
The progress of the Italians from
the starting point averaged thirty-one
miles although the distance Travelled
on the winding roads exceeded sixty
two miles.
Flying White Flag.
The first effort to negotiate with
the Italians for an armistice was made
October 29, when an Austrian captain
with a white flag presented himself
before the Italian lines in the Adige
valley south of Rovereto.
The Italians refused negotiations
because his credentials were insult
ficient. The following day nine mill
tary and naval officers headed by Gen
eral Vone accompanied by his order
lies presented themselves at the same
place after signal by bugle.
Austrians Signed Immediately.
They were taken in automobiles Il
the Headquarters of General Diaz nea1
Padova where the request was i'm
mediately transmitted to Versailles.
The final signature took place a
the earliest possible moment after tn,
terms had been accepted.
Five Thousand Guns.
Washington. d. c., Nov. 5.-Thre
hundred thousand Austrian soldier
and not less than 5000 guns had beef
captured by the victorious Italian
armies before the armistice went int
effect at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon
said an official dispatch today iron
Rome. This included all captures sine
the offensive began Oct. "a.
In Wild Rout
The soldiers of the once powerful
Austrian army, the dispatch said
continued to flee in disorder. Sine
the offensive started sixty-three
Austro- Hungarian divisions were pu
out of combat by fifty-one Italia1
divisions, three British and tw
French divisions, with Czecho-Slova
units and an American regiment.
Trent Drive the End.
The rapid and most daring at
vance of the Twenty-ninth army corp
to the city of Trent, precluding tn
retreat of the defeated enemy troop
pressed from the west by the Sevent
army corps and from the east by tn
First, Sixth and Fourth army corps
determined yesterday the complet
crumbling of the Austrian front.
From the River Rretna to the sc
the irresistible impetus of the Twelfth
l., Tenth and Eighth army corps presse
= inexorably the enemy retreatin
20 across the plain. The Duke of Aosta
=, advancing rapidly at the head of h
. invincible Third army anxious to r
q, turn to the old positions which !
4.