The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1918-06-28
.LATInS Capture
$4,000 AUSTR|ANS
IN GREAT BATTLE
Diaz's Cavalry Crosses Piave in.
Pursuit of Fleeing Enemy.
FOES LOSSES ARE 100000
Italians Have Swept Back in One
Stroke All of the Gains for Which
the Enemy Paid Huge Price in
Lives-U. S. AViators Take
Part in Fight.

London, June 25.-The italian en-
bassy said that official reports received
from Rome placed the number OF Aus
TRANS captured at $4,000.
It is reported that many other scat
tered forces OF the enemy are trapped
and it is expected that the number of
captives will be increased heavily as
full details of the battle are received.
Italians Cross River.
The Italians have crossed the Pave
IL half a score OF places in close pur-
suit of the fleeing enemy. The Italian
cavalry is said to have many of the
enemy surrounded on the east bank.
Great stores of rifles, machine guns
and foodstuffs were abandoned by the
enemy. The captures in cannon are
not thought to have been large, as the
Austrians had been prevented by the
flood from bringing many big guns to
their forward positions.
West Bank Cleared OF Foe.
On the entire stretch OF the front
from the MOntello to the sea the Aus
TRANS have been cleared from the
west bank of the Piave except at one
small point near San D0na di Piave.
Their only hold there is small bridge
head.
The Italians, advancing from the old
channel of the Piave near the point
where it enters the sea, have pressed
forward until at last accounts they
have reached the new channel.
Near the center of the front italian
cavalry has crossed the river at many
places between MontellO and Zenson.
Great Gain Made at MonteIIo.
Far to the north, in the vicinity OF
the Montello heights, the Italians have
swept back in one stroke all Of the
gains for which the enemy paid huge
price in lives.
They first recaptured all OF the
heights, penning in between the Mon
telo and the river 10000 of the enemy;
they then drove forward, smashing
back or capturing the foe, until they
reached the river.
Piave Cleared OF Foe.
Rome, June 26-Italian troops
forced the last rear guard of the re-
treating Austrians to surrender and
completely reoccupied the west bank
of the Piave river, the war Office an
nOunced.
Take 5000 More Prisoners.
The statement reads:
During Monday the Third army,
having obliged the last rear guard Of
the enemy to surrender, completely
reocc2eied the right bank of the Pi-
ave, capturing Is officers and 1907
men.
"Along the northwestern front OF
the Grappa our troops inflicted heavy
losses upon the enemy and gained con
siderable advantages of ground. We
captured seven officers, 1926 Of other
ranks and Is machine guns. On June
% and 81 nine enemy machines were
brought down."
Austrians Lose 100000.
Paris, June 26-Austrian losses to-
tai 100000 men, according to the Sc
colo of Milan Certain enemy diVi-
sions lost two-thirds Of their effec-
tives.
A dispatch to the Matin from Turin
saws that the rout Of the Austrians is
s complete and that the Piave has car
ried away many Austrian dead. Ital-
ian cavalry, it is added, have advanced
beyond the eastern bank OF the river.
Austrian Dead Cover Field.
Rome, June Extremely heavy
losses in men and material have been
suffered by the Austro-Hungarians in
the defeat which the Italians have ad-
mlnistered to them on the Piave front,
the war office announced.
Italian troops have crossed the old
channel of the Piave river west of the
main stream, and recaptured several
of their old positions there.
From Capo Sile other detachments
are advancing toward the main stream
of the river.
The Austrian dead cover the ground
of the battle in extraordinary numbers.
Story of Foes Retreat
italian Army Headquarters, June %.
The great retreat by the Austrians
along the Piave front began under
cover of darkness Saturday night. The
retreating troops left their cannon be-
hind them. Italian detachments are
pursuing the enemy east of the Piave.
When it was observed that the Aus
TRANS had begun q retrograde move
ment the Italians began to attack Wig
orously all along the Piave line from
Montello well toward The mouth of the
river. The attack was quickly pressed
and became more insistent, accompa-
MED by violent artillery fire. The num-
Der of guns left behind by the Austria
ans as they retreated has not been
computed, but is said to be very great.
U. S. Flyers Aid Latins.
The work of the American aviators
who appeared on the front last week
for the first time, contributed notably
to the Reorganization Of the Austrian
forces which had crossed the Pave