Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-06-17

N.GDE the cuLlTe front INC CH'.lny IL
concentrating most powerful and fierce
attacks astr;de the Bran and across
the Pave and 1t is st:l, possible for the
fighting line to flow backward Or for
ward.
V'ttero Orlando, the Italian premier
in ar interview, sa'i the italian troops
by tenaciously resisting the Austrian
Hungarian troops in their new offensive
in northern Italy and by repeated
counter attacks were strongly holding
the enemy. The struggle. he added, was
most bitter on the eastern slopes OF
Montello and to the west Of Sandona
di Piave.
Austrians Expected Much.
The enemy based his enterprise on
various factors to assure him a victory
says the semi official note. There was
a brief but violent artillery prepartion
with large number Of gas shells. This
bombardment was to destroy the Italian
artificial fog from bombs and smoke ap-
paratus the enemy in open formation
advanced to the attack.
The enemy placed such faith in this
preparation that he fixed his objectives
for the first days fighting fifteen kilo-
meters in advance and planned to de-
scend from the mountain area and
reach the city Of Treviso from the
Piave river.
The enemys bombardment was frus-
trated by the formidable fire from the
Italian artillery, which destroyed lines
and shelters and made full hits on
massed troops as we'll as detrenched his
battle emplacements with gas.
Met With Machine Gun Fire.
When the enemy infantry advanced
in the front line zones they found re-
sistance had been prepared for by Ital-
ian machine guns and had to meet a
counter attack from the supporting
troops. This resulted in loss from the
advantage he had gained and he left
prisoners and machine guns in the
hands of the Italians. This is what
happened to the Austrians along the
whole front Of attack.
North of Katuna an advance group of
British which had been passed and str
rounded by the Austrians, rested until
a counter attack freed them and at the
same time captured 200 prisoners.
South of Neunar the French recap
tured strong point and took 1856 pris-
oners. From Moschin to Monte Fenera
the fourth army completely regained
it's advanced positions on the Azolone,
Pertica, Solarolo and Perte di Salton,
where the enemy had made slight prog
ress. A storming detachment retook
Col Meschin, with $50 prisoners, in ten
minutes. The prisoners included twen-
ty-flve officers. Also between the
Brenta and the Piave $50 prisoners
were captured.
Austrians Falling Back.
South OF Montello the enemy crossed
the Piave with considerable forces but
lis being gradually pushed toward the
river by the italian reactions.
Along the lower Piave the enemy
passed the river between Candelu and
Pi Piave. The enemy was Immediately
checked and driven back by q counter
attack to the bank of the river. One
thousand five hundred forty-flve pris
oners, including one colonel, two majors
and forty-two other officers, were made
prisoner by the third army. Altogether
5000 prisoners, including eighty nine
officers, were taken by the Italians and
their allies in the first day of the
struggle, which was to have been a
great success for the Austrians, but
which resulted in a dismal failure.
It is believed the Austrian general
attack is a repetition Of the enemy's
maneuver Of last October when he took
the offensive from Caporetto to Mon
falcone, with the intention Of disguis-
ing his main plan of breaking thru the
Alps and forcing the Italians to tetire
in the Bainsizza and Carso regions.
Now the enemy's feint apparently is
extended to conceal the development of
a plan long cherished by Field Mar
shall Won Holtzendorff to break thru
from the high Asiago plateau to the
Venetian plain, thus obliging the 1tal-
ian army along the Piave to retire in
order to avoid being caught by an out
fanking movement.