New-York tribune., 1918-06-27
Italians Drive
AuStrians Into
Piaue Suan1ps
Continued from page 1

between two thousand and three thou
sand prisoners the total captures by
the Italian forces during their counter
offensive are brought up to the neigh
borhood of $4,000 men.
Under the fire Of italian machine
guns and artillery which were brought
up rapidly, the Austrian withdrawal
across the Piave soon became dis
orderly rout. 1t is estimated that Aus
trlan losses total more than 100000.
1T was terrible sight as the mad
dened Austrians fled under the deluge
of Italian bullets and shells. They
leaped into the river and grabbed
pieces Of wood or anything that would
aid them; they tied themselves to
mules and horses. But their efforts
were in vain, for as the enemy troops
reached the opposite bank thew we're
again caught by the fire of Italian guns
which had been trained accurately on
the eastern bank for some days.
Slaughter Is Terrific
On the Montello the slaughter was
terrific. Units of Austrian troops were
moved down almost in their entirety.
AT the crossing at Nervesa both banks
OF the river were strewn with dead and
dying, while hundreds of bodies were
carried down in the current to the sea-
counted 800 bodies while walking
distance Of half mile. One regiment
OF covering troops, which originally
was composed of more than 1000 men,
had left Monday morning but 88 men
to the company. These were prisoners.
Along the lower Piave the Austrians
found themselves, if possible, in a
worse position and sustained heavier
losses.
On Saturday the Austrian command
sent the 91st Schuetzen Brigade, COM
posed OF regiments Nos. 81 and 80, with
orders to widen the Austrian breach at
Lampol, and to do this at all hazards.
| The brigade attempted to carry out
this order and fought like wild men,
but the Italian pressure was so terrific
that they were unable to accomplish
their object, which was to succor the
Austrian divisions already surrounded
in this section.
After six attacks, which continued
Saturday night and Sunday morning.
there remained at l o'clock Monday
afternoon only ninety men of this
brigade. The others were either pris-
onerss. wounded or dead. The COM
manding officer then committed suicide
1 us
In fleeing the Austrians left behind
them much war material. The enemy
troops even threw away their rifles and
deserted hundreds Of machine guns
which were to have been used to nro-
tect the retirement.
t|s estimated that the number IF
Austrians on the western bank of the
rave when the retreat began was over
100000. This great number of men.
however, could do nothing against the
Italian pressure, despite continuous
counter attacks.
The Italian official statement in the
past week has frequently emphasized
the cruel losses inflicted on the Aus
TRANS. Among sixteen prisoners taken
at one time on Montello, for instance
1t was observed that they belonged to
; no less than seven different regiments.
Prisoners report that serious losses
were caused by the Italian artillery
trench bombs and machine guns. The
18th Schuetzen Division is reported ia
nave lost nifty men from each company
on an average.
Many pitiable sights were witnessed
by the Italians during their advance
over the shell-swept battle-ground. Ere
quently they would come upon their
own men who had been taken prisoner
: and abandoned by the Austrians in
their retreat. Many of these were
wounded, but virtually all were
stripped of their shoes and all the;,
: good clothing.
Lieutenant Tuffolino, who lost hi.
right hand eight months ago on the
Carso. insisted on joining in a machine
gun attack upon Capo Sile. He wa,
wounded in this assault and fell. cry
ing "Viva l'Italia!"
Eounral Jaodc Asso,,l4
An instance of such mix-ups occurred
during the battle preceding the Aus
trian retreat, when general command
ing corps placed himself with an as
sault battalion of infantry and wen,
into the attack as if he were an ordi
nary major.
One case of forgetfulness is recorded
of an art:.ieryman, who was cut dowr
by an Austrian shell and when divine
was visited by the battery commander
!. When asked how he felt, the artillery
man neglected to reply to the question
but demanded instead:
"Are our guns still firing?"
An official chemical examination O,
the black bread eaten by the Austrian
soldiers who were in this campaign
showed 50 per cent of oat flour. the Re.
nainder being ground-up wood fibre
straw, hay and other unidentified in.
gradients.
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