The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-29
THE BIRMINGHAM AGE-HERAID SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29 1919

equipped. These were the 117th and
200th Infantry divisions. at that time
in Bukovina, which were to be set free
by the Austro- Hungarian troops in
that area taking over their front
Generally speaking, G. II. Q. wanted
to employ divisions which had fought
only on the western front. or suffered
particularly severely in operations in
other theatres, but owing to the i'm.
portance of the western front and the
small number that could be drawn
from it. the wishes of many formations
to fight in other localities. and be en-
| ployed in an offensive, could only be
met to small extent
The choice now fell upon the Fifth,
Twelfth and Twenty-sixth (Wurtem-
| berg) divisions and a few lager bat
| talions. which were later formed into
| the German jaeger division. Six to
seven divisions were made available
| against Italy: two were taken from the
western front where they were re-
placed by the two from Riga.
/ In addition the east was to release
| two more divisions which, if the situa-
ton at all permitted, were to be sent
/ later to Italy. otherwise to the west
| The divisions detailed were also pro-
vided with German formations of ar
itilery engineers, trench mortars. aero
planes, balloons and signals, motor and
horse transports, and lines of communi-
cation establishments; everything, in a
word, which an army needs. The troo ~
| were given such mountain equipment
as was necessary by the intendent gem
| erals and their respective war ministries
Training in mountain warfare began at
once The artillery required special
training in shooting in mountainous dis
/ tricts.
| 1t was arranged with General Won ARR
that the Germans. with a contingent of
/ Austro- Hungarian troops, were to- form
! the Fourteenth army. under Gen. Otto
Won Below General Won Kraft became
the chief of staff, and Major Won Will
sen Joined the Fourteenth army head
tauarters as senior general staff officer.
From the outset ii was agreed that
the German army should make the main
lsttack on which everything deaended.
It was therefore assembled at the de-
cisive point on both sides of Tolmino.
The German jaeger were moved into the
| Flitsch valley
| The Emperor Charles wished the oper-
1 alton to be conducted by the Austro-
Hungarian high command. l had, how
ever sufficient voice for our own
general staff through our preparations
the interspersion of German army
command and system of telephone
communications. Z
TOLD TO SEIZE MUNITIONS
On october "A the Flitsch group under
the Austro- Hungarian general, Won
Krausz. and the Fourteenth German
larmv. were to seize the mountain range
(which follows the right bank of the
lTsonzo from about F1itsch to Canale
land reaches it's highest point 10 Mount
IMataiur. $40 feet, southwest of Caporet-
Ito. While all the other divisions Wert
to ascend the range, the twelfth uhoei
General Lequis. was to move from Aol.
,,ipo ON Caporetto and then advance
Iround the Matajur by the valley roao
Howard Civdale.
The army group of General BoroeTlc
was to ioin in the advance of the -Four
lteenth army, moving in a westerly dlrec-
ton from the Caruso mountains.
| The deployment of the Fourteenth
Iarmy had proved very difficult only t"o
mountain roads were available ana ttes
we're very narrow in places, so tna'
movement in one direction only wrs POI,
chile All the care and intelligence OF
the German staff officer was needed 10
Insure the movements taking place WIN
ont friction and being completed 10 uns~
First OF all the artillery and trench n,
liars with large supplies of ammunition
were moved up in good time, unoer the
feehle protection of a few Austro-Hu
l
y;s;ons were moved up last OF an.
CADORNA OvER-CONFlDEN'f
| THE denloyment took days and was pc
traved TO the Italians. The. desperate
hostile attacks in the west in the secone
,hsIf ~ october had already some con
Injection With our plans In itaiy' Cui
| weakness in the west was to DE tahes
advantage of. Tactieally Cadorina seem
la have taken steps. Possipis
1 I'll homeless.
After a few hours bombardment b;
| .~ti,lerv and trench mortars with hlgi
explosives and gas shells, the ascent .
tbe mountains began on the mori,iH'
~ the oath while the 18th division pusne'
iahead in the valley toward and oeyon'
ICaporetto with the greatest energy. ~
tbe 9th the decisive mountain range wa
already in our hands, and the MaeaJu
was taken from several sides
| On the 9th we had already gained
moro ground in the mountains towar'
the upper Tagliamento and occupied Civi
II dale. The italian north front on the "a
rinthian frontier and the lsonzo iron
beth began to give away. unfortunatei;
Boroevic's group did not follow up VIII
enough energy. so that more ltaiiah
go. ned than should have heen the case
RAGS $4,000 MORE CAPTIVES
c,ererai Won Below was instructed t
k.en his right wing in the mountains
Int TO advance with his left by udin
and nress toward Codroifo and the south
SO as to strike decisive blow at TN
whole enemy force to the east OF IN
ia e,ia rnento In this way another COCO
Italians were captured east Of that river
which was reached on December ] alon'
it's whole course before Toimezzo
November 30 was a good day for
.b,nce In France there was the vic
tory of Cambria, and in Italy this fin
success. AS early as November ha.
requested General Won ARR to reinforc
General Conrad's group in the Tyrol from
that of General Boroevic. and to max
An energetic attack there, either dow
the Brenta or in the Asiago Arsiero area
Now, that the operation we had planne'
had succeeded. General Won Boroevic (ol
tho southern flank was too strong, Gen
eral Won Conrad ION the northern flank
too weak. General Won ARR consented
But the railways were too bad and n
movement worth mentioning could be eff
cd