The Story of the Great War, Volume 5: Battle of Jutland Bank; Russian Offensive; Kut-El-Amara; East Africa; Verdun; The Great Somme Drive; United States and Belligerents; Summary of Two Years' War
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 5: Battle of Jutland Bank; Russian Offensive; Kut-El-Amara; East Africa; Verdun; The Great Somme Drive; United States and Belligerents; Summary of Two Years' War
World War, 1914-1918
Between the Lagarina and Sugana Valleys the Italian offensive was
continued on July 5, 1916. In the Adige Valley and in the upper Astico
Basin pressure compelled the Austrians to withdraw, uncovering new
batteries on commanding positions previously prepared by them.
On the Asiago Plateau Italian artillery bombarded the Austrian lines
actively. In the Campelle Valley the Austrians evacuated the positions
they still held on the Prima Lunetta, abandoning arms, ammunitions and
supplies.
The following day brought some new successes to the Italians on the
Sette Comuni Plateau. With the support of their artillery they renewed
their attack on the strongly fortified line of the Austrians from
Monte Interrotto to Monte Campigoletto and captured two important
points of the Austrian defenses, near Casera, Zebio and Malga Pozza,
taking 359 prisoners, including 5 officers and 3 machine guns. Between
the Adige and the Astico, north of the Posino and along the Rio Freddo
and Astico Valleys there was intense artillery activity, especially in
the region of Monte Maggio and Monte Camone. The same condition
continued throughout July 7, 1916.
On July 8, 1916, Italian infantry advanced on the upper Astico in the
Molino Basin and toward Forni. Dense mist prevented all activity of
artillery on the Sette Comuni Plateau. In the northern sector the
Italians stormed some trenches north of Monte Chiesa, and occupied
Agnella Pass.
A great deal of the fighting, both during the Austro-Hungarian
offensive in the Trentino and the Italian counteroffensive, took place
in territory abounding with lofty mountain peaks. Though it was now
midsummer, these were, of course, covered with eternal snow and ice.
Austrians and Italians alike faced difficulties and hardships, the
solution and endurance of which would have seemed utterly impossible a
few years ago until the Great War swept away many long-established
military and engineering maxims. An intimate picture of this new mode
of warfare was given by a special correspondent of the London "Daily
Mail" who, in part, says:
"The villages in the lower ground behind the front have been aroused
from their accustomed appearance of sleepy comfort. In their streets
are swarms of soldiers on their way to the front or back from it for a
holiday. Thousands are camping out in the neighborhood of the villages
or billeted on the inhabitants. Constant streams of motor vehicles
rumble through the villages on their way up the steep road, bearing
ammunition, food and supplies of all sorts, to the batteries, trenches
and dugouts on the peaks.
"The road over which these vehicles travel was before the war a mere
hill path--now the military engineers have transformed it into a
modern road, graded, metaled and carried by cunningly devised spirals
and turns three-quarters of the way up the mountains.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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