The Story of the Great War, Volume 8: Victory with the Allies; Armistice; Peace Congress; Canada's War Organizations and vast War Industries; Canadian Battles Overseas
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 8: Victory with the Allies; Armistice; Peace Congress; Canada's War Organizations and vast War Industries; Canadian Battles Overseas
World War, 1914-1918
The advance of the Tenth Army, with which British and American troops
were fighting, continued without check throughout the day. British
cavalry detachments, in close touch with Italian cavalry, had reached
the western outskirts of Sacile. Troops of the Fourteenth British
Corps had reached the Livenza River at Francenigo. Farther south the
Eleventh Italian Corps had occupied Oderzo. This advance had been
gained throughout practically the entire length of the objective
assigned to the Earl of Cavan, British Commander on the Piave, by
General Diaz when plans were first formed early in October, 1918. The
energy and determination of the infantry had been beyond all praise.
The difficulties of bridging the Piave led at first to an inevitable
shortness of supplies. In spite of lack of food and sleep and in the
face of constant fighting the Thirty-seventh Italian Division and the
Seventh and Twenty-third British Divisions had advanced without relief
to their final objective. British and Italian troops operating on the
Asiago Plateau entered Camporovere (northeast of Asiago) and captured
the heights of Mocatz. The number of prisoners taken by the Tenth Army
alone had increased to more than 12,000.
The battle continued to expand. The enemy maintained intact his
resistance from Stelvio to the Astico, but he was vacillating on the
Asiago Plateau and in full retreat along the remainder of the front.
He was protected more by interruptions in the roads than by his rear
guards, who were irresistibly overwhelmed. Italian batteries, brought
forward quickly with captured enemy artillery, were intensely shelling
the adversary, firing to the extreme extent of their range. Cavalry
divisions, having destroyed the enemy resistance on the Livenza and
reestablished crossings, were marching toward the Tagliamento.
The Sixth Army, on October 31, 1918, entered into action with a
brilliant advance by the Ancona Brigade at the end of the Brenta
Valley, and in the morning it attacked the adversary along the whole
front.
On the Grappa, under the impetus of the Fourth Army's thrust, the
enemy front had collapsed. It was impossible to estimate the prisoners
coming down the mountain in flocks. All the hostile artillery here was
captured. The Italians forced the gorge of Quero, passed beyond the
spur east of Monteresen, and were advancing in the Piave Valley.
Overcoming the enemy rear guards at the Passo di St. Buldo, Italian
troops were descending into the Piave Valley toward Belluno. Other
parties were engaged in fighting in the hollow of Fadalto, which was
still occupied by the enemy. Cavalry and cyclists, following the road
to the foothills, were opening the way to Aviano.
By the end of the day the Fourth Army was master of the Fonzaso
Valley. The Bologna Brigade entered Feltre that night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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