Vienna was
claiming the capture of 30,000 men, but the Italian reports claimed that
the Austrian losses were stupendous. Thousands of dead were heaped
before the Italian line in the mountain sectors, blocking the mule paths
and choking the defiles. No fewer than nine desperate onslaughts upon
Monte Grappa, always with fresh reserves, were broken upon Grappa
heights, with terrific losses.
On July 19th the dispatches from Rome were emphasizing the Italian
counter-attacks. Not only were the Italians preventing the enemy from
making further gains, but they were beginning to crowd him back at the
points where he had crossed the river, and were raining bombs and
machine-gun bullets upon the Austrian troops at the bridgehead. They
were also taking the initiative in the fighting in the mountain sectors.
By June 20th the Austrian defeat was clear. Their forces were backed
against the flooded Piave, which had carried away their bridges and left
them to the mercy of the Italians. Thousands were being killed and other
thousands captured. Czecho-Slovak troops, it was reported, had joined in
the fighting, and had given their first tribute of blood to the generous
principles of freedom and independence for which they were in arms. In
the Piave delta the Italians had regained Capo Sile, which had been
captured early in the drive, and it was reported that all along the
Piave line they had won complete control of the air, not a single
Austrian machine being still aloft.
Pages:
782
783
784
785
786
787
788
789
790
791
792
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805
806