Show Austrians Beaten Back In Desperate Battle for or Mastery of River Bank I ITALIAN IN lN II NORTHERN ITALY Nov 19 The The Austrians Austrians Aus Aus- who forced their way across the Piave river above Zenson have been I ill thrown rown into the river drowned bayoneted bayou bayon I baon eted killed or captured entil now not an enemy remains on the tile west bank at atthe atthe atthe I the most threatened point The fight was one of the most fearful chapters of I Ithe the war and one of the most glorious Details of the fight have been gathered from eyewitnesses who aw saw the fearful carnage through Friday night and Saturday Saturday Sat Sat- and who stayed until the whole west bank was cleared except for tor tue I corpses s on the shore and in the lore lore- ground I IThe The wounded were wele so 10 numerous that many have not yet vet received succor The enemy had staked everything on getting I to the west bank of the river and the Italians staked everything on keeping him himon himon on the eastern bank This nerved both boUl boUli I I i to desperation The Austrians made the first move Friday in two separate crossIngs crossings cross cross- I ings a short distance above Zenson first I at the village v of and then an anold anold anold I old mill called caned the Sega mill near Fol- Fol lIna several Several circumstances enabled them to pass They chose a place where a sandbar sandbar sandbar sand sand- bar ran in midstream giving them a landing and dividing the main stream into two small shallow currents Also there was A heavy mist screening their movements move move- ments They carried material for nn an improvised improvised im tm- im- im bridge with uprights and with 1 I iron plates for flooring I II WADE UP TO WAISTS i I This was about 5 o clock in the morning morning morn morn- morn morn-I ing and in the mist at the early hour across the second narrow channel channel chan chan- chanI I they got cot I nd nel to the west bank The last ten feet I Ithe the men waded across In water above their waists In their first surprise rush i they swept past four Italian machine gun I batteries capturing the guns and driving I the Italians back into the village of Fagre I Here fere the th real fighting began as the Italians had now recovered from the surI surprise sur sur- like demons It prise and the they fought I was a hand to ha hand d fight through the town town with no place for tor artillery or I maI machine ma- ma I chine guns puna and the Italians using bayonets bay bay- oneta hand grenades knives and galatine gelatine gelatine gela gala I tine torpedoes torpedoed The Austrians held p pert part rt of the town near the bank with the tee Italians on the land side aide The Austrians tried to throw a line around the town I 1 and succeeded in part on one side Ide until th the Italian batteries t U Q the north got the range of the line toe outside the shelter r of off the streets street I f This line was the first to be demolI demol- demol I and the then the Italians i y this side of the town advanced cheering hew hewing ins I their way The enemy held at first then began to seek cover and finally I brt broke ke as M the Italians pushed into the I town hack back to the river Some plunged into the water and sought to get to the sandbar All An the machine guns were abandoned Most Moat of the enemy fell along I the MIP waters water's edge fdge and an observer who saw he the gruesome r sight says t the bodson bodies I on wt the eri river bank and in the water t reI reminded re- re minded him of seaweed after alter the tide I had gone out GUt at Sega m mill l lI the theother theother river ot other Further t cros crossing s mg had brought ro h on another t I bloody fight which lasted until late yes yes- when the whole shore was waa 1 cleared clear cleared d of living lI Austrians But It was waa wasi i lined with dead The movement here i began late tate on 01 Friday n night fn and re 1 its culmination about 11 ii o'clock Satur- Satur several severs Austrian Aus- Aus night da dav morning Friday Plan trian battalions lIons got get across under the I I cover Over of darkness They chose chOM a narrow channel and some of the Austrians rode rod across on horseback They took a poli pol- pol j i lion tion near the town cemetery and opened on the Italians during the night with I machine ah guns T The Austrians carried two searchlights which they played on onI I the Italian position while the Italians were s searchlight It was wu on only I b h hy the flashes of tn the Austrian machine direct their could that the Italians I guns uns I fire firo I TURN TIDE OF BATTLE RATTLE I At daylight th the Ihl eneim enemy still I h held d hi hK position at H th the remoter cemetery Th The b b began can n to 10 o look riou and for a i time it ii a t a T- T thu ugh though h th I would w have hav In o fill r. hi hak k B Hit RII r now ow the thes I Lamous ous s Ber brigitte w is rou tit t 1 up fresh after its heroic rearguard de defense defense de- de I de-I of the main army as it retired on the field Some of the other troops were from nearby towns and they were stirred to a last desperate tte effort to to save their I homes S I The Italians charged shortly after dawn their line moving straight up me tile hill to the cemetery Against machine gun fire and guns gUllS on the bank the ItalIans Italians Ital Ital- ians moved with bayonets grenades and torpedoes It U was one of these charges inspired by love and home country which will live always and It was irresistible The enemy e wavered and n broke just as the ft eroe rOye t Italian l artillery Il on a nearby e height got the range of ot the cemetery But the main fighting was hand to hand with the enemy being pressed back steadily to the river where they were cut down drowned bayoneted or captured By 10 o o'clock clock yesterday all had been swept away except a few straggling groups by noon not one of the enemy's force toree was left on the tile western bankIn bank In addition to some 1500 killed the enemy en-em lost 1500 prisoners including two colonels and some thirty officers All AllI I the Austrian machine guns were captured captured captured cap cap- and and are now being used by the Italians The fur fury of the fighting righting is shown by bythe bythe bythe the fact that the old Sega Bega mill mUl on the tho river rivers river's s bank was taken and retaken six times during the ebb and flow The mill milli millis i i is full of bullet holes but shows no evidence evi evi- I dence deuce of shell fire indicating that the tue fighting was entirely e at close quarters a h ere Italian stretcher et bearers r. r r did noble set service ser ser- I vice yesterday esterday afternoon In carrying me great number of Austrians who lay along the shores Two of these stretcher bearens bearers bearers bear bear- ers ens waded out to the sandbar in midstream midstream midstream mid mid- stream where several severely wounded Austrians had dragged themselves They were brought back and cared for carefully carefully care care- fully by the Italian hospital corps One I of ot these Austrians was wounded seriously In the leg and he was supported between I two Italians on the way to the receiving II station The Italians recovered their dead somo some of ot them at the waters water's edge lOne One gunner was found hanging lifeless over his mac machine lne gun |