May 23--A clash, regarded in Rome as being the first skirmish of the
war, occurs between Italian and Austrian troops at Forcellini di
Montozzo, in the pass between Pont di Legno and Pejo; an Austrian
patrol crosses the frontier, but is driven back over the border by
Italian Alpine Chasseurs; Lieut. Gen. Cadorna, Chief of the Italian
General Staff, starts for the front.
May 24--Austrian artillery shells Italian outposts on the Adige in
front of Rivoli; there are clashes at other points, including a
skirmish of border forces in the Isonzo Valley on the eastern
frontier; a general forward movement by the Italians begins; Austrians
are massing for defense.
May 25--Italians are advancing on a 67-mile front, their line having
as extreme points Caporetto on the north and the Gulf of Trieste on
the south; in three lines they sweep across the frontier for four
miles; Italians occupy Caporetto, the heights between the Idria and
Isonzo Rivers, Cormons, Corvignano, and Terzo; Austrians withdraw,
destroying bridges and burning houses.
May 26.--Italians occupy Austrian territory all along the frontier
from Switzerland to the Adriatic; Italians have seized various towns
in the Trentino and forced their way through mountain passes; King
Victor Emmanuel has assumed supreme command of the Italian army and
navy, and has gone to the front.
May 27--Italian armies make rapid progress in the invasion of Austria,
part of the forces having crossed the Isonzo River; another force,
which penetrated further north in the Crownland of Goritz and
Gradisca, has repaired the railroad beyond Cormons and is marching on
Goritz, the capital; sharp fighting has occurred on the Tyrol-Trentino
border, where the Austrians are being driven back in advance guard
engagements; a battle is raging around Ploken and also west of the
Praedil Pass in Austria.
[Transcriber's Note: Text missing from original.] tinues in Austrian
territory, the Austrians not making any determined resistance; they
are laying waste large areas as they retreat; in the Provinces of
Trentino and Friuli the Italians are pushing forward fast; the
Austrians fall back in the direction of Trent; Italians are occupying
the heights of Monte Baldo, overlooking the Valley of the Adige and
commanding the railway from Verona to Trent; Italians have crossed the
Venetian Alps, and among the lower spurs of the Dolomites are in touch
with the left wing of the Austrian force thrown forward for the
defense of Trent; in Carinthia the Italians have taken three passes
and fourteen villages.
May 29--A large Italian army is trying to cross the Isonzo River;
bayonet fighting is in progress south of Goritz, the Austrians slowly
falling back; Italian forces are at Gradisca, eighteen miles from
Trieste; Austrians repulse Italians at Caporetto and near Plava;
Italians are penetrating from Tonale Pass into the Virmiglio Valley,
with an objective north of Trent, in an attempt to place that city
between two Italian armies; Italians capture the town of Storo and are
bombarding Riva; the headquarters of the Austrian commander, Field
Marshal Baron von Hötzendorf, are established at Trent.
May 30--Italian advance in Friuli encounters strong opposition at the
Isonzo defenses, where progress is also being impeded because the
river is swollen; Italian artillery destroys the fort of Luserna, on
the Asiago plateau; in Cadore the Italians take several positions; a
battle along the Adige River has been in progress, the Italians taking
the village of Pilcante; artillery duels are in progress on the
frontier in Tyrol and Trentino; Austrians repulse Italians at Cortina.
May 31--The Italian invasion of the Province of Trent is progressing
from the south along the Adige and Chiese Rivers, from the west across
the Tonale Pass, and from the east by way of the Lavaronne Plateau;
the Italian attack is continuing all along the zigzag frontier, up to
the highest point north, where they have occupied the Ampezzo Valley,
together with the town of Cortina; Italians now are in possession of
Monte Baldo, which dominates Lake Garda; to the east of Caporetto the
Italians make a vain attempt to climb the slopes of the Kern; a great
Austrian army is being massed in Tyrol.
June 1--Thirty-seven villages surrounding Cortina in the Ampazzo
Valley are in Italian hands; the whole high plateau of Lavarone is in
the hands of the Italian force advancing into the Trentino from the
east.
June 2--In Friule the Italians are now established firmly on the Monte
Nero ridge across the Isonzo River; on the Carnia front an artillery
duel is in progress; to check Italians who are advancing from the
border northeast of Trent, Austrians are massing troops behind Monte
Croce Pass.
June 3--Italians repulse Austrian attempts to dislodge them from the
Monte Nero ridge; Austrians repulse Italians at several points on the
Tyrolian and Carinthian frontiers.
June 4--It is officially announced that Italian mobilization is
complete: in the operations against Rovereto, the Italians occupy
Mattassone and Val Morbia in the Val Arsa; Italian artillery silences
the forts of Luserna and Spitzverle; on the middle Isonzo fierce
fighting is in progress; Italians hold the summit and slopes of
Monterno.
June 5--A battle is raging on the western bank of the Isonzo River, in
front of Tolmino, the key to the railway and main highway to Trieste;
Italians are making steady though slow progress in Southern Tyrol.
June 6--Austrians are making a desperate defense at Tolmino; Italians
fail in an attempt to cross the Isonzo River near Sagrado; viewing the
situation as a whole, the Italians are making progress along a
150-mile front, smashing Austrian defenses at many points with
artillery fire.
June 7--Desperate fighting continues for Tolmino; Italians are making
a general advance across the Isonzo River from Caporetto to the sea, a
distance of forty miles; Austrians recapture Freikofel.
June 8--Fierce fighting is in progress at the Isonzo River; severe
fighting also is going on in the Friulian sector.
June 9--Italians take Monfalcone, sixteen miles northwest of Trieste;
a fierce artillery duel is in progress at Tolmino; fighting continues
at the Isonzo River.
June 10--Italians are in full possession of Monfalcone; Italians
occupy Podestagno, north of Cortina; fighting continues along the
Isonzo.
June 11--Italians take Ploeken, imperiling communications to Laibach;
fierce fighting is in progress for Goritz, Austrians still holding the
city; fighting continues along the Isonzo.
June 12--Italians push their advance almost to Rovereto thirteen miles
southwest of Trent, and to Mori, eighteen miles southwest of Trent;
Italians are advancing from Monfalcone toward Trieste; at points on
the Carinthian frontier Austrians repulse Italians.
June 13--Italian artillery is bombarding the fortifications defending
Goritz, capital of the crownland of Goritz and Gradisca, twenty-two
miles northwest of Trieste; severe fighting is in progress on Monte
Paralba; in the last few days Austrians have brought up 45,000 troops
and 64 batteries along the Isonzo River.
June 14--Italians in Carnia occupy Valentina; all the positions
captured by Italians in Trentino are held against repeated assaults by
Austrians; the Italian Eastern Army is pushing forward along the Gulf
of Trieste toward the City of Trieste.
June 15--Italians repulse Austrian attack at Monfalcone.