Now that we had announced that the offensive was imminent, it was all
the more necessary for us to gather as much information as possible; it
was all the more necessary to have carrier-pigeons with which to send
the information we already had at hand. Through the refugee I sent a
notice to the secretary at Vittorio that I was waiting for him, that he
must try to send me all the information he had, that above all he must
not delay in coming to me. We decided to meet somewhere, for he feared
he might be tracked and therefore wished to avoid going to a place
whither he could not find a logical excuse for going. Our meeting was
to take place near a farmhouse of the present mayor of Vittorio, Cav.
Troier, and were the Austrians to inquire the reason for his journey he
would be able to say that he went for business reasons to see some
peasants we had talked about.
While we were eating we were surprised by hurried steps and as we were
trying to hide we saw the refugee approaching with a tall, slender man,
clothed in civilian garb and very pale.
“This is the Italian officer I mentioned to you,” said the refugee,
“and this is Mr. Brunora.” (Even in the woods in enemy territory
introductions are made!)
“I beg you to pardon my clothing which has nothing military about it,
but I hope you will recognize me under other circumstances, without
this deceptive apparel. Please be seated and tell me quickly what you
know.”
The secretary sat on a rock, looked about in a preoccupied fashion and
then said, “I did not want to come here; I wished to wait till
to-morrow and see you at the established spot but I have received such
detailed exact information, so important, that after appealing to such
courage as I still possess after many months of privation and hunger, I
decided to come to you at once to communicate what I know. This
information I received from an Austrian Captain from Trieste. He is a
very important person on account of the relations he has with the
command of the Sixth Army. I think he knows Archduke Joseph very well
and I know he is very intimate with the wife of one of the Staff
Officers. From the information he gave me I understand that he is
informed not only of the situation at the front as regards this army,
but that he also has information about other sectors. I do not know if
he be prompted by the desire to tell our command what the Austrians are
preparing or whether his talk be merely due to lightness. This one
thing is certain: he has told me things so extraordinary that I wanted
to refer them to you at once.”
“Tell me them, tell me them,” I added, not understanding why he
bothered me with so much detail before coming to the points which
really interested me. He drew forth slowly from his pocket a tobacco
pouch and opened it. It was full of tobacco but under the tobacco there
was a small piece of tissue paper which he took out with great
precaution and I saw there were many ciphers on the paper. He then
continued:
“Austria-Hungary has at present concentrated on our front 73 divisions
equal to 960 battalions. These forces are supported by about 7500 guns.
Fifty-four divisions equal to 774 battalions are now massed near the
firing line and await only the order to ‘march’ to hurl themselves into
the greatest battle in history. Six thousand cannon of every caliber
are placed in batteries ready for action and to support with their
terrible fire the advance of the infantry. Other masses are ready to
exert further pressure between the Astico and Val Lagarina should the
attack between the Piave and the Grappa prove successful. The Austrians
have been preparing for the offensive for a long time and every detail
has been cared for. The troops have been exercised and drilled in the
new German tactics of attack. Light machine-guns and flammenwerfer
continually supplemented by successive waves of men and new methods of
destruction are expected to effect the success of the first attack. Not
only is a great deal of bridge-building material hidden behind the
dikes of the Piave, but in several points there have been collected
many light pontoons which will be of great help to little isolated
detachments, whose task is to try to cross the river and to attempt a
dangerous infiltration movement, and so facilitate the task of the bulk
of the troops which would follow at once across the bridge. Great use
will be made of lachrymose and asphyxiating gases. The preliminary
bombardment will not be very long but will be intensive and at the end
a rapid fire of smoky projectiles will cover the Piave with fog so as
to hinder our soldiers from seeing where they are constructing
passageways. In the region of the Montello bridges will be constructed
near Casa Serena and in a place called Casa de Favari along the lower
Piave near Fagari and Musile. The offensive will begin on the fifteenth
and will be preceded on the thirteenth by a serious action towards the
Tonale. On the day of the attack an intensive, convincing bombardment
will be launched towards Val D’Arsa and Val Lagarina. Three armies will
be operating at the same time, the eleventh, commanded by General
Scheuchenstuel, will operate towards Alti Piani; the sixth, led by
Archduke Joseph will undertake the greatest and chief task of breaking
through; the fifth commanded by General von Vurm will attack violently
towards the sea. The attack of the infantry is scheduled to take place
between seven and eight o’clock on the morning of the fifteenth. The
special task entrusted to the Austrian troops operating between the
Plateau of Asiago and the valley of the Brenta is that of opening the
road towards the plain, first with ten divisions operating in Val
D’Arsa, which have the task of forcing Valle Frenzela and then with six
other divisions which must descend from the Astico valley through the
valley of Canaglia and occupy the western slope of the Grappa. Two
other divisions will be in reserve so that eighteen divisions, equal to
228 battalions, and 1500 cannon will be in action on the Plateau of
Asiago. In the region of the Grappa between the Brenta and the Piave
the intention of the Austrian command is to open the attack at first
with great violence, to descend to the plain and by surrounding the
Grappa to effect the downfall of the entire Italian defensive system.
The first attack is to be made with troops especially trained for
mountain warfare between the Brenta and Mount Pertica. Four divisions
are to attack the salient of Solarolo with the objective of encircling
the line Monte Tomba and Monte Fenera; of securing for itself an
opening to the Piave in the vicinity of Pederobba and there getting in
contact with the sixth army which has the task of forcing the Montello.
From the Montello to the lower Piave the Austrian strategical plan has
divided its forces into three principal columns of attack. Two columns,
having broken through between the Montello and San Dona di Piave are
designated to advance between Treviso and Castelfranco and on the
Mestre-Treviso railroad they are to make several thrusts in all the
region about Treviso and, by isolating Venice, compel this city to
surrender. The three columns in close alliance with the two preceding,
after crossing the Piave at the Grave di Pappadopoli, will march
directly from Maserada on Treviso. The forces on the two wings are
composed on the north by six divisions of the sixth army (Archduke
Joseph) which will attack the Montello, and on the south by eight
divisions of the fifth army, the army of the Isonzo (von Vurm) which
will operate from Ponte di Piave to the sea. The center will be
composed of two army corps, the 16th and 4th of the army of the Isonzo,
equal to four divisions and a half.”
My informer, Mr. Brunora, looked about again with suspicion and said,
“These reports seem to me of prime importance; it is up to you now to
find a means of despatching them at once to our command. I am well
pleased to be able to risk my life with the certainty that what I have
referred to you can be of inestimable value to our people.... However,
I must be cautious because under this terrible régime, if they were to
discover me, the least which could happen to me would be to be shot,
but at times they use the gallows and I really should not care to meet
with the fate of poor Battisti.” He looked me steadily in the eyes, for
I had been greatly shocked by the news he had given me. I did not
believe that anywhere, in any other circumstances, any man had ever
been able to know so precisely, so minutely, every particular, every
secret of the enemy as this man knew. This Brunora really seemed to
know a little too much. A terrible doubt suddenly crossed my mind.
Might he not be an emissary of the enemy sent by the Austrians, who had
possibly learnt of my presence. Was it his purpose to deceive me and to
make me believe false reports the better to hide their plans?
“But are you really certain you are not mistaken?”
“I am absolutely certain,” he answered, “and I would not have spoken
had I not been able to account for what I have told you. The same
captain who gave me this information used to prophesy even during the
desperate German attacks against our position on the Grappa in last
December. Everything he told me then has since come to pass.”
His answer was not sufficient to remove my doubts. But if, on
reconsidering everything I had learnt from other sources, and comparing
it with the information the secretary had just given me, I were to find
that everything tallied and there was not a single contradiction, I
must believe him. If all this corresponded, even in the smallest
detail, it was not possible that he was trying to deceive me, or that
he was trying to cheat me, and all he told me must be true.
He continued, “As a further proof that the offensive is about to begin
I can add this, and I can personally guarantee it for I myself read it
from an Austrian order; in fact, I can show it to you for I have it in
my pocket.... ‘The Command at Tappa di Vittorio has been enlarged to
cover all the region between the Ponte della Priula and Vidor and the
aforementioned city is now considered as a _retrovia_ in case of a
possible early action.’ Therefore, not only will there be an offensive
but the Austrians feel confident they will break through because they
are considering as back lines the zones between the Piave and Vittorio,
whereas up to now this region has been considered as a front line.”
This document finally convinced me, it dispelled all my doubts, and
forsaking the reserved attitude I had adopted up to then, I cordially
took him by the arm and said, “Our people will have to erect a monument
in your honor if all you have told me comes to pass, for on these
reports the fate of our army may depend. You understand....” Again I
gazed steadily into his eyes. At last a faint smile illumined his wan,
unexpressive face imparting to it for a moment a new look, an
expression strange to him, almost a look of beauty.
“I am certain they will not pass,” he added. “The Piave is our old
friend and it certainly will not tolerate their building bridges over
its old faithful waters; you will see that at the propitious moment it
will shrug its shoulders and all their machinations will disappear into
thin air as though by magic.”
“I, too, feel certain that the Piave is our great helper, but when it
comes to preventing the Austrians from building bridges, our artillery
will see to that.”
“Are their masks good?” asked Brunora on whose face a new look of pain
was depicted.
“Yes, our masks are good.”
“For,” he continued, “at the station of Corta the aerial cable railways
have done nothing in the past few days except transport projectiles of
asphyxiating gases.”
This too is a bit of news which tallies perfectly with what the
brunette in the woods told me and I am grateful to him for having given
me another proof of the veracity of his communications.
“Thank you, thank you once again for what you are doing for Italy, for
the Italians; pardon me if I said ‘the Italians,’ I meant to say for
us, because we too are still Italians even though apparently separated
from the other side. But as I see you are so well informed, that you
can find out the minutest details of the secrets of the great enemy
machine, I cannot consider your task completed with these precious
reports you have given me to-day. Every Italian has certain obligations
towards his country and you who cannot be a soldier in this moment must
continue to help me as heroically as you have begun. By means of the
refugee whom you know well and in whom we can trust absolutely, I wish
you to send me daily reports on what you hear and on the day preceding
the battle keep me well-informed on what is about to happen. Besides
the signals, which you know of, that we are in the habit of placing in
a certain spot, we can communicate with our lines by means of carrier
pigeons and the more detailed and precise the information which you
give me, the greater will be the help which we can render to our army.
Do not think anything useless; a report which you might judge devoid of
any value may have a great deal of significance on the other side, but
we must be careful to report everything with great accuracy, exactly as
we have heard it, without amplifications or embellishments, for an
extra word in these circumstances may mean losing or winning a battle.
Don’t you by chance know some Austrian soldier at Vittorio who could
give you detailed information on the location of the Austrian forces
which are about to operate against us, because although the news you
gave me to-day is definite, there is not the name of a single division
or regiment, and you certainly know better than I how important it is
to know the location of the enemy forces.”
Brunora who really did not seem to have realized the importance of my
request answered me at once without any show of interest, “Yes, I know
a soldier from Trieste who is in the field post-office of Vittorio and
he certainly will be able to give me details on the exact number of the
divisions to which he daily sends mail.”
“And you did not tell me this at once!” (I should have liked to jump on
his neck and kiss him, so great was the joy this last announcement gave
me.) “Try to keep on good terms with this soldier; try to monopolize
him and promise him that within a short time, if he succeeds in giving
us the information we want, he will also be helping himself for our
soldiers will then come and liberate Trieste.”
“Why, do you still believe we shall one day arrive at Trieste?”
I looked wrathfully at my questioner. “I ask how you can doubt it! If
our soldiers succeed in resisting this offensive, the entire situation
which is now in favor of the enemy will change completely in our favor.
Soon the balance in France will again become even by the intervention
of the first American units, and the Germans, who will not have been
able to accomplish at once a decisive move, will find themselves in a
precarious position. On our front I assure you, if the Austrians hit a
snag in this offensive, that no one will be able to hold us back from
dealing the final blow which will send the Austrians and Germans flying
forever. But meanwhile we must see that the doors to our house are
securely fastened so that thieves cannot enter.”
Bottecchia was on watch outside to see that no suspicious person
approached. If he imitated the cackling of a hen it would indicate that
some danger threatened us.
“Excuse my indiscretion, pardon me if I detain you awhile longer, but I
would rather clear up everything at once than have to send for you some
other time. During these first days I intend to stay in this wood,
especially since on the day of the offensive it will be necessary for
someone to be here always, to gather the information which might come
from various sources, so as to co-ordinate it and communicate it at
once to the other side. However, later, I intend to wander about, I
intend to find out with my own eyes what is happening. You who have so
much to do with the headquarters at Tappa di Vittorio, where I know
they issue papers authorizing one to remain in this territory and
legitimization papers, ought to try to get for us some document which
would enable us to move about with greater ease. I do not mean to say
that these documents can be of great importance; rather, if they were
demanded and examined by someone truly competent, they might be serious
evidence against us, but instead, they can be used to show to the
soldiers or to fool some stupid Croatian gendarme who is easily
satisfied so long as he sees the seal with the bicipital eagle, and
would never suspect any fraud in it. For bureaucracy, as you well know,
itself supplies the weapons which may prove fatal to it. We, who could
not wander about without papers, will find in our spurious papers a
safe protection against the stupid; we will make the papers which ought
to denounce us, our accomplices. I want to tell you a plan I have in
mind and which we may be able to use with the help of a legitimization
paper. A servant of mine, classified as not fit for military service,
who is a little older than myself and whom I can readily resemble in my
present outfit, escaped to the other side before the retreat. I should
want to take his name and say that at the time of Caporetto I was far
from the villa of my master, where I had left my classification papers,
and when I returned to the villa I found everything upside down
and could not find the precious documents, so that the Austrian
authorities, who knew this, gave me a legitimization paper. Now, you
ought to get me this paper so that I can become Mr. Antonio Pandin in
flesh and bones.... I suppose you are mentally hurling all sorts of
epithets at me and think I am too exigent, that even in enemy territory
I am trying to militarize everything. If those are your thoughts, you
have guessed correctly for this is my intention. In warfare, as in all
other undertakings in life, one of the most valuable attributes is
order; therefore I urge you to keep me regularly informed; I shall
expect your report every night. The refugee will have charge of
consigning it to me. If anything abnormal happens I beg you to inform
me at once so that I may communicate it without delay to our command by
means of my signals. During the days of the offensive I shall be
especially interested in the movement of the troops. Of course I mean
the big movements because at present we cannot be bothered with the
little ones. For the present I hope you will believe that I am truly
appreciative of all you have done and that the whole nation will
appreciate your conduct when it learns of what you have done for us.
Who knows how many lives we may be able to save through these reports!
Who knows how much suffering we can prevent! We must leave nothing
undone which will help our soldiers do their best, which will help them
find themselves, and which will finally help them to victory.”