The Battles of Monte Grappa

Overview of the four battles fought by the Italian Army during the Great War 13th November 1917 – 30th October 1918

Rough translation by Susan Fortescue & Martin Willoughby April 2020

Sketch map of the road network in the Grappa massif

The Battles of Monte Grappa Overview of the four battles fought by the Italian Army during the War of 1915-1918 There were four fierce battles on Monte Grappa from 11th November 1917 to 30th October 1918. General Cadorna arrived on Monte Grappa for the first time on 7th October 1917. He was able to hold out against the occupation of Monte Grappa in 1917 due to the disagreements that existed between Marshal Krauss and his collaborators. General Krauss wanted to force an entry to the valleys as he had done at Caporetto, that is, focus on the valleys of the River Piave and the River Brenta, and head directly towards Venice and Bassano Vicenza. His colleagues thought it would be easier to capture the mountain ridges, so the orders of Krauss were badly executed, and the forces, which were equal in strength, consisting of 11 Austro-Hungarian divisions against 11 Italian divisions, were dispersed, without concentrating the forces in just one or two areas, that is the valleys of the Brenta and the Piave. (The Piave in particular had a very easy outlet towards the Venetian plain). Defensive Battle 1st phase 14th -27th November 1917 When the Austro-Hungarians attacked Monte Grappa on 13th November 1917, there were only tracks for lorries and carts, 2 cable railways, 1 water pumping plant at the summit, and trenches and fences on the slope leading down to the River Brenta. The road to Romano for lorries had not been completed. The first work on the mountain ridges began on 12th November 1917. No strongholds, no trenches, fences, shelters, caves, machine gun emplacements, walkways, or camouflage (thus writes General Clemente Assum in his book ‘The First Defence of the Grappa’ in 1924. The mountain was ‘naked’. On 10th November 1917, in rain and snow, a few battalions of Alpini arrived, drawn from the Cadore 9th Army Corps. They were poorly supplied with arms, food and blankets. For several days they had only dry rations, sleeping on the bare ground with just one blanket at an altitude of 1400 – 1600 metres. Monte Tomatico and Monte Roncone 11th -15th November 1917 The Alpini of the Val Tagliamento Battalion stoutly defended these areas, having retreated from Fonsaso on 11th November. They fought on Monte Roncone from 12th to 15th November. Monte Tomatico fell on November 15th. The Val Cismon (awarded the Bronze Medal for Military Valour) and the Alpini of the Val Tagliamento Battalion were surrounded and the majority were captured, while the remaining troops retreated to Monte Prassolan. Officers: 2 dead, 2 wounded, 24 missing Men: 27 dead, 52 wounded, 552 missing

Prassolan – Peurna 17th – 23rd November 1917 Prassolan and Peurna fell on 16th November. The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 145th Trapani Infantry Brigade fought there. Pertica 17th November 1917 During the afternoon of November 16th, if the enemy had attacked the summit of Monte Grappa from the direction of Monte Pertica they would have been able to occupy it even if they only used a single inexperienced Battalion because in that sector and at that time there were very few men defending the summit. However the enemy did not attack. On November 17th, after the fall of Monte Prassolan, Monte Pertica was attacked. It was defended by the 1st Battalion of the 149th Infantry. Monte Pertica fell on 23rd November despite 6 bloody attacks during which the summit was lost and recaptured 7 times. During the defence of Monte Pertica and of Cà Tasson the Monte Rosa Alpine Battalion acquitted themselves with great valour. Monte Pertico was lost during the evening of November 23rd after having been attacked 18 times and the summit passed from one side to the other repeatedly. On November 23rd the summit remained neutral because it was being attacked so fiercely by the artillery of both sides. During these engagements the 149th Infantry lost: Officers: 5 dead, 11 wounded, 37 missing Men: 88 dead, 219 wounded, 975 missing Monte Pertica was recaptured, and then lost by the Assault Troops of the 251st and 252nd Massa Carrara on November 22nd. Chronology of the attacks on Monte Pertica from 17th – 26th November 1917

17th – Ist enemy attack on Monte Pertica is repelled by the Ist Battalion of the 149th, and the Monte Rosa Battalion at 19:00.

2nd assault by the enemy at 24:00, suffers the same fate, is repelled by the same Divisions.

18th - 3rd assault from 21:00 to 24:00, fighting takes place but the positions remain unchanged.

19th - 4th assault, after 5 hours of fighting the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 149th and the 134th Company of the Monte Rosa Battalion do not yield.

20th - 5th, 6th, 7th, three new assaults by the enemy are again repelled by our soldiers with the enemy suffering heavy losses.

21st - 8th, 9th, 10th: three more assaults by the enemy at 03:00, 16:00 and 21:00 are all repelled.

22nd - 11th, 12th, during the second attack the 134th Monte Rosa Company is overwhelmed and abandons the summit of Monte Pertica which is recaptured by the 3rd Battalion of the 263rd Infantry and the 2nd Battalion of the 93rd Infantry.

23rd - 13:00: within a few hours the summit of Monte Pertica is lost and recaptured 7 times, finally remaining in the possession of the enemy while our forces take up position a little below the summit.

24th - 14:00: another enemy attack from Val Cesilla, to surround Monte Pertica, fails.

Austrian Attack on the Col della Beretta

Austrian attacks in the Asolone sector during December 1917

26th - 15:00: the Edelweiss Division launches an assault from Val Cesilla but is repelled by the 5th and 6th Infantry of the Aosta Brigade, the 94th Messina Brigade and the Val Brenta Alpine Battalion. Col della Beretta, Col Caprile 26th November 1917 After the fall of Monte Pertica, came the defence of the Col della Beretta and Col Caprile. The Massa Carrara Brigade lost 41 officers and 1100 men while saving the Asolone front. On 26th November the Col della Beretta was attacked by the 3rd Edelweiss Regiment, breaching our front in several places but it was overcome and repelled after hours of desperate fighting. It was defended by the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Aosta Infantry Brigade, the 7th Company of the 6th, two platoons of the Val Brenta Alpine Battalion and a Battalion of the 94th Infantry. Due to this action the main battle front was saved. 2nd phase of the battle 11th and 12th December 1917 Col della Beretta 5th December 1917 It was defended by the 57th and 58th Infantry, which had arrived there on December 5th. On 11th, 12th and 13th December the enemy, using the entire 4th Austro-Hungarian Army Division, launched a violent attack on the positions which our Infantry stoutly defended, repelling the assailants several times, but in the end, due to the powerful pressure of the enemy, the forces were obliged to yield and to abandon the Col della Beretta after losing about 2200 men including 70 officers, killed, wounded or taken prisoner. December 16th – the Modena 41st and 42nd Infantry Brigade waged fierce battles to recapture Col Caprile, Col della Beretta and Asolone. On December 18th it repelled a fierce enemy counter-attack on Asolone but then, overwhelmed by the enemy, it had to retreat, losing Officers: 6 dead, 21 wounded, 49 missing Men: 183 dead, 655 wounded, 1694 missing December 14th -18th: relentless attacks by the enemy, constant barrages and gas over the entire front, the enemy Infantry are driven away from Col della Beretta. They return to the attack and set foot on Col Caprile which is held by the enemy, and on Asolone, most of which they then lose. On December 20th Asolone is recaptured after 7 counter-attacks. The 5th Regiment was awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valour. 2nd defensive battle 1st phase 15th June to 6th July 1918 Battle of the Solstice The enemy plan was to surround the summit of Monte Grappa, and from there to descend to the plain.

4 Divisions were to fight on Monte Pertica, Asolone and Col Moschin, and another 4 Divisions were to take possession of the slopes of Solarolo and adjacent sectors thus blocking access to Val Calcino and enabling the capture of Monte Tomba and Monfenera. The enemy artillery began firing at 03:00 on June 15th and by 06:30 it was intense. Galleria (Tunnel) Vittorio Emanuele III It was begun on 1st January 1918. 600 soldiers specialised in mining worked on it until 1st August 1918 with 8 drilling machines and 8 sledgehammers. Every day 3.30 metres of rock were excavated. It is 2 km long, 4.5 km if the side tunnels are included. Engineer Gavotti directed the project. It consists of a central tunnel, with branches leading off, on the edges of which are 103 loopholes with views of the various slopes of the mountain, armed with cannon, machine guns and searchlights. It was these loopholes that halted the enemy offensive on 15th June 1918. Col del Miglio, Fenilon, Col Moschin At 07:00 a column of the enemy’s 27th Division, under cover of the fog, overwhelmed the defences of the 59th Infantry (Calabria Brigade), located on Col del Miglio, capturing the Fenilon then cutting off and occupying Col Moschino which was defended by the 57th Infantry (Abruzzi) and the 33rd – 34th Infantry (Livorno). It was a very dangerous situation, since all our fortifications on the Brenta side were surrounded., On 15th June at 06:30 another enemy column consisting of 2 regiments, crossed our first line of defence on Asolone alt.1520m., alt. 1486m. and alt. 1440m. A substantial patrol of enemy Special Forces followed by a regiment infiltrated Val Damoro heading for Ponte San Lorenzo to cut off the Cadorna road, but it was halted by the 60th Infantry (Calabria) and by the 139th and 140th (Bari), who lost 73 officers and 2164 soldiers. Another patrol of enemy Special Forces, followed by a regiment invaded the Val Scura at alt.1520m., heading for and overwhelming our front line at the Osteria del Lepre. That same day two enemy regiments reached the Col delle Farine alt.1503m. arriving almost as far as Monte Coston. From June 16th -19th our counter-attack took place, repelling the enemy to its starting point at alt.1421m. and sections of alt.1486m. and alt. 1440m. On June 24th the Special Forces of the Bari Brigade, after very fierce fighting, dislodged the enemy from alt.1421m. The IXth Assault troops reached the summit of Monte Asolone at alt.1520m. on June 24th moving on to alt. 1486m. and engaging in hand-to-hand fighting with the enemy troops that had emerged from the Val delle Saline. During the afternoon of June 15th, led by Major Messe the IXth Assault troops recaptured Monte Fagheron, that evening at 23:00 they took Fenilon and during the morning of June 16th they took Col Moschin (Mentioned in Dispatches).

Austrian Defensive Positions on Monte Pertica

Map of Austrian and Italian front lines

Col Moschin: the IXth Assault troops captured Col Moschin in 10 minutes taking 400 prisoners including 27 officers (see the memorial column at the summit).

23rd-25th June – the 139thand 140th Bari Brigade recaptured all the positions (Asolone, Osteria del Lepre) lost on 15th June and were awarded the Silver Medal for Military Valour. Losses in 10 days were 73 officers and 2164 men.

2nd-3rd July – the Calabria Brigade recaptured Col del Miglio and Cà d’Anna and the other positions lost on 15th June, that is, our front line, while our second line had already been recaptured on June 16th.

Monte Pertica

On June 15th the 6th Division of the enemy penetrated the Pertica front and marched towards Monte Rivon, seizing alt. 1581m., which was recaptured after bitter fighting by two companies of the 39th and by Ist and IInd Assault troops and which was extended on 16th June right up to the mountain summit.

The 239thand 240th Pesaro Brigade lost 19 officers and 502 men.

The same alt 1503m., between June 24th and July 16th was lost and recaptured 7 times by the 252nd Infantry.

Saliente dei Solaroli (Solaroli Salient)

The battle on the Saliente dei Solaroli, to the east of Monte Grappa, was bitter.

June 16th – on the Col d’Orso, Croce dei Lebi, Malga Vapore, the attacks of the 55th Austro-Hungarian Division, launched several times from June 16th to June 19th, were repulsed due to the dogged resistance of the 38th Infantry and especially the 37th Infantry (Mentioned in Dispatches).

June 15th – after the bombardment of tear gas and asphyxiants from 03.00 to 07.00, the enemy, massed in front of our lines under cover of the thick mist and the gas, attacked. In the trenches at alt 1601m., Valderoa, Val Calcino, the 23rd Infantry and especially the IInd Battalion resisted with heroic sacrifices, but, overcome by numbers, saw the occupation of alt. 1601m., alt. 1672m., alt. 1676m. of the Solaroli, while the Ist of the 24th after fierce resistance had to abandon at midday alt. 1671m. to the north of Col d’Orso. Numerous counter-attacks the same day, on June 15th and during the morning of June 16th, attempting to recapture Solaroli alt1672m. and 1676m. were in vain.

June 17th – alt. 1671m. to the north of Col dell’Orso was recaptured during the morning of June 17th by the 2nd Company of 24th and 2nd Company of XVIIIth Assault Regiment.

Losses of the Como 23rd and 24th Infantry, in three days of fighting: 30 officers and 1600 men. Alt. 1672m. of Solaroli was recaptured during the first assault on July 15th by 23rd Infantry, but an hour later, it was lost to a counter-attack. The 23rd lost 11 officers and 450 men.

June 15th – Porte di Salton changed hands due to infiltration by the enemy, aided by the fog, but the IIIrd Battalion of the 120th Infantry stopped it and then took alt. 1292m. with 600 prisoners. It lost 31 officers and 854 men. Due to the fog, the same alt. 1292m. was abandoned and recaptured on July 4th, while Porte di Salton alt. 1240m. was captured by the 119th Infantry, on July 15th, the Emilia Brigade being awarded the Silver Medal for Military Valour.

After unsuccessful attempts from July 4th to July 5th, the Solaroli was recaptured by the Ravenna 37th and 38th Infantry who were, however, forced to retreat due to enemy fire.

Marshal Giardino said that if on June 16th he had had at his disposal two fresh Divisions, he would probably have been able to push the enemy back to the Feltre plain. There were two Divisions lower down but they were thrown into the assault on Montello where the fighting was, on June 16th, still uncertain.

Italian losses on Monte Grappa from June 15th to July 15th 1918 were:

Officers: 550 Men: 14,657

59th and 60th Calabria Brigade: 2996

23rd and 24th Como Brigade: 1601

21st and 22nd Cremona Brigade: 1551

41st and 42nd Modena Brigade: 1283

To these must be added 4113 evacuated from Monte Grappa due to illness.

IIIrd Battle of Vittorio Veneto

Monte Pertica 24th October 1918

After intensive preparations by the artillery on October 24th, the 239th Infantry (Pesaro) with help from the 18th and 23rd Assault Divisions, began the attack at 07.30 and reached without hindrance the summit of Monte Pertica but were halted by enemy barrage fire and forced to retreat. At 10.30, still on 24th October, two Battalions (23rd and 55th Infantry), leaving from opposite sides, reached the summit but at 14:00 had to abandon it.

October 24th – to the right of Monte Pertica two Battalions of 23rd and a Company of the 55th Assault Regiment, passing by the Forcelletto hostelry and Val delle Bocchette reached the slopes of Monte Prassolan, but the enemy, recovering from the surprise attack, reacted with all its resources and forced them to retreat to their starting point.

October 25th - after a bitter struggle the 240th Infantry and the Assault troops captured Monte Pertica, capturing many prisoners, arms and munitions. Meanwhile the 239th, with a no less dogged fight, captured alt. 1451m. on the western flank of Monte Pertica on 26th October.

Also involved in the capture of Monte Pertica on October 25th and 27th were the 21st and 22nd Cremona Brigades with the loss of 47 officers and 1500 men.

October 26th – the XVIIIth Assault Division and a Battalion of the 239th arrived at Col della Martina but finding themselves to be isolated and attacked from behind from Monte Coston to Farine, took refuge at alt.1451m.

October 27th – following destructive fire at 06.00, the enemy attacked with flamethrowers and at 06.15 the summit of M. Pertica was lost, at 07.30 we recaptured it, at 07.45 the enemy recaptured the summit, then followed our counter-attack. Due to the mist at the summit the outcome of the battle between the opposing infantry troops was uncertain.

There were eight extremely violent attacks and counter-attacks. At 10.00 the enemy was driven back and at 12.00 Monte Pertica was ours for ever, in firm possession. It had been captured and lost seven times in four days of intense fighting.

Our losses in the Monte Pertica sector 24th October to 27th October 1918

Officers: 47 killed, 169 wounded and 21 missing

Men: 305 killed, 3736 wounded and 863 missing

Total: 5141

Those involved in the combat were the Pesaro and Firenze Brigades, 81st from the Rome Brigade, 41st from the Modena, 21st from the Cremona and the XVIIIth Assault Regiment.

Valderoa, Spinoncia, Solaroli 1918

Monte Valderoa was in enemy hands from 15th June 1918 when, under cover of fog, the Porte di Salton were surrounded. The Solaroli were in enemy hands from 15th June, and Spinoncia was also in enemy hands from 11th December 1917.

On 24th October 1918 at 05.00, the 5th Aosta Infantry Brigade advanced towards the saddle between Solaroli and Valderoa. Towards evening, together with the XXIIIth Assault Regiment, it captured Valderoa and alt. 1671m. but was halted by heavy bombardment at alt 1672m., on Spinoncia and at Porte di Salton (Gold Medal for Military Valour).

24th October – with 3 attacks, at 07.00, 12.00, and towards evening, the 73rd and 74th Lombardia Brigade, with support from squads of Czechoslovak volunteers, who all died in situ after fighting heroically, reached the summit of Solarolo, alt. 1676m., but had to fall back with heavy losses due to the intense machine gun fire.

25th October – at 15.30 and at 20.00 from Col dell’Orso a battalion of 73rd Infantry, the Alpini Saccarello Battalion and the IIIrd Assault Regiment attacked the summit of Solarolo alt. 1676m., and a few bold groups reached it but then had to retreat. Also the advance of the 74th Infantry of the Alpini Val Cismon Battalion which reached just below alt 1672m. was halted by the machine gun bombardment and by rocks hurled by the enemy.

26th October – the 39th and 40th Bologna Brigade, which had occupied M. Forcelletta on 24 October after 3 days of uncertain fighting, with support from the Alpine Battalion captured Monte Pelmo, holding out against enemy counter-attacks until 31st October when the enemy withdrew.

The attack of the 73rd Infantry, the Saccarello and Cividale Battalions on alt. 1676m. failed, as did the attack of the 74th Infantry, of the Val Cismon and Antelio Battalions on Val Toce alt. 1672m.

October 27th – on the saddle between Solarolo and alt 1676m. and Valderoa two bitter attacks by the enemy were repulsed by a Battalion of the 5th and 6th Infantry Aosta Battalion, which lost half of its numbers, and three Battalions of Alpini.

On Solaroli and Valderoa from 25th October to 28th October the Aosta (5th and 6th) and the Val Toce, Val Cismon, and M. Anteleo Alpine Brigades lost:

Officers: 18 killed, 66 wounded, 1 missing

Men: 327 killed, 2217 wounded, 385 missing

The Aosta Alpine Battalion from 24th October to 28th October showed supreme resistance and valour on the Solarolo – Valderoa saddle, Major Vecchi was wounded. It was the only Alpine Battalion to be awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valour. In total only 25 men remained alive.

27th October – under counter-attack the 5th withdrew under the Valderoa saddle with grave losses. The battle was suspended until 31st October when the enemy withdrew.

31st October – Finally Solaroli and Spinoncia were occupied, still by the Aosta (5th and 6th) with the loss of 50 officers and 1425 men.

Asolone, Col della Beretta 24th October 1918

N. B. – the 139thand 140th Bari Brigade on 14 January 1918 had recaptured Asolone losing it again on 15th January 1918 with the loss of 29 officers and 846 men.

24th October – at first light, in fog and rain, Asolone was captured and Col della Beretta reached (by 139th) but they were chased back to their starting point by the swift reactions and rapid reinforcements by the enemy. The 140th on the other hand occupied Casara Col del Vecchio and proceeded beyond the captured positions.

25th October – another attack by the 139th during the morning of 25th with support from the IXth Assault Regiment which attempted to neutralise the Val delle Saline to the west of the summit of Asolone whence the enemy had halted our action on 24th October. Only a small part of the Val delle Saline was neutralised. Our attack was launched by two companies and reached Casera Spiadon and the Colle della Beretta, but our forces, after violent skirmishes and with heavy losses, had to open a path through enemy lines and withdraw to their starting point, because an enemy regiment from Coston delle Fratte arrived on Asolane alt. 1520m. at 09.15.

26th October – at 07.00, the 43rd and 44th Forli Brigade, with a sudden impetus, captured alt. 1486m. and alt. 1520m. of Asolone, and pressed forward to the ridge of Col della Beretta. Another two attacks by 57th and 58th Infantry at Prà del Gobbo on 25th October , and another two attacks by the same regiments on 26th October failed. But at 12.00 on 26th October a counter-attack obliged the 139th and 140th Bari to fall back to their starting position with grave losses: 18 officers and 1197 men out of action.

29th October – the fourth attempt is made to capture Asolone, by shock troop platoons of five brigades, and with Assault regiments IXth, XXIIIrd, 55th, at 09.30, initially in the rain and then in the fog. The shock troops and two Battalions of the 60th Infantry get as far as the

Casara Spallazzari alt. 1445m. but, counter-attacked from the front and furiously machine-gunned from the rear, from Val delle Saline, they were forced to retreat to their starting point.

Losses: 79 officers and 1320 men, amongst whom a Battalion Commander captured and one seriously wounded.

31st October – another attack by the Forlì and Calabria Brigades who now perceive that the enemy troops are about to retreat. Asolone, Col della Beretta and Col Bonato are all captured. The war is over.

Our losses from 24th October to 31st October 1918:

Officers: 19 killed, 80 wounded, 3 missing

Men: 475 killed, 3295 wounded, 374 missing

The Asolone Infantry were awarded 6 Gold, 487 Silver and 584 Bronze Medals for Military Valour.

Asolone was impregnable, and all our endeavours failed, principally due to the resistance and offensive actions of the enemy who pulled in reserve troops from Monte Coston delle Fratte and from Val delle Saline. In Bosco delle Fratte there was a cliff behind which a battalion could shelter, ready to intervene when needed. The Val delle Saline, south of Asolone, was so narrow that the Italian artillery could never bombard it effectively, not even with howitzers and mortars. It would only have been possible to capture it by infiltrating from Monte Lisser and from Foza that at that point were in enemy hands. The Austrians had constructed tunnels and caves in the rock, capable of sheltering 12,000 men. These vantage points had many machine guns which picked off our men either from the front or the rear when they advanced, and from which counter-attacks could be launched. Colonel Italo Garibaldi was requested by General Girdino to carry out an inspection and when he arrived there on 7th November 1918 he reported that no barracks or caves had ever been hit.

The collapse of the enemy began to take shape during the last week of October. The morale of the enemy had been much affected by news from their country, which was in revolt. Throughout the units on the march from 28th October the rebellion was widespread and the majority of the soldiers made the arbitrary decision to return home. An Assault Battalion of the Edelweiss Division and the 114th Infantry Regiment refused to take up positions along the Piave line.

Monte Tomba e Monfenera 1917

The area of Monte Tomba – Monfenera, being a corner of the line, suffered the most violent attacks during the first phase of the enemy offensive.

It was firmly held by Italian troops alone, who suffered serious losses.

To halt the enemy advance the IXth C. A. during the first two weeks used 200,000 men.

From 11th November to 17th November the Como Brigade strenuously defended M. Cornella and Quero, losing 3,000 men. In this way it contributed to gaining time to prepare for the defence of Monte Tomba.

16th November – an attempt to cross the Piave by the Fener bridge was repulsed by the XVIIIth Brigade of the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment. On the Pederobba bridge the same day the enemy forces were beaten back by the 1st Brigade of the 91st Infantry.

17th November – another enemy attack in four waves between Piave and Monfenera was repelled by the XVIIIth Bersaglieri Battalion, and the enemy suffered serious losses.

After the rupture of the Quero dam our main battle front went from the Osteria Monfenera, ran along the ridge of Monte Tomba alt. 877m. and alt. 868m., the ridge of Monfenera alt. 715m., and the spur towards Casera, bent south-east as far as Monte La Castella and S Sebastiano whence it descended to the Piave.

18th November – Another severe enemy attack on Monte Tomba on the salient of Monfenera – La Castella. After furious attacks during the afternoon, the salient of Monfenera fell into enemy hands. The XXVth Battalion of the 3rd Bersaglieri and the remains of the IIIrd Battalion of the 91st Infantry (Basilicata) counter-attacked without success. The action was suspended at nightfall and began again at first light on 19th November.

19th November – our Infantry succeeded after 4 attacks in recapturing the salient but after a few hours had to retreat again as the enemy brought up reinforcements.

20th November – during the night of 20th November the 50th German Division, attacked by our Infantry with bayonets fixed, retreated and hung on to the north-west slope of the principal salient of Monfenera. From 18th November to 21st November were also involved the Alpini of the Val Cordevole, Val Felice, Val Variata and M Granero as well as the Basilicata Brigade and the 3rd Bersaglieri.

22nd November – not having been informed of the previous attack, on the morning of 22nd November we launched an unsuccessful attack (3rd Bersaglieri and Val Felice Battalion) to flush out the enemy troops who had taken possession of the fortified north-east spur of the Monfenera salient. The enemy counter-attacked and infiltrated part of a trench between the 92nd Infantry and the XVIIIth Bersaglieri and, at 09.00, reached Casa Nazzarine. The enemy attack continued relentlessly and increased in strength against our front at Monte Tomba. The 91st and 92nd Basilicata Brigade, under enemy attack, were forced to retreat to the front of the Campore Alto ridge. Losses: 88 officers and 1895 men.

On the front from Osteria Monfenera to Monte Tomba the 60th Infantry (Calabria) doggedly resisted the enemy attacks from 18th November to 21st November.

22nd November – but on 22nd November they were overcome and had to retreat from the mountain, but immediately the courageous 60th Battalion launched 5 counterattacks and succeeded in recapturing and retaining the land up to alt 877m. of Monte Tomba.

The 59th Infantry also fought tenaciously on Monfenera on 22nd November, losing that day 41 officers and 650 men. On our second front, which ran about half a km south of the Monte Tomba ridge, alt. 868m. Monfenero as far as Pecolo Curto, the 1st and 2nd Brigades of the Ré Infantry were in position.

22nd November – when, in the early hours of 22nd November, the Assault Troops of the German 1st Jager Division captured Casa Nazzarine and spread out beyond Monte Tomba, the infantry of the Ré Brigade launched a vigorous attack and captured Monte Tomba. However the summit, after alternating between the sides, remained in the hands of the enemy while our resistance held up to alt. 877m. With the enemy behind and on our flank in a dominating position, the Ré Brigade continued to hold the second front on which the units retreating from Monfenera fell back. On the same day, 22nd November, the 1st Battalion of the 1st Infantry counter-attacked the enemy who had already occupied the crest of Monte Tomba and of Monfenera and succeeded in almost reaching the summit.

23rd November – during the morning of 23rd the 1st Battalion of the 1st Infantry attempted to drive out the enemy from alt. 868m., but as the enemy troops were well-armed and outnumbered our troops, the Ré were ordered to dig themselves in at about 200 metres from the summit.

25th November – after violent fire the Austrians launched a heavy attack directed towards the saddle between Monte La Castella and the salient of Monfenera. The Val Cordevole Alpini suffered heavy losses but repelled the enemy. A further two enemy attacks were repelled during the night and another on 26th November. Losses of Val Cordevole: 3 officers and 90 men.

28th November – Three companies of the Moncenisio Alpine Battalion launched an attack to capture alt. 868m. of Monte Tomba. The enemy troops were about 300 metres away and greeted the Alpini with attacks from machine gunners and fusiliers. Despite suffering significant losses the Alpini penetrated the enemy defences. After repeated heroic attacks, however, they were forced to stop and in some places retreat. Losses: 4 officers and 144 men.

On Monte Tomba – Monfenera the artillery competed with the infantrymen in terms of courage and ardour, the artillery having to fight like infantry to defend and recapture the pieces of territory.

30th December – the French 47th Division, “Chasseurs des Alpes” had replaced the Italians entrenched at 200 metres on 5th December. From the summit of Monte Tomba, after carefully preparing the artillery (450 units), they launched an infantry attack during the afternoon of 30th December and with very light casualties captured the ridge of Monte Tomba between the Osteria Monfenera and the Nazzarine, taking 1400 prisoners. It was in fact a 200 metre length of trenches. N.B. It had been held by the 50th Austro-Hungarian Division under General Gerabeck.

This was the only action by French troops on this front. Following this action the enemy, having identified the impossibility of descending to the plain of Monte Tomba – Monfenera, and, exposed as they were to fire to their rear by our artillery from Monte Grappa, retreated to a line along the Ornic stream and remained quiet until 23rd October 1918 when the Ré Brigade, suffering heavy losses, broke through the enemy front, losing 48 officers and 1000 men, and being awarded the Silver Medal for Military Valour on the banners of the two Regiments.

Contribution of the Allies on the Piave and on Monte Grappa

The French War Committee, when it was informed that on 24th October 1917 major Austro-German forces had launched an offensive on the Isonzo, decided on 26th October to send a certain number of

Divisions, (in line with agreements made during Spring and Summer 1917, according to which the Allied Forces would be sent to the Italian Front if German Divisions participated in an offensive against Italy).

It was the intention of the War Committee to place under the command of a French general both Italian and British troops. To achieve this, General Foch was sent to Italy and the transport of 6 French Divisions and 5 British Divisions began.

During meetings with General Cadorna, Foch understood that he would not succeed in having a French command accepted due to British opposition to this move and he refused to send to the front the French Divisions that were arriving, who had been moved from the area around Brescia.

In the meantime on Monte Grappa, along the Piave and on the Plateau of the Seven Communes, the Austro-Germans had begun on 10th November the offensive with which they had pledged to put the Italian army out of action once and for all.

The first phase of this hard-fought battle fought exclusively by Italian troops, concluded on 26th November with our victory. General Plumer, Commander of British Forces Italy, during the battle, on 24th November to be specific, proposed to send his troops to the front. General Diaz, in a dignified manner, did not reply because it was not clear whether the Allies would accept to take orders from the Supreme Italian Command. Two days later General Plumer insisted that General Diaz should issue orders. General Fayolle, Commander of the French Army, was obliged, albeit with clenched teeth, to follow the example of the British and then the Italian Supreme Command “ordered” the 4/12 British Divisions to enter the front on Montello and the French Divisions to take up positions on Monte Tomba and Monfenera.

In conclusion, as far as the resistance on the Plateau, on Monte Grappa and on the Piave in November 1917 is concerned, the presence at the rear of the Allied Divisions provided an exclusively psychological boost to morale, and in December 1917 a more concrete contribution, according to which the Italian Supreme Command had at its disposal also the Italian Divisions which the Allied troops replaced on Monte Tomba – Monfenera and on Montello to sustain the battle fought on the Plateau of the Seven Communes and on Monte Grappa.

It is however indisputable that the victory in the Defensive Battle (November – December 1917) was exclusively Italian.

Bibliography

The information contained in this document was drawn from:

Cadorna: La Guerra sulla fronte italiana (The War on the Italian Front)

A. Valori: La Guerra italo – austriaca (The Italo – Austrian War)

F. Weber : Le tappe della disfatta (The Phases of the Defeat)

Faldella: La grande Guerra (The Great War)

Gen Giardino : La Guerra sul Grappa (The War on the Grappa)

Schauman: Le nostre montagne (Our Mountains)

Gen. Clemente Assun : La prima difesa del grappa (The First Defence of the Grappa)

Graziani Pierantonio 1986

Please do not publish without the approval of the author.