THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN SOLDIERS RESTING IN A TRENCH WITH FALLEN COMRADES, ....

 Austro-Hungarian soldiers resting in a trench with fallen comrades, June 18, 1918.

I've taken the decision to blur the faces of the fallen soldiers in an attempt to avoid Instagram censoring/removing the post. Thank you for understanding 👍

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Today 106 years ago, on June 15, 1918, the Second Battle of the Piave began, the last Austro-Hungarian offensive in the First World War - the beginning of the end on the Italian Front. 

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After the disastrous Battle of Caporetto, the Italians had finally managed to halt the Austro-Germans at Monte Grappa on the Piave river in Italy.

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The Austro-Hungarians sought to launch a decisive offensive against the Italians on the Piave and on the Asiago Plateau in the Alps, with the objective to capture Vicenza in the latter. The Italian Front was also supplied by a significant amount of Austro-Hungarian troops, previously deployed on the Eastern Front.

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After Caporetto the Italians had replaced their Chief-of-Staff General Cadorna with General Diaz. Diaz changed and improved the Italian defenses and had after Caporetto also been reinforced by 3 British and 2 French Divisions.

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As the German Spring Offensive on the Western Front was running out of steam in June 1918, they requested the Austro-Hungarians attack the Italians now.

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On June 15, 1918, the Austro-Hungarians launched an all-out frontal attack on the Italians along a 20-mile front on the Piave river and on the Asiago Plateau. At Asiago the Austrians gained some ground but failed to truly break through upon stiff Italian resistance.

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On the Piave the Italian artillery managed to inflict heavy losses on the Austrians due to their soldiers being massed in overcrowded trenches. The Austrians still managed to advance and cross the Piave river in some places, but stiff Italian resistance, including Arditis, prevented a breakthrough.

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Out of 120,000 Austrians who crossed the Piave, some 20,000 drowned trying, as the Italians were firing at them from the other bank. 

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On June 17, the Austrians decided to commit all forces to a breakthrough on the Piave. Again the Austrians gain ground, but no breakthrough.

The Austro-Hungarians had suffered heavy losses, were demoralized as a breakthrough seemed unlikely, faced troop and shell shortages and had serious difficulties supplying their troops across the Piave. The Piave's water flooded too, further burdening the Austro-Hungarians.

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On June 19 the Italians launched a counter-attack along the Piave and inflicted heavy casualties on the Austro-Hungarians, forcing them to retreat to better positions the next day. The Italians had captured all lost ground by June 23, and thus the Battle ended in a decisive Italian victory.

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In the Second Battle of the Piave the Allies, the majority being Italians, had suffered 87,181 casualties, of whom 48,182 were prisoners, 30,603 were wounded and 8,396 were killed.

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The Austro-Hungarians had suffered some 118,042 casualties, with 25,547 prisoners, 80,852 wounded and 11,643 killed. According to a source another 24,500 Austro-Hungarian soldiers became sick, meaning their total losses were around 142,500 casualties.

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The Italians decided to wait to conduct a big counter-offensive until they launched the Battle of Vittorio Veneto on the Piave on October 24, 1918, eventually leading to Italian victory and Austro-Hungarian defeat.

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