black patches the Italians crept ahead when the signal
came. The assault of the Austrian positions was of incredible
rapidity. So much so that the first positions were carried by the time
the enemy turned on his curtain of fire. The first, second, and third
lines of trenches were carried in twenty minutes, after which the
Austrians began a terrific bombardment of their old positions. The
redoubt on the summit fell within an hour and the chase went on along
the crest and down the sides, straight to the Isonzo, the pursuers
everywhere gathering up prisoners in droves. San Mauro (one and
one-fourth miles south of Sabotino) was taken by 6 o'clock, after
which the work of intrenchment began."

In spite of the most stubborn resistance the Austrians had to give way
gradually. On August 7, 1916, the Austrian troops on Monte Sabotino
were withdrawn to the eastern bank of the Isonzo. At the same time the
positions on Monte San Michele were evacuated and the Italians thereby
were put in full possession of the Goritz bridgehead. Their attacks of
August 5, 6, and 7, 1916, had netted them territory for which they had
been fighting for months, besides about 10,000 prisoners, some 20 guns
and 100 machine guns and considerable war material of all description.

Without loss of time they brought in heavy artillery and opened a
devastating fire on unfortunate Goritz. Strong resistance was offered
by the Austrians at many points, not so much now in the hope of
preventing the fall of Goritz as in order to protect their retreat. In
spite of this resistance small detachments of Italians crossed the
Isonzo at nightfall of August 8, 1916, while their engineers threw
bridges over the river at various points.

On August 9, 1916, the bridge over the Isonzo leading directly into
Goritz was stormed after one of the most sanguinary battles of the
entire attack. This removed the last obstacle, and Italian troops
immediately occupied the city. At the same time other troops took up
the pursuit of the retreating Austrians. The latter delayed these
operations as much as possible by rear-guard actions and by
counterattacks against the new Italian positions on Monte San Michele
and against the village of San Martino, just south of the mountain.

On August 10, 1916, the Third Italian Army continued with increased
pressure the attack on the San Michele and San Martino sectors, which
had begun on the 9th instant, and succeeded in capturing very strong
Aust