f, in the upper Cordevole, near
the lower Studena, at Ponteblana Fella, and on the heights of Hill 126
on the borders of the Carso Plateau. Artillery and mine-throwing
engagements on the Carso Plateau and in the Wippach Valley went on day
and night. On the Cima di Costabella a minor Italian attack was
repulsed.

East of Monte Forno, at the north of the Asiago Plateau, detachments
of an Austrian regiment, advancing through snow tunnels, penetrated
into the Italian trenches, destroyed the dugouts, and inflicted
considerable losses upon the Italians.

On March 17, 1917, after violent artillery preparation the Austrians
attacked Italian positions at the head of the small valley of Coalbo,
in the Sugana, but were driven off with heavy losses. On the preceding
night the Austrians destroyed, by heavy artillery fire, the defensive
works of the position gained by the Italians in the San Pellegrino
Valley on March 4, 1917, and succeeded in occupying the upper portion
of it. On the Julian front increased artillery and trench-mortar
fighting was reported. In the Plava sector the Italians repulsed an
Austrian detachment which attempted to raid positions near Pallioca.
East of Vertoiba an Italian patrol entered the Austrian lines, which
were set afire. Ammunition and war material were taken. In the
district of Kostanjevica an Italian attack preceded by strong
artillery fire was repulsed before the village. On the Tyrolean front
Italian long-range cannon shelled Arco and Villa Lagarina.

On the whole front there was increased activity of the artillery on
March 18, 1917. It was most marked in the Lagarina Valley. Italian
field hospitals at Goritz and Ronchi were struck, causing a few
casualties. The Austrians attempted raids in the Giumella Valley and
in the Lucati sector, but were checked.

On March 19 and 20, 1917, there was again considerable artillery
activity in the Trentino. On Costabella Massif, after a violent
bombardment with gas shells, the Austrians repeatedly attacked
advanced Italian positions. They were repulsed with heavy loss. The
usual artillery actions and patrol encounters were reported on the
Julian front. Two Italian patrols entered the enemy lines in the Goritz
area and destroyed them.

Comparative inactivity was the rule during the following week. But
during the night of March 27, 1917, Austrian detachments in the Sugana
Valley attempted to approach Italian positions on the left bank of the
Maso Torrent we