d as scheduled by
attacks by the Fourth army in the Grappa area, by the Tenth army on the
Piave south of Vittorio, supplemented by attacks instituted by the
Eighth and Twelfth armies and diversion raids by the Sixth army. The
primary offensive covered the whole front from Asiago on the west to a
point east on the Piave, a little east of south of Vittorio.

"Opposite the Tenth Austrian army were the Seventh and First Italian
armies; opposite the Eleventh Austrian army was the Sixth and part of
the Fourth Italian army. The Fourth and Twelfth Italian armies faced the
Belluno Group, and the Eighth, Tenth and Third Italian armies were
confronted by the Sixth and Fifth Austrian armies.

"The Austrian force consisted of sixty-three divisions; thirty-nine on
the front line, thirteen in the second and eleven in reserve. A total of
1,070,000 men and 7,500 guns and mortars.

"The Italians had opposing this force fifty-one Italian, three British,
two French, one Czecho-Slovak divisions and the 332d American infantry
regiment--a total of 912,000 men and 8,900 guns and mortars.

"The forty-eighth British and the forty-second French divisions were
with the Sixth army. General Earl of Cavan, commanding the British
forces in Italy, was given the command of the Tenth army, which included
the seventh and twenty-third British divisions, the twenty-third,
thirty-third, thirty-seventh and fifty-sixth Italian divisions, the Como
brigade and the 332d American regiment, all of whom rendered very
distinguished service.

"By October 29th it was apparent, by reasons of breaches made in the
Austrian lines and advances effected, that a great victory by an
aggressive policy was assured.

"Beginning the night of the 30th, the enemy commenced retiring under the
protection of rear guard actions. On the 31st the enemy's forces had
collapsed on the Grappa front. The Eighth army had driven the enemy back
into the Belluno valley and the way was open for advances to the Cadore,
the Agordino and the Val Cismon. Opportunity was presented for a
complete destruction of the Austrian forces in the Trentino. Whereupon
the whole Italian army by general orders issued on November 1st was
directed to press down upon the Austrian army as a great, solid wave of
men from the Ortler Alps to the sea.

"The order was followed by the recapture of the Asiago Plateau, the
occupation of Trent on November 2d, the advance of the Tenth army to
Livenza, of the Eighth army to