stern end by Monte Sisemol, which
stands at the head of the Val Frenzela, which, in turn, runs eastward
into the Val Brenta near the little town of Valstagna. Sisemol was of no
great height and was not precipitous. It had a rounded brown top, when
the snow uncovered it. But it was a maze of wire and trenches, and a
very strong point militarily. There had been very bitter fighting for
its possession last November and it had remained in Austrian hands.

At the western end the Plateau was bounded by the descent to the Val
d'Astico. On the northern side of the Plateau rose a formidable mountain
range, the chief heights of which, from west to east, were Monte
Campolungo, Monte Erio, Monte Mosciagh and Monte Longara. This range was
thickly wooded with pines, among which our guns did great damage. I
always more regretted the destruction of trees than of uninhabited
houses, for the latter can be the more quickly replaced. This range was
pierced by only four valleys, through each of which ran roads vital to
the Austrian system of communications, the Val Campomulo, the Val di
Nos, the Val d'Assa and the Val di Martello. The Austrians had also a
few roads over the top of the mountains, but these were less good and
less convenient.

Along the southern side of the Plateau ran another ridge, less
mountainous than the ridge to the north, and completely in our
possession. This ridge also was thickly wooded, and pierced by only a
few valleys and roads. The road we came to know best was the
continuation of the wonderful road up from the plain, through Granezza
to the cross-roads at Pria dell' Acqua, and on through the Baerenthal
Valley to San Sisto. Thence it led through the front line trenches into
the town of Asiago itself. At Pria dell' Acqua, a most misleading name,
where there was no water, but only a collection of wooden huts, another
road branched off westwards, running parallel to the front line, behind
the southern ridge of the Plateau.

The Italian Engineers had created a magnificent network of roads in this
sector of the Front. Before the war there had been only one road into
Asiago from the plain. Now there were half a dozen, all broad and with a
fine surface, capable of taking any traffic. And, in addition, there
were many transverse roads, equally good, joining up and cutting across
the main routes at convenient points.

When the British troops took over this sector in March, the whole
Plateau, properly so called, was i