action east of Bazar Siak drove the Italians from
their positions. The same fate was suffered by the defenders of Sasso
Blanco, six miles east of Durazzo. By evening the entire outer circle
of defenses had been taken. The Austrians, advancing to the inner line
positions, observed that the Italians were embarking on their ships.

They were now able to reach the docks with their artillery, and
attempted to hinder the retirement of the Italians with a heavy shell
fire and succeeded in inflicting some damage to some of the ships. But
by the following morning the Italians had made good their escape, and
with them went Essad Pasha and his Albanian troops.

On February 28, 1916, the Austrian Government issued a full report on
the campaign in Albania which had culminated in that section in the
capture of Durazzo:

"The Austrian troops have captured Durazzo. During the forenoon one
column, under the fire of the Italians, advanced across the northern
isthmus to Portos, four miles north of Durazzo. Our troops advancing
across the southern isthmus were hindered at the beginning by the fire
of the Italian artillery, but toward night numerous detachments, by
wading, swimming, and floating, reached the bridge east of Durazzo,
driving back the Italian rear guard. At dawn an Austrian battalion
entered the burning town."

The spoils were, according to the report, twenty-three cannon,
including six big coast defense guns, 10,000 rifles, and a large
amount of artillery ammunition and provisions.

The Italian version was:

"After our ships had silenced the enemy batteries and swept the coast
and near-by roads of their fire, all the Italian troops which were
sent temporarily to Durazzo to cover the evacuation of the Serbians,
Montenegrins, and Albanians, reembarked without incident and were
transported to Avlona, notwithstanding the bad weather which still
prevails in the lower Adriatic. War material which was still
serviceable was also taken aboard the ships and the damaged supplies
were either rendered useless or destroyed."

Thus, by the first of March the Austro-Bulgarian forces had almost
completed their conquest of Albania, the only important point still in
the hands of the Italians being Avlona. At this point, however, the
Italians had made longer and bigger preparations for defense, besides
which they were here in far greater numbers, estimated at from 50,000
to 120,000.

CHAPTER XL

CONDITIONS IN SERBIA, GREECE, AN