, or the lines of armored trenches stretching
uninterruptedly from the Stelvio to the Isonzo. In the mountain
warfare that had to be undertaken amidst the terrific heights,
progress by either side could all but be reckoned by yards. The
convoys had to plod up and down precipitous mountain sides. Instead of
the fighting taking place in valleys and passes, as many thought, the
positions and even the trenches were revealed as frequently on the
very summits of almost inaccessible peaks and crags, often above the
snow line. At high altitudes the few observers admitted on either side
saw artillery of a caliber usually associated with defensive works at
sea level. The intrepidity required in operations over such a terrain
is illustrated by the Italian capture of Monte Vero, when a battalion
of Alpini ascended barefooted the precipitous face of the mountain in
the middle of the night and stormed the Austrian position on the
summit. In such enterprises youth and enthusiasm were found the best
assets. The Alpine troops of Italy are recruited from mountain
populations, whose hearts and lungs, accustomed to high altitudes, can
well bear the strain of mountain fighting.

On the lower Isonzo front the character of the operations has somewhat
recalled the aspect of the fighting area and the troop movements in
France. Here low foothills and undulating plains predominate. There
was on the Isonzo front, however, an absence of the horrors of war in
the shape of devastated towns, villages, and countryside, with which
the world has become familiar in illustrations from Belgium and
northern France.

Over no field of operations was the veil of official secrecy more
securely held than over the events proceeding on the Austro-Italian
front. Newspaper men were rigorously excluded from the area over which
martial law prevailed and the official communiques seldom erred on the
side of perspicuity. This procedure gave rise to a widespread
impression that the Italian forces had been largely marking time. The
brilliant dash into the Isonzo Valley and the capture of Austrian
positions in the Trentino which were chronicled during the months of
June and July, 1915, marked an advance which was not equaled by any
achievements in the months that followed. Nevertheless, a detailed
study of the changes in position during that time show that the
Italians were drilling their path forward with unflagging
determination.

CHAPTER XLVII

ITALY'S RELATIO