#alpine warfare

[karagin22]

[thisdayinwwi]

May 3 1917 in WWI

24cm Mörser M.98/7, genannt " Mitzi ".Standpunkt Winkleralm

24cm mortar M.98 / 7, called "Mitzi". Location Winkleralm

Mediennummer:00485392

Unterstände am Prihat, im Hintergrund Rosskofel.

Shelters on the Prihat, in the background Rosskofel.

Mediennummer:00086520

Feldwache am Prihat.

Field guard at the Prihat.

Mediennummer:00089905

[today-in-wwi]

Highest Battle of the War

A trench dug out of the ice in the Alps; Capt. Berni, who led the attack on Mt. San Matteo, is at right.  He would be killed when the Austrians retook the mountain the next month; his body has never been recovered.

August 13 1918, San Matteo--The far western portion of the Italian front, near the border with Switzerland, had seen little large-scale fighting, apart from a diversionary attack at the Tonale pass in the lead-up to the Piave offensive.  The terrain was too difficult and the conditions too harsh to support large armies.  In one case, a detachment of 100 Italian soldiers had to be supported by 900 porters just to bring up their needed supplies every day.  Nonetheless, fighting continued, at the smallest scales, in conditions unfit for long-term human habitation.

On August 13, a small group of Alpini seized Mt. San Matteo, a peak of over 12000 feet, in a surprise attack.  Many of the defenders were captured, others fled down the peak, and still others were killed.  As glaciers have retreated from the area in the past few decades, several bodies from the battle, mummified by the conditions, have been found in the area.

In early September, the Austrians sent a force of 150 men to retake the mountain, with a large amount (for the area) of artillery support.  The Italians, knowing they could not hold onto the peak, began shelling it themselves as well, killing many of their own defenders.  The operation would be the last Austrian victory in the war; they would lose the mountain in the peace treaty.  The fighting on Mt. San Matteo was the highest-altitude warfare in the First World War; war in similar conditions would not be fought again until the 1960′s, when India and China battled in the Himalayas.

Today in 1917: German Nobel Laureate Dies of Wounds Today in 1916: First British Tanks Depart for France Today in 1915: German POWs Escape, Attempt Rendezvous with U-Boat Today in 1914: Germans Take Three Forts Surrounding Liège In One Day

Sources include: Mark Thompson, The White War.

[today-in-wwi]

Vain Italian Attack in the Trentino

Some of the Austrian defenders around Mt. Ortigara.

June 11 1917, Mt. Ortigara--The Tenth Battle of the Isonzo had resulted in frightful casualties for only meager gains.  In an effort to win some substantial victory, especially one on Italian soil, Cadorna planned an offensive in the Trentino, attempting to retake some of the ground lost last summer.  When the Austrians counterattacked on the Karst in early June, the date of the offensive was brought forward by nearly 2 weeks, in order to keep the Austrians preoccupied.

When the Italians attacked on June 10, the fighting on the Karst had long since died out.  The attack was conducted in the mist, preventing the Italian artillery from knowing whether they were hitting anything or not.  The mist later turned to heavy rain, making the ground extremely difficult to navigate, especially as the advance was up a mountain.  At 3PM, the Italian infantry, all well-trained mountain troops, attacked on a front scarcely a mile wide.  They suffered tremendously; the Austrians were unscathed from the bombardment and could attack them from above.  Some units suffered upwards of 70% casualties, with the survivors left clinging to the mountainside.  Despite this, further attempts occurred once the weather cleared.  While Mt. Ortigara changed hands several times, ultimately, two weeks later, the Italians withdrew to their original lines, after suffering over 25,000 casualties in some of their most elite units.

Sources include: John R. Schindler, Isonzo; Mark Thompson, The White War.

[christianbeckwith]

Discover the Legacy of the Gothic Line and its heroes. Examine the vital importance of Mount Belvedere in the dramatic battles of the Italian Campaign during WWII.

[christianbeckwith]

Mount Belvedere: Key to the Gothic Line and the 10th Mountain Division’s Victory

The Gothic Line was a critical defensive position during World War II, and Mount Belvedere played a pivotal role in the battle to breach…

Explore Mount Belvedere's role in the Italian Campaign of 1944, highlighting its importance in overcoming the Gothic Line and the 10th Mountain Division's triumph.