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Six months on the Italian front cover

Six months on the Italian front

Chapter 10: CHAPTER VIII
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About This Book

A war-artist correspondent records six months spent with the Italian army at the front, blending travel notes, illustrated sketches, and immediate battlefield reportage. He describes movement from major cities to frontline towns, dealings with military authorities and press censorship, everyday life under mobilisation, the challenges of mountain and Adriatic sectors, aerial raids on urban centres, and the logistical and tactical preparations that preceded assaults culminating in the capture of Gorizia. The narrative interweaves descriptive vignettes of trenches, troop movements, medical and supply work, and portraits of leadership and soldiery, offering vivid, on-the-spot impressions rather than technical strategic analysis.

CHAPTER VIII

On the summit of the Forcola—We start off in “military” time—Our guide—Hard climbing—Realize we are no longer youthful—Under fire—Necessary precautions—Our goal in sight—An awful bit of track—Vertigo—A terrifying predicament—In the Forcola position—A gigantic ant-heap—Unique position of the Forcola—A glorious panorama—The Austrian Tyrol—The three frontiers—Shown round position—Self-contained arsenal—Lunch in the mess-room—Interesting chat—The “observation post”—The goniometre—Return to Bormio—Decide to pass another night there—An invitation from the sergeants—Amusing incident.