02. bitva na Soči (Isonzu) [1915]

After persistent frontal attacks on the Austro-Hungarian defensive position in front of Gorizia (Gorizia) and on the Karst plain, the Italians advanced several hundred meters and briefly occupied the key hill of Monte San Michel, which they lost again after the Austrian attacks. On the other hand, Vermigliano and Selza recorded a small territorial gain. Due to the exhaustion of soldiers and the lack of artillery ammunition, the Italian attacks were stopped. Italians lost 42,000 men, Austrians 47,000 ...


Source:
Josef Fučík, Marek Pavlík: Sočská fronta 1915-1917 (Prague 2008)

From the witness's memories:

... The Italians did not go on the offensive until it was all leveled and cost us many lives before this tactic was revealed. Then large caverns began to be dug for entire battalions. Only a few guards stood in the trenches during the day and were only fully occupied for the night. Our leadership also stated that it is enough for the Italians to have an officer who leads them to attack. The team then suddenly gives up everything. And that their officers were conspicuously dressed compared to the team, they were always the first target and fell first. The others then dropped their weapons, waved white handkerchiefs, and ran to Austria with such joy that we always envied them. It was a big coincidence, then, that one of our units could have picked up just as nicely. It just so happened that on July 20, 5 Italian regiments attacking Calvary against our only one were decimated so that the offensive was over in a day, although the artillery training lasted four days and nights continuously. They simply ran forward without obstacles, dropped their weapons behind the hill, and the war was sold for them. If they knew how they would do in our country, how many thousands would starve to death, surely many would have changed their minds ...

Source:
valkanaitalii.webnode.cz