First Dolomite offensive

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The three Tofans from the southwest I, II and III
Italian Front (1915-1918)

The first Dolomite offensive (Primo sbalzo offensivo) took place from July to August 1915 between Italian attackers and Austro-Hungarian defenders in the area between the Col di Lana and the Tofana massif west of Cortina d'Ampezzo . It was part of the mountain war in the context of the First World War .

Starting position

The front stretched in this area from Col di Lana (2462 m) over the Sief-Sattel (2209 m), the Setsass (2571 m), the Sasso di Stria (2477 m) down to the Falzarego pass (2105 m) and then from from here, locking the south side of the Travenanzestal back up to the Col di Bois (2559 m), the Castelletto (2656 m), the Tofana di Rozes / Tofana I (3225 m), the Fontananegra (2588 m), the Tofana di Mezzo / Tofana II (3244 m) to Tofana di Dentro / Tofana III (3238 m). When the first Italian attacks against this section of the front had not led to the expected success and had to be stopped on June 18, 1915, there was initially a break in combat. This was used by General Nava's troops to bring in heavy artillery and be better equipped to start a new offensive .

aims

Tre Sassi plant after 1917

The tactical aim of the attack was to take possession of the area as far as Toblach and the Sella group . However, the IX. Corps with the 17th and 18th infantry divisions in the left operational section first the Passo Falzarego and Passo Valparola with the adjacent flanking heights to be able to advance through the Valle di Sante Cassian and the Abteital to the north. Another obstacle was the fortress Tre Sassi , which blocked the Valparola pass. Furthermore, an attempt should be made to penetrate the Travenanzestal from the east with the 1st Corps (1st and 2nd Infantry Divisions) in the right operational section, which would have had to be abandoned by the Austrians if the attack had been successful.

The attack

  • Phase 1 (from July 5th to 11th)

On July 5, the first phase began with the opening of the artillery preparation. The Tre Sassi plant was particularly affected, where the 76th hit with a caliber of 28 cm penetrated the plant ceiling above the battery corridor and exploded inside. There were three casualties and several seriously injured. (Although the work was completely out of date and had little combat value, the Italian leadership could not decide on a direct attack.) The artillery fire continued until July 7th, then the infantry attacks began. In the left operating section, three wedges were sent forward. The left group operated against the eastern side of the Col di Lana, the medium against the Sief saddle and against the Settsass, the right group with the infantry - regiment . No. 45 and the Alpinibataillon Belluno , should the Cima Falzarego, Forcella Travenanzes, Forcella di Bois and conquer the little Lagazuoi , the alpine battalion Val Chisone and two battalions of the Brigata Reggio had to take the witch's stone (Sasso di Stria).

Immediately after the start of the attack it turned out that the effect of the artillery had been greatly overestimated. The waves of attack remained in the undamaged Austrian wire obstacles, only the Falzarego Pass could be taken. It was not until July 10 that the Alpini of the Belluno battalion managed to take the summit of the Cima di Bois and establish themselves there permanently. That meant a heavy blow for the Austrians, as the attackers could see the length of the Travenanzestal from there.

On July 8th, units of the 2nd Infantry Division ( General Cantore ) began attacking the Tofana chain from Cortina d'Ampezzo . Alpini of the Fenestrelle battalion occupied the peaks of Tofana II and Tofana III and descended unnoticed down into the Travenanzestal. There they attacked the Austrian barrier at the contour line in 1780 from behind and fought it down. Another company then advanced south along the Rio Travenanzes and occupied the Monte del Vallon Bianco (2687 m) and the Cima Furcia Rossa (2665 m) to secure the right flank. After that, the Italians stopped in that position for some incomprehensible reason. This gave the defenders an opportunity to reinforce their own forces and prepare for the next attack.

It was not until three days later that General Cantore personally took command of the units standing here, ordered the flank guards back to the main detachment for reinforcement and moved up the valley with a total of five companies until the attack stopped shortly before the Wolf-Glanvell Hut (2000 m). In the meantime the Austro-Hungarian troops had occupied the evacuated heights and were pushing the Italians back down the valley to the former Austrian barrier in flanking counter-attacks until July 12th. By July 27, they had been thrown back to their original position. The Tofana II and Tofana III, however, remained in the hands of the Italians.

View from the north of the Falzarego pass and the Italian staging areas
  • Phase 2 (July 15-20, 1915)

In the second phase the scenario was repeated in the IX. Corps. Five groups were supposed to attack, groups 1 and 2 against the eastern slopes of the Col di Lana, group 3 against the Valparola pass and group 4 against the Cima Falzarego (also Torri di Falzarego). Attempts should be made to conquer the Forcella di Bois (2330 m) and from there to advance towards the Travenanzestal. Group 5 was tasked with reaching the Travenanzestal between Tofana I and Tofana II via the Fontana-Negra-Scharte. All attacks failed, especially as Group 3 had to pass Castelletto (2656 m), which was occupied by the Austrians . The flanking positions of this mountain peak inflicted heavy losses on the Italians and made it impossible to advance here. The same applied to the attack over the Fontana-Negra-Scharte, which was successfully sealed off from Tre Dita (2694 m) to the west. During this period of the fight, General Cantore fell victim to an Austrian sniper on July 20. The only success of this action was the Val Chisone alpine battalion who was able to capture the Forcella di Bois from the Cima di Bois.

On July 22nd, a high mountain patrol of the 3rd Jäger Regiment in the German Alpine Corps climbed the previously unoccupied Tofana I peak in a surprise operation, which it was able to hold until September 18th.

  • Phase 3 (July 31 - August 4)

At this point the defenders were already severely weakened as no reserves could be made available. All troops, including the 8th Infantry Troop Division (Kaiserjägerdivision) intended for this section, had been sent to the Isonzo .

In this third phase the leadership of the 4th Army tried again to achieve success. Again the associations of the IX. Corps aimed at the same goals as in the two previous attacks, again almost no success could be achieved. Only in the Fontana-Negra-Scharte did a platoon of the 1st Company of the Mecklenburg Reserve Jäger Battalion No. 14 succeed in pushing out of position on July 31. Repeated attacks in this section by the formations of the 17th Infantry Division brought on August 31, only minor gains in terrain, which were sufficient to endanger the supply of the defenders of the Travenanzestal. Only the defensive fire from the Fanisspitze opposite in the valley (Torre Fanis, 2922 m) prevented the attackers from advancing further.

In August the fighting subsided, only on August 21 there was another unsuccessful attack on the Cima Falzarego and the Forcella Travenanzes.

Sources and literature

  • War archive: Austria-Hungary's last war 1914-1918 , Volume IV, Verlag der Militärwissenschaftlichen Mitteilungen, Vienna 1933
  • Carta Touristica Cortina d'Ampezzo Kompass Fleischmann S.ar. L. Istituto Geografico / Gardolo (Trento)
  • L'esercito italiano nella grande guerra (1915-1918) Volume I - III. Roma: Ministero della Guerra - Ufficio Storico 1929 - 1974
  • Robert Striffler: The Mine War in the Dolomites Series of publications on contemporary history of Tyrol Volume 9

Coordinates: 46 ° 31 ′ 30 ″  N , 12 ° 0 ′ 41 ″  E