Seventh Battle of the Isonzo
Overview map
| date | September 14, 1916 to September 18, 1916 |
|---|---|
| place | Karst plateau |
| output | Aborted by the attacker |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
|
5th Army 62 battalions |
3ª ARMATA (3rd Army) 130 battalions |
| losses | |
|
Total: approx. 25,000 |
Total: approx. 45,000 |
1915
1st Isonzo - 2nd Isonzo - 3rd Isonzo - 4th Isonzo - Lavarone (1915-1916)
1916
5th Isonzo - South Tyrol offensive - 6th Isonzo - Doberdò - 7. Isonzo - 8. Isonzo - 9th Isonzo -
First Dolomites Offensive - Second Dolomites offensive -
Avalanche disaster
1917
10th Isonzo - Ortigara - 11th Isonzo - 12th Isonzo - Pozzuolo - Monte Grappa
1918
Piave - San Matteo - Vittorio Veneto
The seventh Isonzoschlacht , (at: seventh Isonzoschlacht) , was a battle during the First World War between Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Italy in the area of the Isonzo and in front of the Karst plateau east of Gradisca . It began on September 14, 1916 and ended on September 18, 1916 without any significant success for the attackers.
After the end of the previous sixth Isonzo battle, the kuk commander in this section, Colonel General Boroević, realized that the calm would not last long after the attacks. The capture of Gorizia had put the Italians in a tactical position that was untenable in the long run. There was now a bulge in the front that was constantly threatened from both sides. A shift and straightening of the front to the east was imperative for them. With this danger in mind, Boroević asked for a replacement to replenish his worn out 5th Army. As reinforcement he was assigned:
- 43rd Rifle Division ( Major General Fernengel)
- 28th Infantry Division ( Field Marshal Lieutenant von Schneider)
- 57th Infantry Division (Major General von Hrozny)
- 44th Rifle Division (Field Marshal Lieutenant Nemeczek)
With this, the stock of 102,000 fire rifles had already increased to 148,000 fire rifles at the beginning of August just four weeks later. For this reason, the Austro-Hungarian side believed that they were prepared, although the new positioning system on the karst plateau was not yet fully completed. At first, however, there was complete uncertainty about the time and section in which the Italian attack would take place. In general, an initial local advance in the Wippachtal was expected, but then it came to the conclusion that that would not be enough and that a massive attack was to be expected.
On September 13, the Italians began preparing the artillery for the front at Plava, the areas behind in the Wippach valley and the karst plateau. The approach routes and the suspected higher command posts were fired at particularly intensively. The artillery bombardment was then aimed at the karst plateau, which was under two-hour barrage on September 14th. The concentration reached as far as the villages of San Michele del Carso and San Martin del Carso . The artillery fire on the Wippach valley and near Plava initially turned out to be a distraction with a distracting character. After the end of the barrage, the Italian infantry attacked about 20 kilometers south of the Wippach. Except for a small gain in terrain on the rocky slab of Nad Logem, the attack got stuck and was repulsed. Initially sporadic and unprompted infantry attacks in the Wippachtal and Plave were also unsuccessful.
From September 15, 1916 the latter were intensified and threatened, but north of the Wippach there were half-hearted actions, the purpose of which was only to tie up forces. In the area south of the Wippach there was again heavy barrage with the intention of expanding the break-in point at Nad Logem. Heavy infantry attacks were carried out here as early as that morning, culminating in a massive attack on Oppacchiasella and the height of 208 around noon, without however being successful. Around 4 p.m. another heavy attack took place between the Wippach and the northern ridge line of the karst plateau, during which the attackers were able to break through the defenses and take the height of San Grado de Merna. An immediate counter-attack prevented further advance, as did on the Nad Logem plateau. Except here, no terrain gains could be achieved. Most of the attacks farther south were repulsed before the trenches were reached. Where the Italian infantry could penetrate the trenches, they were driven out again in bitter hand-to-hand fighting.
On September 16, heavy attacks were again directed against the northern part of the Karst height, but they all collapsed with great losses. The Italians then directed their efforts in the afternoon to the southern part of the height, which was defended by the 9th Infantry Troop Division and the 24th Landssturm Mountain Brigade under the command of Field Marshal Lieutenant von Schenk. Up to the darkness there was bitter fighting over the height 208 and the summit 144 without the kuk troops having given in here. The attack was then canceled.
The great losses suffered by the attackers meant that they would no longer be able to carry out an intensive attack in the area north of Gorizia near Plava. The combat activity, which here barely exceeded the normal level, became significantly weaker. Even if the Evidence Bureau believed that there were at least five rested divisions left as Italian reserves, the main attacking forces were heavily worn out. It was assumed that the Italian commander-in-chief, General Luigi Cadorna , would use these reserves here, but would then no longer have any resources free to be active elsewhere. In retrospect, this assessment turned out to be correct. On the basis of this assessment of the situation, Colonel General Boroëvić relocated his few reserves to the area south of Gorizia, where on September 17 and 18, 1916 there were again massive attacks, all of which, however, were successfully repulsed. From September 19, the fighting subsided completely, which ended the seventh battle of the Isonzo. But it was clear that the breakthrough to Trieste was still the declared goal of the Italian leadership and that this break in the fight would not last too long.
See also
literature
- Contribution of Major General Anton Ritter von Pitreich in: The Austro-Hungarian War - The summer and autumn battles of 1916 against Italy . Barth, Leipzig 1922.