On the Trentino line, the German and Austrian army was still moving tensely, making the final preparations before the counterattack. On the Isonzosa line, the counterattack battle had begun.

To the deep surprise of Li Haydn of Trieste in the town and all the Austro-Hungarian generals, the 21st Croatian Mountain Army, who was on the first assault mission in the Isonzo River District, made a breakthrough on the flanks so easily. The Italians encountered very little resistance, and when the Italians resisted a little when they encountered an attack, they began to retreat across the line.

The 21st Croatian army was like entering a no-man's land. Only three days later, they encountered some decent counterattacks on the front line of the Taliamento River.

The entire battle process also surprised Li Haidn, who was mentally prepared, couldn't hold on. He knew that the Italian army was very good, but he really didn't know that it was so good. In order to avoid the Italian army from escaping, he quickly ordered the Trentino Group to start a general attack.

On the fourth day after the Battle of Isonzo River, the German-Austrian heavy army cluster gathered in the Trentino area with Grand Duke Eugen as commander-in-chief, also started an attack. After fierce artillery fire preparations, the eastern cluster consisting of the Austro-Hungarian elite 3rd Army, the 12th Army, the Tyrol Defense Army and the 9th Army launched an attack on the Italian army on a front about 60 kilometers wide between Rovereto and Borgo.

The Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army consists of the 3rd, 8, 14, 20, 17th Army and the Tyrol Defense Army. It has a total of 6 armies, with a total force of 340,000. The newly formed 12th Army has 150,000. The German 9th Army also has 3 armies with 170,000 troops. In addition, the Austro-Hungarian 6th Army has 230,000 troops. In Trentino, the German and Austrian coalition forces have an absolute advantage.

As the Italian 5th Army was transferred to the Pivea River defense line, the Italians only had about 250,000 troops commanded by General Gilardi on the Trentino line, and the German and Austrian coalition forces were about twice the attacking force of the Italian army. The Italian army, which lacked combat experience, lacked artillery and did not build a deep defense position, which led to the Austrian and German coalition forces quickly breaking through the central defense line.

The 20th Army, commanded by Grand Duke Carl, was the vanguard of the right-wing attack, while the 14th Army was behind them as support.

In fact, before the battle was launched, the Italian General Staff had issued a warning to General Caridona, the Chief of Staff, that the German and Austrian coalition had gathered a large number of troops in Trentino and might launch an attack on the Italian army, demanding that he give up his combat plan against the Isonzo River. However, Caridona believed that the Austrian-Hungarian army's assembly in Trentino was just to restrain the Italian army's attack on the Isonzo River, and did not believe that the Austrian army would launch a full-scale attack on the Italian army.

After all, Italy gathered 1.1 million troops in the Veneto area. In terms of force comparison, Austro-Hungary had fewer troops than Italian troops. But he ignored the German army. In fact, even if 350,000 German troops were added, the total strength of the German and Austrian coalition was only comparable to that of the Italian army. However, the equipment and training of the Italian army formed was too poor, and there was no combat experience.

In comparison, the 9th and 12th Army of Germany were both elite troops who had experienced several major wars. Although the Austro-Hungarian army was worse than the German army, it was slightly stronger than the Russians. More importantly, the Austro-Hungarian army experienced several major battles. Although they suffered great losses in the initial Battle of Galicia, they all won the subsequent battles against Russia. The continuous victory greatly encouraged the originally not very high morale. Moreover, the Austro-Hungarian army did not fight hard with the Russians under the command of Li Haidn, nor suffered major losses. They had rich combat experience and were preserved by officers and non-commissioned officers, which allowed the combat effectiveness of the Austro-Hungarian army to be maintained.

But General Girardi, the commander of the 1st Italian Army on the Trentino front, believed in the judgment of the Intelligence Department of the General Staff. He was worried about the changes in the Austro-Hungarian army in Trentino, especially the German army that appeared in the Battle of the Isonzo River made him more alert.

Girardi ordered the Italian army to build three fortifications along the Tyrol front line, using the support point group of Mount Villenna, the support point group of Capologo, the support point group of Capomoron, and the support point group of Mount Enna, the support point group of Mount Masso, and the support point group of Casarati. Moreover, the Italian army has continuously launched harassing operations since mid-August to interfere with the offensive preparations of the Austro-Hungarian army.

However, Caridona insisted on drawing the 5th Army from the Trentino line to strengthen the defense of the Taliamento River, but Girardi's troops were stretched.

The cool breeze at night blew away the smoke of gunpowder on the battlefield. There were still rumbling sounds of cannons in the distance, and the darkness enveloped the earth.

The 3rd Galician Lancer Shooting Division, which belongs to the 14th Army, was deployed to the front line again, and they had already caught up with the 20th Army, who was acting assault in front.

On the front between the Orolo River and the Astico River, the German and Austrian coalition dispatched four armies. The 17th German Army and the 3rd Austrian-Hungary Army besieged the Alchero fortification group built by the Italian army, while the 20th Austrian-Hungary Army and the 14th Austrian-Hungary Army rushed to Schio after breaking through the Italian army's defense line.

The 3rd Italian Army, composed of elite Alpine infantry, resisted the Austrians' fierce attack in Schio, and Grand Duke Carl, who served as the front line, sent the 14th Army behind him.

Unlike the gentle hilly mountains in Galicia, the towering peaks in northern Italy are very steep, which is not conducive to the large army's offensive, but is more conducive to the Italian defense. Before the 14th Army arrived at the battlefield, Grand Duke Carl commanded the Austro-Hungarian 20th Army to launch three fierce attacks on Schio, but they were all repelled by the Italian army.

General Crather, the commander of the 3rd Lancer Division of Galicia, received an order from the front line command to lead the 3rd Lancer Division across the Orolo River, bypass the Italian defense line, and rushed to the back of the Italian army.

After dinner, the 3rd regiment where Rakowski was located drove forward again. The troops lined up in a long column and struggled to march on a deserted path in the valley. The sky was drizzling, and the officers and soldiers were soaked, exhausted and panting. With resentment, people complained from time to time.

At night, they crossed the fast-flowing Orolo River from the temporary pontoon bridge, and then advanced southward along the valley. In the early morning of August 29, the 3rd Lancer Division drove southward for 15 kilometers overnight, and then captured a bridge on the Orolo River, crossed the Orolo River from here, returned to the left bank, and drove into a small town called Gavino.

What is very strange is that the Italians actually sent only one company to guard the very important bridge and village behind them. Due to insufficient troops, the defense line of the Italian 1st Army is now full of loopholes.

General Crather ordered the 3rd Regiment to defend the town of Gavino and the bridge, and he set up his command in the town. The 1st Regiment is in the village of Riva, about 2 kilometers east of Gavino, and the 2nd Regiment is in the town of Marano in the southeast. The Italians in the town are staring at the invaders indifferently. After a brief rest, the Austrian soldiers lined up through the dilapidated streets full of potholes and water, and went to the town to dig trenches.
Chapter completed!