Between 1 January 1916 and 13 March 1918, Austro-Hungarian and Italian units fired a total of 34 mines in this theatre of the war. In addition to building underground shelters and covered supply routes for their soldiers like the Italian Strada delle 52 Gallerie, both sides also attempted to break the stalemate of trench warfare by tunneling under no man’s land and placing explosive charges beneath the enemy’s positions. Numerous avalanches were caused by the Italians and Austro-Hungarians purposefully firing artillery shells on the mountainside, while others were naturally caused. Working at high altitudes in the hard carbonate rock of the Dolomites, often in exposed areas near mountain peaks and even in glacial ice, required extreme skill of both Austro-Hungarian and Italian miners.īeginning on the 13th, later referred to as White Friday, December 1916 would see 10,000 soldiers on both sides killed by avalanches in the Dolomites. In order to protect their soldiers from enemy fire and the hostile alpine environment, both Austro-Hungarian and Italian military engineers constructed fighting tunnels which offered a degree of cover and allowed better logistics support. 1915.įrom 1915, the high peaks of the Dolomites range were an area of fierce mountain warfare. Instead, the vast majority of men in both armies would have served in mountainous terrain at some stage in the war, including many – such as soldiers from southern Italy or Sicily – who had no experience of such extreme temperatures.Īustrian soldiers move out on skis. They were renowned for their courage and skill, fighting fiercely under the most challenging circumstances.īut there were not enough of these specialists, and it would have been impossible to limit mountain operations to these troops alone. Units quickly became separated as they scrambled over rough terrain, while the impact of shells exploding on the rocky surface often led to landslides and falling stones, which had devastating effects.īoth the Italian and the Austro-Hungarian armies had dedicated mountain troops, the Alpini and the Gebirgstruppe respectively these expert units had special training and equipment to prepare them for service in the mountains. Meanwhile, infantrymen carrying heavy packs and weapons struggled to attack up steep slopes, since defending troops held the high ground wherever possible, placing the assailants in the face of enemy fire. Artillery could not accurately identify enemy targets due to the uneven terrain, and without effective artillery fire it was extremely difficult to launch a successful attack. Unsurprisingly, combat was very difficult under these circumstances. Cold and frostbite were real problems for all men in the high Alps, especially when it came to treating the wounded, who suffered terribly from the extreme conditions. 1915.īoth armies trained specialist ski units as well as equipping soldiers with ice-picks, ropes, snowsuits, cold-weather clothing, and goggles for use on glaciers. Temperatures remained below freezing for at least four months of each year and snow was a constant presence in winter, with improvised ‘snow trenches’ being used for defense. The Italians used cable cars and mules to transport food and munitions up to the mountain-top front lines – and to take the wounded back down to the plains, where hospitals were situated. In order to make the landscape more suitable for warfare, intensive road-building programmes took place both armies also had to build bridges across mountain ravines, and to construct forts, barracks, and huts to serve as accommodation, as well as digging trenches (where possible) or using high explosive to create networks of underground caves and tunnels for protection, accommodation, and storage. The Alpine landscape was incredibly challenging: mountain peaks in the combat zone were up to 2000m above sea level, with some slopes of up to 80° steepness.įast-flowing rivers ran through glacial troughs and there were minimal road and rail connections to the area. Unlike the larger-scale battles, this battle was dictated by the landscape of the sizable mountain range.īecause of the challenging terrain, both countries had to rely on innovative methods of warfare and outstanding acts of bravery. In May 1915, Italy attacked Austria-Hungary along the Isonzo River and in the Trentino, hoping to conquer territory which it believed to be rightfully Italian. Soldiers hoist a field gun up a cliff face.
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