Jauko – Page 7 – Isonzo Battlefields Travel

01Sep 2017 by Jauko

Kobarid

Portfolio

Kobarid Kobarid (German: Karfreit; Italian: Caporetto) is a municipality in the region of Goriška not far from Bovec in northwestern Slovenia. Further to the east is Tolmin. The city became famous for the battle of Caporetto in the First World War, from October 24 to November 9, 1917, where the Italian armies who conquered the area suffered a heavy defeat against the Austrian-Hungarian and German armies. After the First World War, Kobarid or Caporetto belonged to Austria for centuries, part of Italy. In 1947, Italy had to resign to Yugoslavia as a result of the Second World War, which belonged to the Republic of Slovenia. Kobarid is a town on the river Soča. That flows in Kobarid a bit slower, causing many canoe drivers to come. At Gregorčičeva 10…

01Sep 2017 by Jauko

Fort Hermann

Portfolio

Fort Hermann Above the Fort Kluze is an extra fortress, Fort Hermann, built in 1906. There are now only ruins, as the fort was destroyed by cannonballs in 1915. August 2017 [gallery type="rectangular" link="file" size="full" ids="2633,2632,2634,2637,2636,2635"]

01Sep 2017 by Jauko

Fort Kluze

Portfolio, ProgramDay2

Fort Kluže The fort Kluže is a fort near Bovec in the Primorska region in northwestern Slovenia. It was built in 1472 as a fortress between Bovec on the road to Cave del Predil and Carinthia. It probably served as a defense of Friuli against the Turks. In the course of the 16th century, Bovec came under Austrian authority as a result of the wars between Venice and the Habsburgers. It became an autonomous county, but for the time being preserved the church dependence of Ciudad and Aquilea. By the end of the 18th century, the entire administration was Austrian, and that would remain until 1918. In 1796-1797, the army of Napoleon pulled through the valley; There was fought around the fortress. In 1903 a part of Bovec was…

01Sep 2017 by Jauko

Kolovrat Mountain

kostkobkol, Outdoor Museums, Portfolio, ProgramDay6

Kolovrat Kolovrat is about 3.5 km long mountain ridge with the elevations of about ~ 1100 m and is spanning in direction east-west above the right bank of Soča River. On the ridge of Kolovrat, east from the Livške Ravne settlement is a borderline between Italy and Slovenia. From the ridge are panoramic vistas to Julian Alps on the north and Veneto area all the way to the Adriatic Sea. In a time of the First World War the Italian Army built a network of fortified trenches, caverns, and artillery positions named »linea d' armata«. Italian army was monitoring the mountain battlefields on the left bank of Soča River between towns Tolmin and Kobarid. The east most area of Kolovrat between summits of Tinški vrh (1,136 m) and Na Gradu…

01Sep 2017 by Jauko

Ravelnik Outdoor Museum

Outdoor Museums, Portfolio, ProgramDay2

Ravelnik Austro-Hungarian first line of defence in the Bovec area. After the Italian occupation of Bovec in August 1915, the Austro-Hungarian Army further reinforced its first line of defence at the eastern rim of the Bovec basin, especially across two hills: Ravelnik (519 m) and Stržišče (486 m). The two elevations form a natural blockade which was changed by the Austro-Hungarian soldiers by means of fortified positions, caves and trenches to the pillar of their defence. An outdoor museum is arranged on the slope of Mt. Ravelnik in the area of the onetime Austro-Hungarian first line of defence. A circular path connects the cleansed and restored trenches and connection tunnels, pillboxes, caves, machine-gun emplacements and reconstructed cabins. There are a lot of remains in this relatively small area. …

12Aug 2017 by Jauko

First Battle of the Isonzo (23 June – 7 July 1915)

Overview, TheBattles

First Battle of the Isonzo – 23 June–7 July 1915 The First Battle of the Isonzo was fought between the Armies of Italy and Austria-Hungary on the Italian Front in World War I, between 23 June and 7 July 1915. The aim of the Italian Army was to drive the Austrians away from its defensive positions along the Soča (Isonzo) and on the nearby mountains. Although the Italians enjoyed a 2:1 numeric superiority, their offensive failed because the Italian commander, Luigi Cadorna, employed frontal assaults after impressive (but short) artillery barrages. The Austrians had the advantage of fighting from uphill positions barricaded with barbed wire which were able to easily resist the Italian assault. The Italians had some early successes. They partially took Monte Nero (Monte Krn), took Monte Colowrat, and…

11Aug 2017 by Jauko

Second Battle of the Isonzo (18 July – 3 August 1915)

TheBattles

Second Battle of the Isonzo (18 July - 3 August 1915) After the failure of the First Battle of the Isonzo, two weeks earlier, Luigi Cadorna, commander-in-chief of the Italian forces, decided for a new thrust against the enemy lines with a heavier artillery support. The overall plans of the Italian offensive were barely changed by the outcomes of the previous fight, besides the role of general Frugoni' Second Army, which this time had, on paper, to carry out only demonstrative attacks all over his front. The major role was assigned to the Duke of Savoy's Third Army, that must conquer Mount San Michele and Mount Cosich, cutting the enemy line and opening the way to Gorizia. General Cadorna's tactics were as simple as they were harsh: after a heavy…

10Aug 2017 by Jauko

Third Battle of the Isonzo (18 October – 3 November 1915)

TheBattles

Third Battle of the Isonzo (18 October - 3 November 1915) After roughly two and a half months of reprieve to recuperate from the casualties incurred from frontal assaults from the First and Second Battle of the Isonzo, Luigi Cadorna, Italian commander-in-chief, understood that artillery played a fundamental role on the front and brought the total number to 1,200 pieces. The main objectives were to take the Austro-Hungarian bridgeheads at Bovec (Plezzo in Italian) and Tolmin, if possible the town of Gorizia. Cadorna's tactic, of deploying his forces evenly along the entire Soča (Isonzo), proved indecisive. The Austro-Hungarians took advantage of the relatively small areas of attack to concentrate their firepower on those areas. Battle Thanks to extensive artillery barrages, the Italians were able to advance to Plave (Plava in…

09Aug 2017 by Jauko

Fourth Battle of the Isonzo (10 November – 2 December 1915)

TheBattles

Fourth Battle of the Isonzo (10 November - 2 December 1915) In contrast to the other three Battles of the Isonzo (June, July and October), this offensive lasted a short amount of time, and is sometimes considered a continuation of the previous offensive. Most of the clash concentrated in the direction of Gorizia and on the Kras Plateau, though the push was distributed on the whole Isonzo front. The 2nd Italian Army, aiming to Gorizia, was able to capture the hilly area around Oslavia and San Floriano del Collio overlooking the Soča (Isonzo) and the town of Gorizia. The Third Army, covering the rest of the front up to the sea, launched a series of large and bloody attacks which brought no significative gain. Mount Sei Busi, already the scene…

08Aug 2017 by Jauko

Fifth Battle of the Isonzo (9 – 17 March 1916)

TheBattles

Fifth Battle of the Isonzo (9 - 17 March 1916) After four attempts to cross the Soča (Isonzo) river and invade Austro-Hungarian territory, Luigi Cadorna, the Italian commander-in-chief, organized a strong new offensive following the winter lull in fighting which had allowed the Italian High Command to regroup and organize 8 new divisions for the front. However, it was an offensive launched not after detailed strategic planning, but rather as a distraction to shift the Central Powers away from the Eastern Front and from Verdun, where the greatest bloodshed of the war was occurring. The attack was a result of the allied Chantilly Conference of December 1915. The battle The attacks ordered by Cadorna for the 2nd and 3rd Italian armies as "demonstrations" against the enemy, proved to be less…