Third Battle of the Isonzo

June 1915 - September 1917

Date: Date
October 18, 1915-November 3, 1915
Location
Soča river, western Slovenia
Result
Austro-Hungarian victory
Date: October 18, 1915-November 3, 1915
Location: Soča river, western Slovenia
Result: Austro-Hungarian victory
Belligerents:
: Italy
Commanders and leaders:
: Luigi Cadorna, Emanuele Filiberto, 2nd Duke of Aosta
Strength:
: 338 battalions, 130 cavalry squadrons, 1372 artillery pieces
Casualties and losses:
: 67,100(11,000 dead)

The Third Battle of the Isonzo was fought from October 18 through November 3 of 1915 between the armies of Italy and Austria-Hungary.

Background

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 Italian) near Kanal ob Soči, beneath the southern end of the Banj�ice Plateau (Bainsizza), and on Mount San Michele on the Kras plateau in an attempt to outflank those forces defending Gorizia. The plateau near San Michele was the scene of heavy attacks and counterattacks involving the Italian Third Army and Austro-Hungarian reinforcements from the Eastern and Balkan fronts under the command of Svetozar Boroević; both sides suffering heavy casualties.

Thanks to the low profile held by Boroević's forces, the Austrians were able to hold their positions with heavy casualties, inferior however to those of the Italians. This battle showed Boroević's tactical brilliance despite the limited scope of the campaign.

The lull in action lasted barely two weeks after which the Italian offensive started anew.

First Battle of the Isonzo - 23 June-7 July 1915
Second Battle of the Isonzo - 18 July-3 August 1915
Fourth Battle of the Isonzo - 10 November-2 December 1915
Fifth Battle of the Isonzo - 9 March-17 March 1916
Sixth Battle of the Isonzo - 6 August-17 August 1916
Seventh Battle of the Isonzo - 14 September-17 September 1916
Eighth Battle of the Isonzo - 10 October-12 October 1916
Ninth Battle of the Isonzo - 1 November-4 November 1916
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo - 12 May-8 June 1917
Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo - 19 August-12 September 1917
Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo - 24 October-7 November 1917 also known as the Battle of Caporetto

More aircraft.

Source: WikiPedia