. Battlefields of the World War, western and southern fronts; a study in military geography . general course of the trenchbeing southward from the Predil Pass (Fig. 140). Across the highMonte Matajur-Monte Cucco ridge, steepest on the northeasttoward the Tolmino-Caporetto sector of the Isonzo trench andsloping more gently southwestward to the plain around Cividaleand Udine, are cut a series of low gaps by which troops may easilypass from the plain into the trench or debouch from the trenchinto the plain. The lowest of these is the wild gorge of theNatisone (Fig. 142) which from the floor of th
. Battlefields of the World War, western and southern fronts; a study in military geography . general course of the trenchbeing southward from the Predil Pass (Fig. 140). Across the highMonte Matajur-Monte Cucco ridge, steepest on the northeasttoward the Tolmino-Caporetto sector of the Isonzo trench andsloping more gently southwestward to the plain around Cividaleand Udine, are cut a series of low gaps by which troops may easilypass from the plain into the trench or debouch from the trenchinto the plain. The lowest of these is the wild gorge of theNatisone (Fig. 142) which from the floor of the trench just west ofCaporetto (Karfreit) turns abruptly southward and cuts through 552 BATTLEFIELD OF THE ISONZO the mountains to the plain. A good highway runs from Caporettoalong the narrow floor of the Natisone gorge to Cividale. Twoor three miles southeast of Caporetto a branch of the Natisoneheads on a low col (Fig. 143) and flows southwest to join the mainriver before Cividale is reached. By this col and branch valley asecond highway crosses the high Matajur-Cucco ridge to connect. Fig. 145—Italian front across the desolate surface of the karst plateau,official photograph.) (Italian Caporetto in the Isonzo trench with Cividale on the Piedmontplain. For convenience we will call these two strategic gatewaysthe Caporetto passes. When it is remembered that, while themain Italian armies were facing eastward along the lower Isonzofrom Tolmino to the sea, the chief protection of their flank andrear in this region was formed by the Matajur-Cucco ridge, thevital importance of the Caporetto passes can easily be old Austro-Italian frontier across the Battlefield of theIsonzo traversed the Pontebba Pass and ran close to the PredilPass on the northernmost ridges, then followed southward THE ALPINE RIDGES 553 parallel to and west of the Isonzo trench to reach the Matajur-Cucco ridge, along the crest of which it pursued an easterlycourse to a point near Tolmino, whence i
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectworldwar19141918
