Poem ~ Gorizia and Austrian tricks - Friday, 16 July 1915

Impression sketch of Battle of Isonzo - by Jamie. See the original at: http://www.emersonkent.com/history/timelines/world_war_I_timeline_1915.htm

Resulting from the swift invasion

And occupation of Monfalcone,

Austrian determination began

In bombarding the dockyards

And town taken under Italian rule.

Austrian powers and guns

Gave no heed to the civilian

Population, caught in the midst -

While many significant buildings

Suffered under constant bombs.

In copycat of German tactics,

Gunners chose all churches as

Targets - one corner of cathedral

Was cut open, but its sturdiness

Might resist many before ruined.

A shell also struck San Ambrogio

Belfry - while suggestion of wilful

Destruction, a reason may have

Been to cut down towers, that gave

Enemy uses as military lookouts.

Moving East of Isonzo, Austrian

Intentions were out to destroy any

Significant item that may be used

By Italian armies, as in destroying

Crops or pulling down buildings.

People caught in midst suffered

Under Austrian hands, as those

With Italian descent or connection,

Were held by invented charges 

And likely arrested for no reasons.

A number of 15 Italian Grenadier

Guards, during one night, crawled

Out intent to cut through wire

Entanglements, before Austrian

Defences, which they succeeded. 

 

But by this achievement wounded

Men were left behind - as dawn

Broke, a doctor along with stretcher

Bearers, crawled out to rescue

Intending to bring back the fallen.

Then in underhand tricks Austrians

Held medics hostage - using them

As a shields to stand before cut

And broken wires; the men stayed

There until the defences were fixed. 

 by Jamie Mann.

Massey, W.T., 1915. Italy's War - Battle of the Isonzo - Fight for Gorizia. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 16 July. P.9. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11732066/Daily-Telegraph-July-16-1915.html [Accessed: 16 July 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 16 July 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11732066/Daily-Telegraph-July-16-1915.html

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