The borders of 1866 had given the advantage of ground to the Austro-Hungarians almost everywhere, but on Monte Piana the border favored Italy. Except for the northern end, the plateau that formed the upper part of the mountain was in Italian hands, and formed a wedge between the Rienza and the Landro valleys, pointing towards Dobbiaco. Before the war the Austrians had tried to reduce the threat from this position by fortifying (Rautkofel) with several batteries that dominated the entire summit of Monte Piana. During the first days of the war small Italian patrols reconnoitred daily near the Austrian trenches, from where however they were chased back on 7 June 1915, the day the Austro-Hungarians started their first major action on the plateau.: Goiginger gave orders for an attack carried out by two companies of Landesschützen and some units of Standschützen. Coming up at night from Carbonin, they attacked and wiped out the Italian garrison at Piramide Carducci, roughly in the middle of the plateau, where the Austrians had initially been based.: Advancing up to the Italian lines the Austrians were eventually forced to retreat by artillery and rifle fire, returning in the evening to the positions of Piramide Carducci and Forcella dei Castrati. Sporadic fighting and artillery fire continued until 11 June, when there was a lull for over a month, during which positions stabilized.: