. ▁While ▁they ▁advanced ▁these ▁troops ▁were ▁also ▁subject ed ▁to ▁very ▁heavy ▁art illery , ▁tren ch - mort ar ▁and ▁ ▁machine - gun ▁fire ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁pre l ude ▁for ▁a ▁counter - att ack ▁delivered ▁by ▁the ▁German ▁Guard ▁Ja eg ers ▁that ▁saw ▁the ▁entire ▁Italian ▁regiment ▁thrown ▁back ▁to ▁its ▁original ▁positions . ▁During ▁the ▁Italian ▁attack ▁and ▁German ▁counter - att ack ▁the ▁▁ 1 6 1 st ▁Regiment ▁suffered ▁very ▁heavy ▁losses . ▁One ▁of ▁its ▁inf antry ▁companies ▁was ▁almost ▁completely ▁destroyed ▁by ▁the ▁explos ion ▁of ▁a ▁mine ▁that ▁was ▁laid ▁in ▁the ▁tren ches ▁by ▁the ▁def enders . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁right ▁of ▁the ▁Italian ▁front ▁the ▁attack ing ▁ 1 6 2 nd ▁Italian ▁regiment ▁suffered ▁much ▁the ▁same ▁fate ▁as ▁the ▁other ▁attack ing ▁forces . ▁It ▁attacked ▁a ▁hill ▁def ended ▁by ▁troops ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁ 4 5 th ▁Infantry ▁Regiment ▁and ▁initially ▁succeeded ▁in ▁over coming ▁the ▁bar bed ▁wire ▁and ▁occup ying ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁line ▁of ▁tren ches . ▁To ▁their ▁right ▁however ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁French ▁Col onial ▁Division ▁failed ▁to ▁perman ently ▁capture ▁an ▁important ▁hill ▁Pit on ▁Ro che aux ▁which ▁left ▁the ▁Italian ▁fl ank ▁un supported ▁and ▁vulner able . ▁As ▁result ▁the ▁It ali ans ▁were ▁met ▁by ▁a ▁very ▁heavy ▁art illery , ▁machine - gun ▁and ▁hand - gren ade ▁fire ▁from ▁behind , ▁and ▁by ▁machine - gun ▁fire ▁coming ▁from