In 1915, when the Kingdom of Italy joined the conflict of the First World War, the very first Austro-Hungarian defence line was cutting the valley of Travignolo and then developing along the ridge of the summit of Cima Bocche.
Due to its position and features, Cima Bocche was the cornerstone of the Austrian defense of the area. The verticality of the north face of the summit was making the passage practically impossible, while the opposite side that descends towards the Rolle and Valles passes is very gentle, and therefore potentially exposed to attacks by large infantry units.
The first fights took place between July and August 1915, when the Italian troops of the Brigata Tevere attempted to conquer the summit by climbing the valley of the lakes of Lusia in order to take the Bocche mountain gap. Despite numerous gaps opened in the barbed wires by the action of a bomb and the initial signs of success, the offensive failed to conquer Cima Bocche.
In 1916, after a particularly harsh and snowy winter that caused many casualties, also due to avalanches, the dispute over the control of Cima Bocche started over again. The fighting lasted all summer, with no particular breaking events, until the last action of November 3, 1916, when the Brigata Tevere, already burdened by thousands of losses, managed to conquer the strategic point known as the “Osservatorio” (at about 2,636 mt. high), losing it, however, after just five days of close clashes with the Austro-Hungarian infantry. After the failure of the latter offensive, the Italian troops withdrew along the initial defensive line, where they remained until mid November 1917, before retiring to the Piave river.
Along the whole ridge of Cima Bocche and on the equipped path of the Gronton there are still numerous remains of WWI artifacts, silent witnesses of that time.
References
Finegil, Espresso (2015). La Grande Guerra 1914-1918. GEDI Gruppo Editoriale S.p.A, Roma
Bettega, A. (2010). Grande Guerra in valle di Fiemme-Fassa e Biois. Edizioni Gino Rossato.
Von Lichem, A. (1993). La guerra in montagna 1915-1918: il Fronte Dolomitico. Bolzano, Italy: Athesia.
Striffler, R. (1994). 1917 Guerra di mine nelle Dolomiti. Lagazuoi, Castelletto 1915-1917. Casa Editrice Panorama.
