After discovering that their rear supply route had been intercepted by the Germans, the Italian troops on the front line grew increasingly anxious.
They began to suspect that the German army opposite them was far larger than they had imagined. After all, how could such a small force hold the frontline and still have enough troops to attack their rear? The Italian soldiers speculated that the Germans might number at least 150,000 to 250,000 men. The thought alone terrified them, and they no longer dared take the initiative. Instead, they began shrinking their defensive lines, intending to hold their ground and await reinforcements.
However, the logistical reality was harsh. Feeding 100,000 soldiers daily required immense quantities of food, water, weapons, and ammunition. Wounded soldiers also needed medical supplies. With their rear supply route cut off, the Italians faced the looming threat of starvation within days.
Hunger would sap their strength. Without food, the soldiers could not hold the ravine, no matter how well-fortified it was.
Reluctantly, the Italians dispatched 20,000 men to reclaim their rear base at Karnia. Fearful of German ambushes along the railway, the advance was slow and cautious, taking three days. Upon arrival, they found the Germans long gone, leaving behind only a few charred warehouses.
The sight stunned the Italians. Though they had regained a key strategic point, all their supplies were gone. The looming food crisis remained unresolved. They hurriedly reported to the front line and sent urgent requests to Rome for emergency rations.
The Italian government was shocked. How could their troops need such immediate resupply? Weren't they carrying enough provisions from the start? The economic aftermath of the First World War had left Italy weakened, prices soaring, and the country far from the strong power it aspired to be. Raising the requested supplies took six hours, and transporting them to the front took another full day.
Meanwhile, the shadow of the German threat weighed heavily. For over a week, Italian soldiers knew their supplies had been destroyed, and morale plummeted. Casualties had already dampened their spirits, and the news of a burned logistics base pushed many troops to the brink of refusing to fight.
In stark contrast, German morale surged. Encouraged by prior victories, they harassed the Italians relentlessly, launching small night raids that killed over a hundred sentries. The Italian soldiers grew fearful of leaving their barracks, unwilling to patrol their own camps.
But Model was both bold and cautious. Rather than attacking the trapped Italian army directly, he ordered German units to sweep south along the railway, destroying six or seven key bridges. Building railway bridges in this part of the Alps was extraordinarily difficult, and destroying them effectively severed the 100,000-strong Italian force from their rear. The Italians were now trapped like turtles in an urn.
Model did not waste resources on an army that was already immobilized. If he attacked them head-on, the Germans could suffer unnecessary casualties. But if the Italians regained confidence and initiated an attack, the situation could quickly turn against Germany.
Instead, Model divided his forces into several groups and sent them deep into northern Italy to wreak havoc. To gather 100,000 troops for the front, the Italians had nearly depleted their northern garrisons, leaving the region sparsely defended.
From October 12 to October 29, German units struck dozens of towns around Udine. The attacks were methodical: German scouts reconnoitered targets in advance, avoiding heavily defended towns while attacking poorly protected ones decisively. Though the Germans did not commit massacres, they nearly destroyed every town they captured, escorting civilians away under armed guard.
Soon, over 500,000 refugees had been displaced in northern Italy. Gathering these displaced masses, the German forces began advancing toward Weys. The Italian government, faced with collapsing morale, destroyed supply lines, and an enemy moving deep into its territory, was beginning to face a full-blown crisis.