In this battle, German strategists employed for the first time their infiltration tactics using their Sturmtrup-pen; small assault troops which attacked the enemy lines using automatic weapons and grenades. These kinds of assaults were much more effective than the traditional frontal confrontations. The Italians taken by surprise, retreated en masse while the Austro-Hungarian forces continued to Venice. Finally the Italians made a solid defense line around the river Piave - 100km away from the previous defense line-, where they stopped the enemy advance. The catastrophe of Caporetto was of such a great magnitude, that the British and the French had to send troops on a hurry to Italy to avoid the collapse of the battle-front. This collapse would have placed the Central European forces in the valley of the Po River. The war booty was substantial, and the defeat of the Italian Army was one of the worst in WWI. Italy lost a vast amount of military supplies, 300.000 men were captured and 50.000 lost their lives.
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