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Soon they penetrated the almost undefended Italian fortifications in the valley, breaching the defensive line of the Italian defences. They experienced little or no opposition. The Germans coordinated their attacks by using the telephone and they used their new machine-gun to maximum effect. The German advance was commanded by General von Bellow in person. The Italians had to move forces from elsewhere as the Germans had punched a huge hole in their lines.<ref> Gudmondson, p. 134</ref> Within a few hours, the Italian lines seemed about to collapse. The commander of the Italian forces in the area was very ill and asked permission to retreat.

However, Cardona forbade him and demanded that he and his forces continue fighting. Cardona believed that the Italians could regroup. The Germans continued to press their advantage. It was during this phase of the battle that Erwin Rommel the future Desert Fox was awarded his country’s greatest military decoration. The Italians could not regroup and Cardona ordered them to retreat beyond the River Taglaimento. However, the Italian retreat was very slow and they came under constant attack from the Austrians and Germans. By this time the Italian army was in full flight and thousands of disorganised and leaderless men had surrendered. Cardona was no longer in control of the situation. In a matter of days, the Italian army had gone from a position of strength to one of great danger. The government in Rome was in a panic and worried if Venice was in danger.<ref> Simkins, p. 314</ref>