Excerpt from ATTACKS
By Field Marshal Erwin Rommel

As soon as the leading companies of the 1st Battalion of the 26th Infantry cleared the Vajont ravine at 1400, they were sent to Dogna as reinforcements for the Rommel detachment. No other forces were at Major Sproesser's immediate disposal. The Gossler detachment (5th Company, 3d Machine-Gun Company) had climbed the Forcella Simon (1483) from Il Porto over Cra Ferrona (955). Here its splendid leader, Captain Gossler, an expert mountaineer, had fallen to his death while hurrying ahead of his detachment across an icy slope. The Schiellein detachment (4th and 6th Companies, 2d Machine-Gun Company) had climbed from Fornace Stadion across Mount Gallinut (1303) and had reached the Vajont ravine via Cra Ferrona (995). The 2d Company under Lieutenant Payer was descending Mount Lodina and was headed in the direction of Erto.

After the unsuccessful night attack by the Rommel detachment on the west side of the Piave, unbelievable reports reached Major Sproesser at his command post by the exit from the pass: "Enemy breakthrough south of Longarone—Most of Rommel detachment including commander taken prisoner." Soon thereafter, the sounds of the battle at Fae and the burning fires put an end to these rumors.

When our messenger, Private Unger, reached the battalion command post, Major Sproesser sent additional units of the 26th Rifle Regiment through Dogna to Fae, and later the 2d Company, which had arrived from its envelopment of Mount Lodina. The 1st Battalion of the 26th Infantry began to build a footbridge across the Piave west of Dogna.