Western Front
Battle of St. Mihiel begins. First large-scale Allied offensive carried out separately by American Expeditionary Force (AEF) on the Western Front (see 16th September). After 4-hour barrage from 0100 hours by 3,010 guns, 216,000 men of (10 divisions) US First Army (John Pershing), supported by 48,000 French (4 divisions) advance in heavy rain 5 miles on 12-mile front vs Georg Fuchs’ 75,000-strong Detachment C (already withdrawing its 13 divisions); they advance five miles on a twelve-mile front and claim 8,000 PoWs. AEF fires 100,000 round (200t) phosgene; 9000 gassed (50 deaths). Patton and MacArthur meet under fire, former outwalks his tanks (70 of 174 reach startline).
The terms “D-day” and “H-hour” are used for the first time. View of the town:
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Allied soldiers and tanks advance towards St. Mihiel, while wounded soldiers and German prisoners make their way back:
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The so-called
Battles of the Hindenburg Line (see October 9th) begin as the series of Allied offensives starting with the
Battle of Havrincourt. British success in Cambrai sector, won on 5-mile front by 6 divisions of Julian Byng’s Third Army; Moeuvres, Havrincourt and Trescault taken; over 1,000 prisoners.
Western Front, Air: Heavy rain and high wind impedes air work.
Greatest Allied air concentration of war support St Mihiel operation with US units; 25 French escadrilles; le Division Aerienne (600 aircraft) and 9 squadrons of Independent Force (c.100 bombers); single Italian, Brazilian, Portuguese, Belgian squadrons. Total 1,483 planes under US Brigade-General Mitchell, bombers and recon planes spearhead Pershing’s advance while fighters maintain local air supremacy (‘barrier’ technique, as pioneered at Verdun). US 3rd Pursuit Group specializes in truck-busting. Rickenbacker shoots down JG2 Fokker (6th kill), but JG2 claims 81 victories for 2 losses (September 12-18).
French residents greet Canadian soldiers in the village of Saudemont:
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Civilians leaving Cambrai, France as the fighting again nears the town: © IWM (Q 55406):
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Streets of Thiaucourt, France burn after the Germans were driven out of the town:
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Wounded German soldiers receiving treatment by American soldiers:
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Eastern Front
Mikhail Tukachevksi’s Red First Army retakes Simbirsk, Vladimir Lenin cables Leon Trotsky with thanks.
Southern Front
Artillery activity on whole Struma front.
Naval and Overseas Operations
Atlantic: The Union-Castle liner
Galway Castle is torpedoed by
U-82; 154 lives lost when the ship sinks three days later.
Mediterranean: Armed boarding steamer
Samia sunk by U-boat.
Political, etc
United Kingdom: Blue Book (Cd. 9146) and (Cd. 8371) , a propagandistic tract issued, describing German rule in south-west Africa and ill-treatment of the natives.
United States: The Boston Red Sox wins the 1918 World Series, defeating the Chicago Cubs 4 games to 2 (the Red Sox does not win the World Series for another 86 years):
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13 million additional Americans are required to register for the draft today, as the U.S. government expands military registration to all men age 18 to 45.