Western Front
British successful attack south-west of Audenarde (Courtrai), carrying all objectives; claim 1,000 prisoners.
British captures in last three months claimed to be: 172,659 prisoners, 2,378 guns, 17,000 machine guns, 2,750 trench mortars, etc.
Overall, just in October, Allies have captured 108,343 PoWs and 2,064 guns.
Foch tells Supreme War Council: ‘…
since July 18 we have forced the enemy to retreat. We have attacked him along 400 kilometres and we are continuing to do so … we can continue it if the foe desires it right up to their complete defeat...’
Western Front, Air: In October record of 5,360,000 leaflets dropped by Allied balloons; AEF reports 80% German PoWs with one by October 15, BEF say 12% of theirs. RAF losses 164 aircraft, French 46.
American pilot Eddie Rickenbacker scores his 26th aerial victory, making him the top American ace in the war:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...308783410642945
Germany: 9 bombs from No 55 squadron D.H.s cause 86 casualties at Bonn.
British troops in the damaged town of Douai, France:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...338965668306947
Southern Front
Third Battle of the Piave (aka
Battle of Vittorio Veneto): Austrians in Trentino and Venetian Alps separated and chased back, losing all positions between the Brenta and Piave.
Italian Fourth and Sixth Armies occupy empty Austrian Grappa and Asiago lines, by 1700 hours 2 Alpini battalions clear Feltre. British and Italians reach river Livenza. British recapture Sacile.
Austrian Commander-in-Chief applies to General Armando Diaz for an Armistice.
Italians and Slovenes take over Trieste.
Italian soldiers occupy an abandoned Austro-Hungarian position:
https://i1.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...llung.jpg?ssl=1
Albania: Scutari retaken by Italian forces (see January 23rd, 1916).
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Persia: 600 British troops (35 casualties), 4 guns and 2 MGs take Lardeh village and 30 PoWs (until November 1).
Mesopotamia: Only 3,280 Turks with 44 guns estimated in Mosul or en route. General Lewin occupies Altun Kopri on Little Zab.
Naval and Overseas Operations
Austria: Fleet at Pola completes transfer to Southern Slav National Council in Agram. Non Serbian Slavs free to go home, ships fully illuminated for first time, Admiral Horthy makes farewell signal, relinquishes command at c.1645 hours.
Allied and neutral shipping October losses to U-boats: 52 ships (23 British with 318 lives) worth 112,427t (British total all causes 25 ships worth 59,229t); U-boat figure 73 ships worth 116,237t. Lowest monthly tonnage score since July 1916; 5 U-boats sunk.
Britain: In October over 10,000 ships reported as repaired since June 1917. Shipbuilding up nearly 50% over 1917, little change in jobs or days lost.
Political, etc
Austria-Hungary: Revolutions in Vienna and Budapest (see November 1st, 12th and 16th).
Count Istvan Tisza assassinated in Vienna (see May 23rd, 1917). István Tisza:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...581721292627970
End of the Dual Monarchy.
Polish troops occupy Cracow.
Death of Egon Schiele, Expressionist painter and soldier, aged 28 from flu at Vienna. 700,000 PoWs have returned from Russia since March 3.
Revolutionary Hungarian soldiers and civilians tired of war and Austrian rule occupy Budapest as part of the Aster or Chrysanthemum Revolution. Revolutionary soldiers in the city:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...550296782721025
Germany: Kaiser leaves Berlin (for last time) by train for OHL at Spa.
Turkey: Hostilities between Entente and Turkey cease at 12 noon (see 30th). Otto von Liman hands over to Mustapha Kemal at Adana, repatriation of 10,000 Germans begins.
Emerging States: Slovenes in Laibach National Assembly proclaim independence.