Western Front
The so-called
Battles of the Hindenburg Line: Battle of the Beaurevoir Line (3-5 October 1918):
Battle of the Beaurevoir Line ends. Kaiser Order of the Day mentions peace offer, but urges continued stern resistance. The Times, London ‘
Our Armies in the West hold the front from the east of Ypres to the north of St Quentin. Since August 8 we have advanced practically at every point.’ BEF claims to have captured 35,000 PoWs and 380 guns since September 27 and broken through Hindenburg Line in 9 days on 30-mile front. Victorious Australian Corps withdrawn to rest after capturing Montbrehain, claiming to have captured 29,144 PoWs and 388 guns since March 27 (21,243 casualties including only 79 missing), liberated 116 towns and villages since August 8, engaged 39 German divisions (30 twice or more, 6 disbanded).
Germany falls back between La Catelet and Crevecoeur and burns Douai.
British carry Beaurevoir, etc. (East of Le Catelet)
Germans fall back towards the Suippe river; fighting on the Arnes (Champagne).
French occupy Moronvilliers Massif (east of Reims).
Meuse-Argonne Offensive: Battle of Champagne and Argonne (see October 15th): Stiff American fighting west of Meuse.
Western Front, Air: “Much” successful bombing by Allies. A German Hannover CL-III plane brought down in the Argonne by U.S. machine gunners:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...906718599008257
French aviator and fighter pilot Roland Garros is killed in combat. Garros made flight altitude records and flew the first non-stop flight over the Mediterranean, as well as being famous for being the first pilot to shoot down another aircraft with a fixed, forward-firing machinegun from a single-seat airplane:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...223810980388865
2nd Lieutenant Val Browning fires a Browning machine gun, invented by his father, at Thillombois: © IWM (Q 70559):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...118104964976641
Australian photographer standing on top of a tank near Ronssoy: © IWM (E(AUS) 3915):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...148311021158400
A church mined and destroyed by German troops retreating from Armentières: © IWM (Q 58388):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...178511448604672
Southern Front
Yugoslav delegates meet at Agram (another source say at Laibach: same town, different name (?)) and decide on the formation of a United National Council (see 29th, and September 25th).
German troops reported withdrawn from Bulgarian front.
Serbia: Vranje (aka Vranya) retaken by Serbian forces (see October 15th, 1915). Serbian Second Army begins transfer from Bulgarian frontier west to Montenegro and Albania (until October 20).
Albania: Dibra occupied.
Italy: Italians active on their own mountain fronts.
Naval and Overseas Operations
Northern Channel: AMC
Otranto (Orient Co) carrying US troops (431 lost) sinks in collision, destroyer HMS
Mounsey rescues 596 men.
Eastern Mediterranean: French Syrian Squadron occupies Beirut, then Tripoli and Alexandretta (both on October 14).
Belgium: German Navy at Ostend and Zeebrugge, Belgium scuttles 4 submarines as the Allied forces approach the port cities.
Germany: Prince Max speaks in the Reichstag. Messrs. Grober, Erzberger and Scheidemann Secretaries of State, and Dr. Solf Foreign Minister, in attendance.