Western Front
Battle of Courtrai (to 19/20 October): British have advanced six miles east of Douai-Lille, and three miles east of Le Cateau. Belgians approach Bruges after strong resistance.
Battle of the Selle (see 25th/26th): Charles Mangin’s French Tenth Army wins final victory breaking Hunding line astride river Serre (Czechs in action on October 22), north of Laon. Mangin and HQ withdrawn for planned Lorraine offensive (October 27). Rupprecht letter to Chancellor describes exhausted troops short of artillery, horses, ammo, fuel and officers, ends ‘…
we must obtain peace before the enemy breaks into Germany’. Foch moves his headquarter north to Senlis.
Meuse: Stiff fighting on Grand Pre-Vouziers line. Germans pushed back.
Western Front, Air: RAF Handley Page bombers drop 4t bombs on Namur rail station and Charleroi.
A French Peugeot armored car provides fire support:
https://i2.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...wagen.jpg?ssl=1
The ruins of Douai, France after its recapture by the Allies. The north and east side were destroyed by delayed German mines:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...846934208188416
Eastern Front
North Russia: Allies push on to Soroka (south-west White Sea) from Murmansk.
Southern Front
Italy: Italians active on their mountain fronts, but overall, heavy rain postpones Allied offensive to October 24.
Bulgaria: Bulgaria cleared of Germans.
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Mesopotamia: British hold Turks at Fatha (30 miles north of Tekrit, Tigris).
Siberia: British troops from Vladivostok reach Omsk (see 14th).
British troops repel far superior number of Bolsheviks at Seletsko (160 miles up Dvina river from Archangel).
Czechoslovaks pressed back by Bolsheviks in East Russia.
Naval and Overseas Operations
North Sea: Scheer deceives the Kaiser ‘
The Fleet shall again become available for other tasks’ (ie the final sortie) if ending U-boat warfare not followed by an immediate ceasefire'. Coastal submarine
UB-123 presumed sunk on Northern Barrage.
Adriatic: 16 Royal Navy destroyers leave Otranto Barrage (mine net barrage completed to Fano Island) for Aegean, 24 trawlers follow.
Mediterranean: Spanish zone in Morocco in complete anarchy: Raisuli and Abdul Malek and German influence supreme.
Mozambique: Lettow learns of Bulgaria’s surrender from captured newspapers.
Political, etc
Austria-Hungary: Count Istvan Tisza admits defeat.
Count Stephan Burian resigns.
France: The Czechoslovak Provisional Government in Paris publishes its Declaration of Independence:
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Decl...slovak_Na tion
United Kingdom: Higher allowances to dependents of fighters granted.
Prince of Wales gives £3,000 to Red Cross.
United States: President Wilson replies to Austro-Hungarian Note of October 4th (see 27th); declines suggestions.
New York policemen carrying an effigy of Kaiser Wilhelm during a parade. The effigy is later hanged from the top of the Woolworth building:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...575321218781184