Western Front
British progress south of Valenciennes and repulse German attack on Maing.
Heavy French fighting on Rethel-Oise front.
Slight advance east of Courtrai.
At BEF GHQ Churchill chairs senior gas officer conference (flies home on October 30).
Western Front, Air: The Inter-Allied Independent Air Force (IAF) is created under Supreme Commander Marshal Foch and the Commander in Chief, Major General Sir Hugh Trenchard.
A gravedigger digging new graves for civilians at Denain, France: © IWM (Q 3313):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...430036843626497
Wounded Canadian soldiers enjoy tea at a dressing station:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...460262906482688
A girl next to a smashed piano at Denain, France: © IWM (Q 3308):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...490453456457729
The King and Queen of Belgium return to Bruges after it was recaptured from the Germans:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...506816765956099
French troops digging trenches near Saint-Quentin-la-Petit: © IWM (Q 78114):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...748387713269760
Southern Front
Italy: Third Battle of the Piave (aka
Battle of Vittorio Veneto): Italian Grappa attacks mainly fail, gaining only Peak 1186 and Col del Cuc (Aosta Alpini Battalion 568 casualties to date). Field Marshal Boroevic thanks defenders, confident ‘
that they would convince the enemy that their blood had been shed in vain’, but 3 Hungarian divisions ask to be withdrawn home (until October 27). Italians begin 4 bridges at middle Piave.
Austro-Hungarian soldiers resting between actions at the Piave river front:
https://i2.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...icher.jpg?ssl=1
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Syria: British advanced troops occupy Aleppo after c.1,000 Turks leave; 500 Jodhpur and Mysore Lancers (80 casualties) charge Kemal’s 3,000 Turks and 8 guns north of city at Haritan but beaten off after lancing 50 and taking 20 PoWs.
Arab and Allied forces capture the city of Aleppo from the Ottomans:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...718184387534849
Mesopotamia: Turks on Tigris retreat during night 26/27 to Kalaat Shergat. Cassels’ 1,000 cavalry with 6 guns (11th Cavalry Brigade) ford mile-wide Tigris 13 miles north of Sharqat after 83-mile ride in two days as 17th Indian Division (until October 27) repulsed from Turkish Humur line with 618 casualties.
Political, etc
Germany:
General Erich Ludendorff resigns. Kaiser says ‘
The operation is done. I have split the Siamese twins’ (Hindenburg and Ludendorff). Kaiser refuses Hindenburg’s tendered resignation. Ludendorff succeeded by Wilhelm Groener whose railway expertise proves invaluable during the retreat.
Turkey: Three Turkish envoys begin armistice talks at Mudros (until October 30).