Busy day today, especially with non-war, political stuff:
Western Front
Battle of the Somme: Battle of the Transloy Ridges ends: British advance from 0340 hours north of Guedecourt and French take Sailly. French XXXIII Corps (Sixth Army) attacks south of Somme to broaden French salient at La Maisonnette (southeast of Biaches), but Germans push it back on October 21. Joffre urges a continued powerful BEF offensive (Haig and Rawlinson met on October 17 and had intended to suspend operations on October 20).
Eastern Front
Romanian troops counterattack German/AH forces and successfully drive them back to the Transylvanian border at several points.
Southern Front
Italy: In the Dolomites, Italian Alpine battalions capture an Austro-Hungarian fortress named the “Tooth of Pasubio.”
Serbia: Serbs capture Veljeselo 1 1/2 miles north of Brod, repel German counter-attack (over 350 casualties, and on October 20 and 22).
Naval and Overseas OperationsM
North Sea: HM submarine
E.38 torpedoes small German cruiser
München during brief High Seas Fleet sortie, last till April 23, 1918, peters out before Dogger Bank in rough seas and Scheer’s knowing British aware of it.
Alaunia, ex-Cunard liner, now a troopship, sunk. She struck a mine on 18 October 1916 in the English Channel off the Royal Sovereign Lightship of Hastings, East Sussex, laid earlier that day by SM*
UC-16. After attempts to beach the ship and tow her to shore with tugs, her captain realized the ship was lost and finally gave the order to abandon ship. Two crew members lost their lives in her sinking.
Political, etc.
Germany: Austrian Baron Burian suggests peace initiative to von Bethmann-Hollweg at Pless, Kaiser approves it on October 25. Both ministers also agree to proclaim Polish independence as soon as possible.
United Kingdom: Men of 41 called up.
British government orders all shops to close at 7pm (8 on Saturday) to conserve electricity, starting October 30. Liquor sales are exempt.
Samuel Paull Andrews, the first working class man to become Member of Parliament in New Zealand, passed away:
http://imgur.com/XQTEdnW
France: Dr Benes achieves an agreement with French to separate CzechPoWs*from other Austrian ones.
United States: “A Daughter of the Gods,” the 1st American film with $1 million budget & nude scene, is released (film is now lost):
http://imgur.com/6Yj0RB6
Newspapers carry some of the first pictures of the “tank” made public: Newspapers carry some of the first pictures of the “tank” made public:
http://imgur.com/ZycQORr
10,000 barbers in Harlem and Brooklyn go on strike to protest against long working hours.
Nikola Tesla testifies in federal court that he has found a way to “isolate” energy in the air to control and use it.
Egypt: New gold pound coinage removes Sultan of Turkey’s image.