Western Front
Battle of the Somme: German counter-attack at Eaucourt, and successfully win back part of Eaucourt l’Abbaye village. British lose Le Sars, weather breaks: ‘
rain fell in torrents, and the battle area became a sea of mud … men died from the effort of carrying verbal messages’ (official historian General Edmonds). Preparations for another great British attack c. October 12 are soon abandoned.
German First Army report recommends that Germany produce her own tanks.
Haig tells President Poincare that Germans must not be given ‘a moment’s peace’.
Eastern Front
Brusilov offensive, Carpathians: Two regiments of VII Siberian Corps twice refuse to attack (until October 3); 3 soldiers shot and 6 imprisoned; first of more than 12 mutinies until January 13, 1917.
Transylvania: Rumanian First Army breaks through Rotenturm Pass taking 3,000 Bavarian PoWs and 13 guns.
Rumania: Manoeuvre of Flamandra: Averescu crosses Danube against Mackensen’s rear, takes 13 guns, but poor bridges, Austrian monitors, and sudden flood force withdrawal until October 3.
Zlota Lipa furious fighting continues. Russians take 1,000 prisoners, but front remains unchanged.
On the Brody-Zloczow road, the Autro-Hungarians claim recapture all positions lost on 30th.
Southern Front
Italian Front: Alpini seize crests of Mts Colbricon, Costabella (October 5), over 6,000 ft.
Albania: Italians occupy Santa Quaranta on coast (until October 4) and Premeti at inland on October 9.
Salonika: Bulgarian poet Dimcho Debelyanov killed, aged 29, in action with British between Dolno and Gorno villages.
In Kaymakchlan region Bulgars retire north in direction Monastir, and evacuate Mt. Starkov Grob.
Bulgarian counter-attack on Struma front repulsed by British.
Naval and Overseas Operations
Arctic: U-43,
U-46 and
U-48 carry out 8-day operation against Allied shipping off North Cape and Murmansk coast; 14 ships sunk, 9 captured. (In summer 600 steamers – mainly British - have delivered 1 mt of coal and 1 1/2 mt supplies to Russia.) In response, 3 RN submarines operate from Archangel.
Political, etc.
Germany: Field Marshal von Hindenburg celebrates his 69th birthday at his headquarters on the Eastern Front.
United States: Dr. Harry M. Wegeforth founds the Zoological Society of San Diego (San Diego Zoo):
http://imgur.com/PcvRGx3
Greece: Greek Cabinet announces its resignation as the country becomes split into pro-war and anti-war factions. Further migration of Greek officers to Venizelos Provisional Government in Crete.