Western Front
Battle of the Somme: French gains south of river on 1 1/4-mile front, capturing the hamlet of Genermont and 800 German prisoners.
French bombardment of Sailly-Saillisel (Bapume-Peronne road) commences.
British 39th Division finally captures Schwaben Redoubt.
A congested road at Fricourt, Somme, as staff cars, soldiers, and supplies head to the trenches:
http://imgur.com/9mDBMjM © IWM (Q 5794)
Battle of Verdun: General Nivelle, French commander at Verdun, claims the French are firing 100 artillery shells to one fired by the Germans.
Eastern Front
Transylvania: Transylvanian frontier of Rumania crossed by German forces (see August 28th and September 29th).
Austro-Hungarians advance through Torzburg Pass and reach Rucar (six miles within Romania).
Frontier ridge at Predeal won by Bulgarians and town burnt.
Romanians have now withdrawn from Transylvania, except in north-east corner.
Southern Front
Macedonia: Allied frontal assault fails to take a single Bulgarian trench despite gas shell use; French 1,490 casualties, Russians 600. Sarrail has a final row with Cordonnier, cables Joffre (October 16) who agrees to recall him (October 19); General Leblois takes over (October 20).
End of offensive in Carso, Italians consolidate all positions, line advanced two miles; Italians claim 8,000 prisoners.
Naval and Overseas Operations
Black Sea: Russian submarine captures Turkish armed transport Rodosto.
Mediterranean: Royal Navy SNO Malta Rear-Admiral Ballard proposes ‘three convoys per week system’ to Admiralty who study it, but French C-in-C opposes.
Political, etc.
Germany: Germany admits its potato harvest this year has been disappointing and halts all trade in potato seeds until the situation is assessed.
Kaiser Wilhelm’s two slogans to his troops on the Eastern Front: “He [the enemy] shall not get through” and “He must be beaten.”
Romania: King Ferdinand of Romania appeals to the Allies to not let his country suffer the same fate as Serbia.
Greece: King Constantine of Greece on the country’s neutrality: “I prefer to lose my throne rather than endanger Greece.”
Also: Today is the 950th Anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, beginning the Norman Conquest of England.