Western Front
Verdun: Germans gain footing north of Chaume Wood.
Aisne: Further French advance on Aisne front; Filain captured in closing up to river Aillette and Oise Canal; 160 guns taken since 23rd. By October 26 for 12,000 casualties they take 11,157 PoWs; 200 guns; 222 mortars; 720 MGs.
Eastern Front
Operation Albion: German attempt to consolidate on Verder Peninsula momentarily frustrated. German forces continue to withdraw to the Dvina River near Riga without a fight to shorten their lines. Military threat to Petrograd ends.
Southern Front
Isonzo: Twelfth Battle Of Isonzo, aka, the Battle of Caporetto (until November 9): Austro-German pincers close behind Mt Nero. Lieutenant Rommel’s Wurttemberg Mountain Battalion from Alpenkorps seizes Mts Kuk and Cragonza on Kolovrat Ridge with 3,600 Italian PoWs including 4th Bersaglieri Brigade. Austrian 22nd Division seizes Stol Ridge (night October 25-26). Fourteenth Army now has 30,000 PoWs and 300 guns and Second Isonzo Army (over 1,000 casualties) division takes c.4,000 PoWs and 60 guns on Bainsizza. Cadorna refuses Capello’s advice to retreat to river Torre and possibly Tagliamento after General Montuori says at 2100 hours attack can be held. Italians retreat from Plezzo to south-west of Tolmino and prepare to evacuate Bainsizza Plateau.
An Italian trench unit is captured by Austrians. Italian fighting morale reached its lowest point:
https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...tzung.jpg?ssl=1
A wrecked Italian transport and gun position in the mountains captured by the Germans and Austro-Hungarians. © IWM (Q 60441):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...852736760274945
Italian troops in retreat:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...874154273181697
Salonika: British 27th Division (77 casualties) captures three villages east of river Struma taking 106 PoWs and 1 MG but main garrisons escape.
Naval and Overseas Operations
Baltic: Operation Albion: German ships from Moon Sound bombard Kuno Island near Pernau.
Captured German U-boat SM
UC-5, being displayed in New York City to encourage buying of war bonds:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...197479759249409
Political, etc
France: Franco-British convention for Military Service.
Ireland: Sinn Fein convention in Dublin.
Italy: Signor Paolo Boselli, Italian Premier, resigns and his cabinet falls as a result of the Italian disaster at Caporetto (see 29th and June 15th, 1916). Vittorio Orlando succeeds on October 29.
United States: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show food prices have increased 47% since 1913 due to the war.
Norway: Polar explorer Amundsen returns his three German decorations because of 17 Norwegian sailors’ deaths in North Sea on October 17, 1917.