Diary October 2, 1916

Western Front

Battle of the Somme: German counter­-attack at Eaucourt. 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: 2 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.

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: Bulgar poet Dimcho Debelyanov killed, aged 29, in action with British between Dolno and Gorno villages.

Sea War

Arctic: U43, U46 and U48 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.