Diary October 29, 1918

Southern Fronts

Italian Front – AT 0830 HOURS AUSTRIANS SEEK ARMISTICE: Captain Ruggera takes white flag to Italian lines at Serravak in Adige valley.
Piave: Calabria Brigade storms Mt Asolone (Grappa), but loses it to Austrians; Italians suspend operations in sleet and fog after 24,500 casualties. All 21 Italian Eighth Army bridges rebuilt as Austrian guns fall silent (night October 28-29) and British troops cross river Monticana by intact bridge after beating 2-division counter-attack. Italians play for time as Austrian collapse worsens. French troops capture Segusina with 3,000 PoWs and 18 guns. Austrian GHQ announces decision ‘to evacuate the Veneto … to show its goodwill towards peace’. Italian general 5­mile advance captures Conegliano and Susegana.
Salonika: Lieutenant-General T M Bridges arrives to be British Military Mission Chief to Franchet d’Esperey.

Middle East

Mesopotamia: British 7th Cavalry Brigade (c.3,100 strong) storms Cemetery Hill on foot taking 990 PoWs and 12 MGs as 3,000 men of 17th Division (509 casualties) make slow progress vs 4000 Turks.
Syria and Palestine: EEF has 4,345 motor vehicles and 1,523 motor cycles.

Sea War

Allied Naval Council prepares naval armistice terms (until November 4).
North Sea: High Seas Fleet prepares for ‘death or glory sortie’, but already passive resistance hampering it in all battleships and 3 small cruisers. Red Flags hoisted in dreadnoughts Thueringen and Helgoland.

Air War

Germany: 14 Independent Air Force aircraft bomb 9 different targets (night October 29-30, over 40 casualties).
Western Front: German fighters (2 lost) turn back No 107 Squadron’s DH9s (1 escort lost) from Mariembourg, but bombed on October 30.
Italian Front: Seaplane squadron commander Lieutenant Casagrande Eugenio completes last of 15 agent landing and recovery operations behind Austrian Piave lines since July 30.

Politics

Austria: YUGOSLAV INDEPENDENCE DECLARED by National Council at Agram. Slovak National Council votes for union. EMPEROR CHARLES ASKS DIAZ FOR ARMISTICE. Arz cables Hindenburg that Austrian Army in Italy finished, over half divisions refuse to fight.