World War One Diary for Wednesday, November 1, 1916:

Sea War

Atlantic: Mercantile U-boat Deutschland reaches New London on second transatlantic voyage.

Adriatic: Italian torpedo boats raid Pola.

France: 12 Japanese-built Arabe-class destroyers ordered (completed September-October 1917).

Western Front

Allies: Joffre letter to Haig specifies broad lines of combined action in 1917 (Haig agrees by letter on November 6).

Battle of the Somme: French repulse counter-attack at Sailly-Saillisel and advance northeast of Lesboeufs. Allies announce 72,901 PoWs; 303 guns; 215 mortars and 981 MGs captured since July 1, 1916.

Eastern Front

Transylvania: Falkenhayn advances beyond Törzburg, Predeal and Rotenturm Passes (­until November 5).

Dobruja: Sakharov replaces Zayonchkovski in command of Danube Army (now 8 divisions) and orders end to ‘shameful flight’. By November 5, 27 Russian divisions in Rumania (Fourth, Eighth and Danube Armies).

Southern Fronts

Italian Front – Ninth Battle of the Isonzo (until November 4): Italian Second and Third Armies attack at 1110 hours east of Gorizia and on Carso. In former some ground gained on San Marco slopes despite waist-deep mud, in latter Toscana Brigade (D’Annun­zio a vol) seizes Velike Kribach (1,125 ft), 5 other objectives taken and held or regained after Austrian attacks (night November 1-2).

Middle East

Arabia: Lawrence crosses Red Sea from Jeddah to Port Sudan in cruiser HMS Euryalus, goes on to Khartoum for talks.

Armenia: In November Turk getting only 1/3 rations despite German motor columns and efforts. Second Army Kharput hospital has 900 deaths per month. Third Army losses 60,000 men to cold, plague, lice and typhus (July 1916 to spring 1917).

Secret War

Britain: Grand Fleet receives daily Room 40 summaries of all German naval movements and changes.

Italy: In early November Italian Navy discover French reading their codes, but this continues into 1918.

Air War

Britain: In November Air Board orders 8,000 Hispano-Suiza engines.

Rumania: Air ship LZ97 raids Bucharest (German 1st Squadron raids on November 14, 20, 22 and December 12-15).

Western Front: High winds and poor weather hampers operations until November 8 and from November 12-15.