[Sailor Steve]

October 6, 1918


Western Front:

British take Fresnoy (north of Arras).

Second Battle of Le Cateau begins.

French press enemy back along Suippe front.

Italian advance north of Ostel (nine miles south of Laon); Laon on fire.

Stiff American fighting on Meuse-Argonne front continues.


Eastern Front:

British officials from Petrograd reach Swedish frontier.

Bolsheviks repulsed by Allied troops at Seletskaya (170 miles south of Archangel).


Southern Front:

65,000 Bulgars have surrendered altogether.

Prince Regent of Serbia accepts promotion to General.

Italians pushing on in Albania, north of Berat, towards Elbasan.


Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres:

Reported 79,000 prisoners taken since 18 September 1918.

Zahleh and Rayak (north-west of Damascus) occupied by British cavalry.

French and British warships find Beirut evacuated.


Naval and Overseas Operations:

HMS Otranto, carrying American troops, collides with HMS Kashmir off the Isle of Islay and sinks, 431 lost; destroyer HMS Mounsey rescues 596.


Political, etc:

Peaceful manifesto by King Boris.

Prince Max's letter of 12 January 1918 revealed.

France warns Germany re: crimes on French territory.

Canton Government declares war on President Hsuh Shih Chang.


Air War:

0715 American pilot William Erwin and observer Arthur Edmond Easterbrook, flying a Salmson 2.A2, shoot down an "Enemy Aircraft". Victory number 3 for Erwin; number 1 for Easterbrook.

0925 German ace Wilhelm Seitz, with Jasta 68, shoots down an Allied two-seater for victory number 12.

1059 American ace Hamilon Coolidge, in a SPAD XIII, destroys a German observation balloon for victory number 6.

1115 German ace Friedrich Noltenius, with Jasta 6, destroys an American observation balloon for victory number 14.

1810 German ace Otto Schmidt, in a Fokker D.VII, shoots down an REA fro victory number 18.