lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Nov 1, 2022 3:46:37 GMT
Day 1181 of the Great War, November 1st 1917Western FrontBritish airmen bomb Kaiserslautern. Sinai and Palestine campaign: British Take GazaAfter an Australian cavalry charge captured Beersheeba on October 31, the Egyptian Expeditionary Force had outflanked the Ottoman Eight Army defending Gaza. The German commander of the Ottoman army, Kress von Kressenstein, had taken twenty-five weeks perfecting his defensive line. Now it fell in one day to another sweeping infantry-cavalry attack, supported by an enormous Anglo-French naval bombardment. A German submarine sank two of the ships, a small consolation for the Central Powers. Map: Situation at 18:00 1 November 1917 The first troops to enter Gaza were the Jewish volunteers of the 39th Battalion Royal Fusiliers. They found a city in ruins. The mosque had been destroyed by shellfire in case it was being used as an observation point. Routing Turkish troops had smashed up everything else before they left. A thin grey line of Austrian artillerymen bravely stemmed the Allied tide for a while north of Gaza, until another cavalry charge sent them scattering. Most of the Austrians limbered their guns and fled, but a few waited too late. Fighting on past the point of hope, they fired their howitzers point-blank “into the mass as it surged up the slope. Horses were crashed disemboweled on the guns on impact, as unflinching gunners met their death.” The horsemen captured three Austrian howitzers and nine cannons. Then they swept on to take the Turkish machine-guns, “which were then swung round to harry the retreating Turks.” The Ottoman army fell back further north to Jaffa. It cost 3,000 men to take Gaza: British, Australian, New Zealander, Jewish, West Indian, Indian, South African, Egyptian. Another 1,239 had fallen at Beersheeba the day before. But the way to Jerusalem was open. RussiaRussian Premier Kerensky states Russia is spent and that the other Allied countries must shoulder the burden of the war. United States: Roosevelt Campaigns for New York Mayor Mitchel’s Re-electionThe first wartime Election Day in the US was fast approaching, but, it being an odd-numbered year, there were relatively few prominent contests. The most-watched one was for Mayor of New York. The incumbent Mayor, John Mitchel, ardently pro-war and pro-preparedness, lost the Republican primary, but was running as an independent. In addition to the Republican candidate, he was running against the Tammany Hall-backed Democrat John Hylan, as well as the Socialist Morris Hillquit. Hillquit had been ardently against the war before the United States entered, and argued for a peace without indemnities and annexations as quickly as possible. He made sure while campaigning to stay well within the bounds of the Espionage Act, but Wilson refused to let him address the troops at Camp Upton. Hillquit ran into trouble, however, in late October, when he admitted he had not subscribed to either of the Liberty Loans, as he was “not going to do anything to advance the war.” This led to vicious attacks on his patriotism, most notably from Theodore Roosevelt, who addressed a pro-Mitchel rally on November 1. He warned of the danger from the “Hun within” (as opposed to the “Hun without”), the “hyphenated” Americans who, in his view, presented a mortal danger to the war effort. This may have been a subtle attack on Hillquit’s background (he was born in Latvia and immigrated to New York in his late teens), but he denounced him more explicitly as someone who “cringes before the Hun within. The American pacifist has been a great ally of the German militarist.” Roosevelt also attempted to tie Hylan to pacifism and Germany, though with less success. On election day on the 6th, Hylan won a resounding victory with 47% of the vote; Mitchel barely edged out Hillquit for second place, 23% to 22%. Mitchel volunteered to serve as a pilot, but on July 6 was killed when he fell out of his plane during a training flight in Louisiana. Aerial operations: Some BombingThe weather was pretty poor today for flying and most offensive patrols were curtailed. Nevertheless the bombers attempted to work and despite the mist and cloud some managed to get through. The RFC Communique reported thus: “9th Wing — Machines of No 101 Squadron dropped six 112-lb bombs on Roulers Station, two 112-lb bombs on Thourout Station, two 112-lb bombs on Beythem Station and two 112-lb bombs on Staden; 1,550 rounds were also fired at trains, lights on roads and active anti-aircraft batteries during this work.
Machines of No 102 Squadron dropped one 112-lb bomb on Gontrode Aerodrome, one 230-lb bomb on Heule Aerodrome, seven 112-lb and 10 25-lb bombs on Courtrai Stations, two 112-lb and one 25-lb bombs on Marcke Aerodrome, while eight 112-lb and six 25-lb bombs were dropped on trains, with the result that one was hit and derailed near Ghent and another hit and wrecked at Iseghem.
At 2 p.m. on the 1st, when clouds were at a height of about 200 feet, four Martinsydes of No 27 Squadron left the ground to bomb Gontrode aerodrome. Sgt S Clinch, who was one of the pilots, climbed through the clouds and flew for 40 minutes and on diving down through the clouds, found himself over Ghent. He followed the canal at a low height and dropped his bombs on the aerodrome, but was unable to see the results owing to drizzle and strong anti-aircraft fire. He landed again at 4.25 pm. The three other pilots became completely lost and returned with their bombs after a flight of two hours.
41st Wing — On the 1st instant, 12 machines of No 55 Squadron set out two formations of six machines each to bomb works at Kaiserslautern, a distance of 100 miles from their aerodrome. One formation reached the objective and dropped three 230-lb and six 1121b bombs from 15,000 feet. Results were not observed as the sky was very cloudy with only a few gaps. The other formation encountered seven EA, so dropped their bombs behind the German lines to enable them to fight. One EA was shot to bits and fell in pieces. All our machines returned.”Naval operations: ship lossesMARGAM ABBEY (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and damaged in the Mediterranean Sea (37°12′N 6°22′E) by SM UB-50 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of two of her crew. She was beached at Collo, Algeria but was a total loss. MARIGO (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Crete, Greece (35°30′N 25°43′E) by SM UC-37 (Kaiserliche Marine). SM UC-63 (Kaiserliche Marine) The Type UC II submarine was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel off the Goodwin Sands, Kent, United Kingdom (51°23′N 2°00′E) by HMS E52 ( Royal Navy) with the loss of all 26 crew.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Nov 2, 2022 3:47:02 GMT
Day 1182 of the Great War, November 2nd 1917YouTube (Battle of Beersheba - Canadian Frustration - Balfour Declaration)Western FrontHostile artillery active east of Ypres. Big French success on Aisne; Germans retreat from Chemin des Dames on 12.5 mile front. Italian FrontItaly reorganizes her forces behind the Tagliamento; Germans reach east bank of river. Sinai and Palestine campaignBritish capture positions north of Beersheba. Mesopotamian campaignTigris, British rout Turks near Dur, 85 miles above Baghdad. United States U.S. Treasury Department lends another $435 million to Great Britain, putting the total lent to the Allies at $3.566 billion. United Kingdom: The Balfour DeclarationAfter President Wilson signed off on its text in mid-October, the War Cabinet considered the Balfour Declaration in a meeting on October 31. Given tacit American support, the deteriorating situation in Russia, and the opening of the British offensive in Palestine on the same day, the War Cabinet agreed to its publication. Leaving the meeting, Mark Sykes told the leading Zionist Chaim Weizmann, who was waiting outside, “Dr. Weizmann, it’s a boy!” On November 2, Foreign Minister Balfour sent the declaration that would bear his name to Lord Rothschild, for publication by the British Zionist Federation; it would not appear in the press until a week later. It read, in full: His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country. At the time the declaration was sent, British troops were still fighting on the outskirts of Gaza; by making a sweeping declaration concerning Palestine’s future, they projected supreme confidence about their military chances there–a confidence that would prove justified. The Declaration also strengthened Britain’s hand for their post-war position in Palestine. The Sykes-Picot agreement had assigned them Acre and Haifa, but left the rest of the Palestine to be under some sort of international condominium. However, the Sykes-Picot agreement was still secret at this point; an open declaration that Britain would use their “best endeavours” in Palestine announced their intentions to take an active role there, and gave them the support of the Zionist community against any ambitions the French or Hashemites may have had in the region. Letter: The original letter from Balfour to Rothschild; the declaration reads: Aerial operations: Night bombersOut in Palestine, the attack on Beersheba on 31 October 1917 proved successful and the town was captured the same day. Aircraft from 14, 67 and 113 Squadrons RFC were used to track progress, neutralize enemy batteries, photographic reconnaissance and general patrolling to keep away enemy aircraft. This attack was to be followed shortly by further assaults on positions at Tel esh Sheria and Abu Hureira around Gaza. With the objective of pinning down as many Turkish troops as possible, overnight, 14 Squadron bombed enemy batteries on a position known as Umbrella Hill The night was made brilliant by a full moon and the pilots and observers had no difficulty in picking out the landmarks in the Gaza area. They attacked batteries, revealed by their flashes to be active, and many of them stopped firing, and even though this was no more than temporary it was of some help to the attacking troops who were able to capture their objectives. Today, the battle at Gaza continued throughout the day. At one point there was an example of the fruits of preparation. To cover the possible approach of a Turkish reserve division, the corps heavy artillery had been methodically registered for barrage fire with the help of air observation. This morning large bodies of Turkish troops were seen advancing on Sheikh Hasan from the north-east, and the pre-arranged barrage was at once put down by the whole of the corps heavy artillery on a line of 3,000 yards, with the result that the enemy troops were scattered after suffering heavy casualties. Naval operations: Baltic SeaIn Kattegat, British destroyers sink a German auxiliary cruiser and ten armed patrol craft. Naval operations: ship lossesACARY (Brazil) The cargo ship was torpedoed and damaged at São Vicente, Cape Verde Islands, Portugal by SM U-151 ( Kaiserliche Marine). She was beached but was declared a constructive total loss. BUR (Sweden) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea whilst in convoy 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) east of the Spurn Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of two of her crew. CAPE FINISTERRE (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) south south east of The Manacles, Cornwall (50°02′N 5°01′W) by SM UC-17 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 35 of her crew. FARRALINE (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 15 nautical miles (28 km) north east of Ouessant, Finistère, France (48°40′N 4°55′W) by SM UC-69 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member. GUAHYBA (Brazil) The cargo ship was sunk of São Vicente, Cape Verde Islands by SM U-151 ( Kaiserliche Marine). JESSIE (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was shelled and damaged in the North Sea 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) north east of Flamborough Head, Yorkshire by SM UB-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of four of her crew. She was beached but was declared a total loss. MARIA DI PORTO SALVO (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sardinia by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). ROCHESTER (United States) The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 300 nautical miles (560 km) west of Tory Island, County Donegal, United Kingdom (55°17′N 17°44′W) by SM U-95 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 23 of her crew. SAN FRANCESCO DI PAOLA G. (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sardinia by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Nov 3, 2022 3:48:06 GMT
Day 1183 of the Great War, November 3rd 1917
Western Front
Skirmishing activity round Ypres.
French push forward in region of Corbeny and reach south bank of Ailette river.
Western Front: First American Infantry Killed in Action
The US 1st Division, the first Americans to enter front-line service, were deliberately placed in one of the quietest sectors of the front. The French also specifically disallowed them from trying anything too rash or dangerous, including patrols into no man’s land at night, in order to minimize American casualties; they did not want the Americans to become horrified by the high cost of trench warfare, at least not until they had sent over more than a single division. Some Americans became a bit restless on front-line duty as a result; Private Quincy Mills recalled: “I shot six Germans sneaking up on me one night, and when daylight came they were all the same tree stump.”
The front became decidedly less quiet at 3AM on November 3, when German artillery fire opened up all around Company F, penning them in for 45 minutes. German stormtroopers advanced during the shelling and then charged into the American trenches from point-blank range. Some Americans initially thought the new arrivals were reinforcements, a misconception aided by the fact that some of the attackers knew English. One asked Corporal James Gresham “Who are you?”, to which Gresham replied “I’m an American, too, don’t shoot!” Gresham was then shot in the head and killed. Two other men, Privates Merle Hay and Thomas Enright, were killed in the raid, while eleven were captured by the Germans and around a dozen more wounded. The Germans used the raid for propaganda purposes on the home front, attempting to demonstrate that the new American arrivals in Europe did not pose that much of a threat.
Capt. George C. Marshall, along with many other American officers, put much of the blame for the raid on the French, whose ban on night patrols meant that there was no way the raid could have been detected ahead of time. The French, not wanting to antagonize their new allies, gave the three dead Americans an elaborate military funeral, with an address by the local commanding French General. Marshall and Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. planned (and the latter carried out a few days later) a raid on a building thought to be used by the Germans in response, but found no Germans there.
Eastern Front
German and Russian soldiers fraternise on northern front.
Italian Front
German pressure on Tagliamento increases.
French troops arrive.
West of L. Garda Germans make strong attacks on Italian advanced posts.
Sinai and Palestine campaign
Operations against Gaza continued.
East Africa campaign
In East Africa British and Belgian forces make good progress; drive German detachments eastward.
Naval operations: ship losses
HMT DELIVERER (Royal Navy) The naval trawler struck a mine and sank in the Irish Sea off the Bailey Lighthouse, Howth, County Dublin with the loss of all hands.
ESSICHIA (Greece) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea east of Crete (35°53′N 27°25′E) by SM UC-37 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
NEFELI (Greece) The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea west of Crete (34°57′N 22°16′E) by SM UC-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
SM UC-65 (Kaiserliche Marine) a Type UC II submarine (credited with sinking 105 ships during its career) was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea (50°31′N 0°27′E) by HMS C15 ( Royal Navy) with the loss of all 26 crew.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Nov 4, 2022 8:15:04 GMT
Day 1184 of the Great War, November 4th 1917
Western Front
Raiding on Ypres and Arras fronts.
Artillery active north of Chaume Wood (Verdun).
French consolidate new positions along Chemin des Dames.
Italian Front
British troops arrive in Italy.
Italian Front: Italians Begin Retreat to the Piave
Falling back from Caporetto and the Isonzo, the Italians attempted to hold a new line behind the Tagliamento. However, the Italians had had little time to prepare any defenses, and had been demoralized by the retreat. On November 2, Bosnian troops were able to force a crossing of the Tagliamento around Cornino, over a bridge constructed under fire by Austrian engineers. By November 3, the Bosnians had established a secure bridgehead, and the Germans had established another one further south. Early on November 4, Cadorna ordered another withdrawal, this time to the river Piave, another thirty miles to the west.
The Italian situation was growing more desperate; Cadorna even hinted that a separate peace would be possible if the defeats continued. The Allies, desperate to shore up the Italians, began sending troops their way, with the first crossing into Italy on the 3rd; it would be some time, however, before they reached the front lines. The British and French Prime Ministers left their capitals on November 4th, bound for an emergency conference at Rapallo to address the crisis. The Germans and Austrians were growing more bullish; while they had already succeeded far beyond their initial expectations, there was now talk of capturing Venice. Conrad, commanding Austrian troops in Tyrol, talked of launching an offensive south to try to cut off the bulk of the Italian army. Ludendorff, however, still considered Italy to be a sideshow, and refused to commit any additional German troops.
United Kingdom
British Premier Lloyd George and high military officials leave for Italy in response to the devastating Central Powers offensive.
Russia: Russian and German Troops Fraternize, Petrograd Garrison Refuses to go to the Front
Something important was about to happen in Russia, and everyone suspected it. It was just a matter of when. The Kerensky government ordered Lenin’s arrest on November 2, in suspicion that the next large anti-government rally would in fact be the Bolshevik’s planned coup. But Kerensky’s authority was quickly falling apart. The War Minister resigned that day. Meanwhile, on the front, word came in that Russian troops in the Baltic had put down their arms (sometimes only after shooting their officers) and rushed to fraternize with German troops.
The 155,000-strong Petrograd garrison delayed its orders to head to the front that day. The Bolshevik Military Revolutionary Committee openly implored them to disobey. Anti-war opinion had swept over most of the Russian population. In Moscow, citizens began arming themselves in preparation for whatever might come next.
Aerial operations: Three out of seventy
Today a thick mist covered most of the front with only coastal areas free. In those sectors some successful artillery work and photography were carried out.
A few offensive patrols got up but little in the way of air fighting took place due to the poor weather.
However, 70 Squadron RFC still managed to lose three of its Sopwith Camels. Both 2nd Lieutenant Michael Scott Campbell Gordon (B2362) and JS Michie (B2318) 2nd Lieutenant crashed during forced landings at Woesten, north west of Ypres due to the heavy mist.
Meanwhile 2nd Lieutenant Sydney George Pearson (B2404) also force landed due to mist 15 miles further north near Adinkerke. He got going again and then crashed trying to take off.
Fortunately none of the three crew members was injured seriously and were all able to return to duty.
Naval operations: ship losses
ANTAEUS (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 42 nautical miles (78 km) north by west of Cape Bon, Algeria by SM UB-50 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived, but her captain was taken as a prisoner of war.
BORDER KNIGHT Knight (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km) east south east of The Lizard, Cornwall (49°58′N 5°09′W) by SM UC-17 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member.
SMS G37 (Kaiserliche Marine) The Großes Torpedoboot 1913-class torpedo boat struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Walcheren, Zeeland, Netherlands with the loss of four of her 83 crew.
GIMLE (Norway) The cargo ship was sunk in the North Sea 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) south east of Scarborough, Yorkshire, United Kingdom by SM UB-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member.
IRINA (Russia) The cargo ship was sunk in the Barents Sea east of the Kola Peninsula by SM U-46 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
LONGWY(France) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 8 nautical miles (15 km) east of the Copeland Islands, County Down, United Kingdom (55°20′N 5°10′W) by SM UC-75 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 38 of her crew.
LYRA (Norway) The cargo ship struck a mine laid by UC 63 (Karsten von Heydebreck) and sank in the North Sea 8 nautical miles (15 km) north east of Spurn Point, Yorkshire, United Kingdom. Her crew survived.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Nov 5, 2022 6:45:40 GMT
Day 1185 of the Great War, November 5th 1917
Italian Front
Enemy cross Tagliamento north of Pinzano, capture many prisoners.
Pressure on Italian left wing intensified.
British and French troops arrive in Italy.
Sinai and Palestine campaign: British Forces Outflank Gaza
The capture of Beersheba and its wells on the last day of October threatened the strong Turkish lines around Gaza with envelopment. Stiff Turkish resistance and water shortages delayed Allenby’s planned follow up towards the wells at Tel esh Sheria, between Beersheba and Gaza. In the meantime, the British forces around Gaza had been launching possibly ill-advised pinning attacks around Gaza, in horrendous sandy terrain and against fortified Turkish positions.
At 4AM on November 6, the British launched an attack on the Turkish lines south of Tel esh Sheria, with no preliminary bombardment whatsoever. Several trench sections were seized immediately, while those that put up a determined resistance were outflanked and mopped up later–in effect, the British had begun to use German stormtrooper tactics. Similar attacks elsewhere broke through the Turkish line in multiple places by the early afternoon. The Turkish commanders, realizing that the Gaza lines were now completely untenable, abandoned the city that evening; British forces entered the city unopposed the next day.
The Turks had now lost their major defensive line in Palestine, and had little prepared to the north of it; their hope now was that Falkenhayn’s Germans and the rest of the Yildirim Army Group could arrive before Jerusalem fell.
Mesopotamian campaign: Battle of Tikrit
In the fall of 1917, Maude’s forces in Mesopotamia continued to consolidate their position around Baghdad. Allenby’s offensive in Palestine meant that the Turks were unlikely to threaten Baghdad in the near future, but also gave the British the opportunity to strike at any Turkish forces that were retreating to consolidate their own positions. On November 5, they did just that near Tikrit. However, the Turks, despite being in the process of withdrawing, were able to put up a spirited defense, repulsing multiple attacks and inflicting heavy casualties with artillery and enfilading machine-gun fire. While the British eventually pushed through and secured the town, they took heavy casualties (1800, more than the Turks suffered), captured few prisoners, and found that the Turks had already evacuated or destroyed all useful war materiel in the town.
Aerial operations: Tikrit
Out in Mesopotamia, the British offensive continues and on 2 November the Daur positions were attacked and captured and the enemy went back to Tikrit, 63 Squadron RFC provided support but this had not really been successful as there had been misunderstandings with the artillery. The Indian divisions engaged at Daur had not previously co-operated with aircraft and sometimes failed to answer the air observer’s signals. Information on several good targets sent down from the air had not been acted upon by the artillery.
Air reconnaissance of Tikrit on the 3rd and 4th of November reported initially that prepared defensive positions were held in force and subsequently shelled by heavy artillery, with the help of air observation. At this point it appeared that the Turks intended to make a stand, and British forces were ordered to withdraw to Samarra.
However, information from agents indicated that the Turks intended to evacuate the town. Further air reconnaissance was carried out which revealed that the camps in the Tikrit area were being reduced in size. As a result, the instructions for withdrawal were cancelled and instead an advance to occupy Tikrit was ordered.
Today, the attack took place and after heavy fighting, resulted in the rout of the enemy, who retreated to a position astride the river at Fat-Ha with an advanced post at Shuraimiya. This time 63 Squadron contributed significantly to the success. The infantry engaged on this day still showed some reluctance in lighting flares to indicate their progress, but many more ground strips were displayed by the attacking formations and the air observers had little difficulty in reporting the progress of the attack. The main improvement, however, was in the aircraft co-operation with the artillery. From 0615, three aeroplanes were engaged on this work, and the response to their calls for fire was always instant and effective, with the result that the Turkish defences and active batteries were accurately ranged.
Naval operations: ship losses
USS ALCEDO (United States Navy) The naval yacht was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay (47°23′N 4°44′W) by UC-71 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 21 of her 94 crew.
AMBERTON (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and damaged in the Mediterranean Sea north of Cape Bon, Algeria (37°19′N 8°41′E) by SM UB-50 ( Kaiserliche Marine). She was beached at La Calle and was not refloated until December 1919.
CATERINA (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Crete, Greece (35°44′N 27°22′E) by SM UC-37 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
HILDA R. (United Kingdom) The schooner was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south east of Cape St. Vincent, Portugal by SM U-63 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of one of her six crew. Three survivors reached land in their lifeboat, the other two were rescued by SM U-63.
KAI (Denmark) The cargo ship was scuttled in the Atlantic Ocean south east of Cape St. Vincent (36°22′N 8°03′W) by SM U-63 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
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Post by lordroel on Nov 6, 2022 7:05:42 GMT
Day 1186 of the Great War, November 6th 1917
Western Front
British attack launched at dawn on Ypres ridge.
Canadians capture Passchendaele.
End of Third Battle of Ypres.
Eastern Front
Limited fighting on Russian fronts.
Italian Front
Italians again in retreat; they abandon the Tagliamento; enemy troops reach Maniago.
Renewed German attacks in Trentino.
Sinai and Palestine campaign
General Allenby captures Khuweilfesh, 11 miles north of Beersheba.
Mesopotamian campaign
General Maude occupies Tekrit.
Italy
Conference at Rapallo (near Genoa) between Allied statesmen and generals on critical situation in Italy.
War aims debate in House of Commons.
Russian government troops raid the offices of Bolshevik newspaper Pravda, run by Joseph Stalin, and destroy its printing presses.
Naval operations: ship losses
BENOR (Russia) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south of Ireland by SM UB-62 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
HMS PEVERIL (Royal Navy) The Q-ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (35°44′N 6°48′W) by SM U-63 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member.
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Post by lordroel on Nov 7, 2022 3:46:42 GMT
Day 1187 of the Great War, November 7th 1917Western FrontBritish consolidate new positions at Passchendaele; no German counter-attacks. Germans attack French at Chaume Wood (Verdun). Italian FrontItalians in retreat west from Tagliamento reach River Livenza. Germans claim many thousand prisoners. Sinai and Palestine campaignCapture of Gaza by General Allenby; the troops push on and reach the Wadi Hesi, eight miles north of Gaza. British and French warships co-operate off coast. Arab Revolt: Lawrence brings the Arab Revolt to SyriaWhile Allenby advances into Palestine the Arab rebels of Sharif Hussein of Mecca are attacking the Turks further to the east. The rebels have expanded out of their base in the Hejaz region of Arabia and are now raiding northwards. At Allenby’s request, a raiding party including British liaison officer T.E. Lawrence has launched a long distance raid into Syria, far from the rebels’ base, with the intention of cutting the railway intersection at Deraa. The plan is perhaps too ambitious: the raiders are unable to successfully attack Deraa, though they are able to cut the railway further to the south. While the raid may not have fully succeeded, it warns the Turks that the rebels are able to strike far to the north, forcing them to divert troops to garrison duty that could otherwise be deployed to Palestine. ChinaNotes of agreement between U.S.A. and Japan, concerning their interests in China, published. Russia: The October RevolutionThe Bolsheviks launched their planned coup on the night of November 6, with Red Guards and other forces under command of the Bolshevik’s Milrevkom quickly seizing key positions throughout the city–bridges, railroads, and almost all forms of communication. The Petrograd garrison, no friend to Kerensky, largely let the Red Guards do this, and a small number even helped them do so. By late in the morning of the 7th, the Bolsheviks had seized most important points in the city, excepting the Winter Palace, home of the Provisional Government. Around 10AM, Kerensky slipped out of the Winter Palace in a car illegally seized from the American embassy (and flying the American flag), heading off to the front in an attempt to rally the front-line troops to fight the Bolsheviks. Photo: 2nd Moscow Women Death Corp Defending Winter Palace. St.Petersburg. November 7th 1917 Lenin wanted to swiftly take the Winter Palace and announce the toppling of the Provisional Government before the Congress of Soviets opened later that day; Lenin’s entire plan had been to present the Bolshevik takeover as a fait accompli. However, the Bolsheviks were unable to take the Winter Palace the whole day, for increasingly laughable reasons. The Palace was defended by a handful of demoralized and poorly-trained cadets, along with one of the Women’s Battalions of Death, and would have provided little resistance to a determined assault. However, the few shots coming out of the Winter Palace intimidated the Red Guards outside into complacency. Furthermore, the Bolsheviks, with too much of a sense of drama for their own good, wasted an inordinate amount of time on symbolic gestures leading up to the assault: the Red Guards felt they had to wait for sailors from the Baltic Fleet to join them, wasted hours trying to find a red lantern to signal the assault, and tried to use museum-piece guns from the Peter and Paul Fortress to shell the Winter Palace. After extensive delays, a bombardment of sorts began at 9:40 PM, with a single blank shot from the cruiser Aurora. An hour later, the Congress of Soviets finally opened. It seemed for a moment that an all-Soviet government could finally be formed, but many Mensheviks and SRs walked out in protest at the attack on the Provisional Government. The last Menshevik opposition left at around 2AM, leaving the Bolsheviks in control of the Congress. At around the same time, the Bolsheviks seized the Winter Palace and arrested Kerensky’s ministers, meeting little resistance; no more than five died in the brief struggle. Naval operations: ship lossesOBJ(Norway) The cargo ship was sunk in the Barents Sea 100 nautical miles (190 km) north east of Vardø, Finnmark by SM U-46 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of all 24 crew. SUNTRAP (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) off Robin Hood's Bay, Yorkshire by SM UB-22 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived. VILLEMER (United States) The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea by SM UC-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of two of her crew.
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Post by lordroel on Nov 8, 2022 3:46:23 GMT
Day 1188 of the Great War, November 8th 1917
Western Front
Over 18,000 prisoners taken by British since 1 November.
United Kingdom
British Minister of Blockade informs neutral countries that transfer of enemy ships to neutrals will not be recognized.
Russia: The Bolsheviks’ First Decrees
The Congress of Soviets adjourned around 6AM on November 8, and did not reconvene until 10:40PM that night. Lenin presented to the Congress two decrees, both of which were approved easily by voice vote.
The first, the Decree on Peace, was a (non-binding) appeal to the other belligerent powers for immediate peace negotiations, with no annexations, no indemnities, and a full “right to self-determination” for every nation. While this was similar to the language used by the Provisional Government (and, for that matter, the United States and many other belligerents), it went further in some critical respects. Russia would abandon secret diplomatic relations with her allies, and would publish the secret treaties she made with them. Additionally, and most concretely, Lenin proposed an immediate three-month armistice until peace negotiations could begin. The decree was broadcast the next day by wireless. The Germans, not knowing what to make of the offer, whether Lenin had the authority to make it, or whether Lenin’s power would last, did not immediately respond, nor made its existence public (though it would make its way into the press within a few days).
The Decree on Land ordered that all land owned by those not directly engaged in farming would be turned over to local peasant committees; its final disposition was not be decided until the general constitutional situation was fully addressed, however. Private property of the peasants was to be respected, however, in an attempt to secure their support for a party more commonly associated with workers and soldiers.
After these two decrees, a third was passed, setting up the new temporary government for Russia. The Council of People’s Commissars (Sovnarkom) replaced the Provisional Government, though it had much of the same form and the same directive: to govern the country until elections could be held for the Constituent Assembly. All of its members, however, were Bolsheviks; other parties were excluded or refused to participate. Lenin reluctantly agreed to serve as its Chairman (having preferred to stay as purely Bolshevik party chairman); Trotsky was the new Foreign Minister.
Aerial operations: North of Gaza
Yesterday, following reports from air observers that the Turks were in retreat Northwards from Gaza through the roads running
through El Majdal and Beit Duras, RFC units in the area spent the day carrying out bomb and machine-gun attacks against the retreating enemy.
Today in a change of tack, a new German aerodrome located at Iraq el Menshiye (NE of Gaza) was twice bombed. During the first attack, by eighteen bombing aeroplanes with an escort of six, a hangar was set on fire and bombs were seen to explode among seven aeroplanes on the landing-ground. The railway station near the aerodrome was also bombed and hits were made on rolling-stock.
In the second attack the station suffered more damage, and when later the place was captured it was discovered that the Germans had been compelled to burn aeroplanes and equipment which could not be transported. The charred remains of five aeroplanes were found which had been too damaged by the bombing to be moved.
The remaining German aircraft were moved to Et Tine (Now Al Tina), 21 miles to the North.
Aerial operations: Air Force Bill
Walter Long, the Secretary of State for the Colonies introduced the long promised Air Force Bill that will establish a separate air service for the British forces received its First Reading in the House of Commons. This is merely a formal step and the Bill will be debated and scrutinised next week.
Naval operations: ship losses
LINDHARDT (Denmark): The schooner was sunk in the North Sea (60°18'N 4°13'E) by SM UB-63. Her crew survived.
THE MARQUIS (United Kingdom): The coaster was shelled and sunk in the Irish Sea 16 nautical miles (30 km) east south east of Rockabill, County Dublin by SM UC-75. Her ten crew were rescued by Sarah Blanche (Isle of Man).
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Nov 9, 2022 3:46:28 GMT
Day 1189 of the Great War, November 9th 1917YouTube (The Russian October Revolution 1917)Western FrontTwo successful British raids near Fresnoy and Armentieres. Lively artillery actions along whole front. Italian Front: Italians Establish Defense Line on the Piave after Sixty-Mile Retreat, Cadorna Sacked as Italian Chief-of-StaffAustro-Hungarian and German troops occupied Vittorio Veneto, just thirty-seven miles from Venice, on November 8. Across the Piave river, the Italians had finally re-established a functioning line of defense, but only after a sixty-mile retreat that had entirely destroyed one Italian army and left three others in complete disarray. Italian prisoners over 250,000. On November 8 one German lieutenant, Erwin Rommel, captured another 9,000 in the village of Longarone. Italy’s new prime minister, Vittorio Orlando, asked his counterparts for help. Austria had 811 divisions to Italy’s 377, Orlando stated. He needed Britain and France, and he needed more than a token force, it was not adequate “merely to render some assistance, but essential that assistance should be adequate.” He agreed in return on the 9th to remove General Luigi Cadorna from Italian command. Few Italian troops were sad to see him go: during the retreat Cadorna (who had himself escaped by motor-car to Padua) ordered the execution of scores of men as deserters. Haig complained that Orlando’s numbers were bosh, which they were, but five British and six French divisions made their way to the Italian front nevertheless. Most of the British and French troops disliked being sent to a front which they saw as secondary, and held their Italian allies in contempt. Sinai and Palestine campaignGeneral Allenby follows up his victory in Palestine. Turks in retreat north on Hebron and Jerusalem. United KingdomArrival in London of U.S.A. Mission under Colonel House. Russia Coup d'Etat and fighting in Petrograd; Bolsheviks under Lenin depose Kerenski, who takes to flight. Revolutionaries announce "an immediate democratic peace" their first objective. Newspaper: The New York Times headline from 9 November 1917 Aerial operations: Turkish Morale bombsAfter the bombing out the German aerodrome at Iraq el Menshiye yesterday, the RFC lost no time in pursuing the retreating forces. 22 aeroplanes, with an escort of fighters, bombed the new German aerodrome at El Tine and Turkish forces in the area. This attack was remarkably successful. When Et Tine was captured, three damaged aeroplanes, a damaged field gun, and many dead Turks were found. However the attack appears to have had a drastic effect on Turkish morale causing panic amongst the whole of the Turkish 8th army. The German commander Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein captured the panic in his diary as follows: “On the afternoon of the 9th of November there broke out a panic at Et Tine, the main ammunition depot and railhead behind the Eighth Army, among the large number of troops there assembled, transport columns and trains, mechanical transport, aircraft personnel. This did more to break the heart of the Eighth Army and to diminish its fighting strength than all the hard fighting that had gone before. Several bombing attacks by powerful enemy flying formations had caused explosions in the big dump of munitions at Et Tine, had cut all telegraphic and telephonic communication and created wild excitement, when suddenly news spread that hostile cavalry had broken through the main Turkish line and was moving against the head-quarters of the Eighth Army at Et Tine. Although this rumour was false and fantastic, it caused such agitation that many formations began to retreat without orders and broke into flight. A great number of officers and men could not be stopped till they had reached Jerusalem or Damascus. Baggage and supply columns, in particular, having lost touch with their troops and head-quarters staffs owing to the numerous changes in location of the latter in the course of the battle fell into indescribable confusion. The results of the panic were especially serious, because not only had all telegraphic and telephonic communication been destroyed, but almost all the horses of Army head-quarters had also stampeded, so that head-quarters was unable to send out orders to the troops. Thanks to the devotion and energy of a number of German and Turkish officers, order was in a measure restored the following day. But on the evening of the 9th the rumour spread in Jerusalem that the English had broken through our line and captured the head-quarters of the Eighth Army. As may easily be imagined this rumour caused considerable agitation in the city.”Naval operations: ship lossesARDGLAMIS (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 125 nautical miles (232 km) west of Cape Spartel, Morocco (35°18′N 8°43′W) by SM U-63 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived. BALLOGIE (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km) north east of Filey, Yorkshire by SM UC-47 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 13 of her crew. FRITHJOF EIDE (Norway) The cargo ship was sunk in the North Sea 3.5 nautical miles (6.5 km) east north east of Flamborough Head, Yorkshire by SM UB-75 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of eleven of her crew. ISABELLE (France) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) north west of Flamborough Head (54°13′N 0°13′W) by SM UC-47 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of six of her crew. RIZAL (United States) The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 9 nautical miles (17 km) off Cape Cavallo, Sardinia, Italy (36°53′N 5°30′E) by SM UB-50 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Nov 10, 2022 3:37:55 GMT
Day 1190 of the Great War, November 10th 1917Western Front: Battle of Passchendaele EndsThe Canadians, after their initial hard-fought successes on October 26th, attacked again on the 30th and yet again on November 6th. The latter finally saw them take the remnants of the village of Passchendaele and most of the nearby ridge. If Haig had had his druthers, the British offensive would have continued; the capture of the Passchendaele ridge gave them a tactical advantage, and even if they could not exploit that for a breakthrough it would distract the Germans from the upcoming Third Army offensive near Cambrai. However, the deteriorating November weather made future success unlikely, and, more importantly, the Italian collapse at Caporetto meant that British troops and effort were more badly needed on the Piave than in Flanders. On November 10, the Canadians launched a final attack north of Passchendaele, securing the last of the ridge. The Canadians had at last reached their objectives, albeit at a cost of nearly 16,000 casualties, almost exactly what Currie had predicted they would suffer. On the same day, General Plumer departed for Italy to command the British divisions being sent there. After three and a half months of attacks, the British had advanced around 4.5 miles, at the cost of around 200,000 casualties on each side. Italian FrontAustrian advance checked on Asiago front; on Upper Piave enemy capture Belluno. Sinai and Palestine campaignFurther advance of General Allenby's forces; Ascalon occupied; fighting near Esdud. East Africa campaignGood progress in East Africa; British troops occupy Ndonda, in Lukuledi valley. Enemy's northern force in retreat from Mahenge. United States To save fuel, U.S. government orders that electrical displays for advertising can only be turned on from 7:45 pm to 11 pm. United KingdomText of Air Force Bill publishes in "Times". RussiaAnti-Bolshevik reaction, troops loyal to Kerenski and Provisional Government march on Petrograd. Aerial operations: Junction StationToday, in an attempt to slow the Turkish retreat in Palestine, 14 Squadron RFC bombed Junction Station, the nearby railway bridge and troops in the surrounding area. THe hope was that if the bridge could be broken the two lines to Jerusalem and Beersheba would be cut off from the railway centre of Lydda, and the Turkish retreat would be impeded and much rolling-stock left derelict. Orders were given that two aeroplanes, each carrying two 112-lb. bombs, were to attack the bridge from a height of 500 feet or less. The attempt was made by Second Lieutenants Henry Ivan Hanmer and Horace Lincoln Cyril McConnell from 14 Squadron RFC. Hanmer later wrote of the mission: “We decided to try and reach Junction Station before the high flying raid had stirred up the hornets’ nest which, from reports, we knew must be assembled at the station. Difficulty in getting the bomb gear fixed, and then delay in adjusting the detonating gear, successfully prevented us from leaving until the other raid was well on its way. The detonation problem appeared at first insuperable: nobody in the squadron knew the correct procedure, but a young observer who had been in the artillery thought he knew and was allowed to carry on. Eventually, half an hour late, two B.E.’s struggled off the aerodrome with their bombs. Our plan of attack was that we should each have two runs at the target dropping a single bomb each time, and I was to make the first attack. Junction Station was fifty miles north of our line at Gaza and consequently all the country was new to us both, and the bridge was not easily located at first. As a result of the previous raid the Wadi Sarar was black with Turks seeking the only available shelter. We proceeded to carry out our task. None of the bombs exploded. McConnell was brought down a quarter of a mile from the bridge, was taken prisoner, and eventually died in Damascus of his wounds, and I was hit while making my second approach. I had a fortunate escape, for the bullet, after piercing a longeron and twisting my flying belt buckle in two, embedded itself in a corner of my cigarette case, causing a jagged end to be driven into my ribs.”Naval operations: North AtlanticPhoto: 10 November 1917, USS MOUNT VERNON, USS AGAMEMNON and USS VON STEUBEN in the North Atlantic Naval operations: ship lossesLAPWING (United Kingdom) The schooner was shelled and sunk in St. George's Channel by SM U-95 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her five crew took to the lifeboats but were not rescued.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Nov 11, 2022 8:49:28 GMT
Day 1191 of the Great War, November 11th 1917Western FrontHeavy rain; enemy artillery active against new positions on Passchendaele ridge. German repulsed at Hartmannsweilerkopf. Photo: View of the breech of a 305 navy gun (baptized Anne) on a railway platform at Mont-Notre-Dame (Aisne). November 11, 1917 Italian FrontFrom Belluno Austrians advance down the Piave towards Feltre. They renew attacks on Asiago Plateau without success. Sinai and Palestine campaignTurks organise new line of defence covering Jerusalem and Hebron. East Africa campaignIn East Africa two British columns meet at Ndonda, Germans flee to hills near Portuguese border. Russia: Kerensky Marches on Petrograd, Junker UprisingFor many in Petrograd, the Bolshevik coup had come as a sudden nightmare. The bourgeoisie reacted with horror, and the even the working class split. The transfer of power to the Petrograd Soviet overwhelmingly favored the Bolsheviks, and so many Socialist Revolutionaries and Mensheviks stormed out of the Winter Palace. Trotsky harangued them as they left: “You are pitiful isolated individuals; you are bankrupts; your role is played out. Go where you belong from now on — into the dustbin of history!” Those who feared the Bolshevik revolt and those who regretted it had reason to hope for a restoration of the Provisional Government, however, as on the 11th, a Sunday, a substantial army of loyalist forces arrived within shelling distance of the capital. Kerensky had gone to Pskov, and rallied Cossack forces under General Pyotr Krasnov. Counter-revolution stirred within Petrograd. Anti-Bolsheviks (calling themselves, ironically, the Committee of Public Safety,) organized a rebellion of officer-cadets (junkers) against the soviet. An imprisoned Tsarist general in the Astoria Hotel imprisoned his captors. But things went off to a bad start. By the afternoon, Bolshevik militiamen, soldiers, and sailors, drove the junkers from their strongholds and seized the Astoria. The captured junkers were hauled off to Peter-Paul fortress. Germany: Ludendorff Decides on 1918 Offensive in WestWith winter approaching, the Germans now began to consider their strategic options for the next year. The U-boat campaign, which was to have forced the UK out of the war, not only failed to do so, but brought the Americans in as well. They did not yet have more than a single division on the front line, however, and there were few threats to the Germans on other fronts. While the full impact of the Bolshevik takeover in Petrograd was not yet clear, it was obvious that, regardless of the political situation, the Russian Army would no longer pose a serious offensive threat. The Italians had essentially lost half their army at Caporetto, and the Salonika front had been stripped for Palestine. While the British were successful there, it was too remote to be a major concern–and some part of Ludendorff must have enjoyed seeing his old rival Falkenhayn losing again. On November 11, Ludendorff and other staff officers met with Crown Prince Wilhelm and Crown Prince Rupprecht at Mons. Ludendorff argued for a massive offensive in the west in early 1918, in an attempt to win a decisive victory before the Americans could arrive in strength. The army commanders were circumspect, but ultimately their opinions did not much matter. The real question was where the German blow should fall. Some argued for another attack around Verdun; the French were spread thin and had suffered greatly in the last year, though the capture of Verdun would not win the war. Others advocated for an attack in Flanders and a push for the Channel ports; this would require a relatively short advance, but into the bulk of the BEF and into terrain that would still be muddy until the late spring. Ludendorff himself argued for an attack further south, near St. Quentin. This was mainly for tactical reasons: the ground was drier, the defenses were weaker, and Ludendorff for some reason believed that the British would put up less of a fight than the French. The downside was that even a great success here would accomplish little strategically; the rail junction at Amiens was 40 miles distant. Naval operations: ship lossesDANA (Sweden) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk with the loss of eight of her crew in the North Sea off Flamborough Head, Yorkshire, United Kingdom[46] by SM UC-47 ( Kaiserliche Marine). HMS M15 (Royal Navy) The M15-class monitor was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Deir el Belah, Occupied Palestine by SM UC-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 26 of her 69 crew. QUICKSTEP (United States) The schooner was wrecked at Bacuranao, Cuba. Her crew were rescued. HMS STAUNCH (Royal Navy) The Acorn-class destroyer was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Deir el Belah by SM UC-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of eight of her 72 crew. HMT THURINGIA (Royal Navy) The naval trawler was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Youghal, County Cork by SM U-95 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of fourteen of her crew.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Nov 12, 2022 6:49:29 GMT
Day 1192 of the Great War, November 12th 1917Western FrontHeavy shelling on Ypres front. Italian FrontLower Piave Austrians establish bridgehead at Zenson, 20 miles north-east of Venice. Italians evacuate Fonzaso and mountain positions overlooking the Brenta. Map: Map of the Italian Front, October 24th to November 12th 1917 Sinai and Palestine campaign: Allenby Moves for JerusalemGeneral Edmund “the Bull” Allenby had worked up a poor reputation on the Western Front for his temper, and for, many believed, bull-headed tactics. Allenby believed his transfer to command the Egyptian Expeditionary Corps in 1917 was a polite way of being fired. Yet he put his temper and his cavalry skills there to good use. After capturing Beersheeba, and then Gaza, Allenby had outflanked the Ottoman line guarding the Abrahamic holy city. More than 4,000 Turks and fifty-nine guns had fallen into his hands. Allenby continued his advance up the strip of Palestinean coast, pitting his British, Anzac, and Indian forces against Turks, Germans, and Austro-Hungarians commanded by General Kress von Kressenstein. But Kressenstein’s forces were in bad shape. A surprise attack by the Royal Flying Corps caught eleven German aircraft on the ground on November 8, and sent hundreds of Turkish troops running. An intercepted Ottoman radio message revealed that they did not have enough train-cars or trucks to bring in reinforcements. British flyers machine-gunned columns of Turkish troops retreating on foot. Allenby’s rapid advances inspired anxiety in the British War Cabinet, which reminded Allenby what had happened to the British army which had driven too far, too fast on Baghdad in 1915. Allenby paid the warning no heed - Jerusalem, a might political and propaganda prize, was in sight. France Mr. Lloyd George in Paris on urgent necessity of new Allied War Council. United KingdomRussians in London repudiate Leninists. Russia: Kerensky’s Attempt to Retake Petrograd FailsKerensky had fled Petrograd in a car stolen from the American Embassy at the start of the October Revolution, realizing the Bolsheviks would soon have him surrounded. However, he believed that the Bolsheviks were only a temporary threat, and that they could soon be crushed with some help from the Army. This help was not forthcoming, however; Kerensky was deeply unpopular among the officers for arresting Kornilov, and the soldiers, who mostly just wanted peace, had no particular affection for him either. The commander of the Northern Front pointedly refused to give him aid; as the Provisional Government no longer existed, it had no authority over the Army. The only aid Kerensky received was around twelve companies of Cossack cavalry under General Krasnov. On November 12, they were repulsed by a much larger detachment of Red Guards on the Pulkovo Heights north of Tsarskoe Selo (the Czar’s old country estate). Together with a brief uprising of military cadets the previous day, this essentially ended the direct threat to Petrograd. This greatly strengthened the Bolsheviks’ hand. Many socialists, Lenin included, had assumed that a Soviet takeover would prompt an immediate counterrevolution from the provinces, as had happened in France in 1870 and before. With Kerensky easily dispatched and Kornilov still in prison, the threat never really materialized. That said, the Bolshevik takeover elsewhere in Russia was not as swift as in Petrograd. In Moscow, the Bolsheviks were still fighting against students and military cadets backed by the Moscow city government. The Bolsheviks made significant gains on November 12 however, pushing in to the city center and beginning a bombardment of the Kremlin. Aerial operations: Second ReadingFollowing its formal introduction on 8 November 1917, the Air Force Bill, which will set up the new independent Air Force received its second reading in the House of Commons today. The Bill was debated in full and was passed by the House. Given the importance of passing the Bill quickly, the House has decided to submit the Bill to a Committee of the Whole House on 16 November 1917, rather than send it to a normal specialist committee for review. Aerial operations: A new frontToday, 28 Squadron RFC became the first British air unit to arrive in Italy to support operations there. Back on 26 October 1917, the British and French Governments had agreed to send divisions from the Western front to help the Italians, and three days later a British detachment, consisting of the head-quarters of the XIV Corps, together with the 23rd and 44th Divisions, had been ordered to Italy. General Sir Herbert C. O. Plumer arrived to take command of the British troops in Italy on 10 November and he established his head-quarters at Legnago, but shortly afterwards moved to Padua. For air co-operation. 28 Squadron RFC Sopwith Camels) and 34 Squadron RFC (RE8s)have been withdrawn from France, and grouped to form 51 Wing under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Reginald Percy Mills. Each squadron has been allotted one month’s supply of petrol and oil, an adequate supply of transport and spares, and had their establishments increased to allow of immediate replacements of casualties. This is to allow the units to operated independently until the relevant support services can be set up. The first trains left Candas in France on 7 November. The Squadrons have travelled by train, rather than flying, such is the uncertainty surrounding the operations, and this way the aircraft and stores can travel together. While these arrangements were under way, an Allied conference on 5 November at Rapallo, agreed to send two additional British divisions to Italy, with two more aeroplane squadrons in this case 45 and 66 Squadrons RFC (Sopwith Camels) The War Cabinet then decided to send yet a third detachment to Italy, consisting of the XI Corps headquarters and two divisions, and so another corps squadron. 42 Squadron RFC (RE8s) was earmarked. These Squadrons will begin their transfer over the next few days. Naval operations: ship lossesANTEO (Italy) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Tyrrhenian Sea off Livorno, Tuscany. Her crew survived. BARBARY (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 56 nautical miles (104 km) north west of Port Said, Egypt by SM UC-34 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of three of her crew. HUIBERTJE (Netherlands) The fishing vessel was scuttled in the North Sea 25 nautical miles (46 km) off the Dutch coast by SM UC-47 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member. MORNING STAR (United Kingdom) The coaster was scuttled in the English Channel 10 nautical miles (19 km) south east by east of Barfleur, Manche, France by SM UB-30 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Nov 13, 2022 7:56:10 GMT
Day 1193 of the Great War, November 13th 1917
Western Front
Concentrated shelling of Ypres and Passchendaele salient by Germans, followed by infantry attack; repulsed by British.
Successful Belgian raid south-east of Nieuport.
German raids near Reims repulsed; they bomb Calais.
Italian Front
Great efforts by Austrians to force the Piave lines guarding Venice; they cross main stream at Zenson and Grisolera; further north they occupy islands in the river.
Sinai and Palestine campaign
British troops drive Turks from Wadi Sugheir; take many prisoners and guns. Turks seek refuge behind Wadi Surar, eight miles south of Jaffa.
United States
President Wilson: “What I am opposed to is not the feeling of pacifists, but their stupidity.”
France
Painleve Ministry resigns after defeat on vote of confidence in Chamber.
Russia: Red Guards Halt Kerensky at Pulkovo Heights Outside Petrograd
Alexander Kerensky’s attempt to retake Petrograd after the Bolshevik coup came to an anti-climatic end on November 13. With several thousand loyalist Cossacks led by General Krasnov, Kerensky reached shelling distance of the capital on November 11. However, things got off to a poor start when a loyalist rebellion by officer-cadets inside the city was put down by the Bolsheviks.
Still, Lenin and Trostky feared that any organized attempt on the city might succeed. The sailors, soldiers, and Red Guards who had stormed the Winter Palace were enthusiastic, but otherwise disorganized and mostly untrained. According to Trotsky, no one wanted to step forward to take command, for fear of losing the revolution before it had begun. After some coaxing, a left-wing colonel named Muravyov took over.
After some sluggish, difficult organization, the Petrograd garrison and the units of Red Guards took positions around Petrograd, defending the Pulkovo Heights. Neither side really knew what was going on or who they were fighting - the early days of the Civil War were incredibly confusing. Kerensky’s Cossacks advanced, but Red artillery fire inflicted casualties. The Cossacks broke, Kerensky fled, and Krasnov was taken prisoner.
Alexander Kerensky went into hiding, and in the next few weeks escaped Russia, making his way for France, and then on to America. His part in Russian history was over, but the Russian Civil War had just begun.
Naval operations: Royal Navy Makes Plans for Italian Separate Peace
The disaster at Caporetto had raised the specter that Italy might try to negotiate a separate peace with the Central Powers; in the days before his dismissal, Cadorna had hinted as much. The King and the new Italian Prime Minister, Orlando, however, had both reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to the war, and the Italian line had (for now) stabilized behind the Piave, although the Austrians and Germans were making their first attempts to cross the river. In an attempt to keep Italy in the war, the French and British had both committed several divisions, but they were also making plans in case they did not. On November 13, the commander of British naval forces in the Mediterranean, Admiral Calthorpe, outlined his plans for such an eventuality to the Admiralty.
If Italy left the war, the Royal Navy’s main concern was keeping the Austrian fleet penned in the Adriatic. While they had managed to do so easily in the year before Italy entered, the submarine threat had greatly increased since then. The Otranto barrage, while largely ineffective, was still viewed as a top priority. If the Otranto side could not be maintained, the British and French would attempt to do so from the Albanian and Greek side. In Italian territorial waters, a heavy minefield would be laid in the days before Italy exited the war to prevent any submarines from sneaking through there; they would then conveniently forget to disclose the locations of those mines to the Italians. The British and French would have to increase their presence in Albania to replace the Italian troops who would presumably leave; if this could not be done in time and the Austrians and Bulgarians took Valona [Vlorë], the barrage would have to be abandoned.
Calthorpe also made plans for a seizure of Italian-occupied Rhodes and the other Dodecanese, in the event the Turks attempted to reoccupy them. A more concerning subject was the fate of the Italian fleet in the Adriatic; the British were concerned that they would fall into Austrian hands and tip the balance of power there. Calthorpe thus intended to seize 35 Italian destroyers in the event of a separate peace; he hoped that the Italian government would agree to give them up (under threat of force if necessary), but made few plans if the Italians were prepared to resist. Calthorpe did not intend to seize any larger ships, though he hoped the Italians could be convinced to move them out of the Adriatic, to where they would no longer be a serious threat.
Allied shipping in the Mediterranean would also be greatly affected by an Italian exit. While Italy would no longer have to be supplied, Italian naval craft being used in convoy routes would have to be replaced, and troop convoys to Salonika or Egypt would now be much longer, as they could no longer use the Italian rail network and depart from Taranto.
Naval operations: ship losses
AMELEI (Belgium) The cargo ship was sunk in the English Channel 7 nautical miles (13 km) south west of Start Point, Devon, United Kingdom (50°09′N 3°48′W) by SM UC-30 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
ARDMORE (United Kingdom) The passenger ship was torpedoed and sunk in St. George's Channel 13 nautical miles (24 km) west south west of the Coningbeg Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM U-95 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of nineteen of her crew.
ATLAS(United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) south of the Owers Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-56 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
AUSTRALBUS (Australia) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 7 nautical miles (13 km) east of the Eddystone Lighthouse by SM UC-30 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of two of her crew.
AXMINSTER (United Kingdom) The collier struck a mine laid by UC 4 (Walter Schmitz) and sank in the North Sea off Lowestoft, Suffolk (52°26′N 1°48′E) with the loss of three of her crew.
AXWELL (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) west south west of the Owers Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-56 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of three of her crew.
CARLO (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in St. George's Channel 7 nautical miles (13 km) south west by west of the Coningbeg Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM U-95 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of two of her crew.
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Post by lordroel on Nov 14, 2022 3:48:18 GMT
Day 1194 of the Great War, November 14th 1917
Western Front
British improve their line north-west of Passchendaele.
Artillery active in French sector.
Italian Front
Italians make firm stand on whole length of Piave, enemy held everywhere.
Sinai and Palestine campaign
General Allenby continues advance in Palestine; Jerusalem railway reached.
United Kingdom: Supreme War Council Debated in Commons
The disaster at Caporetto resulted in an emergency war conference among the western Allies at Rapallo starting on November 5. In addition to agreeing to an immediate commitment of troops and guns to bolster the outnumbered Italians, the conference also set up a Supreme War Council, designed to coordinate military strategy among the Allies. Before this point, there had been no such higher body, and military cooperation was done on an ad hoc basis. Lloyd George was a major proponent of this idea, likely hoping that it would undercut Haig’s (and CIGS Robertson’s) authority to some extent by forcing them to cooperate with the French. This was seen immediately as a threat by Haig’s political allies, and a political firestorm ensued when Lloyd George returned to London on November 14th. Lloyd George defended the Supreme War Council to the Commons, stressing that it had no actual authority and was a purely advisory body, and that Haig and Robertson would still be in command of the British Army, not Lloyd George or the French. He also had to deny a rumor that Churchill (hated by the Conservatives) had been at Rapallo and that the Supreme War Council was his idea.
In France, the Supreme War Council idea was less controversial, especially as it was apparent a French general (likely Foch) would eventually lead it. They had also gained assurances that it would be confined to the Western Front (and Italy). France retained primacy at Salonika, the British in Mesopotamia and Palestine, and the Russians were left to their own devices in the East. Nevertheless, this was not enough to save the French government, which failed a confidence vote the previous day, leading to PM Paul Painlevé’s resignation.
Brazil
"Reprisal" Bill against Germans adopted in Brazilian Chamber.
Russia
Defeat of Kerenski: civil strife and much confusion in Petrograd.
Germany
German Socialists urge Germany to seek peace with the Bolshevik government in Petrograd.
Aerial operations: Air Force Bill Committee
The Air Force Bill to set up the new Air Service reached the Committee Stage in the House of Commons. Due to the importance of the issue, the Bill was heard by a Committee of the Whole House. The clauses covering the transfer of personnel to the new air service and the set-up of the new Air Council received the most debate. In the end, few amendments were taken and a suggested new clause preventing the new Air Counsel from conducting warlike operations alone was withdrawn.
There was some kerfuffle as an attempt by Noel Pemberton-Billing to introduce further new clauses was struck down by the Chairman of the Committee. The Bill will receive its report stage tomorrow.
Naval operations: ship losses
BEUNAVENTURA (Spain) The schooner was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea south west of Sicily, Italy by SM U-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
DOLLY WARDEN (United Kingdom) The sailing vessel was shelled and sunk in the English Channel north west of Le Tréport, Seine-Maritime, France by SM U-58 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
HMT JOHN MITCHELL (Royal Navy) The naval trawler collided with another vessel and sank in the English Channel off the Isle of Wight.
PANAGHIA (Greece) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (34°41′N 25°55′E) by SM UC-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
PANORMITIS (Greece) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Serapitra (34°53′N 25°48′E) by SM UC-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Prophet (United Kingdom) The collier was torpedoed and sunk in the Aegean Sea 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) south east of Antikythera, Greece (35°47′N 23°22′E) by SM UC-74 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
TROWBRIDGE (United Kingdom) The collier was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 12 nautical miles (22 km) south east of Cabo De Gata, Almeria, Spain by SM U-63 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Nov 15, 2022 3:48:47 GMT
Day 1195 of the Great War, November 15th 1917
Western Front
Enemy attacks north of Menin road and north-east of Passchendaele repulsed.
Italian Front
Italians give ground both sides of the Brenta; enemy capture Cismon. On Lower Piave resistance maintained. Allied reinforcements arrive daily.
Sinai and Palestine campaign
General Allenby advances to within three miles of Jaffa.
Since 31 October over 9,000 prisoners taken.
East Africa campaign
Further actions on Makonde Plateau (East Africa).
Enemy driven from Chivata; make for Portuguese territory.
Russia: Alexeyev Attempts to Organize First “White” Forces
The Bolsheviks were swiftly consolidating their hold on what parts of Russia they could. Kerensky’s attempt to retake Petrograd had been rebuffed, and he was now in hiding. On November 15, the Bolsheviks secured the Kremlin after a week of on-and-off fighting, cementing their hold on Moscow. They had also by this point secured Smolensk, Tashkent, and other major cities. For the most part, however, as in Petrograd, life continued as normal. On the other hand, many officers viewed the rise of the Bolsheviks as an existential threat, and some of them began to organize against them.
The chief anti-Bolshevik figure at this time was General Alexeyev, who had effectively been the head of the Russian military from September 1915 to May 1917. Although in poor health, he was committed in his opposition to the Bolsheviks, and in November began to explore options for active resistance against them. On November 15, he arrived in Novocherkassk, home of the Don Cossacks, hoping (as had Kerensky) that they could be relied upon to fight the Bolsheviks. He was to be disappointed by his first meeting with the Cossack General Kaledin, however, who told him that his men, like the rest of the Russian Army, were tired of years of fighting and just wanted to return to their families. Kaledin refused to help Alexeyev, and cautioned him to keep a low profile. Undeterred, Alexeyev began reaching out to Stavka and as many officers as he could, in an attempt to form a nucleus of opposition to the Soviets.
This effort would eventually result in the Volunteer Army, the first organized force of Whites (as opposed to the Bolshevik ‘Reds’). Most of those who heeded Alexeyev’s call were officers; enlisted men (even among the Cossacks) were not responsive. Furthermore, many officers would join the Reds–most notably, Brusilov, who was wounded in the November fighting in Moscow but still went on to serve the Red Army.
Naval operations: ship losses
DE DOLLART (Netherlands) The auxiliary sailing vessel was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Vigo, Spain by SM U-82 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of three of her crew.
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