The Great War (1914-1918) in real time

Day 1349 of the Great War, April 17th 1918

Western Front

Intense bombardment, followed by infantry attack, on whole line from Nieppe Forest to Wytschaete.

Wytschaete and Meteren again lost.

French repulse attacks on Meuse and in Champagne.

Photo: Gunners of the Royal Garrison Artillery hauling a shell on to the platform of a 9.2 inch railway gun by its crane. Near Bethune, 17 April 1918



Photo: British infantry returning from the line passing two anti-aircraft 13 pounder 9 cwt guns on Mark IV motor lorry mountings. Caestre, 17 April 1918



Photo: The First Battle of Kemmel. A Fusilier battalion resting by the roadside in Caestre on the way to the line, 17 April 1918



Western Front: Allies React as the Americans Arrive in Numbers

The long-awaited Americans were finally starting to arrive. In resposne to Allied calls for help the American military hurried up its deployment and began sending divisions over piecemeal to Europe. Soon there would be over 25,000 arriving per month, far offsetting the losses Britain and France had suffered in the German offensive.

Sir Ernest Shackleton, the famed Arctic explorer, was escorting one such convoy to Liverpool from New York.

“We were twelve ships in all and carried 25,000 United States troops. When we got to the danger zone we were met by seven destroyers; and it was a good job, because the next day were were attacked by two submarines, but before they could discharge a torpedo one of our destroyers dropped depth charge and blew up one of the Huns; the other cleared off.”

The German submarines were unable to keep the Americans out of France and the Allied armies continued to grow. But the Allies disagreed on how to dispose of their new forces. British and French military circles had a low opinion of American troops and wanted to use them as reinforcements in their own armies. Two companies of US troops were destroyed on 20 April.

“That kind of result,” wrote Lloyd George, “is bound to occur if a largely amateur United States Army is built up without the guidance… of British and French officers.”

Winston Churchill, son of an American mother, aptly pointed out that the problem had more to do with German strength than US weakness. Eventually a settlement was made: the Yanks would brigade with British and French divisions through the summer, when they would be organized into their own American Expeditionary Force under Foch’s command.

For those on the ground, strategy did not matter and the arrival of fresh friendly troops was a great morale boost. Vera Brittain remembered her first sight of the new ally vividly. Walking to her hospital ward near the front, she watched a large column of soldiers marching up the road.

“They were swinging rapidly towards Camiers, and though the sight of soldiers marching was now too familiar to arouse curiosity, an unusual quality of bold vigour in their stride caused me to stare at them with puzzeld interest. They looked larger than ordinary men; their tall, straight figures were in vivid contrast to the under-sized armies of pale recruits to which we were accustomed…

Had yet another regiment been conjured out of our depleted Dominions? I wondered, watching them move with such rhythm, such dignity, such serene consciousness of self-respect. But I knew the colonial troops so well, and these were different; they were assured where the Austrialians were aggressive, self-possessed where the New Zealanders were turbulent.”

Who were they? Her question was answered by a group of nurses behind her: “Look! Look! Here are the Americans!”

Western Front: Belgians Repulse German Attack

Although over 90% of their country was occupied by the Germans, the Belgian Army still continued to defend their portion of the line in Flanders. Their sector had been relatively quiet since 1914, aided by deliberate flooding of much of the low-lying land in the area. Although officially not part of the Allies, the Belgians still did their best to cooperate with the forces that were helping to defend what remained of unoccupied Belgium from the Germans. When the Germans broke through south of Ypres on April 9, Belgian King Albert volunteered to extend his line south to aid the Allies.

On April 17, the Germans attacked the Belgian lines around Merckem, at the northern end of the Ypres Salient, which had been much reduced by Plumer’s withdrawal from Passchendaele. An attempted attack on the British lines the previous day had failed after the Germans realized they were attacking into nothing. Simultaneously, the Germans were attacking south of Ypres, towards Mt. Kemmel, in an attempt to take the high ground there and cut off what remained of the Ypres Salient.

The Germans had some initial success against the Belgians, but a counterattack with bayonets by the 3rd Division reversed all the German gains and captured 800 PoWs and 42 machine guns. The northern end of the Ypres Salient was secured, and the Belgians had won one of their first victories in Europe since 1914.

Caucasus campaign

Transcaucasia: Turks approach Kars, and claim 250 guns at Batum.

United Kingdom

British Major General F. B. Maurice: “The British army is playing the role which it often has played before. It is fighting a Waterloo...”

Canada

Government makes proposals for increase of manpower.

France

General Belin succeeds General Weygand on Supreme War Council.

Bolo is executed as a French traitor.

Austria-Hungary

Baron Burian succeeds Count Czernin as Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Hungarian Cabinet (Wekerle) resigns.

Naval operations: Belgium

British monitors bombard Ostend.

Naval operations: ship losses

SM UB-82 (Kaiserliche Marine) The Type UB III submarine was depth charged and sunk in the Irish Sea (55°13′N 5°55′W) by two Royal Navy trawlers with the loss of all 32 crew.

Day 1351 of the Great War, April 19th 1918

Western Front

Scarpe river British capture prisoners and machine guns.

Position restored at Givenchy.

Sharp fighting at Robecq.

North of Merville heavy shelling, but no infantry attacks.

Italy announces it will send reinforcements to the Allied lines defending against the German offensive in Picardy.

Italian Front

Asiago Plateau: Successful minor action by British announced.

Macedonia Front

British withdraw from positions in Struma valley occupied on 15th.

Ukrainian War of Independence

Ukraine: Germans report occupation of two stations of main Sevastopol line.

Arab Revolt: Hashemites Defeated at Ma’an

Feisal had planned to launch an attack on the key railroad station at Ma’an while Allenby attacked Amman to the north in early April; however, heavy rains and flooding, which caused delays for the British, meant the Arab operation was postponed until well after the British had crossed back over the Jordan. Nonetheless, Feisal hoped that the Turks had redirected enough strength to face Allenby that his small force could overwhelm the reduced defenses at Ma’an after cutting the railway both north and south of town.

Over three days of fighting, the Arabs took multiple Turkish trench lines around Ma’an, and some of the Turkish officers were considering surrender. However, the people of the town, fearing that the Arabs would ransack their homes, took up arms and bolstered the Turkish defenses. Meanwhile, the Arabs had suffered disproportionate casualties from Turkish artillery and machine-gun fire, with no way to respond; the French battery sent to aid the Hashemites ran out of ammunition within hours. On April 19, after suffering nearly 300 casualties (including more than half of their officers), the Hashemites reluctantly decided to retreat before their forces broke entirely. Ma’an would remain in Turkish hands until the fall.

United Kingdom

British Government announces right of search re: Dutch convoy of 16 April.

Siberian intervention

United States State Department says American landing in Vladivostok is merely police precaution.

Aerial operations: Strategic Council

Frederick Sykes had formally taken on the role of Chief of the Air Staff on 13 April, following the resignation of Hugh Trenchard. Trenchard had remained in post for a few weeks to oversee the formal formation of the RAF.

Today Sykes established a Strategic Council to oversee details of the government’s bombing plan. The new CAS wished to develop a system to “consider questions of policy in their strategic aspect and the best utilization of aerial resources,”

The Strategic Council represented the firstdefinite organizational attempt to translate policy into achievable goals . In this regard, they maintained a close liaison with the Air Council. The Air Council set out general policy such as the bombing a German Key Industry. The Strategic Council would settle what number of bombs were necessary to obliterate any particular factory, the force necessary to obtain this number of direct hits and hence the order in which such factories should be destroyed, having regard to the force available at the time, and with what number of machines, and what system, this should be carried out.

Naval operations: ship losses

ELKA (Greece) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 50 nautical miles (93 km) off Cape Gati, Spain by SM U-34 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

lORD CHARLEMONT (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 22 nautical miles (41 km) north of the Isla de Alborán, Morocco (36°15′N 3°04′W) by SM U-34 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of eight crew.

SALAMBO (French Navy) The naval trawler was torpedoed and sunk in the Ionian Sea (38°30′N 18°06′E) by SM U-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

SM UB-78 (Kaiserliche Marine) The Type UB III submarine struck a mine and sank in the Strait of Dover (51°01′N 1°17′E) with the loss of all 35 crew.

WAR HELMET (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) east by north of the Owers Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UC-75 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

Day 1353 of the Great War, April 21st 1918

Western Front

Position at Seicheprey restored.

Local fighting round Albert, Villers Brettonneux and Robecq.

Great aerial activity and much bombing on whole front.

Result of 29 days' bombardment of Paris: 118 killed, 236 injured.

Photo: Georges Clemenceau, the French Prime Minister, inspecting troops of the British 33rd Division at Cassel, 21 April 1918. He is accompanied by General Reginald Pinney, the Commander of the Division



Australia

Australian Roman Catholic Bishops protest against Government action in Ireland.

France

New constitution of Versailles Council announced.

Aerial operations: Manfred von Richthofen Killed

Today, Manfred Von Richthofen was killed. As with the deaths of many aces, his final demise is shrouded in mystery.

His Jagstaffel was involved in combat with aircraft from 209 Squadron RAF and 3 Squadron AFC. Just before 1100, he was pursuing a Sopwith Camel at very low altitude, piloted by a novice pilot Lieutenant Wilfrid “Wop” May from 209 Squadron. May had in turn just attacked Richthofen’s cousin Leutnant Wolfram von Richthofen. Manfred had flown to his rescue and fired on May, causing him to pull away and saving Wolfram’s life. Richthofen pursued May across the Somme. May’s flight commander Captain Arthur “Roy” Brown spotted this and dove steeply to intervene, and then had to climb steeply to avoid hitting the ground. Richthofen turned to avoid this attack, and then resumed his pursuit of May.

Shortly after this he made a rough landing in a field on a hill near the Bray-Corbie road. Members of Australian forces in the area were on the scene quickly and found Richthofen with a single bullet wound to the chest and he died not long after.

Many books and theories have been put forward over the years but essentially it boils down to three potential scenarios.

- Roy Brown.
- Machine gunners from Australian Forces.
- A single shot from a rifleman.

The theory that Roy Brown fired the fatal shot has generally been discounted. Richthofen died following a chest wound from a single bullet, penetrating from the right armpit and resurfacing next to the left nipple. Brown’s attack was from behind and above, and from Richthofen’s left. In addition, Richthofen could not have continued his pursuit of May for as long as he did with such a serious wound.

A number of theorists support the Australian machine gunner theory with a number of candidates being discussed with Sergeant Cedric Popkin the most likely candidate. His position on the ground relative to the aircraft means that he certainly could have fired the fatal shot. This article by Geoffrey Miller in Sabretache”, the Journal and Proceedings of the Military History Society of Australia (Vol. XXXIX, No. 2, June 1998) gives more detail on the controversy.

However, Leon Bennett, in his book “Gunning for the Red Baron” casts doubt on this theory too though, suggesting a lone rifleman is more likely. Bennett suggests that a ground based machine gunner would expect to get a group of hits on the aircraft but this does not appear to be the case here. The evidence for this is not conclusive as the aircraft was rapidly taken apart by souvenir hunters. That said the engine remained and despite being close to the pilot in the Fokker DR1, was not hit at all. We know from a subsequent examination that Richthofen was struck by a single .303 round which was common to all the possible weapons used.

There are those who also suggest that Richthofen contributed to his own demise by poor judgement caused by combat fatigue and the after effects of a head wound suffered in July 1917. He was flying low over the lines against common wisdom at the time. It is suggested that the prevailing wind was easterly instead of the normal westerly and the fluid nature of the front meant he could easily have ended up over the front without realizing it.

Naval operations: ship losses

BELLVIEW (United Kingdom) The collier was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 16 nautical miles (30 km) east north east of Cape Bon, Tunisia (37°13′N 11°21′E) by SM U-32 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

DELTA A (Belgium) The trawler was stopped and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 18 nautical miles (33 km) south of St. Kilda, Inverness-shire, United Kingdom by SM U-19 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Landonia (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 27 nautical miles (50 km) north west by west of Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire by SM U-91 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 21 of her crew. One of the survivors was taken as a prisoner of war.

NORMANDIET (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 34 nautical miles (63 km) south west by west of the Calf of Man, Isle of Man by SM U-91 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of nineteen of her crew.

SM UB-71 (Kaiserliche Marine) The Type UB III submarine was depth charged and sunk in the Strait of Gibraltar (35°38′N 5°18′W) by HMML 413 ( Royal Navy) with the loss of all 32 crew.

WESTERGATE (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 22 nautical miles (41 km) east of Start Point, Devon by SM UB-80 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 24 of her crew.

Day 1355 of the Great War, April 23rd 1918

Western Front

Violent artillery fire from Avre river to Albert, followed by heavy infantry attacks at Albert and in region between Somme and Avre.

Special despatch from Sir Douglas Haig mentions 14 divisions: 102 German divisions employed against British alone during great offensive.

Finnish Civil War

Finnish Western White Army reported to have reached Russian frontier.

Arab Revolt

War Office reports progress in Hejaz.

Caucasus campaign

Bayazid (Armenia) occupied by Turks.

Russia

Bolshevik Government against protests against union of Bessarabia and Romania.

Ireland: Ireland strikes against conscription as London prepares a crackdown

Ireland is in a tumult over British plans to extend conscription there. After rallies were held across the country two days ago, today the country is engulfed in a general strike against conscription called by the Irish Trade Union Congress. The strike is hugely successful with shops, factories, railways and even pubs closing across the country. The one area that remains largely immune from the strike is the north-east, where pro-British sentiment remains strong among the Protestant and Unionist community.

The strike is disconcerting to the British authorities, who note the involvement of the subversive Sinn Féin party in the anti-conscription campaign. Meanwhile in London Joseph Dowling, who was arrested in Galway in mysterious circumstances, is under interrogation by British intelligence officers. The British promise to spare Dowling’s life if he co-operates; in return he confesses that he is a former British soldier who joined Roger Casement‘s Irish Brigade after being captured by the Germans. He further reveals that he was transported to Ireland by German U-boat and tells his interrogators that he was sent to liaise with Sinn Féin leaders in advance of a forthcoming German invasion of Ireland.

Dowling’s fanciful tale of a Sinn Féin plot to assist a German invasion finds a receptive audience in London. British leaders now make plans to decapitate Sinn Féin by rounding up its troublesome leaders. Perhaps in so doing they will also break the back of the anti-conscription movement.

Newfoundland

Conscription Bill introduced.

Japan

Viscount Motono succeeded by Baron Goto as Foreign Minister.

Guatemala

Guatemala declares war on Germany.

Aerial operations: France

Paris raided by one aeroplane, which is brought down.

Naval operations: Albania

Durazzo (Albania) bombed by Naval aircraft:- only one warship seen in harbour.

Naval operations: British Attack Zeebrugge U-Boat Base

The Germans had been using the ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge in occupied Belgium as bases for their U-boats; from there, they could launch into the North Sea less than 100 miles from Dover. The ports were a source of extreme frustration to the British, who chafed that they were still under extreme threat from those ports despite their overall naval dominance. Haig’s 1917 offensive at Passchendaele had the ultimate objective of taking those ports, and landings had been planned along the coast further west in support. After Georgette, however, the British were further from Ostend and Zeebrugge than they had been in years.

Map: The blocking of Zeebrugge



As a result, the Royal Navy decided to take matters into their own hands, planning their own attack on the ports. They knew they could not take and hold the heavily-defended ports, but hoped to cause enough damage and sink enough ships in Zeebrugge’s narrow entrance canal to prevent U-boats from using it. A force of mostly volunteers on obsolete ships arrived off Zeebrugge under smokescreen in the wee hours of April 23. The cruiser VINDICTIVE was to land a force of marines on the mole covering the port’s entrance, in order to knock out German guns stationed there. Meanwhile, a submarine filled with explosives would be detonated at the viaduct linking the mole to the mainland, preventing the arrival of German reinforcements. Meanwhile, three concrete-filled blockships would slip around the mole and be sunk in the canal.

Painting: HMS VINDICTIVE at Zeebrugge, 23 April 1918



However, a shift in the wind lifted the smokescreen early, making VINDICTIVE visible to the shore batteries. She was forced to land in the wrong position under heavy fire, depriving her marines of her gun support; they would suffer heavy casualties and were unable to secure the shore batteries. The submarine C3 did destroy the link between the mole and the mainland, after her captain manually piloted her into place; he would win a VC for his efforts.

The blockships came under heavy fire from the shore batteries; one was sunk without ever making it to the canal. The other two did make it into the canal, but had to be scuttled in a hurry without being positioned exactly as planned. Of the 1700 men involved in the operation, over 200 were killed and 350 wounded; the Germans only suffered 24 casualties in total. A concurrent raid on Ostend failed entirely.

The Raid on Zeebrugge was hailed as a tremendous success in Britain, and did prove a major boost to morale in both Britain and France–an important change of pace after Germany’s major, successful offensives in France and Flanders. In reality, however, the raid was of limited effectiveness. The Germans soon dredged a channel around the blockships, and U-boats were using it again as soon as the next day. Larger U-boats had to be diverted to Ostend for a time, but the port was back in full operation by mid-May.

Photo: Channel obstructed after the raid; (Left to right) HMS INTREPID, HMS IPHIGENIA and HMS THETIS. The obstructions are not enough to prevent U-boats from sailing out at high tide



Naval operations: ship losses

HMS BRILLIANT (Royal Navy) The APOLLO-class cruiser was scuttled as a blockship at Ostend, West Flanders, Belgium.

HMS C3 (Royal Navy) Packed with explosives, the C-class submarine was rammed into the a viaduct connecting the mole to the shore at Zeebrugge, West Flanders, Belgium, and detonated in order to destroy the viaduct.

Frances (United Kingdom) The ketch was scuttled in the Atlantic Ocean (46°33′N 12°05′W) by SM U-155 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of two of her crew.

HMS INTREPID (Royal Navy) The destroyer was scuttled at Zeebrugge in an attempt to block the entrance to the Bruges Canal.

HMS IPHIGENIA (Royal Navy) The destroyer was scuttled at Zeebrugge in an attempt to block the entrance to the Bruges Canal.

LAURIUM (United Kingdom) The coaster struck a mine laid by UC 64 (Ferdinand Schwartz) and sank in the North Sea off the Inner Dowsing Lightship ( United Kingdom) with the loss of a crew member.

HMS NORTH STAR (Royal Navy) The Admiralty M-class destroyer was shelled and sunk at Zeebrugge by German shore-based artillery.

PEREGRINE (United Kingdom) The trawler was shelled and sunk in Yell Sound by SM U-19 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

HMT PLETHOS (Royal Navy) The naval trawler struck a mine laid by U 80 (Karl Koopmann) and sank in the North Sea 40 nautical miles (74 km) east north east of Montrose, Forfarshire with the loss of four of her crew.

RESTAURADO (Portugal) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Portugal by SM UB-105 ( Kaiserliche Marine).

HMS SIRIUS (Royal Navy) The APOLLO-class cruiser was scuttled as a blockship at Ostend.

HMS THETIS (Royal Navy) The APOLLO-class cruiser was scuttled at Zeebrugge in an attempt to block the entrance to the Bruges Canal.

TTNE WAVE (United Kingdom) The trawler was shelled and sunk in the North Sea 16 nautical miles (30 km) north east of Ronas Voe, Shetland Islands by SM U-19 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

Day 1357 of the Great War, April 25th 1918

Western Front

Very strong attack on British and French from Bailleul to Hollbeke.

South of Somme Allies recapture Villers-Bretonneux with 600 prisoners.

German tanks in action for first time.

In the Woevre, after heavy bombardment, German attack is stopped.

Western Front: Germans Take Mount Kemmel

After a short respite and a diversion to the south near Amiens, the Germans attacked again south of Ypres. Their primary objective for the day was Mt. Kemmel, the highest point in the vicinity of Ypres; from there the Germans hoped they could push down the other side and force the British to withdraw from Ypres entirely. With elite mountain troops in the vanguard, the Germans attacked at 6AM with a large artillery bombardment, and had secured the summit from its French defenders in little over an hour. They did not push on further, however–the objectives for the day were limited, and reserves could not be made ready in time. Attacks over the next few days made met with determined resistance from Allied reinforcements, and Georgette as a whole was called off after a last attack on April 29. The Allies did, on the same day, consider a withdrawal to St. Omer, abandoning Ypres and Dunkirk, but dismissed such thoughts once it became apparent the German offensive had stopped. As a result, although the Germans had gained much ground around Flanders, and won another important propaganda victory, they had again lengthened their lines and suffered heavy casualties in their most elite units without inflicting a strategic defeat on the allies.

Finnish Civil War

Germans report junction with Finnish army 30 miles north of Helsingfors.

Ukrainian War of Independence

Germans announced to be near Sevastopol.

Italian Front

In Asiago basin British patrols force enemy detachments to retire.

United Kingdom

Mr. Churchill reviews work of Ministry of Munitions.

Lord Rothermere (Air Ministry) resigns.

Australia

Mr. Hughes and Mr. Cook appointed to represent Australia at War Conference.

Netherlands/German relations

Mr. Loudon, Dutch Foreign Minister, says relations with Germany difficult.

German demands for use of Limburg railway agreed to.

Naval operations: ship losses

HMS COWSLIP (Royal Navy) The Anchusa-class sloop was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel, Morocco by SM UB-105 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of six of her 93 crew.

JOSEPH (France) The sailing vessel was sunk in the English Channel off Cherbourg, Seine-Maritime by SM UB-31 ( Kaiserliche Marine).

SEVILLA (Norway) The cargo ship was sunk in the English Channel 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) north west of Berry Head, Devon, United Kingdom (50°24′N 3°23′W) by SM UB-80 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member.

SOTE (Sweden) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Flamborough Head, East Riding of Yorkshire, United Kingdom[120] by SM UC-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member.

HMS ST. SEIRIOL (Royal Navy) The auxiliary minesweeper struck a mine laid by UC 4 (Ernst Berlin) and sank in the North Sea off the Shipwash Lightship ( United Kingdom) with the loss of twelve of her crew.

SM U-104 (Kaiserliche Marine) The Type U 57 submarine was depth charged and sunk in St. George's Channel (51°59′N 6°26′W) by USS Cushing ( United States Navy) and HMS Jessamine ( Royal Navy) with the loss of 41 of her 42 crew.

HMS WILLOW BRANCH (Royal Navy) The Q-ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Cabo Blanco, Mauritania (21°00′N 17°56′W) by SM U-153 and SM U-154 (both Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 58 of her crew.

Day 1359 of the Great War, April 27th 1918

Western Front

In Ypres sector Voormezeele is twice attacked by Germans without success.

Local fighting astride Ypres-Comines Canal.

Photo: The German Spring Offensive, March-july 1918 Operation Georgette. Infantry outpost in front of the 41st Division's line at Wieltje, 27 April 1918



Photo: The German Spring Offensive, March-july 1918 Operation Georgette. An outpost of the 41st Division at St. Jean on the Poelcappelle road, 27 April 1918



Caucasus campaign

Armenia: Turks report capture of Kars with 860 guns.

Mesopotamian campaign: British Strike North From Baghdad

The Russian exit from the war meant that the onus was on the British to prevent a Turkish advance into Persia. “Dunsterforce” was still quite small at this point, and Dunsterville was spending much of time negotiating with Persian locals and any remaining Russian troops to prepare for guerilla warfare. More direct action, however, could be taken by British forces in Mesopotamia. In late April, the British moved northeast from Baghdad to secure a route into northwest Persia, and to deprive the Turks of rich farmland in the area right before the yearly harvest.

The British hoped to use their large force of armored cars to their advantage, but heavy rain and sodden ground meant they could not be effectively used. Nevertheless, British cavalry was still for the most part very effective, and abundant water and fodder was available. By 9AM on April 27, after a day of determined fighting, the British had taken Kifri and Tuz Khurmatu. The War Office was eager to press on further into Kurdistan, to Kirkuk and Sulaymaniyah, hoping to force the Turkish to divert forces from their invasion of Transcaucasia.

United Kingdom

Announcement of Sir W. Weir's appointment as Secretary of State for Royal Air Force.

France

France announces that there will be three meatless days a week starting on May 15 due to limited supply and the need to feed arriving American soldiers.

Georgia

Independence of Georgia (Trans-Caucasia) declared by its Diet.

India

Important War Conference at Delhi.

Aerial operations: Mesopotamia moves

Out in Mesopotamia, the RAF has been assisting plans to drive the Turks from the the Tuz Khurmatli-Qara Tepe area.

On 25 April four aircraft from 72 Squadron RAF attacked Sinjabi tribesmen, who had allied with the Turks, forcing them to surrender. Other aircraft, unimpeded by the enemy surveyed the area across which the columns were to advance, and reported in particular about the suitability of the roads and rivers.

On the morning of the 26th the British columns began to advance, but air observers reported that that the Turks had a withdrawn from Qara Tepe towards Kifri. This turned out to be untrue, but the Turks did withdraw overnight.

Soon after dawn on the 27th Turkish troops who had abandoned the Abu Gharaib position were discovered from the air moving towards Kulawand, and they were subjected to air attacks by the Bristol monoplanes of 72 Squadron. A Force did then gather at Kulawand. The assault was hampered by the fact that air observers could see little as the trenches there had become so overgrown with grass that it was impossible to determine if they were occupied, It was not until about 1230 that British Forces were ready to assault. As the cavalry started forward the aeroplanes flew over the Turks, attacking them with bomb and machine-gun. When the horses broke into a charge, overriding many Turkish soldiers who had left their trenches to hold a dry water-course, success came quickly. Many enemy troops fled, taking advantage of the tangled nature of the country, and escaped into the hills to the north, but about 200 lay dead, and 565 were taken prisoner.

Despite the lack of enemy aircraft, Captain Frank Nuttall from 30 Squadron was wounded by ground fire. There is some dispute as to whether this occured on 26 or 27 April, or possibly both. The casualty card confusingly shows both. Nor is it clear what aircraft he was flying, 30 Squadron’s usual RE8s or a Martinsyde as suggested in some sources.

Naval operations: ship losses

AZIZEH (France) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (32°07′N 32°32′E) by SM UB-53 ( Kaiserliche Marine).

GRESHAM (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 18 nautical miles (33 km) north west by north of Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire (52°14′N 5°05′W) by SM U-91 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

NEMAAT KHEDA (France) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (32°07′N 32°32′E) by SM UB-53 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

ROMANY (United Kingdom) The tanker was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 47 nautical miles (87 km) west south west of Cape Spartivento, Italy by SM UB-48 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

WALPAS (Russia) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Irish Sea 15 nautical miles (28 km) west by nort of Bardsey Island, Pembrokeshire by SM U-91 ( Kaiserliche Marine).