Western Front
Unternehmen Michael/Second Battle of the Somme: Battle of Rosières phase (26th/27th). Germans advance on both side of Somme in night attack, reaching Sailly le Sec (12 miles from Amiens), but lose ground in British counter-attacks. Germans afterwards fail in attacks from Bucquoy to Rosieres and are checked near Lassigny and Noyon, but take Montdidier after rapid advance (see August 10th).
British XIX Corps takes 800 PoWs and holds firm by the Somme. In Allied center Germans capture Proyart, Morcourt and Lamotte-Warfusee and are 12 miles East of Amiens. Still a 10-mile gap between the British and French armies. Foch orders ‘
lose not another meter of ground!’ Dismounted cavalry halt key German thrust 11 miles east of Amiens as 3rd Australian Division (Monash) comes up.
BEF weekly officer casualties record 6,325 since March 21. Turning point in great offensive (by Crown Prince Rupprecht).
Assault of German infantry in the west:
https://ww2-weapons.com/diary-march...angriff-de-inf/
The Victoria Cross is posthumously awarded to 2nd Lieutenant A.A. McLeod of No.2 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. At 19 years old, he is the youngest airman to receive this award during the First World War, for action during a bombing mission over Bray-sur-Somme in France and for saving the life of his observer, Lieutenant A.W. Hammond, after being shot down in an Armstrong Whitworth FK8 (B5773).
JG 1 shoots down 13 Royal Flying Corps (RFC) planes (39 lost in all) over Albert (3 to Richthofen) without loss. Schlachtstaffeln attack 4 villages on Somme and Ancre. RFC drops record of 50t bombs and fires 313,345 MG rounds. On whole front Germans admit 6 losses for 34 Allied victims.
Map showing extend of German gains in the offensive. Perpendicular lines are today’s gains, diagonal is the previous day’s, and the bold line is the German positions on the 21st:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...347142413737984
Naval and Overseas Operations
North Sea: British destroyer HMS
Kale, as reported several days ago in connection with other operations, sunk by mine.
5 minelaying British destroyers sink 3 German armed trawlers (72 PoWs) 70 miles northwest of Heligoland Bight.
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Palestine: Allenby warned to stay on defensive and spare troops for France (9 Yeo regiments on March 26). Anzac Mounted Division attacks and temporarily isolates Amman, but second attack fails on March 28 as Turkish Fourth Army C-in-C Djemal Kuchuk takes over German-stiffened defense.