Western Front
95 days until the Armistice. The Western Allies “
Hundred Days Offensive” begins with the commencement of the Battles of Amiens and Montdidier.
Battle of Amiens begins (see 11th): Great Franco-British advance (British 4th and French 1st Armies) on Amiens front from Morlancourt to Montdidier. BEF Fourth Army, with French First Army (Moreuil captured with 3,150 PoWs and 161 guns), and 430 tanks (96 Whippets) attacks at 0420 hours on 15-mile front east of city. 5 German divisions routed (27,700 casualties including 15,565 PoWs from 11 divisions and 400 guns). Newly arrived Canadian Corps (3,868 casualties) advances 6 miles taking 12 villages; 5,033 PoWs and 161 guns; Australians (3,000 casualties) take 7 villages; 7,920 PoWs and 173 guns.
Battle of Montdidier begins (see 15th): General line advanced to Plessier-Rozainvillers, Beaucourt, Caix, Framerville, Chipilly, and west of Morlancourt.
The
‘BLACK DAY OF THE GERMAN ARMY’ IN THIS WAR (Ludendorff War Memoirs). From a German headquarters BEF obtain map of all Siegfriedstellung (‘Hindenburg Line’) dug-outs, emplacements, HQs, OPs, dumps, railheads, billets, balloon sheds and landing grounds between river Oise and Bellicourt. BEF loss under 9,000 soldiers and 109 tanks (8 to 1 anti-tank gun).
German soldiers taken PoWs on the ‘Black Day of the German Army’:
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Australian troops with a tank on the Western Front: © IWM (E(AUS) 3883):
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British Mark V tank at Lamotte-en-Santerre at the Battle of Amiens: © IWM (Q 106497):
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British troops with a large group of German prisoners at the Battle of Amiens: © IWM (Q 9195):
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German prisoners captured by the French at the Battle of Amiens:
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The opening day of the
Battle of Amiens sees the Royal Air Force and French Air Forces with approximately 1,900 aircraft available and opposed by only 365 German aircraft in this sector. Record losses of aircraft in 1914-18 air combat– 83 Allied plus another 52 RAF planes written off (90 casualties), 49 German during Battle of Amiens. Some German pilots (including Goering) 10 hours in air successfully defending Somme bridges (14 permanent) from 205 RAF sorties (12t bombs dropped). 9 RAF fighter squadrons drop 1,563 bombs and fire 122,150 MG rounds at ground targets (until August 9). RAF shoot down 9 German balloons, ace Beauchamp-Proctor shares in all these kills.
The Victoria Cross is awarded to Captain A.F.W. Beauchamp-Proctor, a South African of No.84 Squadron, Royal Air Force. His work was described as "almost unsurpassed in its brilliancy, and as such has made an impression on those serving in his squadron and those around him that will not be easily forgotten."
Remains of a German zeppelin brought down over England:
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Southern Front
Four No 139 Squadron Bristol Fighters destroy 2 of 3 Austrian Albatroses over Pergine airfield (east of Trent) during Emperor Charles’ visit.
Naval and Overseas Operations
Channel: Destroyer HMS
Opossum and minelayers depth charge and sink
UC-49 off Start Point near Plymouth. 6 Royal Navy destroyers lay first 234 magnetic mines off Dunkirk. Officially designated Sinker Mk1(M) they are prone to explode prematurely, but Germans never discover them.
Political, etc
United Kingdom: British Government inform Finnish Government that they are in no way hostile to Finnish aspirations on the Murman Coast and in Karelia.
Education Act receives Royal Assent.
Reply of Mr. Balfour in House of Commons to Pacifists.
United States: Women members of the New York Police Reserves practice targeting at airplanes with a Lewis machine gun:
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