Western Front
Champagne: Germans recapture trenches south-west of Butte de Mesnil, but fail in local attacks elsewhere in Champagne and near Reims.
Verdun: Big German raids at Haucourt and Seicheprey (Lorraine), the latter against Americans.
France: In March French Army receives first Renault FT-17 light tanks. The French FT-17 was the first tank to have a revolving turret and was designed in 1917:
https://i2.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...647-1.jpg?ssl=1
Read more at
https://ww2-weapons.com/diary-march...337GyFxbeUih.99
Britain: BEF strength 1,886,073 (including 293,264 Empire troops) plus 118,427 laborers and non-combatants.
Flanders: German trench raids, especially on Portuguese Sector near Neuve Chapelle (Portuguese counterattack succeeds on March 9).
Near Houtholst Forest, Belgium, English and Scottish troops raid and penetrate German lines to a depth of 1200 yards, taking 14 prisoners.
Artois-Somme: German final preparations (until March 14) begin with advance parties moving up until March 5.
Field Marshal Haig, the commander of the British Expeditionary Force, with General Currie, the commander of the Canadian Corps, on the Western Front:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...867188571598849
An automobile stuck under the rubble in Bethune, France: © IWM (Q 10708):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...897396985028608
Eastern Front
Germans occupy Polotsk, Bobruisk, Gomel and Mohilev (old STAVKA headquarter). During March 11 German divisions leave for Western Front.
Naval and Overseas Operations
H.M.S.
Calgarian, armed merchant cruiser, torpedoed and sunk off Irish coast; 21 officers, 46 men lost.
Atlantic: In March top all-time U-boat ace Lothar von Arnauld recalled from Mediterranean to command new U-cruiser U-139 in which he sinks another 6 ships worth 7,208t.
Mediterranean: During march average of 10 U-boats at Sea.
Channel: In March 29 U-boats transit through Dover Barrage (Coastal submarine
UB-54 lost on March 19).
Britain: Canadian physicist R W Boyle obtains echoes from Harwich submarine at 500 yards (inboard sets achieve up to 300 yards by Armistice).
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Palestine: Otto Liman orders XX Corps to recross river Jordan (March 3-4) plus 11th Div (from Armenia) down from Damascus. 38th Jewish Brigade lands in Egypt.
Mesopotamia: Ex-RNAS Armored Car Squadron lands at Basra to be Duncars (24 Austins).
Political, etc
Germany: German Army refuses to supply Bulgarian Army with munitions and clothing.
Russia: Robert Lockhart first sees Lenin, says Allied help acceptable against more German aggression. Trotsky cables Murmansk to accept ‘any and all (Allied) assistance’.
Turkey: Field Army (all fronts) only 200,000 strong. German Ambassador Count Johann von Bernstorff writes ‘Only Liman can pull off victory’.
United States: Woodrow Wilson approves Japanese action in Siberia, will send separate invitation until March 2 but rethinks on March 5.
Finland: Treaty of Peace and Amity signed between the Finnish Social Republic of Workmen and the Russian Federal Soviet Republic.
Switzerland: Fat and butter rationing cards.