8 May 1917
 

Western Front
Artois: 5th Bavarian Division (176+ guns supporting) recaptures Fresnoy at second attempt (until May 9).
Aisne: French storm and hold trenches near Chevreux (northeast of Craonne) despite counter-attacks.
A French soldier in the ruins of the village of La Ville-aux-Bois-les-Pontavert: © IWM (Q 78264): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...5149569/photo/1
Aerial picture of the German-French frontline during the Nivelle Offensive, which was France’s only major attack on the Western Front in 1917: https://i2.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...nsive.jpg?ssl=1

Southern Front
Salonika: Battle of the Doiran continued (until May 9): British night attack from 2200 hours again fails under Bulgarian searchlights between the lake and Petit Couronne but gains 500 yards on 2-mile front to west. British losses 1,861 soldiers; Bulgarian guns fire 28,874 shells.
Serbs seize useful points in Moglenitsa Valley.

Naval and Overseas Operations
North Sea: Destroyer HMS Milne rams and sinks UC-26 with all 26 crew members, in Thames estuary.

Political, etc
France: Special, 1927: French aviators*Charles Nungesser and François Coli aboard the biplane L'Oiseau Blanc, attempting to make the first non-stop transatlantic flight from Paris to New York, disappeared after takeoff.
United Kingdom: "Combing out" of munition workers begins.
Australia: Australian elections result in Nationalist majority in both Houses.

9 May 1917
 

Western Front
Aisne: NIVELLE OFFENSIVE ENDS: German counter-attacks fail at Chemin des Dames, Craonne and Goroeny. Although Nivelle promised to call off the attacks after 48 hours if they were not initially successful, and announced that he had done so between then and now, the wasteful procedures continued.
German soldiers throwing hand grenades out of the trench: https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...raben.jpg?ssl=1

Southern Front
Second phase of the First Battle of the Doiran ends (see April 24th, 1917 and September 18th, 1918).
Serbia: Allied attack in Crna loop and in Moglena Mountains (Serb Second Army captures Hill 1824): in former, Russian 2nd Brigade capture Orle village a mile into Bulgar lines but forced out with 50% losses, and French 16th Colonial Division seizes the Mamelon only to be driven back by German attacks; French losses 1,579 soldiers. Italians reach 1st line but retreat at night.

Naval and Overseas Operations
North Sea: U-19 sinks ship in British Scandinavian convoy east of Shetlands.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
T.E. Lawrence and Auda Abu Tayi leave Wedj to recruit a mobile camel force for attacks against the Ottomans.

Political, etc
Russia: Lenin publishes the essay “Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism”: http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/hals...mperialism.html
United Kingdom: Britain cancels its “meatless days” as it increased demand on other foodstuffs, particularly bread.
British Labour Party decides not to attend Stockholm Conference.
Mr. Henderson and deputation appointed to visit Russia.
Vote of Credit demanded for ₤500 millions; daily expenditure ₤5,600,000.

WWI was really a very fascinating period. Some of the slower pace than earlier ... but with much of the carnage we associate with WWII and beyond. You'd hope one of these days mankind would learn it's lesson. :(

10 May 1917
 

Western Front
France: 2nd Battle of the Aisne ends with 187,000 French casualties and 169,000 German losses. Discontent and mutiny spreads in French ranks.
Minor French success near Chevreux (Craonne).
Ribot cabinet decide to make Petain C-in-C but Nivelle refuses to go on May 11.
A church in the damaged town at Champs, France: © IWM (Q 78236): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...4846081/photo/1
Somme: Slight British advance on south bank of river Scarpe.
Men of the Canadian Expeditionary Force eating dinner at Berneville: © IWM (Q 5341): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...7484033/photo/1
Men of the Scottish Black Watch prepare for a “gas mask race” at a sports meeting in Bailleul-aux-Cornailles: © IWM (Q 5360): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...3407104/photo/1

Eastern Front
General Russki relieved of command on northern front by Provisional Government.

Southern Front
French and Venizelists take Bulgar-German position near the Lyumnitsa.
Two attacks on Krastali driven off by British.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Atlantic: First Allied general trade convoy (trial) sails (16 ships in 3 columns at 6 1/2 kts from Gibraltar with 5 escorts), reaches Plymouth unscathed on May 20 after 8 destroyers meet it 200 miles from Channel (May 18).
North Sea: German battlecruiser Hindenburg (launched August 1, 1915) joins High Seas Fleet.
British scouting force from Harwich chases 11 German destroyers into Zeebrugge.
Earl Curzon reveals British shipping losses during the war total 900,000 tons, but reassures that they can be replaced in sufficient numbers.

Political, etc
Russia: President of Duma (M. Rodzianko) affirms Russian loyalty to Allies.
United Kingdom: House of Commons secret session on U-boat menace until May 11. Unofficial strikes involve 160,000 engineers (including London bus drivers on May 13) against dilution on private work (until May 24). 8 strike leaders arrested (released on May 23 after Munitions Minister meets shop stewards on May 19).
Japan: In the Far Eastern Games, the Philippines association football team defeats the Japanese team 15-2, Japan’s biggest defeat in the sport.
United States: Major-General J. Pershing appointed to command United States Expeditionary Force (see June 8th).
The US commanders of the army and the navy: General Pershing (left) and Admiral Sims (right): https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...-Sims.jpg?ssl=1
French Marshal Joffre receives a ticker-tape parade as he visits New York City.
French sailor performing stunts on an anti-aircraft gun of the cruiser Amiral Aube, currently in New York City: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...9361152/photo/1
Italian war mission led by Enrico Arlotta arrives in New York City to begin talks with U.S. officials.
Greece: Plot to assassinate M. Venizelos discovered at Salonika.

11 May 1917
 

Western Front
Artois: Canadian 44th Brigade regains 300 yds of trenches west of Avion and holds it against repeated German 80th Reserve Division counter-attacks. British attack astride Scarpe captures Roeux (German division fails to retake it until May 14), British cavalry the Farm and Chemical Works.
Repulse of various local German attacks on ground gained by Allies (Arleux, Souchez river, Cerny, Craonne, etc.).

Eastern Front
Western Russia: German officers visit General Dragomirov’s North Front HQ at Dvinsk at his soldiers’ request but with little result. Prince Leopold’s follow-up letter suggesting armistice made a German leaflet (May 29).

Southern Front
French carry Srka di Legen (west of Lyumnitsa).
Serb raids on Moglena hills (Dobropolye), and north of Pozar.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Black Sea: Successful Russian submarine Morzh sails on last patrol, mined or sunk by air attack off Bosphorus.
Baltic: Russian Baltic Fleet Central committee meets as ‘Centrobalt’ at Helsinki.

Political, etc
Germany: Germany moves high-ranking French POWs near industrial areas targeted by Allied aeroplanes as reprisals for similar moves by France.
France: 10,000 Paris clothing workers strike (until May 23) against living costs.
United Kingdom: Appeal for men of 41-50 to volunteer, also coal economy.
Sir Edward Carson refuses to alter form of weekly shipping losses.
Japan: Japan promises to send its merchant ships and fast cruiser fleet to aid the Allies against German submarines.
United States: Onehundred twentyfive aliens arrested since 6 April. (Mostly Germans, and without charges). Some German citizens living in the USA are arrested by the New York police: https://i1.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...n-usa.jpg?ssl=1
Marshall Joffre inaugurating a memorial to La Fayette in Brooklyn: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...1326464/photo/1

I the photo of German citizens being arrested by NY police, I couldn't help but noticed that they were all in suits and everything was very orderly. Compare that with photos of today where you'd think every arrest was a bloody free-for-all with attorney's from the American Civil Liability Union are lining the streets waiting to take on new cases. How times have changed. :(

12 May 1917
 

Western Front
British storm most of Bullecourt, and Roeux trenches. German counter-attack fails. From another soruce, reported as: At the Arras battle, German troops armed with flamethrowers attack British lines in Bullecourt, but a counterattack drives them back.
French ace Nungesser shoots down 2 of 6 Albatros fighters over Douai.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo begins (see June 8th): Artillery activity on Julian front from Tolmino to the sea. Two-day Italian barrage begins at dawn on 25-mile front with 1,058 heavy and 1,320 field guns vs 1,400 Austrian pieces. General Capello gives Badoglio, aged 45, II Corps due to previous commander’s inadequate artillery preparation.
Italian heavy 305mm howitzer, known as a ‘heavy mortar on a De Stefano carriage’. This distinctive system featured four large solid iron wheels running on rails to absorb the recoil: https://i2.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...m-how.jpg?ssl=1
Italians bomb Prosecco (north of Trieste).

Naval and Overseas Operations
Heavy naval bombardment of Zeebrugge by Dover Division, etc. This was a failed attempt to close up the canals leading from the Flanders U-boat bases to the North sea. The British would make several other such attempts later in the war. 3 Dover Patrol monitors (total 6 x 15-inch guns), and with air cover among 41 ships, shell Zeebrugge for 73 minutes from 28.000 yards, for 1 hour but vital locks not hit although 19 of 250 shells land within 15 yards.
Mediterranean: 6 Australian destroyers (3 from Singapore) being sent to Mediterranean.

Political, etc
Austria-Hungary: AH Emperor Charles pleads Austrians to “hold on, & in this we shall doubtless be successful, through encountering great hardships.”
Russia: Russian socialists call for a world peace congress and demand the resignation of Foreign Minister Milyukov, who promised continuation of war.
France: A Committee of the French Chamber of Deputies submits a report recommending Germany be forced to pay a large indemnity after the war.
United Kingdom: Two new groups for attestation announced: 41 to 45, and 45 to 50. {ed note: “Attestation” in this case means, subject to possible (voluntary) call-up for national service.}
Britain announces all horses not needed for military or agricultural work will be put on rations after May 21.
Official figures show British food prices has risen by around 94% since the start of the war.
200,000 British weavers in northern England threaten to strike on May 26 if their pay is not raised.
India: Bombs and seditious leaflets seized in Calcutta.
Canada: Both Houses, Canadian Parliament, addressed by M. Viviani.
Minor Allies: Haitian Congress votes down a declaration of war against Germany, but adopts a resolution condemning Haitian deaths due to U-boats.

13 May 1917
 

Western Front
Flanders: General Sir Hubert Gough to command key northern wing of Ypres offensive.
Gough, the young ‘thruster’ put in charge of the opening offensive in Flanders: https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...Gough.jpg?ssl=1
Somme: British gains on ‘Greenland Hill’.
A horse jumping competition by the British 15th Division Horse Show at Liencourt near Arras: © IWM (Q 2127): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...6310529/photo/1
At the Arras Battle, British troops make further gains at Bullecourt and enters the commune of Rouex.
Champagne: German counter-attacks north of Reims and in Maisons de Champagne repulsed.
Ruined village of Fresnieres, France: © IWM (Q 78237): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...9796738/photo/1

Naval and Overseas Operations
U-boat sinks Spanish SS Carmen.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Mesopotamia: Russian detachments compelled to retire across Diala river towards Kifri.

Political, etc
Russia: War Minister Aleksandr Guchkov resigns, points out ‘There is a limit (to Army democratization) beyond which disintegration is bound to begin’.
General Lavr Kornilov, Commandant of Petrograd, also resigns.
Russian General Brusilov states the army is threatened by desertions & claims Germans tempted Russians to surrender with promises of vodka.
United Kingdom: Homes in London are fined £25-£50 for using too lavish of material and labor for decoration.
British Ministry of Munitions threatens to use force if striking munition workers do not return to work by Monday.
Canada: Marshal Joffre reviews garrison troops at Montreal; much enthusiasm.
United States: (Reported for yesterday): U.S. Senate votes 38 to 32 to ban the use of grain, sugar, and syrup for the production of liquor, but votes down full prohibition.
(Also reported for yesterday): U.S. House of Representatives votes 215 to 178 to allow former President Roosevelt to raise and lead a division to France.
Sweden: Socialist Conference opens at Stockholm.

14 May 1917
 

Western Front
British troops make further gains at the Arras Battle, taking all of the commune of Roeux and advance north of Gavrelle.
A French soldier operating a listening device to detect German aeroplanes: © IWM (Q 70881): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...2104064/photo/1
King Albert I of Belgium and British Field Marshal Haig inspecting men of the 5th Dragoon Guards. © IWM (Q 2162): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...4380032/photo/1
Strong German reconnaissances north-east of Vauxaillon (Soissons), west of Craonne, Berry au Bac and in Champagne.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Italian Gonzia Command and Third Army (28 divisions) vs Austrian Fifth Army (11 divisions). Italians attack at noon with main thrust north of Gorizia east of Plava, capturing Hill 383, and Zagora and Mt Santo. East of Gorizia Messina Brigade takes Hills 174 and 126 but forced out by heavy counter-attacks. Badoglio promoted Lieutenant-General (confirmed August 23).
Serbia: Serb Sumadija Division captures 2 spurs a mile from Mt Dobropolje.

Naval and Overseas Operations
German airship L-22 destroyed in North Sea by British warships. Another soruce says: Royal Navy Air Service ‘Large America’ H12 flying boat shoots down Zeppelin L-22 near Terschelling Light Vessel.
German submarine SM U-59 accidentally hits a German mine and sinks. 33 crew members are killed with 4 survivors.

Political, etc
Germany: First German tank (A7V) in workup trial at Mainz.
Russia: Petrograd Soviet proclamation appeals for end to fraternization. At STAVKA C-in-Cs discuss resigning en masse, decide to visit Petrograd. After the Russian revolution, the fraternities between German and Russian soldiers, who believed that the war had now come to an end, happens along the Eastern front: https://i2.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...erung.jpg?ssl=1
United Kingdom: King tours in industrial north. Merchant shipbuilding control reverts to Admiralty.
Sir John Jellicoe to be Chief of Naval Staff, Sir E. Geddes Controller.
British labour unrest; engineers on strike, ditto omnibuses in London, weavers in north threaten strike.
United States: Germans are banned from boarding any American ship heading to any Russian port.
U.S. Senate approves the Espionage Bill, which prohibits interference of the military and aiding the enemy, by a vote of 80 to 8. “Interference of the military” is quite vaguely defined, and the Espionage Act is widely used to suppress German-language newspapers & force striking workers back to work. Wikipedia has this to say:
“Among those charged with offences under the Act are German-American socialist congressman and newspaper editor Victor L. Berger, labor leader and four time Socialist Party of America candidate, Eugene V. Debs, anarchists Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman, former Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society president Joseph Franklin Rutherford, communists Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, Cablegate whistleblower Chelsea Manning, and National Security Agency (NSA) contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden. Rutherford's conviction was overturned on appeal.[1] Although the most controversial sections of the Act, a set of amendments commonly called the Sedition Act of 1918, were repealed on March 3, 1921, the original Espionage Act was left intact.[2] “ and “The Act also gave the Postmaster General authority to impound or to refuse to mail publications that he determined to be in violation of its prohibitions.” This part of the act was the most widely-used section used to suppress the German-Lanugage newspapers in circulation in 1917.

You get a feel from these reports how the stalemate of trench warfare (while not gone) is starting to crack a little and that the war is entering a final and climatic phase. Still a year and a half to go ... but the energy is picking up.

15 May 1917
 

Western Front
France: NIVELLE DISMISSED AND REPLACED BY PETAIN as Commander-in-Chief of French Northern and North-Eastern Groups of Armies. Petain assumes command on May 17. FOCH APPOINTED Chief of the French General Staff of French Ministry of War in Paris.
Artois: Heavy fighting round Bullecourt (British secure May 17, advance northeast on May 19).
Aisne: Heavy fighting on Chemin des Dames.
Meuse: French trench raids in the Woevre and in Lorraine.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Badoglio’s II Corps storms Mt Kuk (2004 ft) and Vodice ridge. Italians claim 4,021 PaWs so far, Austrians 2,000 on Carso.
Salonika: British 10th and 28th divisions capture 3 villages in 3 1/2 mile advance east of Struma on 9-mile front (until May 16), taking 89 PoWs from Bulgarian 7th Div, but prepare to withdraw to summer line from May 26.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Adriatic – Otranto Action (largest in Straits): 3 Austrian cruisers (including Horthy’s flagship Novara) and 2 destroyers with 13 aircraft and 3 U-boats support sink 2 destroyers (Italian Borea and French Boutefeu); 14 Royal Navy armed trawlers (72 PoWs) and damage 4 out of 47; 2 merchantmen plus 1 seaplane out of 13 aircraft. Vainly and chaotically pursued by Allies (21 ships) including cruisers Bristol and Dartmouth (latter torpedoed by UC-25 but eventually reaches Malta). New Italian flotilla leader Aquila disabled by shot through steam pipe. Horthy wounded and Novara taken in tow but operational again in 8 days.
Brindisi: Rear-Admiral Bolio superseded. Otranto Barrage restricted to daylight use.
U.S.A. destroyer-flotilla arrives in British waters.
British transport Cameronia torpedoed in Mediterranean, 140 men lost.

Political, etc
Sweden: German Socialists are refused passports for Stockholm.
Spain: (Special, 1793): Inventor Diego Marín Aguilera, the "father of aviation" in Spain, flew one of the first gliders for about 300 yd (270m).

16 May 1917
 

Western Front
Artois: Battles of Arras end BEF has regained 61 sq miles, taken 20,834 PoWs and 252 guns in 38 days. British repulse counter-attacks north of Gavrelle.
British hold on Siegfried line, north-east of Bullecourt, extended.
King Albert I of Belgium inspecting Australian troops in the ruined town of Albert, France: © IWM (Q 3125: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...8623233/photo/1
French make appreciable advance east of Craonne.
French soldier reading a map of the area of Mont Sans Nom: © IWM (Q 78893): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...7503488/photo/1

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Italians claim 4,021 prisoners in last two days' advance in Carso and on Vodice. Austrians claim 2,000 prisoners in the Carso.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Adriatic: Austrian U-5 mined and sunk off Pola but raised and reused.
General Van Deventer succeeds General Hoskins in East Africa.

Political, etc
Austria-Hungary: CoS Arz (to Czernin) believes Russian Army collapse will obviate need for armistice talks.
Germany: German Chancellor indicates lines of peace with Russia.
Russia: Cabinet reshuffle admits 6 Petrograd Soviet Menshevik members. M. Aleksandr Kerenski succeeds General Aleksandr Guchkov as Russian Minister for War (see March 15th and November 8th). M. Mikhail Tereshchenko succeeds M. Pavel Milyukov as Russian Foreign minister (see March 15th and November 8th). Kerensky, as War Minister is visited at Petrograd by all the C-in-Cs.
Trotsky arrives in Petrograd (from April 3 internment in Canada). Lev Davidovich Bronstein, called Trotsky: https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...otzki.jpg?ssl=1
France: (Listed for yesterday): 2000 French women clothing workers go on strike in Paris, calling for increased pay and a 5-day workweek. Strike spreads to other industries.
United Kingdom: Suffrage bill is introduced in the House of Commons to give women over the age of 30 the right to vote.
Mr. Lloyd George proposes Home Rule (for Ireland) at once and suggests Convention.
United States: Aircraft Production Board set up.
A “portable hospital” designed by the Rockefeller Institute for use near the front is revealed: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...6490240/photo/1

17 May 1917
 

Western Front
France: Belgian King Albert tours British Somme, Aisne and Arras battlefields. Petain’s Directive No.1 rejects breakthrough aim ‘for the moment.’ King Albert I inspecting a Belgian heavy artillery armored train near Saint-Pol: © IWM (Q 2202): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...7903746/photo/1
French Army Mutinies: On 16–17 May, there were disturbances in a Chasseur battalion of the 127th Division and a regiment of the 18th Division. Two days later a battalion of the 166th Division staged a demonstration and on 20 May the 128th Regiment of the 3rd Division and the 66th Regiment of the 18th Division refused orders; individual incidents of insubordination occurred in the 17th Division. Over the next two days spokesmen were elected in two regiments of the 69th Division to petition for an end to the offensive. By 28 May mutinies broke out in the 9th Division, 158th Division, 5th Division and 1st Cavalry Division. By the end of May more units of the 5th, 6th, 13th, 35th, 43rd, 62nd, 77th and 170th divisions mutinied and revolts occurred in 21 divisions in May. A record 27,000 French soldiers deserted in 1917; the offensive was suspended on 9 May.

Eastern Front
Intense Central Powers’ fire on Russian trenches near Kukhary (Kovel).

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Italians hold gains with British 6-inch howitzer help despite repeated Austrian counter-attacks. Cadorna orders medium and heavy artillery fire only for attacks or enemy counter-attacks due to shell shortage, guns being moved south to Carso.
Italian troops take the town of Duino on the Adriatic coast, and claim total Austro-Hungarian prisoners taken reach 4,021.
Behind the Austro-Hungarian lines potatoes are peeled: https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...aelen.jpg?ssl=1
Serbia: Last French attacks in Crna bend and north of Monastir fail against German counter-attacks with 1,113 casualties. Serrail fails to get Serb First Army (Misic) into action.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Picture of an Arab fighter riding a camel taken by T.E. Lawrence: © IWM (Q 59183): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...9425280/photo/1
Kurds attack Russian rear near Khanikan.
Mesopotamian Commission's report presented.

Political, etc
Germany: Austro-German Kreuznach Agreement (until May 18): Austria to get Balkans territory for letting Germany have Poland and Baltic gains (Czernin’s peace effort thwarted).
United Kingdom: The British Admiralty appoint a Committee, in conjunction with the Ministry of Shipping, to draw up a plan to convoy merchant ships (see June 14th and July 2nd). [ed note: there is a lot of controversy surrounding this decision. Lloyd George claims it was as a result of a visit to Whitehall; others in Parliament claims it was the result obtained following on a Cabinet decision; the records seem to show that the decision to appoint such a committee was taken by the Admiralty a few days to a week prior to Lloyd George’s visit to Whitehall.]
(Listed for yesterday): Philip Snowden, Socialist Member of Parliament, declares if peace does not come soon, Allied countries will be threatened by revolution.
British Director of Food Economy defends the continued brewing of beer in the country, stating it counts as food and is necessary.
Annual meetings of Imperial Cabinet announced.
Serbia: Radomir Putnik, former Serbian Field Marshal and Chief of the General Staff, passed away: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...8138880/photo/1
United States: U.S. National Confectioners’ Association adopts a resolution proposing a 2-cent coin, as “penny candy goods” have risen in cost.
U.S. Secretary of War says that due to the lack of supplies, the U.S. will not be able to mobilize 500,000 men until September 1st. [Ed Note: remember the “wild promises” mentioned earlier ?]
U.S.A. Minister in Belgium issues damning report on German deportations.
Minor Allies: Honduras severs diplomatic relations with Germany (see July 19th, 1918).

18 May 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: A battalion of the 166th Division staged a protest demonstration against further futile offensives.
France: Haig meets Petain at Amiens, latter says British Flanders plans too ambitious, former’s diary finds Petain ‘businesslike, knowledgeable and brief of speech’.
British officers training on horseback near Arras: © IWM (Q 2155): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...9606784/photo/1
Aisne: French easily repulse slight attacks on Chemin des Dames California plateau (until May 19). Germans regain 200 yards on May 20.
Artillery activity near Fresnoy.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Italians extend their hold on Vodice and Hill 652.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Mesopotamia: 918 British river craft and 148 on order from India.
Palestine: EEF begins offensive patrols in Gaza sector.


Political, etc
Russia: The Duma urges loyalty to Allies on Provisional Government.
United Kingdom: John Buchan reports on poor ‘public feeling’, urges more domestic propaganda. Cabinet agrees on May 22 to a campaign to ‘counter-attack the pacifist movement’.
Several labour leaders in Sheffield, England are arrested under the Defense of Realm Act for organizing a strike in defiance of their unions.
United States: Selective Conscription Act for men aged 21-31. 500,000 to be mustered in September. A blindfolded volunteer draws out the assigned numbers of some of those Americans to fight on the Western Front: https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...n-act.jpg?ssl=1
US Base Hospital No 4 (243 staff) reaches Britain (first US soldiers to do so).
Minor Allies: Nicaragua severs diplomatic relations with Germany (see May 8th, 1918).

19 May 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: Several mutinies a day now reported in French Army. When Nivelle’s offensive yielded only a few miles of ground at a cost of 200,000 casulaties the grumble became a mutiny in the French Army: https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...umble.jpg?ssl=1
German attack French trenches along the Chemin des Dames with flamethrowers and gain ground.
British soldiers salvaging a statue head from the ruins of the Chateau at Caulaincourt: © IWM (Q 2252): https://t.co/zQH39qGtVp
German prisoners are made to reassemble captured German guns for the Allies: https://t.co/OpP6w35QSo
British push forward beyond Bullecourt.

Eastern Front
Russian Army at the front remains passive.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Italians evacuate temporary Bodrez Isonzo bridgehead and repulse Austrian night attack on Vodice (night May 19-20).

Naval and Overseas Operations
Baltic: 4 Russian submarines sail from Reval on year’s first patrol, Bars sunk on May 28 either mined or depth charged off Norrkoeping, Sweden. Second group also has no success. Kerensky speaks at Helsinki naval base (May 23).

Political, etc
Russia: Russian Provisional Government issue declaration repudiating a separate peace but general one to be without annexations or sanctions.
United Kingdom: Settlement with Amalgamated Society of Engineers agreed on.
United States: United States Government announce decision to send a Division of the United States Army to France at once (see June 25th).
Former President Roosevelt asks the White House for permission to raise 2 divisions to fight in Europe.

20 May 1917
 

Western Front
Champagne: French take 500 PoWs in Moronvilliers sector (other minor successes on May 21 and 25).
End of Second Battle of the Aisne.
Artois: BEF Fifth Army actions on Siegfriedstellung (Hindenburg Line) (until May 31), British 33rd Division captures whole first line north of Bullecourt.
British force line near Fontaine-lez-Croisilles.
Australian dispatch rider on a motorcycle carrying a basket holding carrier pigeons: © IWM (E(AUS) 646): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...6786816/photo/1
Germans gain 200 yards north-east of Cerny.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Austrian “attacks” on the Carso beaten off.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Germany: Kaiser finally orders German Navy to regard US warships in blockaded zone as hostile (U-boats told to stay 4 miles off Spanish coast on May 29).
Western Mediterranean: Italian-built Russian submarine Svyatoi Georgi commissioned at Spezia, sails 5,000 miles (June-September) to join Arctic Ocean Flotilla.
A flying boat of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) destroys the first hostile submarine to be sunk by an aircraft without any form of assistance. A 'Large America' flying boat flown by Flight Sub-Lieutenant C.R. Morrish, Royal Naval Air Service, on a 'Spider Web' patrol from Felixstowe sighted and attacked the German submarine UC-36 on the surface near the North Hinder Light Ship. Destruction of the submarine was confirmed in January 1919. Another source claims: two other attacks during May. But UC-36 actually lost on May 17 or 18 off Isle of Wight, probably to mine.

Political, etc
Russia: Kerensky begins visiting units. Aleksandr Kerensky (left) takes a salute at a military parade: https://i1.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...arade.jpg?ssl=1
Brawl between Russian and Royal Navy armored car unit at Tiraspol (Bessarabia), 1 killed on each side.
Russian Provisional Government declares it will not annex new territory, but will still fight to free occupied areas.
United Kingdom: Parliamentary committee report warns that “industrial fatigue” among British workers due to war conditions threatens production.
Canada: Conscription bill in Canada announced and well received.
Serbia: Serbian Govermnent-in-Exile transferred from Corfu to Salonika (see February 9th, 1916 and December 9th, 1918).
United States: President Wilson refuses former President Roosevelt’s request to personally raise troops to fight in Europe. The only way this could have been fulfilled was by taking arms & supplies needed by the regular Army.
U.S.A. Division to start at once for France under General Pershing.

21 May 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: The 128th Regiment of the 3rd Division and the 66th Regiment of the 18th Division refused orders; individual incidents of insubordination occurred in the 17th Division. Even in regiments where there was direct confrontation, such as the 74th Infantry Regiment, the men did not harm their officers; they simply refused to return to the trenches. Most mutineers were veterans who did not refuse to fight but wanted the military authorities to be more attentive to the realities of modern war.
Artois: British now hold advanced line of Hindenburg Line from Bullecourt to 1 mile east of Arras (with a 2,000-yard gap) and make gains on Fontaine-les-Croisilles.
Flanders: British Messines Ridge bombardment begins with 144,000t of shells brought up since March. 2,250 guns fire 3,258,000 shells until June 7.
Preparing a British 12-inch BL Siege Howitzer for action with a lot of shells: https://i2.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...e-how.jpg?ssl=1
British troops now control 11 miles of the Hindenburg line, bar 2000 yards of trenches still held by the Germans.
Canadian soldier inside the breach of a big howitzer: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...0007168/photo/1
French claim great success on Moronvilliers ridge and ground held.
Activity on California Plateau and near Craonne.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Italians foil Austrian Tavignolo valley attacks.
Macedonia: At Serbian request Sarrail ends Allied spring offensive after 14,000 casualties for minimal gains.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Yet another claim about UC-36: German submarine UC-36, which sunk 22 merchant ships and 2 warships, is rammed and sunk by a French steamer.
East Africa: Max Wintgens (disabled by typhus, captured by Belgian 6th Battalion and allowed to keep sword, May 23) hands over to Lieutenant Naumann 469 German troops with 2 guns and 12 MGs. They cross Central Railway west of Malongwe 2 miles from 4th Nigerian Battalion on May 26.

Political, etc
USA to France: (Special, 1927): Aboard the Spirit of St. Louis, American aviator Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo non-stop transatlantic flight, flying from Roosevelt Field near New York City to Paris–Le Bourget Airport.
Germany: Berlin residents are warned that the government may not be able to fulfill potato rations. Pork will only be sold on Thursday.
Russia: M. Albert Thomas, French Minister of Munitions, speaks with effect in Moscow.
France: French Parliamentary investigations are announced over the disappointing results of the offensives at the Aisne and Champagne fronts.
United Kingdom: British govt says grain stocks will last for 12 weeks, which is long enough for the harvest, but warns against any increase in consumptions.
Female workers unloading boxes of artillery shells at a depot in Newbury: © IWM (Q 110256): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...6348160/photo/1
Premier Lloyd George proposes in Parliament a constitutional convention for Ireland to decide its fate.
Debate in House of Commons on proposed Irish Convention.
Portugal: Members of the Portuguese Expeditionary Force having fun for the camera: © IWM (IWM FLM 2370): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...9352066/photo/1
United States: A fire devastates large parts of Atlanta, Georgia, destroying 1900 buildings and displacing 10,000 people.
Cuba: Inauguration of Mario García Menocal for his 2nd term as President of Cuba: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...0440576/photo/1

22 May 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: In Soissons, Villers-Cotterêts, Fère-en-Tardenois and Cœuvres-et-Valsery, troops refused to obey their officers' orders or to go to the front.
Confused fighting on Arras front; successful French actions on the River Aisne front. French troops on the Champagne front repel three attacks by the Germans and claim the capture of 1000 prisoners during the assaults.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Italians frustrate Austro-Hungarian attacks in Travignolo valley.
Macedonia: Battle of the Vardar ends (see 5th).

Naval and Overseas Operations
Eastern Mediterranean: British Malta-Alexandria convoys begin (4 ships with 4 escort trawlers, only 2 ships lost until July 16).

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Demolition of 13 miles of Hejaz Railway by Anzac Mounted Brigade and Camel Corps.


Political, etc
Austria-Hungary: Prime minister Count Tisza of Hungary resigns at Emperor’s bidding.
Russia: Kerensky demands CoS Alexeiev resignation, replaces him with Brusilov. Alexej Brusilov headed the successful Russian offensive in 1916, which was named after him: https://i2.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...silow.jpg?ssl=1
France: Premier Ribot announces French war aims: the assurance of lasting peace, “restoration” of Alsace-Lorraine, & reparations from Germany. Premier Ribot also states that during the recent French offensives “there were some excessive hopes and some errors of execution…”
United Kingdom: Postwar shortage of 500,000 houses estimated. Brigade-General Nash succeeds Sir E Geddes as Inspector-General Transportation.
American Red Cross contingent arrives in London: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...1456900/photo/1
United States: Former President Roosevelt states he will do “everything” in his power to help Liberty Loans, which will fund the U.S. war effort.
In what is described as a “carnival” atmosphere, 5000 people in Memphis, Tennessee lynch Ell Persons, who was accused of rape & murder.
China: Crisis in China; President replaces Tuan-chi-jui by Wu Ting Fang, as Prime Minister.
Brazil: President Brás of Brazil urges the Brazilian Congress to give up neutrality due to Germany’s submarine warfare.

23 May 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: No additional developments today; previous protests and insubordination continue.
6 German Navy airships fly against London but nearest 40 miles away; (1 fatal casualty to 60 scattered bombs) (night May 23/24). 76 defence sorties only sight 1 Zeppelin, and 1 plane of Royal Navy Air Service failed to return.
Germans make early attack on Vauclere Plateau (Craonne), ‘heavily’ repulsed.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: From Kostanjevica to sea aided by 60 British guns and Royal Navy monitors begins with 6-hour barrage from 0600 hours, attack at 1600 hours with 130 aircraft in close support. Four hills stormed. Austrian attacks beaten off on May 24. An Italian military photographer pictures the events at the front: https://i1.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...ograf.jpg?ssl=1
Gabriele D’Annunzio flies in aircraft over Carso, wins third Silver Medal, promoted Major on September 29.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Palestine: Demonstration and raid by mounted troops on Bir-es-Saba.

Political, etc
France: Return to France of Marshal Joffre and M. Viviani from U.S.A.
United Kingdom: M. Aleksandr Isvolski appointed Ambassador in London (subsequently cancelled).

24 May 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: In 1967, Guy Pedroncini examined French military archives, discovering that by the end of May, 49 infantry divisions were destabilized and experienced repeated episodes of mutiny. Of the 49, nine divisions were gravely affected by mutinous behavior; fifteen were seriously affected and twenty five divisions were affected by isolated but repeated instances of mutinous behavior. As the French Army comprised 113 infantry divisions by the end of 1917, 43% had been affected.
French line round Craonne improved.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Italian troops at the Isonzo Battle advance on a 10-mile front, taking several towns and claim 9000 Austro-Hungarian prisoners.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Atlantic: First homeward-bound British transatlantic convoy sails from Hampton Roads, Virginia, USA, arrives safely despite fog and rough seas, 1 straggler lost to U-boat (4 convoys follow in June with 60 ships, no losses).
A convoy of merchant ships which is escorted by warships crosses the Atlantic. With the introduction of the convoy system, the rate of sunken merchant ships drops while the sunken submarines are rising: https://i1.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...hiffe.jpg?ssl=1
First U-cruiser patrol (2 5.9in-guns and 18 torpedoes) begins: U-155 (Kptlt Karl Meusel) sinks 10 steamers and 7 sailing ships in 104 days or 52,000t (until September 4) on 10,220-mile voyage, longest yet.
Adriatic: French submarine Circe torpedoes and sinks UC-24 off Cattaro, one of the few (possibly only) kills by a French submarine in the war. Two Royal Navy monitors shell Prosecco crossroads and airfield near Trieste despite Austrian seaplane attacks (1 bomb hit, 1 shot down).

Political, etc
England to Australia: (Special, 1930): English aviatrix Amy Johnson landed in Darwin, Northern Territory, becoming the first woman to successfully fly from England to Australia.
Russia: Kerensky’s Declaration of the Rights of Soldiers (published on May 27).
Russian Provisional Government announces it has raised 145 million Rubles through its “Liberty” loan.
United Kingdom: Mr. Bonar Law on German finance.
United States: Prince Udine’s Italian War Mission sees Wilson (landed New York on May 9-10): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...6916100/photo/1
Harry Lane, Oregon Senator who supported women’s suffrage and Native American rights and voted against entering the war, passed away: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...3204864/photo/1
U.S. House of Representatives approves a $1.857 billion war tax bill by a vote of 329 to 76.
U.S. government bans its citizens from attending the Socialist conference in Stockholm and warns “heavy punishment” for those who still go.
Madagascar: Ranavalona III, the deposed Queen and last sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar, passed away: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...6520448/photo/1

25 May 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: No additional developments today; previous protests and insubordination continue.
Great Britain: TheGerman Air Corps mounts its first large-scale daylight raid on Britain (Kent and Folkestone) to cause heavy casualties. Twentythree Gotha bombers of Kagohl 3 are despatched to attack London, but two are forced to turn back over the North Sea due to mechanical difficulties. Poor weather forced the attacking force to turn away from the capital and seek targets further south. The main attack is carried out against the Channel port of Folkestone and the nearby Army camp at Shorncliffe. 95 deaths and 195 other casualties, over half civilians (see December 21st, 1914 and July 20th and August 5th, 1918) result from the raid, mostly in the Folkestone area. While returning from the raid, the Gothas are engaged near the Belgian coast by nine Sopwith Pups of No.4 and No.9 Squadrons, Royal Naval Air Service, based at Dunkirk and one Gotha bomber is shot down. Bombs in position under the fuselage and wing of a Gotha bomber prior to a mission against London: https://i2.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...Gotha.jpg?ssl=1
Home Defence Group allotted 20 extra fighters.
Georges Guynemer achieves 4 kills in one day (total 45).
The devastated street of Croisilles, France: © IWM (Q 2254): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...9254401/photo/1
French colonial troops of the Madagascar Regiment working on reconstructing the ruins Chavignon: © IWM (Q 78883): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...5860609/photo/1
British advance towards Fontaine-lez-Croiselles.
German success near Braye (Chemin des Dames); French success round Mt. Cornillet (Moronvilliers).

Eastern Front
Russia: Kerensky’s Order for the Offensive of the Army and Fleet declares exhorts ‘Without discipline there can be no safety’.
Bukovina: Kornilov takes over Russian Eighth Army from Kaledin.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Italians take two villages and clear Hudi Log salient, and claim 2,000 PoWs. Italian troops in their trenches on the Isonzo front waiting for the order to go over the top: © IWM (Q 114388): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...9722112/photo/1

Naval and Overseas Operations
Atlantic: U-boat sinks Armed Merchant Cruiser Hilary (4 lifes lost).

Political, etc
United Kingdom: British government ends all financial speculations on food in order to prevent rising food costs. Mr. Lloyd George issues statement re: submarine menace and food supplies.
Canada: Anti-conscription parade in Montreal’s Victoria Square: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...1370880/photo/1
Ireland: (listed for yesterday): Sinn Fein demands the right for Ireland to secede from Britain and better treatment for prisoners captured during the Easter Rising.
Italy: (listed for yesterday): Italy observes the 3rd year since it entered the war.
United States: An American Red Cross course at Teachers College, demonstrating how to bandage the head and leg: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...3225601/photo/1
U.S. government criticizes businesses that fire immigrant employees based on their citizenship, as it violates “national good sense.”

26 May 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: No additional developments today; previous protests and insubordination continue.
France: FIRST US TROOPS DISEMBARK (1,308 US soldiers by May 31). A group of American soldiers on their arrival in France: https://i1.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...nce-1.jpg?ssl=1
Champagne: Three German counter-attacks fail. However, At Chemins-des-Dames, German troops capture French positions, taking 544 prisoners and 15 machine guns. \
(listed for yesterday): Karl Emil Schäfer, German fighter ace with 30 confirmed victories, is shot down and killed in action: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...3151105/photo/1
A tent being used as a telephone exchange near Albert: © IWM (Q 2243): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...4663168/photo/1
British troops clearing rubble around a statue of the Virgin Mary at Montauban: © IWM (Q 2240): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...9730560/photo/1

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Italian 4th Division occupies ruins of Kostanjevica village but Austrian guns force evacuation. Italians capture 10 guns and reach river Timavo taking 800 PoWs but Hill 28 (Major Randaccio dies in poet D’Annunzio’s arms) not secured (until May 27).

Naval and Overseas Operations
Western Mediterranean: British hospital ship Dover Castle (7 lost) sunk by UC-67 (Neumann) off Algeria, but destroyer escort gets wounded off. (Neumann acquitted at June 1921 Leipzig War Crimes Trial on higher orders defence.)
Channel: Heinkel designed Brandenburg seaplane fighters shoot down a formation of 4 French Navy FBA flying boats.

Political, etc
France: French Minister of Marine states Germans have sunk 2,400,000 tons in first four months.
Canada: Mr. Balfour arrives in Canada.
Belgium: German occupation of Belgium raises the monthly war tax from 50 million marks to 60 million marks.
United States: Japanese immigration to the U.S. increases due to the need for laborers at farms, caused by food shortages.
A tornado in Charleston and Mattoon, Illinois kills 101 people. 10 pother people are also killed by different tornadoes: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...3353220/photo/1
Brazil: Brazil annuls its neutrality decree.

Amazing ... and that's when ships of 10,000 tons were considered pretty big. Not like today when there are ships well over 100,000 tons.

27 May 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: French 18th Infantry Regiment’s 2nd Battalion (844 casualties from May 4-8) mutinies at Villers sur Fare (until May 28), 12 court-martialled, 5 sentenced to death, 3 executed. Worst disorders at Fare-en-Tardenois rail station (until May 28) as mutineers try to reach Paris. From mid-May the militant ‘midinettes’ (Parisian working-girls) paraded the Paris boulevards and demonstrations and strikes became frequent, while sympathizing troops joined in the anti-war campaign: https://i1.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...ettes.jpg?ssl=1
Skirmishing on Champagne, Verdun and Alsace fronts.
A shell bursting just meters away from a British dressing station on the Western Front: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...8224896/photo/1
British troops playing cards even as a shell lands in the background: © IWM (Q 2259): https://t.co/3INewwbmI9
British, French, and Belgian aeroplanes bombard German defenses on the Belgian coast at Heist, Blackenberge, and Zeebrugge.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Italian troops capture the village of San Giovanni from Austria-Hungary and cross the Timavo River, lose and regain Hill 126, east of Gorizia. Austro-Hungarians claim 13,000 prisoners.
Macedonia: 10 Royal Navy Air Service and Royal Flying Corps aircraft destroyed in hangar explosion at Marian airfield, 9 casualties. Disaster kept secret for many weeks.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Germans threaten to sink at sight all hospital ships in Mediterranean.

Political, etc
Germany: Official statistics show German birthrates in the 26 largest German cities have dropped by 38.3% since 1914.
Announced that 600 German daily papers ceased publication since beginning of war
Russia: Reported that 30,000 deserters pass through Kiev daily.
United States: Children at an “Americanization” rally in New York City: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...8638724/photo/1

28 May 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: Mutinies broke out in the 9th Division, 158th Division, 5th Division and 1st Cavalry Division.
Aisne: Unsuccessful German attack near Hurtebise.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Italian guns within 10 miles of Trieste. Cadorna orders preparations for summer Isonzo offensive. Austro-Hungarian counter-stroke on Carso regains little.
In Plava sector Italians drive Austro-Hungarians to end of Globna valley. Claim nearly 24,000 prisoners in last fortnight.
A Italian trench on the Carso. The Carso plateau, a howling wilderness of stones, sharp as knives, had eventually been taken by the Italians for a terrifying loss of lives and of morale: https://i1.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...carso.jpg?ssl=1

Political, etc
France: French Socialists decide to attend Stockholm Conference.
MM. Ribot, Cambon, Painleve, and General Foch's agreement with War Cabinet in London.
United Kingdom: Anglo-French Conference assembles in London to discuss the deposition of King Constantine of Greece and the occupation of Athens and Thessaly (continued on 29th) (see June 11th).
British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour declares British Empire had “staked its last dollar on democracy.”
Canada: Mr. Balfour's remarkable reception at Toronto University.
Serbia: Serbians, Montenegrins, and other Yugoslavians in Entente countries voice opposition to Italy’s move to control the Adriatic coast.
United States: More than 20 Americans have been arrested for opposing the draft, with antiwar demonstrations occurring in several U.S. cities.
Race riots begin in East St. Louis, with several deaths & 1,500 African Americans driven away after Whites set fire to their homes.
China: Li Jingxi is approved as the new Premier of the Chinse Republic: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...8324097/photo/1
Brazil: Brazilian Congress votes 136 to 3 in the first reading of a measure to end Brazilian neutrality in the war.

29 May 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: 80 mutinous incidents until June 10.
Near St. Quentin and in Champagne heavy artillery and small patrol actions.
French listening post in a tunnel, to determine mine works of the Germans: https://i2.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...ollen.jpg?ssl=1

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Italians win trenches near Medeazza (southern Carso).
Austro-Hungarian attacks on Vodice fail.
Fighting diminishing after maximum 4,500 yard Italian advance on Carso claims 16,000 PoWs plus 6,000 in Gorizia zone.

Naval and Overseas Operations
The first British air sea rescue occurs when two seaplane crew are rescued from North Sea by Flight Commander L. Gordon and Flight Lieutenant G. Hodgson in flying boat.
French liner Yarra torpedoed in Mediterranean: 56 lost.
H.M.S. Hilary sunk, 4 lost.
Black Sea: Russo-Rumanian naval coastal raid with 2 cruisers, 2 torpedo boats and 1 subchaser on Anatolia, sinks or captures over 50 sailing craft during shelling of four ports including Samsun and Sinope until May 30.

Political, etc
Germany: Kaiser Wilhelm states the British “fight only to increase their power and don’t inquire where the right may be.”
Russia: The Petrograd Soviet refuses to accept the war aims of the Allies, pointing to British oppression of Ireland.
United Kingdom: Mr. A. Henderson goes to Russia on special Mission.
Mr. Balfour addresses Canadian Parliament in French and English.
Turkey: Vossuq ed Douleh, Persian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, resigns (see August 29th, 1916, June 6th, 1917, and August 7th, 1918).
United States: Attorney General Gregory instructs U.S. attorneys and marshals to use their utmost effort to arrest and prosecute anti-draft activists.
U.S. exports in the past 12 months reach a record of $6 billion, $2 billion more than last year, largely due to demand in Allied countries.
Women in the motor corps of the National League of Women’s Service taking an oath of allegiance to the U.S.: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...5529473/photo/1
John F. Kennedy is born in Brookline, Massachusetts to Joseph Patrick Kennedy and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald Kennedy.

30 May 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: By the end of May more units of the 5th, 6th, 13th, 35th, 43rd, 62nd, 77th and 170th divisions mutinied and revolts occurred in 21 divisions in May.
Champagne: Heavy German attacks on Moronvilliers Massif fail (until May 31).
British troops marching through Arras after the Battle of Bullecourt: © IWM (Q 3873): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...8734848/photo/1

Southern Front
Austrians reported asking for German aid for Trieste.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Allied and neutral shipping losses: 285 ships of 589,603t (German U-boat official history figure 616,316t including 170,626t in Mediterranean). Record of 7 U-boats lost, only 5 comissioned. UC-65 (Otto Steinbrinck) has sunk 72,311t and damaged 51,452t since February 1. Sixtythree Q-ships operating in Home Waters.
A French freighter sinks after the attack of a German U-boat: https://i1.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...sinkt.jpg?ssl=1
During May Room 40 finally incorporated into Admiralty Naval Intelligence Division as Section 25 under Commander William ‘Bubbles’ James.
East Africa: General van Deventer succeeds General Hoskins in command of British forces in East Africa (see January 20th).
German forces break south from Rufiji towards Portuguese territory.

Political, etc
Austria-Hungary: Reichsrat meets for first time since March 1914; Polish representatives declare for independence, Serbs, Croats and Slovenes form ‘Yugoslav Parliamentary Club’.
Germany: German Socialists declare they do not support annexation or indemnities, but demand the independence of Finland and Russian Poland.
Russia: Russian Provisional Government considers seizing private property as the state fails to raise enough money through loans.
United Kingdom: British Board of Trade takes control of all tobacco supplies due to shortage of supply.
United States: U.S. officials report young American men are crossing into Mexico daily to escape conscription.
Junior naval scouts on the “U.S.S. Recruit,” a model battleship built in Union Square in New York City for Memorial Day: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...9589377/photo/1
Sweden: Soviet announces International Conference at Stockholm.

31 May 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: Mutiny in French 77th Infantry Division (until June 6): 150 men of 157th Light Infantry Brigade and 97th Infantry Regiment detained and disarmed. In almost unique incident light infantry of 60th Brigade refuse to move into line to support Moroccan Division, disciplinary measures taken. Ashworth wrote that the mutinies were "widespread and persistent" and involved more than half the divisions in the French army.
Artillery action in Ypres and Wytschaete salients.
Violent German attacks on Moronvilliers massif fail.
Allies make the utterly fantastical claim of 442 German to 271 Allied aeroplanes brought down in May. Especially in light of the accounting from another source, which says: Royal Flying Corps casualties since April 27 are 361.
British 8-inch howitzer in action at Wagonlieu: © IWM (Q 2297): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...1939585/photo/1
Men of the Canadian Forestry Corps loading timber at Conches-en-Ouche: © IWM (Q 2343): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...0704513/photo/1
Official British casualties for May lists 114,118 men killed, wounded, and missing.
Britain: CIGS chairs home air defence conference, 24 trained anti-aircraft observers to be transferred from France to serve in lightships, but Field Marshal French writes to War Office that too few aircraft available.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Austro-Hungarian counter-attack in Vodice sector repulsed.
Venizelist forces in Macedonia now amount to nearly 2,000 officers and 60,000 men.
Albanian troops under Italian command recapture 4 villages in southern Albania from Austria-Hungary.

Political, etc
Austria-Hungary: Emperor Charles promises a more liberal Constitution after the war. He also states peace with Russia is also possible.
Germany: 118,000 (79,000 women, youths or old men) civilians now in military agencies but still 260,000 troops at home or in occupied territories.
United Kingdom: Meat Sale Order in Great Britain published.
May bread consumption reported 10% below February.
Canada: Antidraft riots in Quebec continues, with most activity centered on Montreal.
United States: U.S. Department of Justice begins arresting pacifists and anti-draft activists, including university students.
Wilson subscribes $10,000 to Liberty Loan.
Appeal for US war loans: https://i1.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...-loan.jpg?ssl=1

1 June 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: Up to 2,000 men of French 23rd and 133rd Infantry Regiments (43rd Division) mutiny until June 2 at Ville-en-Tardenois and Chambrecy (southwest of Reims), display red flag. On 1 June, a French infantry regiment took over the town of Missy-aux-Bois.
Four German Jagdstaffeln are combined to form Jagdgeschwader 1 under the command of Baron Manfred von Richthofen. Von Richthofen's 'circus' brought together many of Germany's finest fighter pilots and forced the Allies to concentrate their best squadrons opposite whichever sector the Jagdgeschwader occupied.
Significant numbers of SE5, Sopwith Triplane, Bristol Fighter and Spad S 13 enable Allies to regain air superiority.
Variety of types on an Allied airfield. From front to back is a Morane-Saulnier P, S.E.5, D.H.5, F.E.2 and S.E.5a (barely visible, halfway out of the photo). The fast development of the aircraft does not allow for uniformity: https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...lfalt.jpg?ssl=1
Britain: BEF claims to have taken 76,067 PoWs to date.
Germany: During June Rupprecht transfers 10 divisions from Lens-Lille sector to Flanders.
Aisne: German 4-coy local dawn attack preceded by 3-minutes mortar shelling and indirect MG fire behind French first line.
Continued artillery duel in Wytschaete salient.
Germans attack near Laffaux Hill (Chemin des Dames) gains some ground.
During "Spring offensive", Allies claim to have have captured 52,000 Germans (including 1,000 officers), 446 guns, and 1,000 m.g.'s.
Zeebrugge, Ostend and Bruges heavily bombed by R.N.A.S.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Successful Italian attack south of Kostanjevica (Carso).

Naval and Overseas Operations
Adriatic: In June No 6 Wing Royal Navy Air Service begins anti-U-boat patrols from Otranto.
Britain: During June convoys being regularly run, 113 destroyers available for escort in Home Waters, 37 in Mediterranean, average of 55 U-boats at sea per day.
Mediterranean: 18 German and 3-4 Austrian U-boats on operations (until June 15).

Political, etc
Russia: Socialist revolt at Kronstadt against Russian Provisional Government.
France: French Government announces no passports to French delegates to Stockholm Conference.
United Kingdom: Lord Devenport resigns office of Food Controller.
British Labour Party appoints deputation to Stockholm and Petrograd.
United States: In June Major Raynal C Bolling Mission leaves USA for two-month tour of Allied aircraft manufacturing in Europe and remit to conclude license production agreements.

Do you know whether at this point in time Hermann Goering was part of Jagdgeschwader 1 or did he become part of that group later?

2 June 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: New French C-in-C Petain’s CoS Debeney informs Haig that, due to mutinies, French Army can give only minimal support in planned Allied offensive.
Haig decides to attack a key sector immediately and so distract Germans from French; Messines offensive already scheduled for June 7 fits the bill.
Western Front: Victoria Cross is awarded to Captain W.A. 'Billy' Bishop of No.60 Squadron, a Canadian serving in the Royal Flying Corps, for his one-man raid on Estourmel airfield near Cambrai in France in a Nieuport (B1566). Canadian ace Captain Bishop flies dawn raid on German airfield near Cambrai, and claims to have destroyed 3 Albatros fighters that rise to engage; returns to base in bullet-riddled Nieuport figher (Victoria Cross award on August 11).
Ed Note: there is a lot of controversy surrounding this mission. Since he flew it as a solo mission, (although he did seek a wingman for it), there are those that claim he made the whole incident up. A careful search of German records seems to indicate that there was no such raid on any German Jäger (fighter) unit on this date. However, Bishop did return with his plane shot full of holes, so something happened.
In his account, he states that the airfield he originally selected was completely socked in by overcast & fog: so he was forced to an alternative target. It is likely that the alternate target was either a two-seater unit’s airfield, or that of a temporary airfield of a ferry unit replacing single-seater fighters, and that otherwise, Bishop’s claim of being able to destroy three German aircraft while they were taking-off is accurate. Examination of German records for the Artillerie- and Aufklärungs- (artillery-spotting and reconnaissance) units, and Jagdstaffel 20’s (the ferry unit) in the area does support claims of German losses for this date.
Canadian ace Billy Bishop in front of his Nieuport 17 fighter: https://i2.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...uport.jpg?ssl=1
Flanders: Royal Flying Corps Second Army aircraft destroy 32 aircraft for loss of 18 (until June 7).
American nurses attached to the No. 12 General Hospital to the BEF at Rouen: © IWM (Q 2337): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...7356288/photo/1
Field Marshall von Hindenburg (accurately) reports to Kaiser Wilhelm that the British and French spring offensives have failed.
British artillery is active at Wytschaete and Ypres sectors in Belgium as it prepares for another offensive.
German attack captures around 1000 yards of French trenches west of CHemin-des-Dames, along with around 200 French prisoners.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Britain claims its shipping losses were the lightest last month since the resumption of German unrestricted submarine warfare.
Eastern Mediterranean: British transport Cameronian (63 men lost) sunk 50 miles off Alexandria.

Political, etc
Russia: The Petrograd Soviet takes control over the Kronstadt naval base in defiance of the Russian Provisional Government.
Belgium: Dutch government gives 12,000 tons of grain to German-occupied Belgium as aid.
United States: President Wilson issues a proclamation warning Americans who flee the country to avoid the draft will face punishment.
In the past 8 days, 383 people have been killed in the Midwest and Southeast U.S. by tornadoes.
Brazil: Brazil takes control over 46 German ships interned in its ports, as Brazil abandons its neutrality in the war.

In fact, he was not. Couple of biographies state:
In June, 1917, Göring was still flying with Jagdstaffel 27 (as commanding officer). Göring didn't command JG 1 until July 1918, becoming that until's last commanding officer.

Thanks, I was just curious! Couldn't remember if he was one of the early group of pilots to be selected for Jagdgeschwader1 or later.

3 June 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: The government suppressed the news so as not to alert the Germans, nor depress homefront morale. The extent and intensity of the mutinies were disclosed for the first time in 1967 by Guy Pedroncini in his volume Les Mutineries de 1917. His project had been made possible by the opening of most of the relevant military archives 50 years after the events, a delay in conformity with French War Ministry procedure. However, there are still undisclosed archives on the mutinies, which are believed to contain documents mostly of a political nature; those archives will not be opened to researchers until 100 years after the mutinies, in 2017.
Artois: After 600-projector (mortar) gas barrage Canadian 10th Brigade (over 550 casualties) captures 100 PoWs but cannot hold La Goulette south of river Souchez (until June 25) and Lens.
Loading British gas projectors. The efficacy of the weapon depended on which way the wind blew: https://i2.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...ctors.jpg?ssl=1
Germans recover ground south of Souchez river.
Flanders: British artillery at Messines begin feint creeping barrage (and on June 5), drawing German guns for counter-battery retaliation.
Intense artillery duel in Wytschaete salient.
Aisne: 5 German Chemin des Dames attacks repelled, another near Hurtebise fails on June 5.
Men of the British 15th division participating in a horse race at Wail, France: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...7925504/photo/1
Aerodromes at Zeebrugge, Bruges, etc., again heavily bombed.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Austro-Hungarians repulsed on San Marco (east of Gorizia). They open a great counter-offensive on the Carso.

Naval and Overseas Operations
U-boat UC-72 sinks Uruguayan ship Rosario.
German minesweeper M75 in drydock for repairs after hitting a mine: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...6200320/photo/1
Austro-Hungarian torpedo-boat sunk by submarine. (Maybe-I can find no other record of an Austro-Hungarian ship loss for this date. However, there is a record of SMS Wildfang being mined and sunk on 4 June).

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Mesopotamia: Falkenhayn reports offensive against Baghdad feasible.
Arabia: Lawrence leaves Nebk (with two local guides) to sound Syria Arabian tribes (until June 16), blows bridge on Aleppo-Damascus railway near Baalbek, apparently meets Turkish Damascus commandant (highest-ranking Arab General Ali Riza Rikabi) outside city.

Political, etc
Germany: After negotiations, Germany agrees to keep British prisoners of war at least 15 miles away from the frontlines, out of artillery range.
German Aeronautical Club announces plans to establish a Zeppelin route to carry mail and passengers between Berlin and Constantinople.
United Kingdom: Around eleven hundred British Socialist delegates gather in Leeds, urging peace with Germany without any annexations.
Italy: Government proclaims protectorate over an “independent” Albania.
China: Provisional Government formed in China, as at least 11 Chinese provinces are in revolt, as the government becomes split over whether to declare war on Germany.

4 June 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: War Minister Painleve estimates only 2 reliable French divisions between Germans and Paris (70 miles away); 1,500 mutineers march on Villers-Cotterelts and try to reach Paris (until June 5).
North Sea: Sopwith Camel first in action with Royal Navy Air Service No 4 Squadron from Dunkirk and scores first victory on June 5 of total 2,500 until the end of the war. Squadron of Sopwith Camels on airfield at the Western Front: https://i2.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...field.jpg?ssl=1
British troops retake the commune of Chérisy, France. British artillery fire on the Western Front continues with intensity.
French air-raid by night on Treves.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Austrian counter-offensive on Carso under General Wenzel von Wurm with fresh 3 divisions (from Eastern Front) to relieve pressure on Trieste. Italian Third Army driven off lower slopes of Mt Hermada with loss of many PoWs although Armando Diaz’s XXIII Corps holds to north (until June 5).
Italian troops passing through trenches in the ruins of a village: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...7448704/photo/1

Political, etc
Russia: General Alexj Brusilov succeeds General Mikhail Alexeiev as Russian Commander-in-Chief (see September 5th, 1915 and August 1st, 1917).
Russian Minister of War Aleksandr Kerensky backs a federation of states from the “Baltic to Black Sea” so minorities in Russia can have more rights.

5 June 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: No additional developments today; previous protests and insubordination continue.
German daylight aeroplane raid on Sheerness and the Naval establishments on the Medway: 22 Gotha bombers (1 lost; other sources claim 6) attack Sheerness and Shoeburyness (47 casualties). Only 5 out of 68 British fighters get within range, although 10 RNAS Dunkirk fighters attack formation on its way home after German fighters meet it.
Gotha G-V Bomber on the ground, while the service crew is resting in a trench behind it: https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...round.jpg?ssl=1
British troops firing a 6-inch Mark VII gun near Feuchy, France: © IWM (Q 5459): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...4485504/photo/1
The view of the ruined village of Fampoux after the British capture: © IWM (Q 6243): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...0044161/photo/1
Artillery still active near Wytschaete.
British make small advance south of Souchez river, and begin an attack north of river Scarpe.
German “attack” near Hurtebise (Chemin des Dames) fails.

Eastern Front
Russia: Alexj Brusilov farewell to Southwest Front (200,000 men short) ‘I carry luck everywhere with me … now I will lead all the armies of Russia to victory’.
Rumania: General Johannes von Eben in command of German Ninth Army (until June 18, 1918) replacing Erich von Falkenhayn.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Austro-Hungarian counterattack against Italian lines south of Jamiano succeeds and claims the capture of 6,771 Italian prisoners.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Germany: The ‘Leader of U-boats’ Commander Bauer relieved of command. Bauer has advocated mass ‘wolf-pack’ tactics, ie using cargo submarine Deutschland as radio and fuel vessel for U-boat flotilla; U-66 is used (June 5-10) to try radio-location equipment but U-boats only work in pairs radioing convoy reports. Captain Andreas Michelsen replaces Bauer.
North Sea: Harwich Force (8 cruisers and 17 destroyers) covers Dover Patrol bombardment of Ostend by 2 monitors (20 of 115 shells land in or near dockyard damaging several craft), sinks German destroyer S-20 (9 survivors) and damages another. UC-70 also sunk, but raised to sink more ships. Royal Navy Air service bomb Ostend and Zeebrugge.

Political, etc
Germany: Germany offers to pardon any deserter who returns to their units by July 15.
Russia: Petrograd Soviet issues a statement urging all nations to unite in favor of peace without annexations or indemnities.
United States: Draft Registration Day for nearly 10 million men aged 21-31; 56,830 exemptions recognized including Quakers. https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...0311938/photo/1
US propaganda photo, featuring men smiling after registering for the U.S. draft: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...4065408/photo/1
Contrast to: 3,000 ‘slackers’ fled to Mexico. In New York City, riots break out as anti-conscription protesters clash with militia troops.

6 June 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: Only casualties of French mutinies when 1 killed and 3 wounded by 42nd Regiment machine-gun.
Royal Navy Air Service fighter ace Collishaw in Sopwith Triplane ‘Black Maria’ destroys 3 Albatros fighters in one action, among 16 victories in 27 days of June (awarded DSC).
In attack north of Scarpe river British carry positions on Greenland Hill.
Unsuccessful German “attacks” on Chemin des Dames front.

Eastern Front
Russia: General Aleksei Gutor new C-in-C SW Front (with Nikolay Dukhonin as CoS who tells Italian officer, June 5, that future offensive ‘could not go far, horses half-starved’) as Alexj Brusilov leaves for STAVKA after three speeches.
US military observer on a visit of the Austro-Hungarian lines on the Eastern Front. Wilson’s attitude toward the Central Powers was not always clear: https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...front.jpg?ssl=1

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Austro-Hungarians claim 10,000 PoWs since June 4.
Further heavy fighting on Carso; no material change of front.

Political, etc
Russia: Collapse of Kronstadt revolt after negotiations with Provisional Government.
United Kingdom: Lord Northcliffe to go to U.S.A.
Turkey: Ala es Sultaneh again appointed Persian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (see May 29th and November 24th, 1917 and January 19th, 1918).
Japan: Japan creates a High Commission to decide whether or not to send Japanese troops to help the Allies in Europe.
Greece: Arrival in Greece of M. Jonnart, High Commissioner of the “Protecting” Powers.

7 June 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: Petain impresses King Albert at first meeting, tells him ‘The French Army is no longer what it was’, As previously outlined, the British response was to launch the otherwise already-planned:
Battle of Messines 1917 begins as an Allied offensive in Flanders (see 14th and November 1st, 1914). The battle was launched in the early hours of the morning with the blowing of 19 mines by the British Army, the largest of which is now known as Spanbroekmolen Mine Crater (or Lone Tree Crater). After the detonation, 9 divisions of British Second Army (Plumer) attack on 9-mile front and capture Messines-Wylschaete ridge. Attack preceded at 0310 hours by devastating, 500t largest non-nuclear explosion of 19 mines (1 still unexploded); causes panic in Lille 15 miles distant. British take 6,400 PoWs. German Gruppe Wytschaete commander Laffert sacked (June 16). Captured German trenches on the Messines Ridge: https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...ridge.jpg?ssl=1 The British are also supported by tanks and use of poison gas.
British artillery observers in a captured German observation post: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...9977600/photo/1
Belgium: Belgians to join Anglo-French Flanders advance at certain stage.
The future British Edward ‘Mick” Mannock scores his first victory.

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Austro-Hungarian attack on Vodice ridge repulsed.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Atlantic: U-boats begin offensive off US East Coast. Q-ship Pargust (Gordon Campbell, crew win 2 Victoria Cross) sinks UC-29 (Ernst Rosenow) off southeast Ireland.
Baltic: First Congress of the Baltic Fleet (until June 28) at Helsinki tries to clarify C-in-C’s authority.

Political, etc
Sweden: In Stockholm, workers and police clash, as the Swedish Parliament refuses to consider Socialist demands for more rights.

8 June 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: The repressions begin with mass arrests, which were followed by mass trials. Those arrested were selected by their own officers and NCOs, with the implicit consent of the rank and file. Unrelatedly, activists in some Russian units in France had been spreading word of the revolution underway in Russia and encouraging other Russians and Frenchmen to join them. The rebellious First Russian Brigade was encircled by loyal Russian troops in September 1917 at Camp de La Courtine and bombarded with cannon, killing 8 men and wounding 28. This episode became the basis of widespread false rumors that the French had bombarded French units earlier. Ferdinand Foch meets British CIGS William Robertson at Abbeville. Petain given right to order immediate executions, only orders 7 until July 13. Henry Wilson (British General, not the American President) tells British War Cabinet offensive necessary to keep France in war.
Flanders: British repulse counter-attacks east of Messines Ridge; advance on July 10.
Their advance on a 9-mile front, captures Wytschaete Ridge and claims 6,400 German prisoners. Germans withdraw to new line running through Warneton (July 11). A German PoW captured in the successful battle of the Messines Ridge: https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...Ridge.jpg?ssl=1
British troops near Messines, Belgium while shells burst in the background: © IWM (Q 5462): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...6791937/photo/1
Willie Redmond, Irish nationalist Member of Parliament, is killed in action at Messines: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...8366338/photo/1
Aerial photograph of shells landing near “Fanny’s Farm” at the Messines battlefield: © IWM (BOX 7009-1314-45K-28O-1917): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...7775360/photo/1
Artois: 6 Canadian battalions (709 casualties) make powerful raid west of Avion, bomb over 150 dugouts and inflict over 836 casualties (including 136 PoWs) in night June 8-9. Major-General John Pershing arrives in England (see 13th and May 10th).
A British soldier, wearing a German helmet, carries artillery shells in a wheelbarrow: © IWM (Q 2283): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...4954752/photo/1

Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: ends (see May 12th). Most of the early Italian gains are wiped out by the Austro-hungarian counterattack.
Greece: Without informing the Allies, Italian troops from Albania occupy Jannina in Epirus and port of Preveza (June 10).

Naval and Overseas Operations
American ships and transports carrying large shipments of grain arrive in France to prepare for the American Expeditionary Force's arrival.

Political, etc
United Kingdom: Lloyd George argues for separate peace with Austria-Hungary, war policy committee set up.
Poland: Austro-German Emperors agree that Germany to control Polish forces. In June Warsaw University shut due to students’ strike.
Ecuador: 101 people are killed in the La Libertad Department, El Salvador due to a 6.7 magnitude earthquake.

9 June 1917
 

Western Front
French Army Mutinies: Along with the deterrent of military justice, General Pétain offered two incentives: more regular and longer leave and an end to grand offensives "until the arrival of tanks and Americans on the front". For example, Pétain only launched limited attacks with massed artillery against German strongholds, like Fort La Malmaison. These were taken with minimal French casualties. The relative lack of rigor in repressing the mutinies provoked adverse reactions among some of the French Army's divisional commanders. General Pétain and French President Raymond Poincaré, on the other hand, wisely made it their policy to mend the French Army's morale and not act in a manner that could aggravate the problem of the army's motivation.
Britain: Julian Byng replaces Edmund Allenby as GOC BEF Third Army. Canadian Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Currie becomes GOC Canadian Corps for duration of war.
German prisoners captured by the British at the Battle of Messines: © IWM (Q 2277): https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...1290500/photo/1

Southern Front
Isonzo: Italian losses 157,000 since May 14; including 27,000 PoWs; Austro-Hungarian nearly 75,700 (including 23,400 PoWs).
Trentino: Italian Mt Zebio mine explodes prematurely causing 122 casualties.
A mine explodes under positions in the Dolomites: https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...miten.jpg?ssl=1

Political, etc
Russia: Russian Provisional Government refuse a German proposal for an unlimited armistice (made by radio).
Russian Navy sailors back Lenin’s call to imprison Tsar Nicholas II and bring him to trial.
United Kingdom: US General Pershing meets with King George, who states his dream of a closer union between English-speaking countries is being realized.
Romania: First 2 Transylvanian volunteer battalions arrive in Jassy.
United States: The first Pulitzer Prizes are awarded for editorial writing, reporting, biography or autobiography, and history.
U.S. aviation field being constructed in Fairfield, Ohio, as the country prepared for war: https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...3450625/photo/1
(Special, 1954): During the hearings investigating conflicting accusations between the United States Army and Senator Joseph McCarthy, Army lawyer Joseph N. Welch asked McCarthy, "At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
China: Peking is cut off as rebel Chinese factions surround the capital due to divisions resulting from whether or not to declare war on Germany.
Spain: Spanish Cabinet resigns.