Western Front
Kaiserschlacht: Comparative quiet on Western Front.
French improve their positions before Locre.
U.S. troops join Amiens front.
No.1 to No.5 Air Force Areas are formed, but the words 'Air Force' are dropped from the titles of almost immediately.
Zeebrugge lock gates heavily bombed with 32t of bombs (and on May 2, 6, 12 with Ostend on May 22) aiming for lock gates. Bruges docks also attacked on May 25 with 36t of bombs.
In May first flight of super-Handley Page V/1500 ‘Berlin Bomber’ at Belfast, but crashes in June, second prototype tested mid-October and 3 of 255 ordered ready in Norfolk (No 166 Squadron) on Armistice Day.
In early May Fokker D-VIIs reach German fighter units in quantity, 828 by August 31. Germans have 2,551 pilots at front.
The actual link that got left out yesterday: Camouflage netting used to hide the American 26th Division headquarters at Boucq, France from German aerial surveillance: © IWM (Q 63746):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...925024453373954
American soldiers putting on their gas masks after a gas alarm is sounded: © IWM (Q 61480):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...955209911422976
British soldiers setting up a machine gun post in a barn near Haverskerque, France: © IWM (Q 6571):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...228246070046720
Eastern Front
Ukraine: Sevastopol taken by German forces (April 30th/May 1st).
Russia: General Skoropadski proclaimed Hetman, Germans occupy Odessa.
Southern Front
British airmen in Balkans bomb Bulgarian aerodromes in Vardar valley.
Naval and Overseas Operations
Part of Russian Black Sea Fleet seized by the Germans (see June 21st, 1917 and June 18th and November 26th, 1918).
South Atlantic: During May Brazilian squadron of 2 cruisers, 4 destroyers and a tender sails for European waters, but crew illness delays them at Sierra Leone.
Adriatic: Austrians suppress plot in
Tb80 at Pola.
Germany: In May light cruiser Stuttgart converted to carry 3 seaplanes on davits (since January).
North Sea: Blackburn Kangaroos of No 246 Squadron at RNAS Seaton Carew (Tees) fly 600 hours on anti-submarine patrols from May 1 to November 11; 12 U-boats sighted, 11 attacked.
Britain: During last of 44 P-Boat type patrol craft/minesweepers/submarine chasers launched (since October 1915), serve with Dover Patrol, Portsmouth and Nore commands.
Mozambique: British in East Africa capture important convoy from Germans retreating towards Nanungu.
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Palestine: British mounted brigade, guarding ford at Jisr ed Damiya, attacked and compelled to fall back, leaving 9 guns.
No 1 Squadron AFC aircraft forced to land and burnt near Amman. 1 German strafing attack on May 4.
Political, etc
Between warring sides: France and Germany arrange for exchange of prisoners of war.
Austria-Hungary: Hungary: General strike, marches in 4 towns despite ban.
Germany: In May Ludendorff Fund for War Wounded opens.
Hoffmann diary on difficulties of repatriating Austro-German PoWs and 3-4 million Baltic and Polish refugees. During May 2 German divisions transfer to Western Front (until May 10).
Russia: Lenin addresses first May Day rally in Red Square and attends flying display.
The Bolshevik soldiers currently guarding (and would later execute) the Russian imperial family:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...985423940980738
France: Mr Lloyd George, M. Georges Clemenceau and Signor Vittorio Orlando attend Fifth War Council in France.
35,000 armaments workers in May Day strike at Saint-Etienne and vicinity.
United Kingdom: RFP 107% (March level). New War Pensions Warrant issued. Anglo-Australian zinc agreement for 250,000t per year for duration of war plus 1 year. In May record month’s gun production: 1750 pieces with 1275 carriages.
Inside a British gun factory in Coventry:
https://i1.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...entry.jpg?ssl=1
Turkey: Fist war loan in Constantinople (until May 31 and until Juni 30 outside) raises T17.8m.
United States: Further increase of U.S. Army sanctioned.
Finland: Mannerheim holds victory parade in Viborg.