Eighteen
Gotha bombers of the Luftstreitkräfte (German Air Force) set out on to raid the
United Kingdom, with 11 of them reaching
England. British
antiaircraft guns fired 14,000 rounds at them without scoring a single hit, but falling fragments from spent antiaircraft shells from the worn-out guns killed eight and injured another 67 people.[2]
Died:Ivan Aguéli, Swedish artist and writer, known for his melding of
Post-Impressionism with
Arabic art following his conversion to
Islam (killed in a train accident) (b.
1869)
The Flying Field at Anacostia, a U.S. military air base, was opened to train pilots and test new aircraft. It was renamed the Anacostia Experimental Flying Field shortly thereafter and eventually the
Bolling Air Force Base after
ColonelRaynal Bolling on July 1, 1918.[11]
The largest airship ever built at the time, the L 57, was wrecked and destroyed by fire while trying to take off for a test flight in poor weather. The
Zeppelin aircraft was 743 feet (226 meters) in length and could carry 2,418,700
cubic feet (68,490
cubic metres) of
hydrogen gas for long-distance flights from
Europe to
Africa.[22]
German submarine
SM U-106 struck a mine and sank in the
North Sea with the loss of all 41 crew.[23]
Battle of Poelcappelle – German forces halted the British advance on the
Western Front in
West Flanders,
Belgium but at a cost of 35,000 casualties during the first ten days of October. Total British and Commonwealth casualties for the day's fighting were around 11,500.[29]
During the
Battle of Poelcappelle, a squad of 71 Australian soldiers with the
10th Battaliondisappeared without a trace in Celtic Wood during a diversionary attack on German positions. Speculations for the unaccounted men ranged from clerical error to the troops being massacred and buried in a mass grave (though German records made no mention of such an incident). Official Australian military documents confirm at least 37 men remained unaccounted.[30]
First Battle of Passchendaele –
Allied forces failed to take key defensive ridges held by the Germans west of the village of
Passchendaele,
Belgium.[44] The brunt of the 13,000 casualties were taken by
ANZAC units, with the
New Zealand division suffering 2,725 casualties including 845 killed, the single biggest loss for
New Zealand (roughly one in 1,000 of the nation's population at that time).[45] German casualties were estimated at 12,000.[46]
Operation Albion – German forces captured 20,000 Russian prisoners and 100 guns as they expanded out from
Tagalaht to the rest of the island of
Saaremaa in the Baltic Sea.[47]
The first regiment was stationed at the newly commissioned Naval Operating Base in
Norfolk, Virginia.[48]
Born:James McAuley, Australian poet and literary critic, known for poetry collections including A World of its own and literary criticism such as The rhetoric of Australian poetry, in
Lakemba, New South Wales,
Australia (d.
1976)
Miracle of the Sun – A massive gathering of pilgrims in
Fátima, Portugal, estimated between 30,000 and 40,000 (with another report going as high as 100,000), simultaneously witnessed the sun change colors and move in impossible paths across the sky for ten minutes. The miraculous event was foretold by local children
Lúcia dos Santos and siblings
Francisco and Jacinta Marto, who had been experiencing visions from
Our Lady of Fátima for months.[50] After years of investigation, the
Catholic Church concluded in 1930 that the event was genuine. However, skeptics have cited mass delusion brought on by weeks of speculation or meteorological illusions as the cause.[51][52]
Tire manufacturer
Yokohama was established in
Tokyo as a joint venture between Yokohama Cable Manufacturing and
B.F. Goodrich.[53]
The historic drama Cleopatra was released, with
Theda Bara in the starring role as the Egyptian queen. Directed by
J. Gordon Edwards, the film also starred
Fritz Leiber as
Julius Caesar and
Thurston Hall as
Mark Antony. Controversy around its sensual images only made the film more popular and the biggest hit of 1917.[60] The film was considered lost but some fragments along with production stills survived, allowing a portion of the film to be reconstructed for screening at the
Hollywood Heritage Museum.[61]
Born:Geoffrey Bibby, English archaeologist, best known for the discovery of the ancient city of
Dilmun and the pioneer of Arabian archaeology, in
Heversham,
England (d.
2001)
The first
naval action between the
United States Navy and
Imperial German Navy occurred when American destroyer
USS Cassin exchanged fire with German submarine
SM U-61 off the coast of
Ireland, with both vessels damaged. The sole casualty was U.S. sailor
Osmond Ingram, who jettisoned several depth charges from a point where a German torpedo was about to hit, saving the ship from catastrophic damage. He was awarded the
Medal of Honor posthumously, and was the first recorded enlisted American casualty of
World War I.[64]
Royal Navy air officer
John Alcock oversaw the first test flight of his experimental fighter biplane, named the
Alcock Scout. However, only one had been made and when it crashed on another test flight in 1918, no further models were built.[67]
Battle of Mahiwa – South African reinforcements attacked German troops from the opposing side, but the Germans regrouped to a ridge near
Mahiwa to hold off the attacks.[70]
Died:Bobby Atherton, Welsh football player, midfielder and forward for various clubs including
Hiberian and
Middlesbrough from 1897 to 1906, member of the
Wales national football team from 1899 to 1905 (missing in action) (b.
1876);
John Franklin Botume, American singer and choir director, author on several books on singing including Modern Singing Methods: Their Use and Abuse (b.
1855)
Battle of Mahiwa – A German force of 1,500 men counterattacked and repelled the attacking South African and Nigerian force of 4,900 men, inflicting 2,700 casualties. The Germans suffered between 500 and 600 casualties, or thirty percent of its strength.[81]
Battle of Moon Sound – German ships entered the Gulf of Riga and began to clear the minefield, where most casualties occurred during the operation.[82]
Thirteen Zeppelins set out on a high-altitude raid against the middle of
England but severe weather conditions prevented all but two from reaching their targets. One of the airships bombed
London, killing 24 people and injuring nine others, as well as destroying the
Austin Motor Works plant at
Longbridge,
England. The second airship bombed
Northampton and
London, killing 24 people and injuring nine others.[83]
British cargo ship Mahratta was launched by Robert Duncan & Co in
Port Glasgow,
Scotland. In a remarkable coincidence, the ship was wrecked in the
English Channel in the exact spot as its predecessor.[89]
Police in
Washington, D.C. arrested
Alice Paul, a prominent member of the suffragist protest group
Silent Sentinels, while she carried a banner that quoted U.S. President
Woodrow Wilson: "The time has come to conquer or submit, for us there can be but one choice. We have made it." Paul was sentenced to seven months in prison where, after enduring two weeks of solitary confinement, was released to prison hospital where she started a hunger strike to protest the poor conditions of the
Virginia penitentiary where many fellow Sentinel members were also imprisoned.[90]
British forces launched two
separate assaults on the German front in
Belgium, capturing the village of
Polecappelle but failing to seize a key road junction north of
Houthulst Forest from German control.[94] British casualties were 479 while German casualties were unknown, save for 125 prisoners.[95]
Died:Bob Fitzsimmons, British boxer, held world champion titles in all three major weight classes, considered the lightest heavyweight champion in the Guinness World Records (b.
1863)
Battle of Wadi Musa – A force of 700 Arab rebel troops ambushed an Ottoman column dispatched to secure the
Hejaz railway in
Jordan, killing 400 men and capturing 300 prisoners.[101]
Battle of Caporetto – Also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, Austro-Hungarian and German forces triggered 894 canisters that released chlorine gas onto the
Italian Second Army entrenched in the valley. Most Italian soldiers retreated as their supplied gas masks could only last for two hours, with an estimated 500 to 600 defenders killed.[106][107] The
Central Powers then used
infiltration tactics and
stormtroopers armed with light machine guns, mortar launchers, grenades and flamethrowers to break through the line, leading to its collapse six days later.[108][109]
Battle of La Malmaison – The
French Sixth Army captured the
Pinon commune and the surrounding forest from the Germans in northern
France, thus liberating the village and fort of
La Malmaison,
France from German control.[122] French losses were 2,241 killed, 8,162 wounded and 1,460 missing. However, French forces captured 11,157 German prisoners and 1,100 machine gun, artillery and mortar pieces.[123] German losses were estimated at 38,000 killed or missing.[124]
Third Battle of Gaza – British and French naval vessels bombarded
Gaza to soften Ottoman defensive prior to infantry assault on November 1. An Ottoman aircraft strafed one of the British ships, killing 38 sailors.[125]
British flying ace
Arthur Rhys-Davids disappeared while pursuing a German squadron east of
Roeselare,
Belgium. His death wasn't confirmed until December 29 when German command informed he had been shot down by German flying ace
Karl Gallwitz. At the time, he had been credited with 27 victories including German aces
Carl Menckhoff and
Werner Voss.[127]
The
Irish Volunteers held its convention immediately following the Sinn Féin convention, with most of the delegates having attended both. Newly elected Sinn Féin president Éamon de Valera was also elected president of the Volunteers.[128]
Second Battle of Passchendaele – The Canadian forces advance slowed due to German resistance but were able to hold the line for reinforcements, at a cost of 2,481 casualties.[131]
Battle of Caporetto – After delaying a decision for five days despite pressure from his officers, Italian General
Luigi Cadorna relented and ordered the
Italian Second Army to retreat back to the
Tagliamento River.[142] Meanwhile, the two Italian brigades assigned to protect the rear were destroyed by the German and Austrian forces at the
Battle of Pozzuolo.[143]
Second Battle of Passchendaele – Canadian forces advanced 600 yd (550 m) from the starting line, capturing key defense positions around the hamlets of Meetcheele and Goudberg,
Belgium at the cost of 2,321 casualties.[144]
Twenty-two German
Gotha bombers set out to raid
London, with the newly developed 4.5 kg (9.9 lb)
incendiary bomb included in their bomb loads. Fewer than half the bombers reached the
London area, and many of the incendiary bombs failed to ignite for the bomb drops that were delivered. The remaining planes bombed
Kent, destroying a
gasometer in
Ramsgate but achieving little else. Five of the bombers crashed while attempting to land upon returning to their bases. Bad weather prevented further raids against England until December.[146]
Real estate services company
Cushman & Wakefield was established in
New York City by brothers-in-law J. Clydesdale Cushman and Bernard Wakefield. The firm now operates in 60 countries and employs more than 43,000 people.[152][153]
^Sandilands, H. R. (2003) [1925]. The 23rd Division 1914–1919 (Naval & Military Press ed.). Edinburgh: Wm. Blackwood. pp. 200–204.
ISBN978-1-84342-641-7.
^Fredette, Raymond H., The Sky on Fire: The First Battle of Britain 1917–1918, New York: Harvest, 1976,
ISBN0-15-682750-6, pp. 135, 146-147, 264.
^Thetford, Owen, British Naval Aircraft Since 1912, Sixth Edition, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1991,
ISBN1-55750-076-2, p. 14.
^Layman, R.D., Before the Aircraft Carrier: The Development of Aviation Vessels 1849-1922, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1989,
ISBN0-87021-210-9, p. 78.
^Thomas T Mackie & Richard Rose (1991) The International Almanac of Electoral History, Macmillan, p. 243
^Helgason, Guðmundur.
"Ships hit during WWI: HMS Drake". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
^Edmonds, J. E. (1991) [1948]. Military Operations France and Belgium 1917: 7 June–10 November Messines and Third Ypres (Passchendaele). History of the Great War Based on Official Documents by Direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence. Vol. II (Imperial War Museum and Battery Press ed.). London: HMSO. pp. 334–341.
ISBN978-0-89839-166-4.
^Douglas, John M. (1992).
The Armenians. New York, NY: J.J. Winthrop Corp. p. 358.
ISBN9780963138101. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
^Barrass, Malcolm (2007-06-11).
"Wing Nos 1 - 50". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Archived from
the original on 2008-07-26. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
^Harper, G. (2007). "Masterpiece or Massacre: the New Zealand Division and two Battles of 1917". In Dennis, P.; Grey, G. (eds.). 1917: Tactics, Training and Technology. Loftus, NSW: Australian History Military Publications. p. 69.
ISBN978-0-9803-7967-9.
^Hampton Roads Naval Historical Foundation (February 2014). Images of America: Naval Station Norfolk. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. p. 7.
^"History". Official Website of Fonseca Atlético Clube (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2014-01-07.{{
cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
link)
^"Antilles". Uboat.net. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
^Chambers, T.F. (November 1968). "The Golden Jubilee of the Trans Australian Railway". Australian Railway History: 267–75.
^Burke, David (1991). Road through the Wilderness: the story of the transcontinental railway, the first great work of Australia's federation. Kensington: New South Wales University Press.
ISBN0-86840-140-4.
^Ferneyhough, Frank (1975). The History of Railways in Britain. Reading: Osprey.
ISBN0-85045-060-8.
^Stevens, Doris (1920). Jailed for Freedom. New York, NY: Liverright Publishing.
^Cahill, Christopher. "Second Puberty: The Later Years of W. B. Yeats Brought His Best Poetry, along with Personal Melodrama on an Epic Scale". The Atlantic Monthly, December 2003.
^Michael J Schiavone (1987) L-Elezzjonijiet F'Malta 1849–1981, Pubblikazzjoni Bugelli, p.19
^Perry, R. A. (2014). To Play a Giant's Part: The Role of the British Army at Passchendaele. Uckfield: Naval & Military Press. pp. 470–480.
ISBN978-1-78331-146-0.
^Times 1918, pp. 245–246. sfn error: no target: CITEREFTimes1918 (
help)
^Doughty, R. A. (2005). Pyrrhic victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University. pp. 384–389.
ISBN978-0-674-01880-8.
^Philpott, W. (2014). Attriotin: Fighting the First World War. London: Little, Brown. p. 279.
ISBN978-1-4087-0355-7.
^Falls, Cyril (1930). Military Operations: Egypt & Palestine from June 1917 to the End of the War. Official History of the Great War Based on Official Documents by Direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence. Vol. 2 Part I. A. F. Becke (maps). London: HM Stationery Office. pp. 65–66.
OCLC644354483.
^Franks, Norman, Aircraft Versus Aircraft: The Illustrated Story of Fighter Pilot Combat From 1914 to the Present Day, London: Grub Street, 1998,
ISBN1-902304-04-7, p. 63.
^"Creation". École supérieure d'optique (in French). Retrieved 9 April 2017.