Diary August 16, 1917

08-1917, Diary WWI, War Diary, Year 1917 / 1 minute of reading

Lieutenant-General Wilhelm Groener (1867-1939) was highly gifted and also politically open-minded, but could not prevail against the rigid attitude in Germany. He will play an important role in the Weimar Republic.

World War One Diary for Thursday, August 16, 1917:

Home Fronts

Germany: OHL remove General Groener from War Office (to 33rd Division at Verdun), General Scheuch succeeds, but put under War Minister on August 22.
Britain: Prime Minister speech on shipping losses, appeals for canal use instead of railways.

Western Front

Flanders – Battle of Langemarck (until August 18): British advance on 9-mile front north of Ypres-Menin road, capture Langemarck and cross river Steenbeek. Furious German counter-attacks only push back British line a short distance, though depleted 16th Irish and 36th Ulster Divisions driven back to start. French marine battalion captures Drie Grachten bridgehead on Yser canal.
Aisne: French advance on Craonne Plateau.
Meuse: Germans capture some trenches on east bank, but French recapture on August 18.

Eastern Front

Russia: Kornilov sees Kerensky in Petrograd (until August 17 and on August 23) but latter demurs over military powers.
Rumania: Mackensen takes Baltareta bridgehead on Sereth but held up in Okna and Susitza valleys.

Air War

Ypres: Weather hampers Royal Flying Corps effort for Battle of Langemarck, 22 air combats cost 3 German aircraft; 9 German airfields attacked.

About The Author

Kretaner

My name is Norman 'Kretaner' and since my childhood I am interested in history and strategy games. Later, I have learned programming and the development of computer games, and finally with the Internet, also web design. I'm in the fortunate position to combine all my interests with my work and to live on a place of my choice, on Crete. All information, figures, specifications and statistics used here had been compiled from a variety of sources and the large, over decades collected, library of the author about military history, WW2 and weapons.