Diary February 28, 1917

02-1917, Diary WWI, War Diary, Year 1917 / 1 minute of reading

Women transport blanks for 15 cm shells in a national German ammunition factory.

World War One Diary for Wednesday, February 28, 1917:

Home Fronts

Germany: Only 60,000 Auxiliary Service Law Volunteers (mainly women) instead of 200,000 hoped for.
Russia: Duma member Kerensky calls for end to ‘medieval regime’.
India: Act forms Indian Defence Force (all British European subjects).

Western Front

France: Nivelle letter to government warns of ‘pacifist propaganda’ reaching troops.
Somme: British have captured 11 villages and 2,133 PoWs during February.

Secret War

Western Front: End of February British make first pigeon drops by balloon (after 3 agents so sent), 40% return rate by end of war.

Sea War

Atlantic: In February British 10th (Minesweeping) Sloop Flotilla transferred from Immingham on East Coast (Humber) to Queenstown to meet mine threat off Southern Ireland, loses 2 ships in March.
7 Arethusa-class cruisers from Harwich Force and Grand Fleet converted to lay 70-74 mines each (February to November); carry out 35 operations (2,553 mines laid by November 1918).
Allied February shipping losses: 254 ships of 500,673t (German figure 520,412t) including record 105 British ships worth 313,486t. Mediterranean toll is 105,670t.

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.