Diary May 20, 1917

05-1917, Diary WWI, War Diary, Year 1917 / 1 minute of reading

Alexander Kerensky (left) takes a salut at a military parde.

World War One Diary for Sunday, May 20, 1917:

Eastern Front

Russia: Kerensky begins visiting units. Brawl between Russian and Royal Navy armoured car unit at Tiraspol (Bessarabia), 1 killed on each side.

Western Front

Champagne: French take 500 PoWs in Moronvilliers sector (other successes on May 21 and 25).
Artois: BEF Fifth Army actions on Hindenburg Line (until May 31), British 33rd Division captures whole first line north of Bullecourt.

Sea War

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.

Air War

North Sea – first U-boat thought to be sunk by aircraft: UC-36 by Royal Navy Air Service H12 America flying boat (Flt Sub-Lt Morrish) from Felixstowe, two other attacks during May, also July 24 and 29. But UC-36 actually lost on May 17 or 18 off Isle of Wight, probably to mine.

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.