Western Front
Third Battle of Ypres (aka the
Battle of PASSCHENDAELE) 1917 begins with Battle of Pilckem Ridge (see August 2nd and November 10th, 1917 and May 25th, 1915). Nine British and six French divisions attack at 0350 hours (sunrise) on 15-mile front from river Lys to river Yser after 3,091-gun barrage (British record). Objective to drive Germans from Pilckem Ridge commanding Ypres from south to northeast.
Battle of Pilckem Ridge (until August 2): German Fourth Army, with counter-attack divisions, restricts Allied advance (15,000 BEF casualties, 12 VCs won, 19 tanks knocked out) as rain begins but it penetrates 1 1/4 -2 1/2 miles capturing 12 villages and parts of German second trench line. German losses are heavy, including 5,000 PoWs. French gain most.
British troops examine a captured German heavy machine gun at Ypres. They are wearing body armor:
https://i2.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...-1917.jpg?ssl=1
German prisoners helping bring in a British wounded at Ypres: © IWM (Q 6496):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...965451227586560
Aisne: French make small gains west of Chevregny ridge. 2 German battalions attack Cerney Plateau after 5-minute bombardment. Mangin put on reserve list following Nivelle Offensive inquiry.
Germany: Army Airship Service dissolved, 3 Zeppelins transferred to Naval Airship Division. Army has lost 26 airships and flown 232 bombing missions.
Wounded Canadian soldiers en route to Britain:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...707490643083264
Canadian soldiers advancing with tanks over no man's land:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...935235323154432
Eastern Front
Austro-German forces extend their hold on Galician front and stand on west bank of Zbrucz on front of over 30 miles.
Battle of Marasesti: Russians retiring in Czernovitz region.
Naval and Overseas Operations
Britain: 2,750 British ships now have hydrophone sets (for U-boat detection); 21 Atlantic convoys have escorted 354 ships for loss of only 2. Only 27 ships lost since May 1 in grand total of 8,894 ships convoyed, 18:1 advantage over independent sailings, 354 lost from c.3000.
Channel: British Dover Strait mine barrage now relaid.
Atlantic: U-boat sinks British SS
Belgian Prince, 3 crew survive to tell of other 36 men’s murder (another source says 4 of 42). A different report of the incident:
Belgian Prince was attacked by torpedo by
U-55, Oberleutnant zur See Wilhelm Werner in command, 175 miles NW by W. of Tory Island, NW Ireland. The Captain (Harry Hassan) was taken prisoner by
U-55 & held below deck. The other 41 crew members were lined up on the submarine's casing, but perhaps believing incorrectly that a British warship was in the vicinity, the submarine moved off & submerged, washing the survivors into the sea. [ed note: given the other actions by Werner, this is highly improbable.]
Their life-jackets & outer clothing had been taken from them & tossed overboard & their lifeboats had been smashed with axes.
U-55 later fired two shots from her deck gun &
Belgian Prince sank stern first at about 7:00 a.m. on Aug. 1, 1917. 39 lives in total were lost. Captain Hassan survived the war as a prisoner of war. Of the crew of 42, there were just 4 survi vors. Captain Hassan & i) Chief Engineer Thomas A. Bowman, ii) George Silessi, an able seaman, & iii) 2nd Cook William Snell, of Jacksonville, Florida, all 3 of whom were rescued by a British patrol vessel 11 hours later that day & told the story of what had happened.
Allied and neutral July shipping losses 224 ships worth 545,021t; German figure 555,514t (including 90,334 in Mediterranean plus 16,969 to Austrians); 6 U-boats sunk (1 by depth charges after ramming) but 11 commissioned and 95 ordered for completion by January 1, 1919.
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Mesopotamia: Kut-Baghdad, Baghdad-Baquba and Sumaiha-Sadiya railways completed.
Persia: Since July Baratov’s Russian forces begin withdrawing until March 1918.
Political, etc
United Kingdom: In the Dundee by-election, Minister of Munitions Winston Churchill defeats Edwin Scrymgeour 78.2% to 21.8%.
China: Chinese Cabinet considers entering the war on the side of the Allies after Siam (Thailand) declared war on Germany.