Western Front
Second Lieutenant Ball returns (to 56 Squadron) after teaching pilots in England. Richthofen’s 5 Albatros DIIIs shoots down 2 of 6 Nieuport fighters (No 60 Squadron), latter lose again 4 of 6 on April 16. Albert Ball rose to fame in his Nieuport XVII fighter – until his mysterious death in May 1917:
https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...-Ball.jpg?ssl=1
British advance north-west of St. Quentin to Fresny-le-Petit.
Severe fighting round Berry-au-Bac (north-west of Reims).
British soldiers with Rolls-Royce armoured cars on the Western Front © IWM (Q 3878):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...0329344/photo/1
Naval and Overseas Operations
4 British CMBs (Coastal Motor Boats) raid on Zeebrugge (night April 7-8);
CMB8 torpedoes and sinks German destroyer
G88 on April 8.
9 Germans are killed when they scuttle their ship SMS
Cormoran in Guam. This is the only clash between Americans and Germans in the Pacific.
Political, etc
Austria-Hungary: Austro-Hungary announces it has raised 6.23 billion kronen (about $1.246 billion) for its fifth war loan.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire breaks off diplomatic relations with the United States of America.
United States: U.S. government seizes 60 German ships that had been interned in U.S. ports during the past three years. U.S. Attorney General Gregory orders the arrests of 60 alleged German conspirators in the country. [ed note: the vast majority of these “conspirators” were mere trade unionists and/or antiwar resistors, whom the Wilson administration deemed undesirable.]
State of Maine orders all German citizens to register with the government within the next 24 hours.
Police of Cleveland, Ohio raid the homes of naturalized Germans-Americans [IOW, US Citizens] and confiscate their rifles and other weapons.
Newsboy selling newspapers in Washington D.C., with the headline reading “U.S. at War with Germany.”:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...6424320/photo/1
Minor Allies: Cuba and Panama declare war on Germany (4 German ships seized in Havana.)
Threaded Mode