Western Front
Haig’s [ed. note: self-serving, disingenuous] Battle of the Somme Dispatch published, covers BEF operations from May 15 to November 18, 1916. He divides battle into four phases, lists capture of 38,000 PoWs and 125 guns. Haig stresses that fully half German Army engaged and defeated and that British troops (many only partially trained) surpassed all expectations.
Further, Haig declares that the “great victory” at the Somme proves the Allies will be able to defeat the Germans in the war.
Bad weather hampers flying until December 30.

Eastern Front
Romania: Heavy fighting continues on Moldavian frontier; some Central Powers progress in the Oitoz valley.
Battle of Rimnicu Sarat: German advance north and east from Ramnicu Sarat continued.

Political, etc.
Russia: STAVKA conference until December 31 includes Tsar and all three Front C-in-Cs, Aleksei Brusilov decides, in principle, to launch 1917 offensive.
Murder of Russian monk Rasputin (ed. note: also reported for earlier in December, 1916).
Germany: Germany warns its citizens that food shortages will continue next year even if the war ends.
France: Sitting of National Socialist Congress in Paris. [ed. note: a horribly charged phrase: the French Socialists, who called themselves by this title, had nothing to do with the later National Socialist German Workers’ Party in Germany. The German NSDAP was later shortened to “Nazi”.]
United Kingdom: Some members of the British Labour Party urge a 25% levy on capital and to break up large estates to raise money for the war.
Mexico: Mexico buys $500,000 worth of artillery and anti-aircraft guns from Japan.

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On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.