Western Front
Severe British January pressure on the Anere prompts Rupprecht to demand a voluntary retirement to
Siegfried Stellung (the so-called “Hindenburg Line”); (OHL vetoes on January 29).
Eastern Front
Romania: Taking advantage of the cold weather, Russian troops manage to advance 2 miles against the Germans in Bukovina.
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Mesopotamia: Considerable progress by British on right bank of Tigris south-west of Kut.
Naval and Overseas Operations
North Sea: British government announces it has completed mining operations in a 100-mile zone along the entire German North Sea coast.
Black Sea: 2 Russian destroyers sink or capture 22 Turkish sailing craft between Ordu and Sinope (until January 31).
Atlantic: U-53 sinks Spanish
SS Nueva Montana (arrying core for Newcastle) off Ushant and a similar ship on January 29.
Political, etc.
United Kingdom: Royal Navy Room 40 intercepts Bernstorff’s second protest against unlimited U-boat war.
Frank Godden, chief test pilot for the Royal Aircraft Factory, is killed during a test flight:
http://imgur.com/KZFTPXU
4,523 private factories and works, employing 2.25 million workers, are now controlled by the British government to assist in war production.
United States: Not knowing its value, robbers who stole a $10,000 necklace from the Chicago Art Institute sold it for $18.
Naval radio station at Chollas Heights achieves wireless communication 6000 miles away with Australia:
http://imgur.com/6trRyaD
China: Yikuang, Prince Qing and former Prime Minister of the Qing Chinese Empire, passed away:
http://imgur.com/TADNut2
Costa Rica: General Federico Tinoco Granados launches a coup in Costa Rica, deposing President Alfredo González:
http://imgur.com/yRcs2PP
Mexico: US General Pershing and his troops ordered home.