Western Front
Somme: 3 BEF Fifth Army divisons (3,800 casualties) gain 500-1000 yards with 773 PoWs in two attacks at Miraumont north and south of the Ancre (night February 17-18).
Alsace: French raid on German salient northeast of Altkirch causes heavy loss.
A French naval gun shelter near Saint-Crepin-aux-Bois:
http://imgur.com/t8ww0B8* © IWM (Q 78184)
Eastern Front
On the Lavkassa river (south-west of Dvinsk) Germans clad in white raid Russian lines, taking about 50 prisoners.
Southern Front
Albania: French and Italian troops link up at Herseg making 240-mile Allied front from Adriatic to Aegean.
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Mesopotamia: Near Kut, British progress on south bank of Tigris. On the north bank an attack on the Sanna-i-Yat positions fails: 7th Indian Division (over 500 casualties) panics in attack on Turkish position with 3,000 soldiers.
Naval and Overseas Operations
Atlantic: Torpedoed Q-ship
Farnborough (Campbell wins Victoria Cross) sinks
U-83 (Hoppe), 2 survivors, off southwest Ireland with 25 shots at 300 yards.
Mediterranean: French troopship
SS Athos, carrying Senegalese soldiers, Chinese laborers, and civilian passengers, is sunk by
SM U-65, resulting in 754 deaths.
England: Britain closes the harbour of Plymouth, England to all ships not belonging to Britain and the Entente.
Political, etc.
Germany: Due to cold and lack of coal in Hamburg, Germany, all schools, theaters, and concert halls are closed.
France: Carolus-Duran, French painter known for depicting members of French high society, passed away:
http://imgur.com/dAbxcIE
United Kingdom: British war loan raises a record of £2 billion, financed largely by small, private investors (the loans are redeemed in 2015).
Australia: Australian War Government formed.
United States: U.S. Navy begins installing undersea steel nets around Hampton Roads in order to defend against German submarines.
U.S. government provides $10 million more to help insure ships to cover the increased risk caused by German submarines.
Greece: Entente Powers call the Government's attention to hostile attitude of Greek press.
Greek Government search private dwellings for hidden arms.