Western Front
Champagne: French repulse two counter-attacks south of Moronvilliers and raids on May 2.
Artois: Since April 9 BEF has advanced 2-5 miles on 20-mile front, fired 6,466,239 shells, engaged 32 German divisions (16 forced into reserve), taken 18,128 PoWs and 230 guns; 227 mortars; 470 MGs for 83,970 casualties.
Germany: In May Germans give each infantry company 2 Bergmann submachine guns (another 2 in September).
Air War: On the Western Front in April, Britain lost 275 aircraft, while the Germans lost 66, giving rise to the nickname "Bloody April.
From May until July ‘B’ or Black Flight of Royal Navy Air Service No 10 squadron destroys 87 German aircraft. Royal Flying Corps flies 39,500 hours in May (record till March 1918).
In May Germans have 47 seaplanes at Zeebrugge and Ostend, shoot down 6 French flying boats; RNAS send extra 9 seaplanes.
Southern Front
Macedonia: In early May after ineffective and increasingly more costly, bomber operations KG 1 is withdrawn from Hudova and railed to Western Front (RFC belatedly discovers it on May 10).
Naval and Overseas Operations
Eastern Atlantic: HM submarine
E54 sinks
U-81 off Western Ireland resulting in 31 crew deaths.
U-81 was a high-seas submarine with a 10.5-cm (4.1in) deck gun:
Mediterranean: In May numbers reach 28 U-boats in Pola-Cattaro Flotilla. Allies have 858 patrol vessels (89 destroyers) of which 387 available to protect shipping, but only 201 to protect c.3,000 ships per day at sea at anyone time. During May British Admiralty orders 1108 new ASW vessels including 97 destroyers and 60 submarines. Average of 47 U-boats at sea per day.
In May the transport U-boat UC-20 takes 7 Germans to set up radio station (until August) at Misurata (Tripolitania) with Senussi rebels.
North Sea: German seaplane sinks British SS Gena off Suffolk, but latter shoots down escorting seaplane.
The 1st Battlecruiser Squadron of the Royal Navy leaving the Firth of Forth. © IWM (Q 74234):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...9847681/photo/1
Channel: In May 4 Dover Barrage drifters damaged by its mines. During May record of 13 German mine sweepers mined and sunk (only 12 so lost November 1916-April 1917).
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
North-west frontier (India): Mahsud tribesmen attack British convoy; beaten off, British losses 60 killed, 55 wounded.
Political, etc
Russia: Russian Army Conference asks for the abolition of private ownership of land and the distribution of land among the peasants.
Millions of people march in Russian cities to celebrate May Day, the 1st since the February Revolution:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...4938369/photo/1
France: Early May Nivelle insists 1,000 Renault FT-17 light tanks top priority order.
The ‘Ribot Cable’: French Prime minister asks US to send 4,500 combat aircraft to Western Front during 1918; with trainers, grand total required by June 30, 1918 is 22,625 planes.
United Kingdom: British Admiral Beresford states shipping losses by U-boats are “appalling” and criticizes the government for hiding its full scale.
New schedule of Protected Occupations published.
United States: President Wilson confers with British Foreign Secretary Balfour and French Deputy PM Viviani at the White House to discuss the war situation. Later, French war mission delegates Viviani and Marshal Joffre are greeted by the U.S. Senate with cheers.
President Wilson signs executive order instituting censorship for cables out of the U.S. and telegraph/telephone lines into Mexico.
Poland: Polish Council of State presents demands to Central Powers (see yesterday).