Western Front
France: Belgian King Albert tours British Somme, Aisne and Arras battlefields. Petain’s Directive No.1 rejects breakthrough aim ‘
for the moment.’ King Albert I inspecting a Belgian heavy artillery armored train near Saint-Pol: © IWM (Q 2202):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...7903746/photo/1
French Army Mutinies: On 16–17 May, there were disturbances in a Chasseur battalion of the 127th Division and a regiment of the 18th Division. Two days later a battalion of the 166th Division staged a demonstration and on 20 May the 128th Regiment of the 3rd Division and the 66th Regiment of the 18th Division refused orders; individual incidents of insubordination occurred in the 17th Division. Over the next two days spokesmen were elected in two regiments of the 69th Division to petition for an end to the offensive. By 28 May mutinies broke out in the 9th Division, 158th Division, 5th Division and 1st Cavalry Division. By the end of May more units of the 5th, 6th, 13th, 35th, 43rd, 62nd, 77th and 170th divisions mutinied and revolts occurred in 21 divisions in May. A record 27,000 French soldiers deserted in 1917; the offensive was suspended on 9 May.
Eastern Front
Intense Central Powers’ fire on Russian trenches near Kukhary (Kovel).
Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Italians hold gains with British 6-inch howitzer help despite repeated Austrian counter-attacks. Cadorna orders medium and heavy artillery fire only for attacks or enemy counter-attacks due to shell shortage, guns being moved south to Carso.
Italian troops take the town of Duino on the Adriatic coast, and claim total Austro-Hungarian prisoners taken reach 4,021.
Behind the Austro-Hungarian lines potatoes are peeled:
https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...aelen.jpg?ssl=1
Serbia: Last French attacks in Crna bend and north of Monastir fail against German counter-attacks with 1,113 casualties. Serrail fails to get Serb First Army (Misic) into action.
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Picture of an Arab fighter riding a camel taken by T.E. Lawrence: © IWM (Q 59183):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...9425280/photo/1
Kurds attack Russian rear near Khanikan.
Mesopotamian Commission's report presented.
Political, etc
Germany: Austro-German Kreuznach Agreement (until May 18): Austria to get Balkans territory for letting Germany have Poland and Baltic gains (Czernin’s peace effort thwarted).
United Kingdom: The British Admiralty appoint a Committee, in conjunction with the Ministry of Shipping, to draw up a plan to convoy merchant ships (see June 14th and July 2nd). [ed note: there is a lot of controversy surrounding this decision. Lloyd George claims it was as a result of a visit to Whitehall; others in Parliament claims it was the result obtained following on a Cabinet decision; the records seem to show that the decision to appoint such a committee was taken by the Admiralty a few days to a week prior to Lloyd George’s visit to Whitehall.]
(Listed for yesterday): Philip Snowden, Socialist Member of Parliament, declares if peace does not come soon, Allied countries will be threatened by revolution.
British Director of Food Economy defends the continued brewing of beer in the country, stating it counts as food and is necessary.
Annual meetings of Imperial Cabinet announced.
Serbia: Radomir Putnik, former Serbian Field Marshal and Chief of the General Staff, passed away:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...8138880/photo/1
United States: U.S. National Confectioners’ Association adopts a resolution proposing a 2-cent coin, as “penny candy goods” have risen in cost.
U.S. Secretary of War says that due to the lack of supplies, the U.S. will not be able to mobilize 500,000 men until September 1st. [Ed Note: remember the “wild promises” mentioned earlier ?]
U.S.A. Minister in Belgium issues damning report on German deportations.
Minor Allies: Honduras severs diplomatic relations with Germany (see July 19th, 1918).