Western Front
French Army Mutinies: Petain impresses King Albert at first meeting, tells him ‘The French Army is no longer what it was’, As previously outlined, the British response was to launch the otherwise already-planned:
Battle of Messines 1917 begins as an Allied offensive in Flanders (see 14th and November 1st, 1914). The battle was launched in the early hours of the morning with the blowing of 19 mines by the British Army, the largest of which is now known as Spanbroekmolen Mine Crater (or Lone Tree Crater). After the detonation, 9 divisions of British Second Army (Plumer) attack on 9-mile front and capture Messines-Wylschaete ridge. Attack preceded at 0310 hours by devastating, 500t largest non-nuclear explosion of 19 mines (1 still unexploded); causes panic in Lille 15 miles distant. British take 6,400 PoWs. German Gruppe Wytschaete commander Laffert sacked (June 16). Captured German trenches on the Messines Ridge:
https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...ridge.jpg?ssl=1 The British are also supported by tanks and use of poison gas.
British artillery observers in a captured German observation post:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...9977600/photo/1
Belgium: Belgians to join Anglo-French Flanders advance at certain stage.
The future British Edward ‘Mick” Mannock scores his first victory.
Southern Front
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo: Austro-Hungarian attack on Vodice ridge repulsed.
Naval and Overseas Operations
Atlantic: U-boats begin offensive off US East Coast. Q-ship
Pargust (Gordon Campbell, crew win 2 Victoria Cross) sinks
UC-29 (Ernst Rosenow) off southeast Ireland.
Baltic: First Congress of the Baltic Fleet (until June 28) at Helsinki tries to clarify C-in-C’s authority.
Political, etc
Sweden: In Stockholm, workers and police clash, as the Swedish Parliament refuses to consider Socialist demands for more rights.