Western Front
Second Battle of Passchendaele phase of the
Third Battle of Ypres: Australian Corps of 5 divisions formed.
Aisne: Battle of La Malmaison ends (see October 23rd). Outflanked German Seventh Army retreats from Chemin des Dames until November 2; French reoccupy four villages on heights.
British airmen bomb Kaiserslautern.
A British mounted officer passes by a war cemetery at Roclincourt, France: © IWM (Q 70724):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...383158325014528
Autochrome photo of French soldiers shooting at aircraft on the Western Front:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...413350598742016
Southern Front
Isonzo: Twelfth Battle Of Isonzo, aka, the
Battle of Caporetto: 60,000 more Italian soldiers are captured in the Central Powers offensive, as the Italians retreat across the Tagliamento River. Italians hold river Tagliamento (up to 3,000y yards wide) line until November 2 to allow time for Carnia and dilatory Fourth Army retreat plus Piave preparations. Austrian 10th Division reaches lower Tagliamento at Latisana. Foch and Robertson visit King at Padua.
In the past 8 days, Austria-Hungary and Germany have taken 120,000 prisoners, 1000 artillery guns, and 1000 square miles from Italy.
Naval and Overseas Operations
In November 139 Allied destroyers on convoy duty including 40 in Mediterranean (11 British ships lost). 381 ships sail in Mediterranean convoys (only 9 lost, or 2.35%). US Navy has over 40 ships at Brest under Admiral Wilson for convoy escort.
Channel: During November 14 British ships lost. Geddes forms Channel Barrage Committee under Rear-Admiral Keyes, Director of Plans.
Baltic: During November thousands of mutinous sailors from Russian Baltic Fleet act as shock troops of the Bolshevik (October) Revolution at Petrograd. German U-boat and auxiliary
Equity land supplies in Finland for nationalists.
North Sea: British submarine
E.52 sinks
UC-63 south of Goodwins. In November Royal Navy lays 960 mines off Flamborough Head (East Coast) against Flanders U-boats.
(Listed for yesterday): German submarine SM
UC-16, credited with sinking 42 ships during its career, goes missing, presumed sunk after striking a mine.
Britain: First Lord Geddes says in Parliament 4,500 ships convoyed safely to and from Norway since April. During November HMS
Wakeful first of 23 W-class destroyers (ordered December 1916) completed (all finish until October 1918). 16 modified W-class destroyers launched January 1918 to November 11, 1919.
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Palestine: Third Battle of Gaza: Turkish defeat near Gaza; British capture outer defences on a front of 5,000 yards. Bulfin’s XXI Corps (11,000 men, 148 guns) captures Gaza’s outer defences night November 1-2 (over 1000 Turks killed, 550 PoWs, 3 guns and 30 MGs for 2,696 casualties until November 4). In November first 2,000 of 8,000 donkeys (4 coys) begin to help supply the EEF front line.
The British Imperial Camel Corps Brigade outside Beersheba, Ottoman Syria after its capture: © IWM (Q 109727):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...680107217440768
Political, etc
Russia: (listed for yesterday): Mayor of Petrograd (St. Petersburg, Russia) asks for calm, as flour shipments to the city from the countryside stop, threatening starvation.
(Today): Unrest in Petrograd; Maximalists threaten armed action.
Russian Premier Aleksandr Kerensky states Russia is spent and that the other Allied countries must shoulder the burden of the war.
United Kingdom: Ministry of National Service formed in Great Britain.
The Air Force (Constitution) Bill, 1917, is submitted to Parliament.
Following the disastrous defeat suffered by the Italian Army at Caporetto in October 1917, two British Divisions are dispatched to Italy to assist the Italians. This force is supported by VII Brigade of the Royal Flying Corps, (14th and 51st Wings), consisting of No.34 and No.42 Squadrons (Royal Aircraft Factory RE8s) and Nos. 28, 45 and 66 Squadrons (Sopwith Camels).
Italy: King Victor Emmanuel III meets the Allies:
https://i2.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...llies.jpg?ssl=1