Western Front
Third Battle of Ypres: North of Ypres slight British advance.
Since July 31, 17 German divisions ‘used up’ according to General Kuhl, CoS to Rupprecht. British attack profitably with 7 tanks.
British cavalry escorting captured German machine gunners through Brielen, Belgium:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...974123526955011
Jimmy Speirs, Scottish footballer who scored the winning goal in the 1911 FA Cup Final, is killed in action at Ypres:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...276097086517249
"Second Offensive Battle" of Verdun begins [French name and dates.] (until September 9): Guillaumat’s French Second Army, with 18 divisions vs 12, takes German defences north of Verdun on 11-mile front to depth of 1 1/4 miles including claims to have taken Avocourt Wood, Mort Homme, Hill 240 and 5,000 PoWs (until August 23). German Fifth Army (forewarned) previously evacuated Talou ridge and other positions.
U.S. Expeditionary Force soldiers in France receive gas masks and begin training with them before they head to the front.
Eastern Front
Baltic Provinces: Russians evacuate some positions southwest of Riga (until August 22) 3-8 miles to shorten line, plus stores and sick from city itself. German Eighth Army begins approach march for Riga operation (August 22).
Russia: Kornilov orders Cossack concentration within rail distance of Petrograd or Moscow (or on August 19).
Russian prisoners in Sassnitz, Germany waiting to be exchanged with German and Austro-Hungarian prisoners: © IWM (Q 29924):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...261000876249088
Romanians gain ground north of Focsani lost on 19 August.
Southern Front
Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo: Battle continues in favor of Italians; Austro-Hungarian defenses between Korite and Sella (right wing) carried.
Naval and Overseas Operations
Atlantic: Penultimate British Q-ship success:
Acton sinks
UC-72 (which had damaged the Q-ship
Penshurst on August 19).
British submarine HMS
E47 sinks in the North Sea with loss of all 30 crew.
Political, etc
Austria-Hungary: Dr. Sándor Wekerle appointed Hungarian Prime Minister.
Germany: Adolf von Baeyer, German chemist who synthesized indigo and received the 1905 Nobel Prize, passed away:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...215702061707264
Russia: Lavr Kornilov, the new Russian commander-in-chief, tried in vain to restore the army’s fighting strength, while at the same time protecting the Provisional Government from its internal enemies:
https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...nilov.jpg?ssl=1