Western Front
Much activity on both sides north of St. Quentin.
Royal Flying Corps ace McCudden, who had scored 4 kills on December 23, shoots down 3 LVGs in 20 minutes.
Major James Thomas Byford McCudden received his commission on January 1, 1917 flying S.E.5s. As a fighter he was instinctively a loner, preferring to stalk his prey so as to attack unseen from close range:
https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...udden.jpg?ssl=1
A British soldier and a carrier pigeon named “Dreadnaught.” © IWM (Q 11954):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...099643791708161
Southern Front
Austro-Hungarian bridges at Zenson bend (lower Piave) destroyed.
Austro-Hungarians bomb Padua, 13 killed, 60 injured; also bomb Treviso, Bassano, Vicenza and Castelfranco (December 31).
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Turkish forces driven back north of Jerusalem; Ramah and Bertunia captured.
Political, etc
Austria-Hungary: Arthur Arz, Chief of the General Staff replies to Ludendorff (from December 23), agrees his Western Front 1918 spring offensive will be decisive and Austrian troops will be sent, once no longer needed in Russia.
Russia: Lenin attends Demobilization Congress which votes for Army’s dissolution; he requests ‘revolutionary units’ to hold front line.
France: French Foreign Minister in speech outlines French War Aims (see January 5th, 1918).
United Kingdom: Labour memo on War Aims accepted in special Conference.
Portugal: Dr. da Silva Paes appointed Acting President of Portugal (see December 11th, 1917, and May 9th, 1918).