Western Front
Kaiserschlacht: Successful raid by Australians west of Morlancourt; in the night they capture Ville-sur-Ancre, take 360 prisoners, 20 machine guns.
First British “retaliatory” air raid on German towns. Cologne bombed by day; 33 bombs dropped, from 6 No 55 Squadron DH4s; kill 110 people at Cologne (some panic on streets), which returning repulse 2 German formations, shoot down 2 fighters. Considerable building damage (est. RM 340,000). All British machines return safely.
Eastern Front
Alexandropol (Georgia) occupied by Turkish forces.
Southern Front
Air fights in Upper Adriatic, west of Pola, between Italian and Austrian seaplanes.
Naval and Overseas Operations
Western Mediterranean: Heavily damaged (by carrier
Empress seaplane escorting convoy off Gibraltar)
U-39 forced into Cartagena (Spain) where interned for duration of war (
UC-56 likewise at Santander on May 24). French destroyer
Catapulte sinks in collision with British SS
Warrimoo off Bone, Algeria.
Seaplane carrier HMS
Empress:
https://i0.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...press.jpg?ssl=1
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Mesopotamia: CIGS agrees to postpone Tigris operations till mid-September, railway to be extended to Tikrit.
Armenia: Turkish 12th Division attacks south of river Aras against Gen Silikov’s 6,000-7,000 Armenians with 28 guns (until May 19), occupying Igdir while 5th Division captures two passes on Tiflis road (May 19).
Political, etc
France: Metal workers strikes ‘until peace’ (until May 28) in Loire Department; 3 infantry battalions, 9 cavalry squadrons, 560 gendarmes tied down. Mainly peaceful until police officers wounded on May 23. Clemenceau’s deputy PPS Barnier arrives on May 24; 43 union leaders arrested night May 25-26 and 73 workers drafted.
Ireland: Proclamation by Lord John French (Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland) re: pro-German conspiracy.