Western Front
Continued raiding by both sides, including an important enterprise by the French at Les Eparges. French claim to advance on a 1200-metre line and take 150 German prisoners.
US 94th Aero (Pursuit) Squadron arrives (flies first US recon petrol over German lines on March 19), is joined by future top ace Rickenbacker.
US fighter ace Edward Rickenbacker, a renowned racing driver, will become with 26 victories top-scoring American pilot of the war:
https://i1.wp.com/ww2-weapons.com/w...acker.jpg?ssl=1
Britain: DH10 (‘Amiens’) heavy bomber first flies. 8,403 women employed in Royal Flying Corps.
British Intelligence Staff Officers questions 2 German deserters (on right) at Ranchicourt, France: © IWM (Q 10715):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...276437256175617
A disabled Serbian veteran with a prosthetic arm working at an orthopedic center at Lyon, France:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...365802238103554
Eastern Front
Germans claim capture of 6,000 officers, 57,000 men, 2,600 guns, 5,000 machine-guns, and 500 planes since February 18, in recent invasion.
Southern Front
Italy: Austro-Hungarians bomb Venice for 8 hours (300 bombs) but lose 13 aircraft, also attack Padua, Mestre and Treviso; (early March). German Jastas 1, 31 and 39 return to Western Front (for “Ludendorff” Offensive).
Naval and Overseas Operations
Atlantic: Mysterious disappearance of ocean-going collier USS
Cyclops en route Barbados-Baltimore with 10,800t Brazilian manganese (309 dead). It is the largest US Navy loss in history not related to combat:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...335599906447361
Political, etc
Russia: Supreme Military Soviet formed at Petrograd.
Romania: Romania also declares it is ready to negotiate a formal peace with the Central Powers.
United States: The first known case of the so-called Spanish flu was first observed at Fort Riley, Kansas.
Finland: Order of the Cross of Liberty instituted at Carl Mannerheim’s suggestion.
Sweden: Sweden protests Germany’s decision to occupy the Åland Islands and intervene in the Finnish Civil War.