Western Front
French headquarters estimate German losses to end of July at four millions.
Two British Mark IV tanks moving through the woods near Elverdinge, Belgium: © IWM (Q 3547):
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...265080793976837
Southern Front
Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo: Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo ends (see August 17th). Italians hold on stubbornly north-east of Gorizia.
Italian losses since August 10 a record of 166,000 men (18,000 PoWs) so far. Austrians c.85,000 (29,000 PoWs).
French and Russian troops cross River Devoli (Albanian frontier), driving back Austro-Hungarian/Bulgarian forces twenty miles.
Another source gives more detail: French advance ends after 414 Austro-Bulgar PoWs and guns taken for 175 casualties in 20-mile advance; only real Allied 1917 Balkans success. Essad’s Albanians return from Skumbi valley raid with 156 Austrian PoWs on September 20.
Naval and Overseas Operations
Gulf of Riga still controlled by Russian warships; bombard German batteries on Courland shores. Germans prepare to capture Gulf of Riga Islands by amphibious operation (OHL approve on September 18); High Seas Fleet detaches 2 battle squadrons (10 ships), battlecruiser
Moltke, 2nd Scouting Group (light cruisers) and 5 destroyer flotillas (47 ships). 19 German trawlers hunt Royal Navy submarine
E.9 off Pomerania after latter misses 2 merchant ships (another miss on September 13).
Mediterranean: Fiction now ended that
U-35,
U-38 and
U-39 Austrian flag warships at Austrian request.
North Atlantic: HM Submarine
D.7 sinks
U-45 north of Ireland.
Political, etc
Germany: Kaiser Wilhelm returns from the Riga battlefields to Potsdam with a severe cold.
Russia: Russia on point of civil war.
France: M. Paul Painlevé succeeds M. Alexandre Ribot as French Premier (see 9th and November 14th).
M. Alexandre Ribot reappointed French Foreign Minister (see 9th, and October 23rd).
Bulgaria: Tsaritsa Eleonore Reuss of Köstritz, the wife of Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria, passed away:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...536852252598272
Poland: Central Powers proclaim grant of temporary Constitution to Poland, (see April 5th and October 15th, 1917 and January 10th, 1918). Polish Regency Council created. (courts already transferred on September 1).
Argentina: Argentina hands passports to Count Luxburg. Argentine Parliament votes to sever relations (September 19 and 25) despite German apology (September 17) but President disagrees.