[Sailor Steve]

July 25:

United States: A munitions train is wrecked at Metuchen, New Jersey. Sabotage is suspected.



Britain: Having attended his conference, Lt. Harold Rosher is granted two days' leave to visit his family.



Air War: No. 11 Squadron deploys to France totally equipped with Vickers F.B.5s, making it the world's first fighter squadron.

Lanoe Hawker, now flying Bristol Scout C 1611, attacks a trio of Albatros two-seaters. One is damaged and forced to land, the second crashes in Allied territory with both crewmembers killed, and the third manages to escape. These constitute Hawker's second and third victories. For this action he will become the first pilot to be awarded the Victoria Cross.



North Sea: Reinhold Lepsius, commanding U-6, sinks Norwegian sailing ships SV G.P. Harbitz, 673 tons, bound from Dynekilen to West Hartlepool with a cargo of pit props; SV Harboe, 388 tons, sailing from Holmestrand to Sunderland, also carrying pit props; and SV Sognedalen, 644 tons, carrying a load of planed wood from Fredrikstad to Middlebrough. His score is now 10 ships and 8,579 tons.
Claus Hansen, in U-41, finds another fishing fleet and sinks British trawlers Celtic, 264 tons, Cydonia, 259 tons, Emblem, 157 tons, Gadwall, 192 tons, and Honoria, 179 tons. Moving west out of the North Sea he sinks the American freighter SS Leelenaw, 1,923 tons carrying a load of flax and hemp from Arkhangelsk to Belfast. Hansen's score now stands at 25 ships and 32,918 tons.

Erich Haecker, in UB-6, finishes his third war patrol by sinking the small British freighter SS Firth, 406 tons, heading from Treport to Methil in ballast. His score is now 7 ships and 4,200 tons.



British East Africa (Kenya): HMS Laconia has been at Kilindini Harbour, Mombasa, for the past three days, offloading aircraft and aviation stores. This morning the RNAS pilots and mechanics leave the ship for new assignments.