[Sailor Steve]

October 17, 1917

Western Front

Great artillery activity north-east of Soissons.

Germans enter French trenches at Hill 344 (Verdun).



Eastern Front

German attempt to land on Dago Island (Riga) supported by naval guns is repulsed.

Government prepares to move to Moscow from Petrograd.



Naval and Overseas Operations

East Africa: Column from Lukuledi Mission drives enemy eastward; two columns occupy Nyangoa.

Naval engagements Gulf of Riga.

German raiders sink nine merchantmen and two destroyers out of convoy off Bergen; 135 lost.



Political, etc.

Australian trans-continental railway joined up.

Holland replies to British Note re: transport of gravel and sand.



Air War:

0730 English RNAS pilot John Pinder, flying Sopwith Camel N6439, shoots down a German seaplane for victory number 4.

0925 Canadian RFC ace pilot William Durrand and English observer Albert Woodbridge, in Bristol F.2b A7141, shoot down a DFW C.V. Victory number 6 for Durrand, number 5 for Woodbridge.

0930 German pilot Vfw Bärwald (first name unknown), in an Albartros D.V, shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 2.

0930 German ace Heinrich Bongartz, in an Albatros D.V, shoots down a DH.4 for victory number 15.

0930 German ace Theodor Quandt, in an Albatros D.III, shoots down a DH.4 for victory number 7.

0945 English RFC ace Philip Fullard, flying Nieuport 17 B6789, shoots down a German two-seater for victory number 32.

1000 English RFC ace pilot Harry Luchford and English observer Victor White, in Bristol F.2b B1138, shoot down an Albatros D.V. Victory number 21 for Luchford, number 3 for White.

1030 Philip Fullard scores his second victory of the day, a German two-seater, for number 33 overall.

1045 Canadian RNAS pilot Stanley Rosevear, in Sopwith Triplane N5489, shoots down an Albatros D.V for victory number 5.

1100-1130 South African RNAS pilot Samuel Kinkead, in Sopwith Triplane N5465, shoots down a DFW C.V for victory number 5.

1105 New Zealand RFC pilot Herbert Frank Stacey Drewitt, flying SPAD VII B6761, shoots down a German two-seater for victory number 1.

1105 French ace René Fonck, in a SPAD VII, shoots down a German two-seater for victory number 16.

1120 German ace Julius Buckler, in an Albatros D.V, shoots down Bristol F.2a A7271 for victory number 18. 2nd Lt A.G.V. Taylor and Sgt W.J. Benger are both wounded and taken prisoner, and both will die from their wounds.

1120 René Fonck scores his second kill of the day, another two-seater, for number 17.

1140 German pilot Konrad von Bülow-Bothkamp (brother of Walter and Harry von Bülow-Bothkamp), in an Albatros D.III, shoots down a Nieuport fighter for victory number 1.

1425 Philip Fullard scores his third kill of the day, shooting down an Albatros D.V for number 34.

1500 German pilot Heinrich Kütt, possibly in an old Albatros D.II (records are sketchy for Jasta 23 aircraft), shoots down a SPAD for his only victory.

1500 French pilot Alexandre Marty, in a Nieuport, shoots down a German two-seater for victory number 5. Uffz Erich Wagner and Ltn Josef Herkommer of FlAbt 276a are both killed.

1620 German ace Bruno Loerzer, in Albatros D.V 2299/17, shoots down a Sopwith Pup for victory number 17.

1630 German pilot Karl Wewer, in an Albatros D.III, shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 3.

German pilot Karl Bey, flying an Albatros D.III, shoots down a Bristol F.2b for his only aerial victory. This is either A7231 (2nd Lts E. Scholtz and H.C. Wookey both taken prisoner) or A7209 (2nd Lts S.E. Stanley and E.L. Fossey also captured).

French Nieuport pilots Georges Blanc and Louis-Antoine Chartoire share the destruction of a German observation Balloon. Victory number 4 for Blanc, number 1 for Chartoire.

German pilot Robert Dycke, in an Albatros D.III, shoots down a SPAD VII. Sgt Marcel Montagne is killed.

German ace Otto Könnecke, in an Albatros D.V, shoots down an Allied two-seater for victory number 8.

French pilot Fochaux du Plessis, in a Nieuport, destroys an observation balloon for victory number 1.

French pilot Paul Rodde, flying a Nieuport, destroys a German observation balloon for victory number 5.



Ship Losses:

Adams (United Kingdom): The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 6 nautical miles (11 km) south east by east of The Lizard, Cornwall (49°54′N 5°04′W) by SM U-62. Her crew survived.

USAT Antilles (United Statess Army): The troopship was torpedoed and damaged in the Bay of Biscay (48°10′N 11°15′W) by SM U-105 with the loss of 67 lives. Survivors were rescued by USS Corsair and the ship was scuttled.

California (United Kingdom): The passenger ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 145 nautical miles (269 km) north north west of Cape Villano, Spain (45°00′N 11°26′W) by SM U-22 with the loss of four lives.

H. Wicander (Sweden): Action off Lerwick: The cargo ship was shelled and sunk with the loss of sixteen crew in the North Sea off Lerwick, Shetland Islands, United Kingdom by SMS Bremse and SMS Brummer.

Goorkha (Royal Navy): Mines from SM UC-25 damage British Hospital ship off Malta (35°57′N 14°40′E). Towed into Malta, decommissioned and returned to owners, Union Castle, for repair.

Habil (Norway): Action off Lerwick: The coaster was shelled and sunk in the North Sea off Lerwick, Shetland Islands, United Kingdom by SMS Bremse and SMS Brummer.

Kristine (Norway): Action off Lerwick: The coaster was shelled and sunk in the North Sea off Lerwick by SMS Bremse and SMS Brummer with the loss of ten of her eleven crew.

HMT Jean (Royal Navy) The naval trawler was lost in the Mediterranean Sea on this date.

Manchuria (United Kingdom): The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 60 nautical miles (110 km) west of Ouessant, Finistère, France by SM U-53 with the loss of 26 crew.

HMS Mary Rose: Action off Lerwick: The 'M'-class destroyer was shelled and sunk in the North Sea off Lerwick by SMS Bremse and SMS Brummer with the loss of 88 of her 98 crew.

Polvena (United Kingdom): The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 25 nautical miles (46 km) north by east of Ouessant (48°55′N 5°10′W) by SM U-53 with the loss of three crew.

HMT Ruby (Royal Navy): The naval trawler was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Ouessant (48°50′N 5°10′W) by SM UC-79 with the loss of all eighteen crew.

Silja (Norway): Action off Lerwick: The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the North Sea off Lerwick by SMS Bremse and SMS Brummer.

Slava (Imperial Russian Navy): Battle of Moon Sound: The Borodino-class battleship was scuttled in Moon Sound. The wreck was scrapped in 1935.

Sørhaug (Norway): Action off Lerwick: The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the North Sea off Lerwick by SMS Bremse and SMS Brummer.

Stella (Denmark): Action off Lerwick: The coaster was shelled and sunk in the North Sea off Lerwick by SMS Bremse and SMS Brummer.

HMS Strongbow (Royal Navy): Action off Lerwick: The R-class destroyer was shelled and sunk in the North Sea off Lerwick by SMS Bremse and SMS Brummer with the loss of 47 of her crew.

Visbur (Sweden): Action off Lerwick: The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the North Sea off Lerwick, Shetland Islands, United Kingdom, by SMS Bremse and SMS Bremmer. All her crew survived the lifeboat trip back to Norway.