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A NEW YEAR DAWNS
Today marks the fourth New Years day in what was expected to be a six-month long war. There is no end in sight, as the stalemate of trench warfare continues to grip the Western Front.
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AIRSHIP BASE EXPLODES AND BURNS
A rapid series of explosions and quickly spreading fires ravaged the Imperial German Navy airship base at Tondern yesterday, destroying four hangars and five airships in only five minutes. Four civilian workers and 10 naval personnel were killed and 134 naval personnel were injured. The cause is under investigation, but appears to be accidental.
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VON MÜLLER LEAPS TO HIS DEATH
The Albatros D.Va of German ace Max Ritter von Müller has been shot down in flames, with Von Müller reportedly jumping to his death to escape the fire. He was engaged in a dogfight over Moorslede, Belgium with three RFC aircraft; an RE.8 of No. 21 Squadron and two SE.5a's of No. 60 Squadron. Von Müller was one of Germany's best pilots with 36 victories to his credit, and the pride of Bavaria.
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PRESIDENT WILSON ISSUES 14 POINTS
Two days ago, American President Woodrow Wilson presented a newly crafted peace program to Congress. Compiled by a group of US foreign policy experts, the programme includes fourteen different points. The first five points deal with general principles: Point 1 - no secret treaties; Point 2 - freedom of the seas; Point 3 - removal of worldwide trade barriers; Point 4 - arms reductions and Point 5 - international arbitration of all colonial disputes. Points 6 to 13 are concerned with specific territorial problems, including claims made by Russia, France and Italy, control of the Dardanelles, and claims for independence by people living in areas now controlled by the Central Powers. Wilson believes that his Fourteen Points should serve as a basis for the signing of any Armistice.
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AUSTRALIA VOTES - NO CONSCRIPTION
Australian voters have defeated conscription plans in a national referendum. The Australian government had planned to increase the army's manpower through a mandatory military draft, but voters have rejected the idea.
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BRESLAU SUNK AND GOEBEN DAMAGED
Yesterday morning saw British and German naval forces clash in the Aegean Sea as the German battleships Goeben and Breslau attempted a surprise raid on Allied forces off the Dardanelle Straits. Readers will recall that the Goeben and Breslau are the two swift, powerful cruisers that famously eluded capture by the British in the Dardanelles in 1914 to reach Constantinople and bring Turkey into the war on the side of Germany. Attempting to leave the Dardanelles yesterday they encountered the British fleet just after sunrise and quickly sank two British monitors, the HMS Raglan and the M28, leaving 127 sailors dead. With two British destroyers in pursuit, the German ships continued heading south toward Lemnos Island but entered a British minefield. Breslau was sunk, killing 208 men. When Goeben turned back in an attempt to help she also suffered severe damage, striking several mines, and was forced to run aground. 
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FRENCH AIR AMBULANCES
The French Army's Service Aeronautique has employed four Breguet 14S air ambulances for casualty evacuation along the Aisne Front within recent weeks. Each aircraft can accommodate two stretcher cases, moving critically wounded soldiers rapidly to better equipped hospitals far from the frontlines. Although a small effort, it has saved lives and could eventually become a much expanded service.
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CAMBRAI INQUIRY REPORT
This month has seen the British Army convene an inquiry into the failure of the British offensive in the Battle of Cambrai in November–December 1917. The inquiry has found that the German use of massed aircraft for close air support of German ground troops subjected British ground troops to so much machine-gun fire that they felt helpless and became demoralized, allowing a successful German counterattack. The importance and effectiveness of using aircraft in coordination with ground troops is becoming clear.
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HEAVY BOMBERS ATTACK LONDON
Last night saw 13 Gothas and two Giants set off to bomb England, but half of the Gothas turned back because of poor visibility. Over a hundred defensive sorties were flown by British fliers, resulting in one Gotha being shot down by two Camels from 40 Squadron.  This is the first victory for night fighters over Great Britain. On the ground, 67 people were killed and 166 injured. Many of the casualties were caused by a single 300 kg bomb that fell on the Odhams printing works in Long Acre, which was being used as a shelter.
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GIANTS BOMB LONDON AGAIN
German heavy bombers returned to London again last night, but this time only four Giants participated. No Gotha bombers appeared and it is rumoured that the Gotha squadrons may have been withdrawn for training and refitting.
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GERMANY RECOGNIZES UKRAINE
The Central Powers have officially recognized the independence of the Ukraine from Russia. The Ukrainians previously declared their independence on November 20 of last year and set up a Ukrainian People's Republic
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ROUND THE CLOCK BOMBING
Hugh Trenchard's 41st Wing is demonstrating that it can mount a "round the clock" bombing attack, something never before attempted. The German town of Trier is the target, with British DH4s attacking by day and Handley-Page bombers attacking by night.
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GERMANY'S NEW JAGDGESCHWADER
The German Air Force is forming its second and third Jagdgeschwader (fighter wings). Jagdgeschwader II brings together four fighter squadrons –Jastas 12, 13, 15, and 19 – with Adolf Ritter von Tutschek as commanding officer. Four other Jagdstaffeln – Jasta 2 "Boelcke" and Jastas 26, 27, and 36 – will form Jagdgeschwader III, with Bruno Loerzer in command.
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FIRST AMERICAN AERIAL VICTORY
Second Lieutenant Stephen W. Thompson scored the first aerial victory by any member of the U.S. military yesterday. Thompson's unit (1st Aero Squadron) has not yet begun combat operations, but while visiting a French unit with a fellow squadmate both were invited to fly as gunner-bombardiers with the French on a bombing raid over Saarbrücken, Germany. After they had dropped their bombs, the squadron was attacked by Albatros fighters, one of which was shot down by Lt. Thompson. It is reported that he might be awarded the Croix de Guerre for the action.
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NEW ROUNDELS FOR U.S. PLANES
Starting tomorrow, the United States will be replacing the insignia of its military aircraft (a white star with a central red circle all in a blue circular field, as adopted in 1917) with a roundel with an outer red ring, then a blue ring, and a white center. The British and French have requested the change out of a fear that the star in the current marking could be mistaken for a German cross.
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LAFAYETTE ESC. NOW 103RD AERO
Today, the Lafayette Escadrille will cease to be an American volunteer squadron serving in the French Army, and will transfer into the United States Army and be redesignated as the 103rd Aero Squadron. Given their active status at the front, this squad is almost certain to have the historical distinction of being the first American air unit to see air combat, although the squadron and pilots are obviously not new to the fight.
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RUSSIANS DECARE UNILATERAL PEACE
Frustrated with continued German demands for cessions of territory, the leader of the Russian delegation to the Brest-Litovsk peace conference Leon Trotsky presented a new policy yesterday. Russia has unilaterally declared an end of hostilities against the Central Powers and is withdrawing from peace negotiations with the Central Powers. This new position is summed up as "no war — no peace". Other Bolshevik leaders have privately denounced Trotsky for exceeding his instructions and worry he is exposing Soviet Russia to the threat of German invasion. It appears that Trotsky feels the Germans will not invade because they need to make a quick peace and move their troops to the Western front for a decisive win before the Americans can arrive in force.
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GIANTS' DROP HUGE BOMB ON LONDON
Four German 'Giant' bombers attacked London last night. One of the machines dropped a massive 1,000 kg (2200 lb) bomb with the intent of leveling Victoria station. However, in a demonstration of the inaccuracies inherent in high-level bombing, the munition fell half a mile off target, hitting Royal Hospital in Chelsea.
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GERMANS RENEW ADVANCE IN RUSSIA
Leon Trotsky's gamble to declare a unilateral peace and walk out of the Brest-Litovsk peace conference has failed badly. The Central Powers today repudiated the armistice on February 18, and have renewed hostilities against Russia. This appears to be a disastrous turn of events for the Bolshevik government.
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HANNOVER CL.III NOW IN PRODUCTION
A lightened and strengthened version of the Hannover Cl.II is now entering production, and will be designated the Cl.III. The small two-seater machine is to be powered by the excellent 180hp Daimler-Mercedes D.IIIa engine. Although the Hannover Cl.III features a shorter wingspan and narrower fuselage, it looks for all intents and purposes exactly the same as the Cl.II, making visual identification of one from the other difficult to an untrained observer.
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GERMANS CONTINUE RUSSIAN PUSH
Since renewing hostilities against the Russians a fortnight ago, German forces have seized most of Belarus and the Baltic countries from Bolshevik forces. A German fleet is reported to be approaching Russia's capital of Petrograd. If the Russians do not return to the peace negotiations, no end to the German advance is foreseen. 
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RUSSIANS ACCEPT GERMAN DEMANDS
At Brest-Litovsk yesterday, Soviet Russia signed a treaty with Germany formally ending its participation in the war. Harsh terms have been imposed by the Germans, forcing the Russians to yield a quarter of their prewar territory and over half of her industries. The Russian Army is to be completely demobilized. As such, the Soviet government has agreed to terms worse than those they had previously rejected, but they had little choice given the German's recent renewal of hostilities. With this Russian peace treaty, the Germans will now be able to transfer troops from the Eastern Front to support their expected major offensive in France. 
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GERMAN FORCES ENTER UKRAINE
In a move to clear any remaining Bolsheviks out of the Ukraine, the Germans and Austrians have dispatched an expeditionary force. These forces seized Kiev two days ago and are now moving towards Odessa, Nikolayev, Kharkov and Rostov. The Ukraine appears likely to become a critical granary for the Central Powers, who are facing severe food shortages due to the Allied blockade.
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LONDON BOMBED BY FIVE 'GIANTS'
Five 'Giant' bombers raided London last night, dropping bombs in the area of Paddington Railway Station. Another of the German's 1,000 kg bombs was dropped. Casualty reports are still coming in, but have yet to be tallied. No Gotha bombers have taken place in any of the recent raids, as they remain withdrawn for retraining and refitting.
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MAIL DELIVER TAKES TO THE SKY
The first regular international airmail service has begun, with Hansa-Brandenburg C.I aircraft carrying mail between Vienna, Lvov, Proskurov, and Kiev. This is expected to be just the start of a new era of delivery by airplane, greatly reducing the time it takes letters to reach their destination.
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BOLSHEVIKS NAME NEW CAPITAL
Yesterday, with German forces closing in on Petrograd and nationalist and counter-revolutionary governments emerging in the border regions, the Bolshevik government decided to move the Russian capital to Moscow.
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BREST-LITOVSK TREATY RATIFIED
The Bolshevik government in Moscow has now ratified the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk that was agreed to by the Russian delegation to the peace conference twelve days ago. Although Lenin's government has achieved its goal of exiting the armed conflict, it has been forced to do so in brutally humiliating fashion and at great cost.
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EVOLUTION OF AIRCRAFT CARRIER
After an extensive conversion, HMS Furious today re-enters service with the Royal Navy as the world's first aircraft carrier equipped with aircraft lifts (elevators). This innovation allows the deck of the ship to be dedicated entirely to use as flat take-off and landing area, with speedy transfer of aircraft to storage and maintenance areas below. 
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GERMAN AIR POWER SUPREMACY
For the first time in the war, German air forces have a numerical superiority over the British on the Western Front. The RFC has about 60 squadrons (580 serviceable aircraft) deployed, but German units number about 115 (730 aircraft). These German units consist of 49 Fliegerabteilungen (recon and artillery spotting), 27 Schlachtstaffeln (ground attack), 35 Jagdstaffeln (hunter groups), and 4 Bombengeshwader (bombing). It seems likely that this aerial armada will soon be unleashed on the British as a final great German push to win the war is expected soon.
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GERMAN TROOPS TRANSFERING
Large numbers of German divisions are rumoured to be moving from the Eastern Front in Russia to the Western Front in France in recent months and weeks. With the collapse of Russia, General Erich Ludendorff will soon be able to redeploy significant forces, and he is widely expected to initiate a last great offensive to bring the war on the Western Front to a swift conclusion before growing numbers of American troops negate the numerical advantage gained.
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GOTHAS RETURN TO ACTIVE DUTY
After having been withdrawn from the bombing campaign against Britain a couple of months ago, the Gotha's are rumoured to be ready for active duty once again. There is speculation that the Germans might be planning to use these large bombers in a tactical role in the large offensive that is widely expected to be launched some time this spring. It is speculated that the Gotha's may be used as a means of choking Allied supply lines by bombing enemy railway facilities and supply depots.
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INCREASED AIR ACTIVITY
A major German attack is suspected to be imminent, so British squadrons supporting Third and Fifth Army have been organizing bombing attacks against German airfields and transportation links in recent days with the intent to disrupt German preparations. British fighter squadrons equipped with SE 5a's and Camels are also carrying out offensive patrols behind German lines. The Germans are rumoured to have built up a significant armada of aircraft in the area, and have been actively patrolling in large numbers to defend against these British incursions. All the best German Jastas are in the area and their Albatros DV's, supplemented by a few Triplanes, are on almost constant defensive patrol.  
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MASSIVE GERMAN OFFENSIVE!!
Yesterday saw 65 divisions of the German 2nd, 17th and 18th Armies attack the British 3rd and 5th Armies along a 60-mile front in the Somme region. The attack has been dubbed Operation Michael by the Germans. This appears to be the long expected all-out bid by the Germans to achieve a final decisive victory before the Americans arrive. The assault seems intended to break through the BEF's lines along the Somme, cut the British off from the French to the south, then wheel northwest and drive toward the English Channel. The assault began yesterday with a five-hour 6,000-gun artillery bombardment, followed by waves of special stormtrooper units, whose orders call for them to drive deep into British positions, bypassing strong points. The attack has successfully penetrated the British lines towards St. Quentin and the British have lost nearly 20,000 dead and 35,000 wounded. It is possible that within only a few days the Germans will have recaptured all of the land they had lost around the Somme in the previous two years! This may prove disastrous for the Allies. Not only may they lose all of the land which tens of thousands of men have died to capture, but the Germans will also be dangerously close to Amiens, a vital rail junction, which now lays defenseless. 
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USE OF GROUND ATTACK AIRCRAFT
German airpower over the Operation Michael battle is reported to be dominant, with the German Army Air Service fielding about 1,680 aircraft to the Royal Flying Corps' 579. The Germans are placing great emphasis on ground attack, and it is considered the most important task of the German planes at this time. Flying the Halberstadt CL.II, the improved Halberstadt CL.IV, and the specialist all-metal Junkers J1, they are reportedly enjoyed tremendous success in assisting the ground troops.
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OPERATION MICHAEL GAINS GROUND
After two days of fighting, the British Fifth Army is in full retreat in the face of the Michael Offensive. As they are falling back, many isolated "redoubts" have been surrounded and overwhelmed by the German infantry following behind the storm troopers. The right wing of the British Third Army has became separated from the retreating Fifth Army, and they are now in retreat to avoid being outflanked. Believing that a major breakthrough is in the offing, General Ludendorff directed the German 17th Army to turn northwest yesterday and attack towards Arras with the goal of rolling up the British line. The 2nd Army continues to push west towards Amiens, while 18th Army is pushing southwest to open the growing salient in the British lines.
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BRITISH FALL BACK - INFLICT LOSSES
In aviation news, Captain John Lightfoot Trollope of the Royal Flying Corps' No. 43 Squadron is reported to have shot down six German aircraft yesterday, an amazing feat for a single day. On the ground, British troops continue to fall back in the face of the Michael Offensive, but General Gough and General Byng's armies are inflicting heavy casualties on the advancing German troops. Both sides are tiring rapidly after three days of heavy fighting. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the Germans to move artillery and supplies forward as they are advancing over the blasted land of the Somme battlefield of 1916. Advancing German troops have also fallen onto abandoned British supply dumps, which are reportedly causing some demoralization; German troops have discovered that the Allies have plenty of food despite the U-boat campaign, with luxuries such as chocolate and even champagne.
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GERMAN OFFENSIVE CONTINUES
The Royal Flying Corps is reportedly flying many sorties at low altitude in order to machine-gun and bomb ground targets in an effort to impede the German advance. Nevertheless, yesterday saw the German Army pick up the pace of their advance and press forward with a strong move covering many miles. Allied troops and civilians with heavily laden carts and wagons fill the roads streaming south and west. The Germans yesterday captured Bapaume and Peronne, and the town of Albert appears likely to fall soon.
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AIRCO DH.9 ARRIVES
Entering combat now with 6 Squadron, this new British bomber is a development of Airco's earlier, highly successful DH.4 and has been ordered in very large numbers. However, rumours have already begun to circulate that the machine's engine is rather unreliable and underpowered, and that the DH.9 actually has poorer performance than the aircraft it is meant to replace! If true, this seems likely to be a recipe for heavy losses for this type over the Western Front.
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COURAGE UNDER FIRE
Yesterday over Albert, France, 18-year-old Canadian Second Lieutenant Alan Arnett McLeod and his observer Lieutenant Arthur Hammond of the Royal Flying Corps's No. 2 Squadron were attacked by several German Fokker Dr.I triplanes as they flew their two-seater Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8. They shot down four of the German fighters before themselves being shot down in flames and crash-landing in no man's land. The seriously injured McLeod carried his badly wounded observer to the British lines, being wounded yet again in the process. Both men have survived and there is talk that McLeod will be a certain candidate for the Victoria Cross, which would make him the youngest airman to be awarded this decoration.
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GENERAL FOCH - SUPREME COMMAND
At a strategic conference three days ago in Doullens, France, the British and French agreed to appoint an Allied Supreme Commander on the Western Front, in place of the separate commanders they had been using. The recent German offensive at the location where the British and French defenses meet has shown that better coordinated efforts are needed. Ferdinand Foch, Petain's highly regarded chief of staff, has accepted the position (seen below with American General Pershing).
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HANNOVER CL.IIIA IN PRODUCTION
After production of about 80 Hannover Cl.III aircraft, production has switched to the Argus As.III engine because the Daimler-Mercedes D.IIIa power plant is in short supply. The model powered by the Argus As.III will be designated as the Hannover Cl.IIIa. These machines should be entering active duty soon.
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RAF FORMED
The Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service have combined to form the Royal Air Force, the world's first independent air force, with Sir Hugh Trenchard as the first Chief of the Air Staff. The decision has also been made to increase strategic bombing activities and Trenchard will be placed in charge of this enlarged force to be known as the "Independent Force, RAF". Bristol F2B Fighters of No. 22 Squadron carried out the first official missions of the RAF. A female branch of the new Service, the Women's Royal Air Force, is also formed.
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FIRST USE OF PARACHUTE BY PILOT
A Vizefeldwebel Weimar has reportedly becomes the first person to use a parachute in aerial combat, successfully bailing out of a disabled German Albatros D.Va fighter.
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MCCUDDEN GETS VICTORIA CROSS
Citation: His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the Victoria Cross to the 2nd Lt. James Byford McCudden, R.F.C., for most conspicuous bravery, exceptional perseverance, keenness, and very high devotion to duty. Captain McCudden has at the present time accounted for 54 enemy aeroplanes. Of these 42 have been definitely destroyed, 19 of them on our side of the lines. Only 12 out of the 54 have been driven out of control. On two occasions, he has totally destroyed four two-seater enemy aeroplanes on the same day, and on the last occasion all four machines were destroyed in the space of 1 hour and 30 minutes. As a patrol leader he has at all times shown the utmost gallantry and skill, not only in the manner in which he has attacked and destroyed the enemy, but in the way he has during several aerial fights protected the newer members of his flight, thus keeping down their casualties to a minimum. 
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MICHAEL GRINDING TO A HALT
Over the past week, the German advance has faltered, as the infantry have become increasingly exhausted. Fresh British and Australian units have been steadily moved to the area via the vital rail centre of Amiens, stiffening the British defence. French reserves have been sent northward to bolster the line there.
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LUDENDORF ENDS MICHAEL OFFENSIVE
The German offensive has been halted after advancing about 40 miles. The German breakthrough has been contained and no further progress is being made. The Allies have lost nearly 255,000 men, 1,300 artillery pieces and 200 tanks but all of this can be replaced from French and British factories and by American manpower. German troop losses are just as bad at 239,000 men, but these losses seem irreplaceable. The initial German jubilation at the successful opening of the Michael Offensive has now turned to disappointment, as it is clear that the attack has not achieved decisive results.
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AIRMAN SHOT BY ZEPPELIN
While piloting an FE.2b over England the previous evening, Royal Air Force Lieutenant C. H. Noble-Campbell of No. 38 Squadron attacked the German Navy Zeppelin L.62. He was wounded in the head by machine-gun fire from the airship's guns, but managed to return safely to base. This is believed to be the only occasion on which an attacking airman has been wounded in combat with an airship.
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ZEPPELIN CATCHES FIRE AND CRASHES
The German submarine UB-53 reported seeing an airship catch fire and crash into the sea near the Strait of Otranto with the loss of all hands yesterday. The crashed airship has been confirmed now as the German Navy Zeppelin L.59, modified for long-range flights. The L.59 was apparently on the outbound leg of a light from Yambol, Bulgaria, in an attempt to bomb the Royal Navy base on the island of Malta.
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A U.S. ARMY AVIATION FIRST
Yesterday saw a flight of Airco DH.4s make the first independent raid of the war by the United States Army's Aviation Section.
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NEW GERMAN ATTACK!!
Halted at Amiens only a few weeks ago, General Ludendorff has now launched a second offensive in Germany's great gamble for victory. This new offensive, codenamed Georgette, appears aimed to punch through near Ypres and push west to the key channel ports of Calais, Boulogne, and Dunkirk. Capture of these ports could choke British supply lines. After two days of bombardment, eight divisions from the German 6th Army advanced yesterday in the area between Armentieres and Festubert, where the British lines have been stripped of manpower due to the recent fighting near Amiens. The Germans have reportedly broken through the lines on a 15 km (9 mile) wide front and pushed forward by up to 8km (5 miles). The Germans have concentrated almost 500 aircraft in the area and currently have superiority in the air over the battlefield.
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ARMENTIÈNES CAPTURED
The German 6th Army captured Armentieres yesterday, continuing to open a wide gap in the British lines. To the north, the German 4th Army has joined the Georgette attack, also breaking through and capturing the town of Messines. This is a great blow to British morale; Messines was captured from the Germans last year at terrible cost and has now been lost in only a day. The frontlines from Ypres to Bethune are embroiled with German attacks. Aircraft from both sides are carrying out low-level ground attacks on opposing troops, with British Camels and SE5's desperately trying to slow the German infantry advance with strafing runs, and German aircraft trying to disrupt British defenders on the ground.  
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BRITISH SITUATION DESPERATE
The Georgette Offensive has broken the British lines and threatens to smash through to the channel ports. The situation is considered desperate and the fate of the war may hang in the balance. General Haig has issued a rallying cry to his troops in a special order of the day, ending with the following words: "There is no other course open to us but to fight it out. Every position must be held to the last man: there must be no retirement. With our backs to the wall and believing in the justice of our cause each one of us must fight on to the end. The safety of our homes and the Freedom of mankind alike depend upon the conduct of each one of us at this critical moment." D. Haig F.M, Commander-in-Chief, British Armies in France 
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BRITISH FLIER DOWNS SIX IN ONE DAY
British ace Henry Woollett of No. 43 Squadron RAF scored six victories in two sorties yesterday, five of these being Albatros D.Vs. In the second sortie of the day, Captain Woollett singlehandedly attacked a group of 13 enemy planes,   reportedly using the superior climb of his Sopwith Camel to stay above the bulk of the enemy formation, then making diving, slashing attacks that eventually netted two of his six kills for the day. 
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FIRST AMERICAN AERIAL VICTORIES
Lieutenants Douglas Campbell and Alan Winslow of Pursuit 94th Aero Squadron (known as the Hat in the Ring squadron) scored the first victories by fighter aircraft from an American-trained flying unit yesterday, shooting down a Pfalz and an Albatros over their airfield. The 94th Aero is equipped with Nieuport 28 fighters, but due to supply problems, the aircraft are armed with only one machine gun, rather than the usual two. Both downed German pilots were captured. 
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GEORGETTE OFFENSIVE ROLLS ON
The major German offensive near Ypres continues to gain ground. Since capturing Armentieres about five days ago, the assault has punched another 12 kms (8 miles) west and captured Bailleul. British General Plumer has ordered troops to abandon Passchendaele and fall back towards Ypres. Once again, ground that was won at terrible cost over months of fighting last year (Battle of Passchendaele) has been lost in a matter of days.  
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IRISH CONSCRIPTION
Yesterday, the British government introduced conscription in Ireland to help fill the ranks of the British army. The policy is very unpopular and Irish Nationalists have withdrawn from Parliament in Westminster in protest.
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BRITISH DEFENSES STIFFEN AND HOLD
German attempts to continue their advance in the Georgette Offensive have floundered in recent days. An assault on Kemmel Hill (high ground between Armentieres and Ypres) by Fourth Army over the last few days has been repulsed by British defenders, and an attack two days ago by Sixth Army toward Bethune has also been stopped. 
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DEATH OF THE FAMOUS RED BARON
Manfred von Richthofen, the famous "Red Baron" and Germany's ace-of-aces has been shot down and killed. He had 80 victories to his credit. Richthofen was shot down as he flew low behind British lines in pursuit of a novice British pilot. His plane was fired on by both an intervening Sopwith Camel at long range, and by Australian anti-aircraft machine gun crews in the area. Persons on the scene report that Richthofen was hit by a single bullet in his side and made a fast but controlled landing into a field alongside the Corbie-Bray road. He died within seconds of Australian troops reaching his plane. Canadian flyer Arthur 'Roy' Brown is being credited with the victory in what is likely to be a heavily promoted British propaganda effort. Richthofen was 25, and is survived by his brother Lothar, also a noted ace. He is to be buried in France by the British with full military honours. 
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FIRST AEF ACE
Lieutenant Paul Baer has shot down his fifth aircraft, making him the first ace of the American Expeditionary Force. Baer is not a rookie pilot, having joined the Lafayette Flying Corps last August. Now a member of 103rd Aero Squadron of the United States Army Air Service, he has scored five aerial victories with the 103d since March of this year.
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1918
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NAVAL RAIDS, ZEEBRUGGE AND OSTEND
The British Royal Navy launched audacious attacks yesterday morning in an attempt to block the entrances to both Zeebrugge and Ostend in Belgium. A significant element of the German submarine fleet operates from these occupied Belgian ports and has menaced British shipping for years. Five obsolete cruisers and two Mersey ferries supported by a flotilla of smaller vessels approached Zeebrugge under cover of darkness and smoke screens, then landed storming parties that attempted to engage and destroy German gun emplacements. Concrete filled block-ships were driven into Zeebrugge's canal and scuttled to block the port. The smaller attack upon Ostend appears to have been a complete failure, however, as two old cruisers intended as block ships never reached the harbour entrance. The raids have been costly and bloody, and it is uncertain if U-boat activity will be significantly affected. Nevertheless, the survivors have returned to great acclaim in Britain. The raids have given a morale boost at a time of depressing news from the Front. No less than 11 Victoria Crosses are expected to be awarded as a result of this action.
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WORLD'S FIRST TANK BATTLE
Only a few days since the Germans were thought to have called off their offensive, it now seems clear that they will again try to push on to Amiens. Indeed, yesterday, the town of Villers-Bretonneux became the site of the world's first battle between opposing tank forces: three British Mark IVs against three German A7Vs. 
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MASSIVE AIR TO GROUND ATTACK
The German Army moved to capture Kemmel Hill (high ground between Armentieres and Ypres) yesterday, and the attack was preceded by an impressive show of aerial power. The attacking German divisions were proceeded by 16 Schlachstaffeln (96 aircraft) flying in a long saw-toothed formation that swept over the British and French defenders like a mowing machine, firing over 60,000 rounds of machine gun ammunition and dropping 700 bombs as they went. The aircraft then flew west and split up to attack targets of opportunity behind the Entente lines. 
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KEMMEL HILL CAPTURED
The German Army's Georgette Offensive continues. After failing to take the high ground of Kemmel Hill a week ago, three divisions of the German Fourth Army have assaulted the hill again, and captured it yesterday from newly arrived French defenders. This attack gained some strategic ground, but the German breakout now appears to be slowing.
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GEORGETTE OFFENSIVE BOGS DOWN
More and more French troops continue to arrive and bolster the British defenders resisting the Georgette Offensive near Ypres. The German troops are reaching exhaustion. There does not seem to have been enough fresh German reserves available to exploit what was potentially a war-winning breach of the British lines a week and a half ago.
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1918
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FAMOUS RACER GETS FIRST KILL
Well known race car driver Edward "Fast Eddie" Rickenbacker, is now proving that he can handle an aircraft as deftly as he can drive an Indianapolis race car. Flying a Nieuport 28 fighter with the 94th Aero Squadron, this fresh pilot has scored his first victory, shooting down a German Pfalz D.III fighter near Baussant, France yesterday.
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GEORGETTE OFFENSIVE ENDED
A final surge yesterday saw German forces capture Scherpenberg, a hill northwest of Kemmel Hill. Despite this, the German High Command has realized that the offensive has failed in its objective of breaking the lines and capturing the coastal ports. No further attacks will be carried out, and the offensive is ended. Casualties on both sides are estimated to be on the order of 100,000 men. The Entente forces appear able to replace these losses with soon-to-arrive American troops, but the German forces have no reservoir for replacement.
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1918
War
TREATY OF BUCHAREST SIGNED
The Romanian government signed a definitive peace treaty with the Central Powers yesterday. The Romanians have ceded Dobrudja to Bulgaria and turned over the Carpathian passes to Austria-Hungary. The Germans have received a 90-year lease of Romania's oil fields.
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1918
War
ANOTHER RAID ON OSTEND
After surviving her role as an assault ship at Zeebrugge about two weeks ago, the battered cruiser HMS Vindictive was used again yesterday in a second raid on the port of Ostend, this time as a block-ship. Unfortunately, for the British attackers, the previous raids appear to have alerted the German defenders, who were well prepared. Navigation buoys had been removed and the German coastal batteries augmented. In the face of determined German opposition, Vindictive charged the canal entrance and was scuttled as planned, but only partially blocked the channel. The crew of 55 escaped in two motor launches but one was sunk and the other badly damaged, with survivors reaching a British naval squadron waiting offshore. The raid is being hailed in Britain as a courageous and daring gamble that came very close to success. It is expected that gallantry medals will be awarded to numerous sailors who participated in the operation. German losses in the raid, however, were minimal.
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1918
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ZEPPELIN BREAKS UP AND BURNS
The German Navy Zeppelin L.62 exploded yesterday, breaking in half and crashing in flames over the North Sea with the loss of all hands under mysterious circumstances. The German Naval Airship Service is reporting her loss as an accident, while the Royal Air Force is claiming that one of its Felixstowe F.2a flying boats shot her down.
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1918
War
AMERICA BUILDING AIRCO D4
The excellent British Airco DH4 bomber and reconnaissance aircraft will be seen in even greater numbers at the front, as the first of many American-built DH-4's powered by the new Liberty engine has just been delivered to the AEF. This fast and high-flying two-seater will soon be in widespread use by American aircrews.
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1918
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FIRST AIRMAIL SERVICE IN AMERICA
Yesterday saw the commencement of regular air mail service in the United States, between New York and Washington, D.C. The inaugural flight was made by Lieutenant Geoffrey Boyle in a Curtiss JN-4H, the same plane that is depicted on the new airmail stamps.
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1918
War
GERMANY'S NEW SEAPLANE TENDER
To date, the German's use of ship-borne aircraft has lagged the British. In a bid to address this deficit, the Imperial German Navy's light cruiser Stuttgart was recommissioned yesterday after being converted into a seaplane carrier. She is the only fleet-capable aviation ship in the German navy at this time. The work was completed at the Imperial Dockyard in Wilhelmshaven, where her forward and rear guns where removed, leaving only four broadside guns remaining. Two large hangars have been installed aft of the funnels with space for two seaplanes, and a third seaplane can be carried on top of the hangars. Since three aircraft is insufficient to support the entire High Seas Fleet, plans are being drawn up to convert the armoured cruiser Roon in a similar manner. 
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1918
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LUFBERY DIES IN FALL FROM COCKPIT
Raoul Lufbery, the well-known commander of the 94th (Hat in the Ring) Aero Squadron and America's second highest scoring ace (17 victories), has died. His plane was hit by defensive fire from a Rumpler he was attacking, but witnesses on the ground report that his death was actually caused by a fall from the plane when his Nieuport 28 rolled upside-down. Lufbery is believed to have undone his seat-belt while trying to unjam his machine gun.
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1918
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FOKKER D.VII ENTERING SERVICE
A new German scout, the Fokker D.VII, is reported to be arriving at the front. The first examples will be entering service soon with Jasta 10. Many more of the type will be on the way to other frontline Jastas in the coming months. The plane is reported to have a thick wing section that endows it with good stall characteristics. It is rumoured that the pilot can safely put the plane into a nose-high attitude at full power without the fear of a sharp and nasty stall typical of opponents like the Camel or SPAD. If true, this capability seems likely to  be useful in combat, especially for attacking the underbelly of two-seaters.
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1918
War
BOMBERS AGAIN OVER LONDON
Last night saw the largest bombing raid of the war with 38 Gothas and 3 Giants sent against London. The operation was costly, with seven Gothas downed by interceptors and anti-aircraft fire. These heavy losses have forced the German heavy bombers to stand down from combat operations, and rumour has it that the bombers will now be reassigned to supporting the army with tactical strikes along the Western Front. During the recent year-long heavier-than-air bombing campaign against England, the Germans have dropped 85,000 kg (187,000 lbs) of bombs, but have lost 61 bombers in the process.
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1918
War
U-BOATS MENACE AMERICAN SEAS
German U-boats have made their first appearance in US waters. U-151 stopped three US schooners off Virginia yesterday, took their crews prisoner, and sank the three ships by gunfire. A few days ago, U-151 laid mines off the Delaware cape and cut the submerged telegraph cables which connects New York with Nova Scotia.
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5
1918
War
THIRD MAJOR GERMAN OFFENSIVE!
German forces have unleashed yet another major attack on the Western Front, this time aimed at the Entente defences in the Chemin des Dames area of central France. There is some speculation that the purpose of the attack is simply to draw British forces away from Flanders and allow German forces to renew a push to the channel ports and win the war. What the Germans are calling the Blücher-Yorck offensive began yesterday with a 4,000 gun preliminary bombardment that caused heavy casualties in the Allied front-line trenches. The bombardment was accompanied by a gas attack, designed to disable defensive gun crews, after which 17 divisions of German infantry, under Crown Prince Wilhelm, began their advance through a 40 km gap in the Allied line. With the Allied forces entirely taken by surprise, the rapid progress of the German troops was reminiscent of the more fluid war of movement of the opening months of the war. Indeed, the Germans have advanced a full 13 km on the first day of the battle, their single biggest advance since the beginning of trench warfare in 1914!  The bridges across the Aisne have also been captured intact, allowing the Germans to advance towards the Marne. By late last evening the German Army had gained 15 km and reached the River Vesle. 
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1918
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BLUCHER-YORCK ATTACK ROLLS ON
The startling success of yesterday's attack has reportedly emboldened German General Ludendorff to change the Blucher-Yorck offensive from a diversionary attack into an all-out war-winning run for Paris, with the goal of drawing the Allies into a final climactic battle. 
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1918
War
GERMAN ASSAULT UNSTOPPABLE
German forces continue to surge forward through the large frontline gap created three days ago between Rheims and Soissons. Soissons has now been captured. The advance has swept aside four French and four British divisions that were defending the area. The unfortunate British troops were in this location to rest and recuperate in a 'quiet' sector after recent fighting in the north.
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1918
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DOUGHBOYS IN ACTION FOR FIRST TIME
A regiment of the American 1st Division (some 4,000 troops), under Major-General Robert Lee Bullard, has captured the village of Cantigny, previously held by the German Eighteenth Army and the site of a strongly fortified German advance observation point. The French provided air cover, as well as 368 heavy guns, trench mortars, and flamethrower teams. Without any of their own tank units to call on, the advancing American infantry were also preceded into the village by twelve French tanks, following a two-hour artillery barrage. Although quite small by Western Front standards, the attack is notable for being the first major American effort of the war since arriving in Europe almost one year ago.
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1918
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BLUCHER-YORCK ROLLS WEST
The Germans have captured 50,000 Allied soldiers and 800 guns in the last four days, and continue to push westward towards Paris. The battle has become one of motion, fought over open ground, in contrast to the trench bound stalemate typical of previous battles.
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1918
War
GERMAN ADVANCE TO PARIS SLOWS
Although fighting remains intense, particularly around the towns of Soissons and Chateau-Thierry, the pace of the German push towards Paris seems to be slowing considerably. The German troops have been pushed to the limit and are succumbing to exhaustion, being unable to maintain their earlier breakneck pace. Allied reinforcements, including fresh American troops, are pouring in to the region and stiffening the defense.
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1918
War
GERMANS WITHIN 56 KM OF PARIS
The German Blucher-Yorck offensive approached within 56 kilometres (35 mi) of Paris yesterday, but reports from the front indicate that the advance is spent. The German armies have come very far in a short time, and are now beset by numerous problems, including supply shortages, fatigue, and a lack of reserves to replace their many casualties. Adding to their woes, the American Second and Third Divisions, assisted by the French Tenth Colonial Division, yesterday launched a counter-attack aimed at driving the Germans back across the Marne river.
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1918
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BLUCHER-YORCK OFFENSIVE HALTED
Following several successful Allied counter-attacks in recent days, the German advance on Paris has halted at the Marne River. Much like the "Michael" and "Georgette" offensives of March and April, large chunks of French soil have been captured at high cost, but a decisive war-ending German victory has not materialized. The French have suffered over 98,000 casualties and the British around 29,000. German losses roughly equal those of the Entente. French General Duchene has been sacked by French Commander-in-Chief Philippe Petain for his poor handling of the defending British and French troops. The Americans are now firmly in the fight and have proven themselves in combat for the first time in the war, particularly in a hotly contested action around the area of Belleau Wood. Nevertheless, General Ludendorff has been encouraged by the gains of Blücher-Yorck, and is planning further offensives to break the Allied lines and win the war quickly before more fresh American troops can arrive.
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1918
War
NEW MAJOR GERMAN ASSAULT!!!
Yesterday saw the Germans launch their fourth offensive of the spring, once more with an eye toward Paris. This hastily arranged push has been named the Gneisenau Offensive by the German High Command. The advance is centered between two large salients created by the earlier German attacks in March and May, with Paris directly in the path of the advance. The French 3rd Army under General Humbert has been shattered by a combination of heavy artillery bombardment and stormtrooper tactics that caught the French infantry in their dugouts in many places yesterday morning. Humbert reportedly did not believe in the recently developed tactic of defense-in-depth and concentrated all his forces in the front trench. The German 18th Army under von Hutier is reported to have advanced six miles southeast towards Paris. 
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1918
War
GNEISENAU OFFENSIVE HEADWAY
Twenty-one German divisions continue to battle their way in the direction of Paris. The advance gained another three miles yesterday. French and American troops are resisting fiercely and slowing the German progress.
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1918
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FRENCH COUNTER BLUNTS GNEISENAU
The French 10th Army under General Mangin counterattacked Hutier’s army yesterday with large number of close support aircraft and tanks. The German forces reportedly had no good tactical response against the combined and well coordinated use of Allied artillery, infantry, and armoured vehicles. The sudden French counter-attack at Compiègne by 4 divisions and 150 tanks occurred with no preliminary bombardment and caught the Germans completely by surprise.
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1918
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GNEISENAU OFFENSIVE ENDS
General Ludendorff has reportedly called a halt to any further attacks, effectively ending the Gneisenau Offensive after only four days. The lack of tanks in the German arsenal is showing itself to be a real hindrance; men alone cannot advance when they outrun the reach of their artillery. Also the incessant strafing of German troops and supply lines by superior numbers of allied aircraft is becoming a telling factor, greatly slowing the ability of German troops to break out before fresh French or British reinforcements arrive to block their way. German casualties to this point of the offensive are estimated to be nearly 500,000 men.  Nevertheless, heavy fighting continues as both sides hope to gain an advantage before the Americans begin to arrive in force. 
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1918
War
SPANISH FLU IMPACTS TROOPS
Cases of a dangerous and highly contagious flu know as the “Spanish Flu” are on the rise. The outbreak seems to be hitting the German Army particularly hard and as many as 500,000 soldiers are rumoured to be out of action with the sickness. Some doctors have speculated that one factor might be the poor diet of the Germans; a result of the blockade. The comparatively well-fed Entente troops have not been as badly affected to date. Many of the sick German troops are expected to return to the ranks eventually, but are currently unavailable for any final offensive drive the Central Powers might try to mount.
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1918
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FOKKER DVII NUMBERS INCREASE
The new Fokker DVII fighting machines continue to arrive on the Western Front, and more and more German Jastas are receiving their allotments. Despite first underestimating this new fighter because of its squarish, ungainly appearance, Allied pilots have quickly learned to fear and respect it. Unlike the Albatros scouts, the D.VII can reportedly dive without any fear of structural failure, is highly maneuverable, and can climb at high angles of attack while remaining docile in a stall and reluctant to spin. It said that the DVII can turn a mediocre pilot into a good one, and a good pilot into an ace.
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1918
War
GIANT BOMB DROPPED BY RAF
The Royal Air Force is rumoured to have employed a new, huge 1,650-lb (750-kg) bomb in combat yesterday, dropped on Middelkerke, Belgium by a Handley Page O/400 heavy bomber of No. 216 Squadron. The specific target and effect of the bomb remain secret and few details are available. 
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1918
War
ONE MILLION AMERICANS IN FRANCE
The number of American fighting men in France grows larger with every passing day, and logistics personnel estimate that the one-million Americans have now arrived. This mass of fighting men seems certain to end any hopes of a German victory by force of arms.
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1918
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BRITISH SWITCH TO NIGHT BOMBING
Since June, Hugh Trenchard has been given responsibility for the organisation of the Inter-allied Independent Bomber Force, consisting of a collection of heavy RAF bombers intended to raid rail and industrial targets in Germany. Trenchard reportedly prefers daylight bombing rather than night bombing, as day bombers are more accurate, but conditions in the field have now overruled him. British day bomber squadrons have been suffering too high an attrition rate, and cannot operate safely without fighter escort. The bulk of the bombing effort will now be carried out at night. Handley-Page night bombers are expected to become the primary bombing weapon, and within a few months will be using Britain's new 750 kg (1,650 lb) bomb almost exclusively.
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1918
War
NEW TACTICS - LE HAMEL OFFENSIVE
The Australian 4th Division and four companies of American troops carried out a small but successful attack yesterday to capture Le Hamel, east of Amiens. The attack was planned by John Monash, commander of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), who employed a new tactic that he calls 'peaceful penetration'. This tactic uses heavy artillery, tanks, machine-guns and aircraft to devastate a limited area of enemy territory, which the infantry then occupy and secure. Planes were also used to drop ammunition and supplies to troops on the battlefield below by parachute - the first time in a battle on the Western Front that aircraft were used for this purpose. The offensive is reported to be a complete success, with the village of Le Hamel secured within two hours and nearly 1,500 prisoners taken. The strategy has now proven itself and is likely to be adopted by other Allied commanders as the new model for effective attack.
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1918
War
MCCUDDEN KILLED IN CRASH
British ace James McCudden has been killed in a crash at Auxi-le-Château airfield in France. Recently accepted for command of No. 60 Squadron RAF, he was flying to this assignment in a new Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a from Kent, where he had spent the night with his family. He landed at Auxi-le-Château to get directions, and then took off again. Shortly after takeoff, his engine failed and McCudden tried to turn back to land. His aircraft stalled on the turn, and spun into the ground. RAF personnel quickly arrived to render assistance but McCudden had severe injuries and died in hospital two hours later without regaining consciousness. He had 57 victories to his credit.
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1918
War
PRESIDENT'S SON SHOT DOWN
Flying a Nieuport 28 in the United States Army Air Service's 95th Aero Squadron, Second Lieutenant Quentin Roosevelt was shot down and killed by a German fighter over Chamery, France yesterday. Quentin was the youngest son of former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. 
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1918
War
GERMAN OFFENSIVE NEAR RHEIMS
With reserves almost exhausted, German General Ludendorff has launched yet another offensive on the Western Front, hitting the French with a two-pronged attack around Reims yesterday. As many as 40 German divisions are said to be involved. Rumour has it that the Allies have been anticipating this battle and were well prepared because the fuel-starved German air forces have lost the ability to prevent aerial reconnaissance. The German attack to the east of Reims was reported to have been thwarted easily by the French defence-in-depth, and in many other sectors, the Germans could advance no further than the French forward trenches before being decimated by defensive artillery. To the west of Reims, 17 German divisions advanced a large distance and forced a crossing of the Marne River from Château-Thierry to Dormans. They have destroyed many Allied units in the process but have taken horrendous casualties themselves. Shortages of pilots, aircraft and gasoline are apparently leaving the German troops hopelessly short of air support.
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1918
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AMERICAN TROOPS TRY TO HOLD
The German advance to the west of Reims is slowing under the weight of unsustainable German casualties. The U.S. 3rd Infantry Division is fighting to contain the German push across the Marne.
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1918
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CZAR AND FAMILY MURDERED!! 
Reports out of Russia indicate that Russian Bolsheviks murdered former Czar Nicholas and his entire family yesterday. This has occurred in the midst of a savage civil war that has erupted, with indiscriminate killings of civilians and captured fighters becoming common. Chaos, disease and starvation is enveloping much of Russia while the fighting between the Bolsheviks and their opponents shows no end in sight. 
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1918
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GENERAL FOCH COUNTERATTACKS
General Ferdinand Foch was able to organize a counterattack yesterday against the recent German push across the Marne River. Three French armies accompanied by five American divisions threatened to cut off the advancing Germans in their salient and the German 7th and 9th Armies are reportedly beginning a withdrawal to safety. Foch's attack is rumoured to have been a model use of the new combined-arms tactics pioneered at Cambrai, with tanks and ground-attack aircraft working closely with ground troops to quickly overpower German defenders. Any German hope of a victory on the Western Front now seems to be fading fast, and the initiative for attack now seems to have passed to the Allies. 
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1918
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AIRCRAFT CARRIER RAIDS ZEP BASE
Yesterday, seven RAF Sopwith Camel fighters from the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Furious attacked the Imperial German Navy airship base at Tondern, destroying Zeppelins L-54 and L-60. This is believed to be the first such attack by conventional aircraft launched from an aircraft carrier's flight deck. All seven Camels where lost: one pilot died in a crash into the sea in bad weather; two pilots ditched at sea and were rescued by the British naval force escorting Furious; and four pilots landed in neutral Denmark where they were interned. Although the raid was not entirely successful, the ability to launch multi-aircraft airborne attacks from the sea seems promising and will add a new dimension to the projection of military power by naval forces.
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1918
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GERMANS RECROSS THE MARNE
Yesterday saw German forces, which had only a week ago pressed across the Marne towards Paris, begin to withdraw. The German hope of a decisive victory on the Western Front using troops freed up from Russia has come to naught. German reserves have been exhausted and moral badly shaken by heavy German losses. Due to the naval blockade, food and fuel are in scarce supply, and the Spanish Influenza is running rampant through the unsanitary and confined environment of the trenches. The German armies appear to have no option now but to go on the defensive and await the inevitable attacks of the Entente forces, which have been newly invigorated by the arrival of masses of fresh American troops.
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1918
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FOKKER D.VIIF ENTERS SERVICE
Many new Fokker D.VIIs are now being produced with an "overcompressed" 138 kW (185 hp) BMW IIIa engine, the first product of the BMW firm. The BMW IIIa follows the SOHC straight-six configuration of the Mercedes D.III, but incorporates several improvements such as increased displacement, higher compression, and an altitude-adjusting carburetor. These changes are said to produce a marked increase in speed and climb rate at high altitude. Fokker-built aircraft with the new BMW engine will be designated D.VII(F), the suffix "F" standing for Max Friz, the engine's designer. The first of these machines are entering service today with Jasta 11. German pilots are clamoring for the improved model, but production of the BMW engine is limited and the standard D.VII will continue to be produced in significant numbers.
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1918
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MAJOR MANNOCK KILLED IN ACTION
Major Edward "Mick" Mannock, the United Kingdom's highest scoring ace, has been shot down by German ground fire and killed. He had 73 victories to his credit. Reportedly, after helping a new arrival, Lt. D.C. Inglis, obtain his first victory over an enemy LVG two-seater behind the German front-line, Mannock dove low in his plane to view the wreckage. While crossing over the trenches, the two fighters were met with a massive volley of ground-fire and Mannock's aircraft caught fire. Shortly after, his plane crashed behind German lines.
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MANNOCK GETS POSTUMUS VC
Citation: His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Victoria Cross to the late Captain Edward Mannock, 85th Squadron Royal Air Force, in recognition of bravery of the first order in Aerial Combat. From June 17 to July 22 he shot down eleven enemy machines including a Halberstadt machine, four Fokker biplanes, two Albatros two-seaters, and a triplane. This highly distinguished officer was an outstanding example of fearless courage, remarkable skill, devotion to duty and self-sacrifice, which has never been surpassed.
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1918
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FOKKER MONOPLANE IN SERVICE
The new Fokker E.V monoplane is reported to be entering service with Jasta 6 any day now. This single-winged scout is rumoured to be agile and easy to fly, making it a worthy accomplice to its bigger and more powerful stablemate, the Fokker D.VII.
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1918
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RAF FLIGHT DECIMATED
A Royal Air Force bombing raid over Germany yesterday was a terrible disaster. Of twelve Airco DH.9s that left on the raid, only two returned with the other 10 aircraft shot down. The DH.9 equips about eleven RAF bomber squadrons, even though it is rumoured to be underpowered and slow, with an unreliable engine. Losses amongst flight crews using this aircraft have been high, and continue to mount rapidly.
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1918
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SOISSONS FALLS, GERMAN RETREAT
German armies continue to retreat across the Marne to defensive positions on the Vesle River in the face of an ongoing French and American counteroffensive. Fighting has also been particularly intense around the area of the Muesse River and the heavily wooded area of the Argonne forest. French troops re-entered Soissons yesterday.
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GERMANS BACK TO START POSITIONS
After making a failed final push towards Paris last month, German forces have been forced back to their starting positions of July 15. This has effectively ended what the French are calling the Second Battle of the Marne. Casualties during the battle have been heavy on all sides. Allied losses are: French (95,000), British (13,000) and United States (12,000). It is estimated that the German Army has suffered an even more appalling 168,000 casualties as part of this last desperate offensive. The end result seems to be an allied victory; the Germans have gained little and lost fighting men that cannot be replaced.
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War
ZEPPELIN RAID PROVES COSTLY
Overnight, five Imperial German Navy Zeppelins attempted to bomb the United Kingdom in the fourth such raid of the year. The commander of the Naval Airship Division, Peter Strasser, was killed in the action when an RAF Airco DH.4 shot down Zeppelin L-70 in flames over the coast of England. The remaining four airships dropped their bombs blind, relying on radio bearings for navigational information. All of their bombs fell through clouds into the North Sea, doing no damage. The loss of Strasser is likely to be a severe blow to the Zeppelin campaign, and there is speculation that the entire campaign might be canceled. 
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1918
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BRITISH AMIENS ATTACK - SUCCESS!
A British attack in the Somme area east of Amiens has smashed through German defenses and made large gains. General Sir Henry Rawlinson's British 4th Army had 456 tanks available to support the attack, and the German defenders were outnumbered 6 to 1. The tanks, followed by British soldiers, met little resistance and by mid morning yesterday, had advanced 12km (7 miles). About 13,000 German prisoners are taken. General Erich Ludendorff has reportedly described August 8 as "The blackest day of the German Army in the history of the war thus far".
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1918
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LOEWENHARDT KILLED IN COLLISION
The Fokker D.VII fighter of the German fighter ace Oberleutnant Erich Löwenhardt is reported to have collided with another D.VII flown by Leutnant Alfred Wenz near Chaulnes, France. Both men jumped with parachutes; Lt Wenz survived, but Oberleutnant Loewenhardt's parachute did not function and he fell to his death from 12,000 feet (3,658 meters). Loewenhardt's skill in combat will be sorely missed; he has been credited with 53 aerial victories in his distinguished career.
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1918
War
ADVANCE SLOWS, BERTHOLD INJURED
After two days, the dramatic British advance east of Amiens has slowed down. The Germans rushed in nine divisions, their last reserves on the Western Front, to try and stem the tide. In other news, German ace Rudolf Berthold collided with a British plane yesterday during a dogfight with Sopwith Camels. His Fokker D.VII crashed into a house and he has been seriously injured. It is rumoured that he might never be able to return to active duty. His victory tally stands at 44 kills, including two enemy aircraft shot down earlier in the day before his accident.
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1918
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ZEP DOWNED BY SEA-LAUNCH CAMEL
After taking off in a Sopwith Camel from a barge towed behind the destroyer HMS Redoubt, RAF Flight Sub-Lieutenant Stuart Culley shot down the Imperial German Navy Zeppelin L-53 yesterday, which had been flying a scouting mission over the North Sea. This is believed to be the first successful interception of an enemy aircraft by a shipborne fighter. One L-53 crewman survived by parachuting from the Zeppelin at an altitude of 19,000 feet (5,791 m) - almost certainly a record jump. It is rumoured that scouting missions by German airships might now be halted due to the menace from ever-increasing numbers of British ship-borne aircraft. 
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1918
War
BRITISH ADVANCE HALTED
German forces successfully halted the Allied advance at Amiens yesterday. Once again the British Army had trouble with their tanks, with only six of the original 456 tanks remaining in full working order. The attack is also faltering as the troops have outrun their supplies and artillery.
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8
1918
War
YOUNGER RICHTHOFEN DOWNED
The Fokker D.VII of Lothar von Richthofen, the brother the late Manfred von Richthofen, was shot down yesterday north of Roye, France. He was downed by USAAS First Lieutenant Field Eugene Kindley, the fourth victory for this skilled young American aviator. Von Richthofen, an ace with 40 confirmed air-to-air victories, has suffered serious wounds and is not likely to fly in combat again.
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8
1918
War
FONCK DOWNS THREE IN SECONDS
The French ace René Fonck shot down three German aircraft within an incredible ten seconds yesterday, in a daring head-on attack while flying his SPAD XIII. All three German machines crashed within 100 meters of one another near Roye, France. This feat follows a double kill the previous day that had tied him with the late George Guynemer for number of kills by a French ace.
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8
1918
War
AMIENS ATTACK ENDS
Sir Douglas Haig brought an end to the Amiens attack yesterday, despite urgings from General Foch to continue the fight. Rumour has it that Haig is preparing for a new offensive elsewhere along the front, now that the German reserves have been tied down in the Amiens area.
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8
1918
War
FRENCH OFFENSIVE MAKES GAINS
The French have attacked on the south flank of the recent British advance, and are pushing forward towards Noyon. The attack is being carried out by the French 10th Army and is making steady headway. The French and British, now aided by fresh American forces, are showing a superiority of numbers that allows them to plan multiple attacks, while the Germans are struggling to plug weak points in their stretched lines. 
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8
1918
War
FOKKER E.V SHEDS WING
Leutnant Emil Rolff was killed yesterday when the wing of his Fokker E.V monoplane collapsed. This occurred just two days after he scored the first ever kill in the type. Once again, concerns about the structural integrity of a new German aircraft type have been raised.
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8
1918
War
TURKS DECIMATED FROM THE AIR
In perhaps the most dramatic use of ground-attack ever seen, the First Squadron of the Australian Flying Corps has decimated Turkish divisions retreating through the narrow defile of Wadi Farra in Palestine. The Australians trapped the Turkish troops after they bombed the head and the tail of the Turkish column, then mercilessly bombed and strafed the terrified Turkish soldiers with Bristol Fighters, SE5's and DH9's. In the words of T. E. Lawrence, "When the smoke had cleared it was seen that the organization of the enemy had melted away. They were a dispersed horde of trembling individuals, hiding for their lives in every fold of the vast hills. Nor did their commanders ever rally them again. When our cavalry entered the silent valley the next day they could count ninety guns, fifty lorries, and nearly a thousand carts abandoned with all their belongings. The RAF lost four killed. The Turks lost a corps."
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1918
War
2ND BATTLE OF THE SOMME
A major Allied offensive was launched yesterday in the Somme region. This 'Second Battle of the Somme' was initiated along a 10-mile front south of Arras by the British Third Army under General Sir Julian Byng, with the United States II Corps attached. Counter-attacks by the German Second Army halted the initial British advance late yesterday afternoon, but Sir Henry Rawlinson and the British Fourth Army are rumoured to be ready to strike to the south of Byng, which seems likely to stretch the German defenders.
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8
1918
War
BRITISH ATTACK CAPTURES ALBERT
Yesterday saw both the 3rd and 4th British armies under Byng and Rawlinson making strong advances in the newly launched Somme offensive. The town of Albert has been captured. The offensive is making good progress because the German forces are well in advance of their hitherto impregnable and well prepared defences on the Hindenburg Line. Owing to the German advances this spring, they are not well dug in and their defensive lines are more easily broken by the fluid combined-arms warfare now being employed by the Entente forces.
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8
1918
War
GERMANS RETREAT FROM SOMME
The German Second Army is reported to be in full retreat along a 55km front, abandoning ground gained in the spring offensive. In the air war, British Lieutenant Spurling of 49 Squadron and his observer Sergeant Bell single-handedly attacked a formation of thirty Fokker D.VII fighters yesterday in a lowly Airco DH.9 bomber. Despite the disadvantages of flying a bomber and being vastly outnumbered, Spurling shot down three of the German aircraft, while Sgt. Bell used the moveable machinegun to account for two more. Both men are expected to receive awards for their distinguished (if possibly foolhardy) action.
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1918
War
SHORTAGES IMPACT GERMAN FLIERS
German fliers, already outnumbered at the front by 2:1 odds, have had to reduce their air-time due to shortages of crucial supplies. Fighter aircraft are being rationed to 40 gallons of fuel per day and there is often not enough ammunition to go around. Allied planes that crash within German territory are quickly stripped bare of their instruments for use in German planes, as such items are no longer available through normal supply lines. 
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8
1918
War
BRITISH OFFENSIVE EXPANDS
The successful advance of the British Third and Fourth Armies in the Somme region was expanded yesterday, with the British First Army joining in to widen the attack front by another twelve kilometres. The Canadians are spearheading this new attack on the Arras front, which is designed to break through the German's Drocourt-Quéant Line as a prelude to an advance towards the Canal du Nord and the town of Cambrai.
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8
1918
War
FRENCH 10TH ARMY PUSH FORWARD
In fighting yesterday, French forces advanced two miles on an eight mile wide front to capture Roye. The French 10th Army continues to gain ground with this attack to the south of the concurrent British attacks. There do not appear to be enough German reserves to defend against attacks at so many places on so wide a front.
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8
1918
War
NOYON REGAINED, FRENCH ADVANCE
The French 10th Army captured 8,000 prisoners yesterday in retaking Noyon. They also captured the Aisne Heights. German forces are now being steadily pushed back.
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8
1918
War
BAPAUME CAPTURED, HEAVY FIGHTING
In heavy fighting yesterday north of the Somme, New Zealanders occupied Bapaume along with the British 5th Division. They broke through the very strong Le Transloy–Loupart trench system and overcame many other strong points around the town with the support of tanks and artillery bombardment.
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9
1918
War
PÉRONNE RECOVERED BY AUSSIES
Allied forces regained Peronne yesterday. The Australian Corps crossed the Somme River last night , and broke the German lines around Mont St. Quentin and Péronne. By midnight on 31 August, Monash's troops captured 14,500 prisoners and 170 guns. Allied troops expect to capture the town of Péronne, as well. If so, this will force the Germans to withdraw to their last prepared line of defence -- the so-called Hindenburg line.
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9
1918
War
GERMAN NAVAL FIGHTER WING
The Imperial German Navy's air service is bringing together five of its Marine Feld Jagdstaffeln (Navy Field Fighter Squadrons) – Jastas I, II, III, IV, and V – to form its first fighter wing. The Royal Prussian Marine Jagdgeschwader will have Gotthard Sachsenberg as its first commanding officer, and creates Germany's fourth fighter wing.
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9
1918
War
DROCOURT-QUÉANT LINE BREACHED
After a heavy battle yesterday morning, the Canadian 1st and 4th Divisions and the British 52nd Division seized control of the German Drocourt-Quéant line near Cambrai. Heavy German casualties were inflicted, and more than 6,000 prisoners were taken. German commander Erich Ludendorff has reportedly had to abandon his plans for creating a new defensive line in the area because the Allies have moved so fast. He has ordered all German troops to retreat to the Hindenburg Line and attempt to stabilize the front there. Almost all the ground won by the German spring offensives has now been lost.
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9
1918
War
AMERICAN FORCES MASS
American forces on the Western Front have steadily increased, and are now comparable in size to those of the British and French armies. These troops are fresh and eager to prove themselves. It can only be a matter of time before the American forces are unleashed on the exhausted German Army.
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9
1918
War
A BLACK SEPTEMBER FOR ENTENTE
The skies over the Western Front are awash in aircraft, with the Entente fliers easily outnumbering the Germans. However, this also means that death and destruction are an everyday occurrence. The Germans have 80 Jastas in action (12 of which are grouped in three Geschwader), most of which are flying the deadly Fokker D. VII's, and these units are inflicting heavy losses on the Entente. Over a hundred Entente aircraft have already been lost in the first week and a half of September. Entente losses are running 5:1 compared to the Germans.
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9
1918
War
MASSIVE AIRPOWER EMPLOYED
A reported 1400-plus aircraft (about half French and half American) were brought together to assist in a new major offensive launched yesterday in the Saint-Mihiel region near Verdun by the US 1st Army. This is the largest force of aircraft ever assembled for a single operation, and the offensive on the ground is the first stand-alone attack by the Americans.  The unprecedented use of aircraft was a key element of yesterday's coordinated attack, with ground attack aircraft assisting tanks and infantry by strafing strong-points, while giving the Americans complete control of the skies for observation and artillery ranging. The main attack advanced 9km yesterday to reach Thiancourt.
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1918
War
ST. MIHIEL OFFENSIVE ROLLS ON
American forces have taken 15,000 prisoners and captured over 400 pieces of artillery in their rapid advance into the St. Mihiel salient east of Verdun. The Germans are withdrawing, with little ability to resist the superior forces arrayed against them. 
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9
1918
War
NEW AIRCRAFT CARRIER COMPLETED
The new British aircraft carrier Argus has been completed and is now reported to be ready to enter service. Unlike earlier aircraft-carrying ships that were conventional warships modified to hold short flight decks, the Argus is the world's first aircraft carrier with an unobstructed flight deck from bow to stern. 
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9
1918
War
ALLIES ADVANCE IN SERBIA
French, Serbian and Italian troops have made rapid gains, advancing nearly 20 miles northward from Greece in three days, and are pushing the Bulgarian armies out of Serbia. Bulgarian troops, attempting to redeploy westward through the narrow Kosturino Pass, have been relentlessly bombarded by airplanes and Bulgarian troop morale is rumoured to be collapsing. Meanwhile, anti-war riots have erupted in Bulgaria's cities along with a swelling of Russian-style revolutionary fervor.
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9
1918
War
ST. MIHIEL SALIENT ERASED
The American offensive into the St. Mihiel salient has been a great success, and yesterday saw the entire St. Mihiel salient fall under Allied control. This area has been in German hands along a stagnant front since 1914, but has now been captured. Further advances by the Americans seem inevitable.
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9
1918
War
FRENCH ACE MAURICE BOYAU DOWN
French ace Lieutenant Maurice Boyau has been shot down by German ace Georg von Hantelmann while attacking a German observation balloon. Boyau was a skilled and deadly pilot with 35 kills to his credit.
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9
1918
War
AUSTRALIANS PROBE HINDENBURG LINE
Preliminary attacks on the German "Hindenburg" Line were launched yesterday when Lieutenant General Sir John Monash's A.I.F. troops' reached the first part of the line around Epéhy. Monash's troops, supported by huge artillery barrages, attacked heavily fortified German defences and machine-gun posts. Using only eight tanks (as well as dummy tanks to distract the Germans), they broke through German positions and took 4,300 prisoners. Although there were 1,000 dead or wounded, this cost was small compared to the overwhelming losses of the German forces.
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1918
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TURKISH ARMIES COLLAPSE
In the Middle East, the Allies launched a cavalry attack yesterday to push the Turks out of Palestine. Australian and Indian cavalry divisions smashed through the Turkish defenses around Megiddo and galloped northward. British infantry are following while the RAF and Arab fighters continue to disrupt Turkish communications and supply lines. The Turkish armies are collapsing and withdrawing northward toward Damascus. 
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9
1918
War
SOPWITH SNIPE ENTERS COMBAT
The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe is a new British single-seat biplane fighter now arriving for service with the RAF. The Snipe is apparently not an overly fast aircraft, but is said to have excellent climb and maneuverability. Whether this will allow it to outmatch the current crop of excellent German D.VII fighters remains to be seen. No. 43 Squadron is rumoured to be receiving the first of this type soon.
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9
1918
War
BULGARIA PROPOSE ARMISTICE
With her armies retreating in disarray through Serbia, and anti-war riots erupting at home, the Bulgarian government made diplomatic overtures yesterday with regard to an armistice. It appears likely that Bulgaria may soon be out of the war.
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9
1918
War
AIRCRAFT LOSSES AT HISTORIC HIGH
The past month is being called "Black September" by British, French, and American fliers. Despite the great successes in the ground war, the cost in the air has been high. As more and more Allied planes are thrown into the battle, losses grow. The Entente has reportedly lost about 560 aircraft in the month (373 British, 100 French, and 87 US) versus German losses of 107. The dominance of the German Fokker DVII fighter is generally acknowledged to be the primary factor in inflicting such carnage.
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9
1918
War
NEW ARGONNE-MEUSE OFFENSIVE
The U.S. 1st Army and French 4th Army began a joint offensive yesterday to clear out the strongly defended corridor between the Meuse River and the Argonne Forest. The Meuse-Argonne push appears to be an attempt to cut-off the entire German Second Army. American General John Pershing has overall command of the operation and the US 1st Army is taking the main attacking role using more than 300 tanks and supported by about 500 aircraft from the United States Air Service. Two-thirds of the soldiers involved in the advance had just arrived from the battles around St. Mihiel and so the exhausted troops could only advance 3km along a 64km front on the first day of the attack. IN THE AIR: German ace Leutnant Fritz Rumey has died in a dogfight with SE.5a's of No. 32 Squadron RAF. Rumey parachuted from his D.VII at 1,000 feet (305 meters) but fell to his death when his parachute failed to open. He had 45 kills to his credit.
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9
1918
War
HINDENBURG LINE BROKEN
A day after the start of the American-led Meuse-Argonne offensive, British forces have now attacked the German frontline at the Canal du Nord at Cambrai. It appears that the two offensives are part of a great pincher movement planned by Allied Commander-in-Chief Foch. At the Canal du Nord,  two Canadian divisions spearheaded the attack with support from heavy artillery. The British 1st and 3rd Armies, aided by Australians and the U.S. 2nd Corps, then proceeded to exploit the breach and broke through a 20-mile portion of the Hindenburg Line between Cambrai and St. Quentin. Key German railway supply lines are now in jeopardy and their greatest line of defense broken.
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1918
War
LUDENDORFF LOSES HOPE
In yet another Allied offensive, Belgian and British troops attacked yesterday at Ypres. Stretched thin by so many ongoing Allied offensives, the German defences have broken here as well and the defenders are being pushed rapidly back. Messines Ridge looks to be quickly taken by British troops. Confronted by the unstoppable strength of the Allies and faced with the prospect of an outright military defeat on the Western Front, General Ludendorff is rumoured to have suffered a nervous collapse at his headquarters.
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9
1918
War
GERMAN LEADERS WAVER
German General Ludendorff, accompanied by Paul Hindenburg (photo), reportedly meet with the Kaiser yesterday and urged him to end the war. The Kaiser's army is becoming weaker by the day amid irreversible troop losses, declining discipline, exhaustion, illness, food shortages, desertions and drunkenness. The Kaiser has apparently taken heed from Hindenburg and Ludendorff, and agreed on the need for an armistice. In other news, Bulgaria signed an armistice with the Allies yesterday, and has now quit the war.
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10
1918
War
MEUSE-ARGONNE OFFENSIVE SLOWS
Progress has been slow in the Meuse-Argonne attack, in the face of a determined German defense. The Americans are now in the process of pulling exhausted units out of the lines for replacement with fresh reserves. The advance is expected to start up again in a few days.
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10
1918
War
DAMASCUS CAPTURED
In the Middle East campaign, the ancient city of Damascus was captured yesterday by Australian troops and Arab fighters. General Allenby's British forces have achieved a string of victories in Palestine and Syria in the last few weeks, steadily pushing back the Turkish armies. Damascus has been ruled by the Ottoman Empire for centuries, and was the base for Turkish and German military operations in the region. 
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10
1918
War
GERMAN POLITICIANS SHOCKED
A military representative sent by Ludendorff arrived in Berlin yesterday to inform the legislature the war is lost and that armistice discussions should begin immediately. German politicians are reportedly shocked by the news, having largely been kept in the dark by the General Staff and the Kaiser about the dire state of military affairs. Elsewhere, the successful British offensive that broke through the Hindenburg Line at the Canal du Nord has halted after an overall gain of 10km.
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10
1918
War
POSSIBLE PEACE PROPOSAL
The Austrian government today joined the German government in an appeal for a general armistice based on President Wilson's previously proposed 14 Points. It will likely be several days before a response is known. Is it possible that the war could be approaching an end after so many terrible years?
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10
1918
War
ROLAND GARROS FALLS IN COMBAT
The famous pioneering French pilot Lieutenant Roland Garros, who in 1915 became the first man to shoot down another aircraft by firing a machine gun through a tractor propeller, has been shot down and killed in combat near Vouziers, France. Garros had escaped from a German POW camp last February and returned to active duty flying a SPAD XIII scout in Esc.26. It can only be assumed that the great leaps forward in the technology and pace of the air war compared to his 1915 experiences in a Morane-Saulnier must have been jarring. Garros had four victories at the time of his death; two from his famous 1915 exploits, and two new victories claimed only a few days ago.
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10
1918
War
HINDENBURG LINE DISINTEGRATES
Following recent Allied breakthroughs of the Hindenburg Line, the final remnants of this long fortified position were abandoned by German defenders yesterday. The trench stalemate is decisively broken and a widespread fluid advance is now underway by British, French and American armies. The German army has fallen back to Cambrai, and there seems little hope for the outnumbered Germans to re-establish a defensive line to hold back the onslaught. 
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10
1918
War
NEW AIRCRAFT CARRIER
A plane has successfully landed on the new aircraft carrier HMS Argus. Based on lessons learned from HMS Furious, exhaust from the new ships engines are channeled aft through ducts and discharged over the stern, and the small chart-house on deck can be lowered, leaving the Argus with a clear 168 by 21 metre (550 by 68 foot) flight deck for taking off and landing. The Argus carries new Sopwith Cuckoo torpedo bombers, making it as big a menace to the German High Seas Fleet as any battleship
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10
1918
War
POLITICAL UPHEAVALS IN EUROPE
A provisional government proclaimed the new state of Yugoslavia two days ago, signaling the possible breakup of the Hapsburg ruled Austro-Hungarian Empire in central Europe, which has existed for six centuries. Yesterday, Poland separated from the Russian Empire and also proclaimed itself as an independent state.
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10
1918
War
CAMBRAI REGAINED!
New advances by the British 3rd and 4th Armies yesterday captured Cambrai, with the capture of 8,000 German prisoners. The German defenders were few in number and the town was captured with relative ease.
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10
1918
War
GERMAN NAVY PONDERS CARRIERS
Having failed to keep pace with the British adoption of airpower at sea, the Imperial German Navy's air command has put forth a proposal that several merchant ships be converted into Germany's first aircraft carriers by the installation of flight decks.
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10
1918
War
GERMANS RETREAT ON BROAD FRONT
As French and American armies steadily advance, the German armies are retreating along a 60-mile portion of the Western Front stretching from St. Quentin southward to the Argonne Forest.
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1918
War
GERMAN RETREAT BROADENS
German armies began abandoning positions along the Belgian coast and in northernmost France yesterday, as the British and Belgian forces steadily advance.
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10
1918
War
WILLY COPPENS SERIOUSLY INJURED
Baron Willy Coppens, Belgium's highest scoring ace, has been badly wounded, likely ending his combat career. He has scored 37 victories, 34 of which have been observation balloons. Coppens downed a balloon over Praatbos yesterday and was attacking another over Torhout when he was hit by an incendiary bullet. The bullet smashed the tibia of his left leg and severed the artery. Coppens crash landed near Diksmuide and was taken to hospital, where his leg was amputated.
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10
1918
War
OSTEND, LILLE, AND DOUAI REGAINED
British and Belgian forces continue to surge forward along the channel coast and through Flanders, chasing the retreating German armies. The key Belgian and French cities of Ostend (U-boat base), Lille, and Douai (key railway junction) have all fallen into Allied hands in the last days.
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10
1918
War
ALLIES CONTROL MOST OF BELGIUM
Belgian troops entered the town of Bruges yesterday. Great fires are reported to be burning around Zeebrugge as the Germans destroy the port facilities. It is reported that the retreating Germans are also flooding the countryside to slow the British and Belgian advance. A widespread German retirement has begun in the Laon and Cambrai sectors. German forces are thought to be falling back to the outer defences of Antwerp to dig in.
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10
1918
War
GERMAN OVERTURES SPURNED
Under pressure from the French and British, President Wilson has informed the German government that armistice negotiations can not ensue with the current military or Imperial war leaders still in place. It appears that there will be no quick rush to peace. As a precondition for negotiations, Wilson has demanded the retreat of Germany from all occupied territories, the cessation of submarine activities and the Kaiser's abdication.
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10
1918
War
FOKKER D.VIII ENTERS SERVICE
The Fokker D.VIII monoplane is reported to be entering service with Jasta 11. The aircraft is actually nothing new, but is simply the Fokker E.V with a new designation, possibly to disassociate it in the minds of German pilots from the wing collapse problems experienced earlier this year. The aircraft remains an agile and easy to fly craft, able to hold its own against any enemy machine.
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10
1918
War
AUSTRIAN ARMIES CEDE ITALY
In southern Europe, the Allies crossed the Piave River yesterday to push the Austrians out of Italy. Seven Italian armies, incorporating some British, French and American divisions, are attacking the four remaining Austro-Hungarian armies from the Trentino westward to the Gulf of Venice. The Austro-Hungarian Army has suffered large losses of men killed and captured this last year, and appear to be badly weakened. 
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10
1918
War
LUDENDORFF RESIGNS
After President Wilson's recent declaration that armistice negotiations cannot proceed until the current German leadership is gone, an outraged General Ludendorff yesterday disavowed the recent negotiations as nothing more than a demand for 'unconditional surrender'. In a sudden change of mind, he declared the conditions of the Allies unacceptable and demanded to resume the war, which he himself had declared lost only one month earlier. However, the German soldiers are pressing to get home and it seems scarcely possible to arouse their readiness for battle anew with German desertions on the increase. The Imperial Government, with the support of the Kaiser, has now replaced Ludendorff with General Wilhelm Groener. In the face of such turmoil, the armistice negotiations are now expected to be conducted principally by civilian members of Germany's government.
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10
1918
War
COIFFARD DEAD, BARKER WOUNDED
The Fokker D.VII continues to menace Entente fliers across the Western Front. French ace Lieutenant Michel Coiffard has died of grave wounds suffered during a dogfight with several German Fokker D.VII fighters. He flew back to base, but died of his wounds. He had 34 kills to his credit. Yesterday also saw the wounding of Canadian ace Major William Barker, who threw his lone Snipe into a dogfight with 15 Fokker D VIIs. He scored three victories before being shot down and wounded. It is likely he will be recommended for the Victoria Cross.
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1918
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TURKEY SIGNS ARMISTICE
Turkey has signed an armistice with the Allies, becoming the second of the Central Powers to quit the war.
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11
1918
War
ALLIED ARMIES ON THE MOVE
After pausing to regroup and resupply, Allied armies have resumed their eastward march towards Germany. The U.S. 1st Army and newly formed U.S. 2nd Army are attacking remaining German positions along the Meuse River near southern Belgium, while the Belgians and British are moving toward Ghent and Mons. 
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AUSTRIA-HUNGARY SURRENDERS
The only remaining ally of Germany, Austria-Hungary, signed an armistice with Italy yesterday, thus leaving Germany alone in the war. The Armistice of Villa Giusti was signed at the headquarters of the Italian army, with terms of the armistice taking effect today, twenty-four hours after the signing.
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GERMAN NAVY MUTINIES
Mutiny has struck the German Navy at the ports of Kiel and Wilhelmshaven. Sailors refused orders to put to sea yesterday to engage in a final colossal battle with the British Navy. Revolutionary fervor and Bolshevist-style uprisings are erupting in many German cities including Munich, Stuttgart and Berlin. The extent of the unrest has stunned German leaders, and even worried the Allies, who fear Germany might now succumb to a violent Bolshevist revolution in the manner of Russia. These latest developments are reinforcing the stark urgency of the current armistice negotiations. President Wilson is expected to contact the Germans later today with new terms that have been agreed to by all the Allied leaders.
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War
FOCH GRANTED ARMISTICE POWERS
The Germans were informed by President Wilson yesterday that armistice discussions can begin on the basis of his Fourteen Points as they requested, but that an armistice must be secured through France's Marshal Foch, the Allied Supreme Commander.
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BRITISH AIRPOWER GROWS AT SEA
Ships of the British Grand Fleet now carry over 100 aircraft on flying-off platforms. Twenty-two light cruisers have a flying-off platform and every battleship and battlecruiser now carries a two-seat aircraft on a platform mounted on a forward turret and a single-seat fighter on a platform mounted on an after turret. The British navy also has several aircraft carriers and flying-boat tenders, and seems well ahead of other nations in adapting airpower to naval operations. (photo: HMS Furious)
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War
FOCH RECEIVES GERMAN ENVOYS
Yesterday at Compiègne, France, six representatives of the German government were brusquely presented with harsh armistice terms by Marshal Ferdinand Foch. The terms include German evacuation of all occupied territory, an Allied occupation of Germany west of the Rhine River, surrender of weaponry including all subs and battleships, and an indefinite continuation of the naval blockade. The German delegation has 72 hours to respond. The delegation is rumoured to be shocked by the harsh terms, but there seems to be little choice left to them but to accept. 
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KAISER FLEES TO HOLLAND
The Kaiser's Imperial government collapsed in ruin yesterday as a German republic was proclaimed with Friedrich Ebert heading the new provisional government. Kaiser Wilhelm has sought refuge in Holland amid concerns for his safety after his generals warned him they might not be able to adequately protect him from the volatile and chaotic situation currently unfolding in Germany. 
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War
ARMISTICE TERMS ACCEPTED!!
At 5:10 am this morning, in a railway car at Compiègne, France, the Germans signed the Armistice agreement. At long last the war is over! Fighting will end today at precisely 11 o'clock, on the 11th day of the 11th month of what is now the fifth year of the war. Instead of supplying a list of individual losses, which are impossible to fathom, it may be more appropriate to mention the percentage of a country's population directly afflicted by the hostilities. During the course of the Great War, a full eleven percent of France's entire population were either killed or wounded. Eight percent of Great Britain's population were killed or wounded, while Australia lost nine percent, Canada lost eight percent, and New Zealand lost six percent. Nine percent of Germany's pre-war population were killed or wounded during the course of the war. The United States, which did not enter the land war in strength until mid 1918, suffered a little more than one-third of one percent of its population killed or wounded.  On top of these countries, there were scores of others that willingly sent the cream of their youth to die in the mud and blood of so many WWI battlefields.  LEST WE FORGET.
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