Western Front
Second Battle of the Marne (German:
Unternehmen Friedensturm) begins (see August 7th): Great German offensive on front of 50 miles east and west of Reims, from Chateau-Thierry on west to Main de Massiges on east. Seventh, First (watched by Kaiser) and Third Armies (0435-0530 hours) attack with 43 divisions on 50-mile front after 4-hour barrage (0010 hours, pre-empted by French from 2330 hours on July 14), Germans advance rapidly to the Marne at Fossoy. German fire 500,000 rounds (9,000t) mustard gas, phosgene and diphenylchlororsine; 2,600 gassed (47 deaths) (until July 18).
On east Germans held in check. Petain’s ‘recoiling buffer method of defence’ (Liddell Hart) absorbs initial attack’s 2-mile impetus in lightly-held forward zone and awaits wearying, entangled attackers on a strong rear position. East of Reims German 21-division offensive fails on a 25-mile front north of Roman Road; 20 German tanks in sector all knocked out by French guns.
On west Germans penetrate two or three miles on 20-mile front; cross Marne between Dormans and Fossoy (west of Chateau-Thierry). More success achieved west of Reims vs Italians (8th Division annihilated) and 2 French divisions.
Foch countermands Petain’s 1000 hours order to Fayolle postponing July 18 attack. German 10th and 36th Divisions’ try to force Marne crossing against reinforced US 38th Infantry Regiment. Outnumbered 3:1, pounded by 336 German guns and with both flanks dangling, 3600 Americans stand firm in savage hand-to-hand fighting. 8 German divisions achieve 9-mile, 13-mile deep bridgehead astride Dormans to east.
Paris Gun, in new emplacement near Fere-en-Tardenois, fires 14 shells at French capital (until July 19).
German soldiers with captured British tanks at the Second Battle of the Marne:
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Champagne: Americans repulse Germans at Vaux.
225 French bombers (25 lost) in 20-30 formations drop 44t bombs on makeshift German Marne bridges. Constant air attacks (until July 20) till Germans evacuate bridgehead. Germans shoot down 37 Allied aircraft for loss of 9.
Quentin Roosevelt, youngest son of President Theodore Roosevelt, is killed in action in aerial combat over France:
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A French and British soldier fishing in the Somme River near Amiens: © IWM (Q 11072):
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An American Red Cross tent in Jouy, France damaged by shrapnel after it was bombed by German aeroplanes.:
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Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Palestine: Ottoman and German soldiers captured by British troops being escorted near Jericho, Palestine:
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Political, etc
Austria-Hungary: Count Burian peace memo published.
United Kingdom: British War Cabinet to inform Berlin that British Army will continue to use paper-cored bullets (instead of aluminium) as fully legal and not like ‘dum-dums’.
Ex-Empress Eugenie to Colonel Vernier ‘This League of Nations, what folly!’
United States: US Treasury estimates Allies have 303 million people and $495 billion wealth vs Central Powers’ 147 million people and $134 billion.
"Bath suit fashion parade" at Seal Beach, California:
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