16th March 1917

On this day:

16th Northumberland Fusiliers receive orders   The 16th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers are in dug-outs at Bouchoir, they are ordered to be ready to support the French attack south of the Amiens-Roye road, forming defensive left flank for them.

Wire Cutting   236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report B104 Battery fired one hundred and forty rounds in wire cutting and there was much intermittent retaliation by the other Batteries.
War Diaries

Zeppelin Raids on Britain   The first raid of 1917 took place on night of the 16th,17th of March and the five high altitude Zeppelins encountered very strong winds, and none reached their targets.On the return flight L39 suffered an engine failure and, blown over French-held territory, was brought down in flames by ground fire.
During the night of the 16th and 17th March 1917 five German Navy Zeppelins set course for London. This was the first Zeppelin raid after the loss of L. 21 and L.34 in November 1916. Four of the Zeppelins, L. 35, L. 39, L. 40 and L.41 were "R Class" with their engines removed to allow them to climb to greater heights. The fifth one, L.42, was a "S Class" known as a "Height climber". Strong winds forced them south away from London and across into Kent arriving in two waves, the first during the evening of the 16th and the second during the early hours of the 17th.
L.42, had to return due to engine fault and did not participate in any part of the attack.
L.39, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Robert Koch first appeared over Margate at 22.20 hours but thick cloud made identification of targets impossible. Following a south-westerly course across Kent to the Sussex coast, the first bomb was dropped at 22.50 on Hode Farm near Bekesbourne, where it caused minor damage to two cottages. Ten minutes later five HE and a single incendiary bomb were dropped between Waltham and Sole Street without causing any damage. No further bombs were dropped and passing over Ashford and Tenterden L.39 reached the coast at St. Leonard’s at about 23.40 hours. Flying westward along the coast as far as Pevensey Bay before going out to sea, strong winds forced it south across the English Channel to Dieppe and then to the north of Paris. (see the next day for further details)
L.35, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Herbert Ehrlich followed about 20 minutes behind L.39 travelling over Broadstairs, Kent taking a south-westerly course. At about 22.55 hours an HE bomb was dropped on Britton Farm at Ickham a few miles east of Canterbury, without causing damage. South of Canterbury at Nackington, an HE was dropped on Winter’s Farm and an incendiary on Sextries Farm, neither causing any damage. At Ashford L.35 circled and then headed back eastwards and at 23.25 hours released five HE bombs and an incendiary over the village of Crundale, close to Waltham and Sole Street where L.39 had dropped bombs 35 minutes earlier. These brought down the ceiling of a cottage a quarter of a mile away. Travelling towards Dover, at Swingfield, L.35 dropped five more HE bombs, damaging ceilings and smashing windows at Stockham Farm and St. John’s Farm. Then it released four incendiary bombs over Hougham where the military had a post, these all fell in fields without causing any damage. The last two bombs, an HE and an incendiary, dropped harmlessly on Whinless Down just outside Dover where L.35 then went out to sea at 00.15 hours. (see the next day for further details)
John Doran and iancastlezeppelin.co.uk

Naval Action - 16th March 1917    In the Naval Action on the 16 March 1917 the German auxiliary cruiser Leopard was engaged and sunk by the British Armed boarding steamer HMS Dundee and the cruiser HMS Achilles.
Action
SMS Leopard left port in March disguised as the Norwegian freighter Rena Norge on its mission to disrupt Allied shipping. On the 17 March it was stopped in the North Sea by the cruiser HMS Achilles and ordered to proceed to the boarding vessel HMS Dundee for inspection. Heavily outgunned Captain Hans von Laffert, the raider's commander, had no option but to proceed as directed. Captain Selwyn Day of the Dundee dispatched a launch containing a boarding party with an officer and five men to investigate the mysterious ship. Hans von Laffert realizing he was about to be discovered detained the party and after about an hour fired two torpedoes at the Dundee. The steamer got out of the way just in time and the torpedoes missed Captain Day's ship by twenty feet. Day ordered his guncrews to open fire and a hail of shells struck the Leopard damaging a gun and setting fires. The Achilles hearing the sound of gunfire returned to the scene and opened fire on the raider as the Dundee withdrew. Shortly after the Achilles's arrival the Leopard sank with all 319 hands. Damage to the British vessels was light and the only Allied casualties were the six boarding party members who were trapped in the Leopard when it sank.
John Doran

Ongoing Railway work and Court of Enquiry

Courses completed.

New Orders

Training

Trench Raid

Training

Destruction

Wounded Arrive

Admissions

Reliefs

Training

Relief Begins

Orders

Reliefs

Aircraft Damaged

On the March

Reliefs

In Reserve

Attempted Raid

Baths

Training

On the Move

Enemy Active

Training

In Billets at Forceville

Working Parties

Artillery Active

Award

Baths

Quiet

Quiet

In Camp

Musketry Competition

Training at Ambrines.

Brushwood Road Fatigue

Baths

Postings

Aerodrome bombed

On the March

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16th March 1917

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