In October 1917 the Allied offensive in Flanders bogs down in mud and heavy rains near Passchendaele. The Austro-Hungarian Army, aided by German reinforcements, breaks through the Italian Army’s lines at Caporetto, sending the Italians into a headlong retreat. French Army forces commanded by General Petain attack German Army positions on the Chemin des Dames, forcing them to withdraw.
Month: October 2017 (Page 1 of 3)
Ceremonial GROUNDBREAKING for AMERICA’S WWI MEMORIAL
On Thursday, November 9 at 11am ET the US World War I Centennial Commission will host a ceremonial groundbreaking for America’s World War I Memorial to engage the American people in remembering our veterans from WWI. Watch a live-stream of the groundbreaking through Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/ww1centennial
100 years ago in Kansas, November 5 – 10, 1917.
November 5, 1917
- A sugar shortage caused Topeka bakeries to quit making pies, cakes and cookies.
November 7, 1917
Cap’n Eddie and the SPAD XIII
The Société Pour L’Aviation et ses Dérivés (SPAD) was created in 1913, a consortium led by aviation pioneer Louis Blériot. SPAD made aircraft using an automotive engine, the Hispano Suiza liquid cooled V-8, initially under small contracts from both the Russian and the French air services. Eventually, the SPAD VII was a big success, with about 3,500 built, while the SPAD XIII, introduced in April 1917, was the crown jewel of the firm with 8,472 produced, about 900 of which were sold to the U.S. Army. The SPAD XIII’s engine developed up to 220 hp, the aircraft’s top speed was 135 mph, its range was 171 miles, it could fly up to 21,000 ft. and its rate of climb was 384 ft. per minute.
Given that it’s almost November and it’s finally World Series time (for the devoted baseball fan, consider Bill Mazeroski’s home run gave the 1960 World Championship to the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 7, played October 13th), here’s a baseball story that came to my attention recently.
We haven’t posted much about WWI viewing on the C-SPAN networks recently, and for good reason: they haven’t been showing any WWI programming. That is likely to change in the next few weeks, as keynotes and some sessions at the “Remember Muted Voices” symposium were taped, and I suspect the conference at the WWI Museum next weekend will have sessions taped as well.
Centennial of the 2nd Division
WW1 officer’s uniform, 9th Infantry, 2nd Division
Tomorrow the 2nd Infantry Division will observe 100 years of service to the nation. Perhaps a few words about the organization of large military formations are in order here. In the 1917 U.S. Army the ascending math goes like this: a company was several platoons, a battalion was several companies, a regiment was several battalions, a brigade was two regiments, a division was two brigades, a corps was more than one division and an army was more than one corps. Got it?
Here are a few articles that take a look at the symposium, “Remembering Muted Voices: Conscience, Dissent, Resistance, and Civil Liberties in World War I Through Today” that was held in Kansas City this past weekend. This is a subject not always covered in discussions about World War I but no less important. The sponsors of the program are to be congratulated, and once again the National World War I Museum and Memorial has hosted a program that one might call a less than traditional conference that some museums might shy away from. 250 people were in attendance.
Coming to the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City on November 9, 2017 and running through May 13, 2018.
Click here for more information.
This is described as “an exhibit remembering the prophetic insights and personal courage of World War I peace protesters.” The exhibit was organized and is available for traveling through the Kauffman Museum at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas.