May 28, 1915
Western Front The French gain some ground in the “Labyrinth”, north of Arras.
Eastern Front In the Baltic, the Russians take Bubie. Russian reverses around Przemysl continue.
Baltic Sea Four German minesweepers sink on Russian mines in the next 24 hours.
Caucasus The Russians occupy Vastan on Lake Van.
Germany The Chancellor denounces Italy’s “treachery” in a speech to the Reichstag.
May 28, 1916
Italian Front Austrian troops are closing in on Asiago, but are repulsed in the Lagarina valley.
May 28, 1917
Western Front Troops of the French 36th Infantry Division sent to the rear for rest refuse to return to the front in the Chemin des Dames; 67 take the train to Paris. But by midmorning all are en route back to the front; 14 face courts-martial. Several such instances of mutiny, or “indiscipline”, the commanders’ term, have occurred among French troops throughout May.
Italian Front The forward Italian artillery is 10 miles from Trieste. In the Plava sector, the Italians push up the Globna Valley.
France French Socialists decide to attend the Stockholm Conference.
Poland A meeting of the Congress of Polish Soldiers in Warsaw creates a Polish Army under Jozef Pilsudski. Polish deputies in Galicia demand the creation of a Polish state.
May 28, 1918
Western Front The German advance continues as Duchene squanders his reserves, committing them without careful forethought as to where they might best serve. The Germans cross those sections of the Vesle not crossed the day before. General Petain orders holding of the flanks northwest of Soissons and south of Rheims, where Micheler’s 5th Army has just arrived to bolster the line. He appeals to Foch to send reserves to the front, but the commander in chief quite presciently judges the offensive may “only be a feint” and decides to wait and see how it develops. Ludendorff, however, becomes enthralled by the amazing success of the offensive’s first two days and, violating his own dictum to adhere rigidly to the Blücher plan, commits his own reserves. He now envisions capturing Paris.
U.S. 1st Division, supported by French troops, attacks German positions at the ruined town of Cantigny, near Montdidier, killing or capturing the entire garrison. The Germans counterattack, but the Americans hold fast. The small battle costs 1070 American and 1600 German casualties and is a morale booster for the Allies.
Pershing, while understanding the importance of entrenchments, has eschewed what he considers to be a defeatist concept of trench warfare and American training is predicated on the spirit of the offensive, with an emphasis on individual marksmanship.
Italian Front Two Austrian attacks at Capo Sile fail.
Caucasus There is heavy fighting near Alexandropol as Armenian troops resist the Turkish advance. After four days of fighting, the Turks carry Armenian positions at Kara Kilisse.
Palestine Local British attacks gain two miles north of Jaffa.
|