Diary August 21, 1918

France: ALLIED OFFENSIVE RENEWED (until September 3). Haig tells Churchill chances of 1918 victory good.
Somme: ­SECOND BATTLE OF ALBERT (until August 29) opened on 10-mile front at 0455 hours by BEF Third Army’s 9 divisions with 1,294 guns (486 heavy), 500 tanks, c.120 aircraft in intensely hot weather. Prelim fog and smoke-aided advance of 2-3 miles, gains 2,000 PoWs and reaches Arras-Albert railway as planned. German Seventeenth Army counter­-attack held on August 22.

Air War

Western Front: All 80 parasol-wing Fokker D VIII (EV) withdrawn due to structural failures (reinstated after modifications October 24). Fog hampers RAF support of tank-led BEF Albert Offensive, but No 73 Squadron does attack German anti-tank guns (and on August 23). Germans claim 37 Allied aircraft for loss of 7. Night bombing including 12t bombs on Cambrai rail junction (repeated August 22-23). First flight of French Nieuport-Delage NiD 29 fighter.