Diary December 3, 1917

Middle East

Palestine: British 74th Division battalion (286 casualties) takes but loses Beit-Ur-el Foka.
Mesopotamia – Third Action of Jebel Hamrin: Egerton’s 20,000 men with 116 guns and Colonel Bicharakov’s 1,000 Cossacks advance against 4,400 Turks with 34 guns, occupy Sakaltutan Pass on December 4, take Kara Tepe on December 5, inflict 542 Turk casualties for 219.
Armenia: War Cabinet decide to meet ‘any reasonable demands for money from Russian Caucasus Army.’

Western Front

Cambrai: British withdraw from La Vacquerie and bridge­head over canal east of Marcoing.
Ypres: British gains southwest of Polygon Wood. Haig warns his army commanders: ‘… situation on the Russian and Italian fronts … the paucity of reinforcements which we are likely to receive will in all probability necessitate adopting a defensive attitude for the next few months. We must be prepared to meet a strong and sustained hostile offensive’.

Eastern Front

Russia: Bolshevik mob murders General Dukhonin at Mogilev Station. Mannerheim passes through to Finland hours later. Brest­-Litovsk talks begin between Russia and all Central Powers.
CIGS cables General Ballard (Liaison Officer with Rumanian Army) to finance Kaledin ‘up to any figure necessary’.
Rumania­: Russian C-in-C General Shcherbachev informs King Ferdinand of Mackensen’s ceasefire approaches.

Southern Fronts

Trentino: 213 Austrian guns and mortars heavily bombard (mainly gas shell) Mt.Sisemol­ to Mt.Badenecche until December 4.

Home Fronts

USA: War Savings and Thrift stamps go on sale.
Italy­: Compulsory food rationing begins in Rome.
Britain: ­Voluntary food ration scale issued for all under 18. 4 German PoWs briefly escape from Farnbor­ough.
France: 7,000 strikers close Saint­-Etienne munitions factory until December 5.