Western Front
Somme: German forces withdraw from front line positions on the Ancre as part of the withdrawal to the Siegfried Stellung (aka Hindenburg Line). (see November 18th, 1916 and March 14th, 1917).
British troops advance on an 11-mile front, to a depth of 3 miles.
Destroyed sugar refinery in Serre captured by the British in operations around Ancre, France:
http://imgur.com/lJ3wvw0* © IWM (Q 1769)
BEF 2nd Division and Anzac Corps fight for the Thilloys (until March 2) southwest of Bapaume.
Flanders: General Sixt von Arnim takes over Fourth Army from Duke Albrecht of Wurttemberg who now commands his own Flanders Army Group; both in command for duration of war.
France: Prime Minister Briand proposes that
‘In order to ensure unity of command on the Western Front, the French General-In-Chief will from the 1 March 1917 have authority over the British Forces … in all that concerns … operations … dispositions … allotment of material and resources … to the Armies’. Haig and Robertson object (plan modified February 27).
Successful raids at Monchy-au-Bois, Lens and in Champagne.
English Naval air raid on Brebach (near Metz).
Eastern Front
Baltic Provinces: 100 Royal Navy Division PoWs arrive at Reiskatte Reprisal Camp (c.3 miles from Front) to dig trenches, often under Russian fire (until June 10); another 500 PoWs join them. [Ed note: this “reprisal” action was one of the responses to the Allied “reprisal” actions of carrying U-boat officers as hostages aboard cargo vessels, or exposing German PoW work parties to German artillery fire on the Western Front. And of course, these two “reprisal” actions were themselves a response to Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare, which itself was a partial response to Great Britain’s illegal blockade methods.
Truly, and illustration of how absurd tit-for-tat actions in war can be.]
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Mesopotamia: The pursuit to Baghdad begins (see 24th and March 11th). Turks destroy much war material.
Naval and Overseas Operations
North Sea: German destroyer raid on Margate and Broadstairs; 11 German destroyers (Heinrich (?) Tillessen) raid*Dover barrage*including 10-minutes shelling of Margate and*Broadstairs*(4 civilian casualties). (see March 18th).
Atlantic: British
S.S. Laconia sunk by submarine
SM U-50; this was exceptionally controversial, because earlier in the war, the Royal Navy had taken the
Laconia into service as an armed merchant cruiser, and used her at several points in a naval capacity, particularly in the African campaigns. By the time she was sunk, though, the
Laconia had been discharged from the Royal Navy, and handed back to Cunard. It is not clear if she was, however, completely disarmed; the British had long since, instituted their policy of arming merchant ships, so the Laconia may have still had some guns on board. However, armed or not, she was at the time of her sinking, a passenger liner in regular service. At least two of the deaths on the
SS Laconia are American citizens, further increasing the support for war in the United States.
http://imgur.com/NkjsDjc
Political, etc.
France: Due to rationing, only stale whole meal bread can be sold in Parisian restaurants and night work in bakeries are banned.
United Kingdom: (also reported for earlier in the month) New British War Loan subscriptions amount to (new money) £1,000,312,950.
United States: U.S. Senators express anger at President Wilson, who remains silent on the issue of German submarine warfare.