November 1917

Thursday, November 1, 1917

• Third Battle of Gaza - The British 21st Corps of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force attacked and captured Umbrella hill, a massive sand dune defense held by the Ottomans west of Gaza.
• Battle of Tel el Khuweilfe - The British Desert Mounted Corps began attacking Ottoman positions on the north of Beersheba, Palestine towards Hebron and Jerusalem.
• The Australian Corps was established to replace the First ANZAC Corps while Second ANZAC became part of the British 22nd Corps.
• British submarine torpedoed and sunk German submarine in the English Channel with all 26 crew lost.
• The Royal Flying Corps established air squadron No. 110.
• The Corpo Aeronautico Militare of the Italian Army established its first naval air squadron 260a Squadriglia to defend the shipping lanes in the Adriatic Sea.
• Takatoku station, now known as Shin-Takatoku Station on Tobu Railway's Tobu Kinugawa Line, opened in Nikkō, Japan.
• Born:
• * Huelet Benner, American sharpshooter, gold medalist at the 1952 Summer Olympics; in Paragould, Arkansas, United States
• * Kaisyn Kuliev, Soviet poet, known for his poetry collections including The Wounded Stone and A Beauty of the Earth; in Upper Chegem, Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus
• * R. W. B. Lewis, American literary critic, recipient of the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for the biography of Edith Wharton; as Richard Warrington Baldwin Lewis, in Chicago, United States
• * Clarence E. Miller, American politician, U.S. Representative of Ohio from 1967 to 1993; in Lancaster, Ohio, United States
• * Erich Rudorffer, German fighter pilot, member of the Luftwaffe during World War II with 222 victories claimed, ranking him the 7th most successful fighter pilot ever in air warfare, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross; in Zwochau, German Empire
• Died: Leslie Maygar, 49, Australian army officer, recipient of the Victoria Cross for action during the Second Boer War; died from wounds sustained at the Battle of Beersheba

  Friday, November 2, 1917

• British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour made the Balfour Declaration, proclaiming British support for the "establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people..., it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities".
• The Lansing–Ishii Agreement was signed between Japan and the United States, with the U.S. recognizing Japan had special interests in mainland China.
• Battle of Caporetto - The Italian Second Army completed its retreat to Tagliamento river, which allowed German forces to establish a bridgehead.
• Third Battle of Gaza - British overran Ottoman trenches around the El Arish and Jafa Redoubts south of Gaza, while suffering 350 killed, 350 missing and over 2,000 wounded.
• Battle of Tel el Khuweilfe - British forces advanced in Palestine to establish a new front line stretching from Dayr al-Hawa in the south to Beit Liqya in the north.
• United States Army Colonel Brice Disque introduced his plan to put the entire Pacific Northwest lumber industry under military control for the duration of World War I, leading to the creation of the Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen.
• Born:
• * Ann Rutherford, Canadian-born American actress, known for roles in Gone with the Wind and the Andy Hardy series with Mickey Rooney; as Therese Ann Rutherford, in Vancouver, Canada
• * Robert Hampton Gray, Canadian naval officer, recipient of the Victoria Cross for action the Pacific Theater during World War II, last Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross; in Trail, British Columbia, Canada
• Died: Fred Billington, 63, British opera singer, best known for his work with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in London

  Saturday, November 3, 1917

• Third Battle of Gaza - Ottoman defenders launched counterattacks to stem the British advance south and east of Gaza.
• Battle of Moon Sound - The Imperial German Navy succeeded in clearing the minefields around the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea and ensuring Germany had full control of the West Estonian archipelago. The operation resulted in major casualties, including 156 dead, 60 wounded, and the loss of nine minesweepers and numerous smaller vessels. The Imperial German Army also sustained 54 dead and 141 wounded while taking control of the islands during Operation Albion. Russian casualties were smaller but significant numbers of men and equipment were captured, including 20,130 prisoners and 141 guns.
• Soldiers Thomas Enright, James Bethel Gresham, and Merle Hay of the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army became the first official American military casualties of World War I. All three were killed in action during a German attack near Artois, France.
• German submarine was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea by British submarine with the loss of all 26 crew.
• CONCANACO, the Confederation of the National Chambers of Commerce in Mexico, was established.
• Born:
• * Conor Cruise O'Brien, Irish politician, member of the Dáil Éireann from 1969 to 1977, and Seanad Éireann from 1977 to 1979; as Donal Conor David Dermot Donat Cruise O'Brien, in Dublin, Ireland
• * J. E. Macdonnell, Australian writer, best known for over 200 books based on sea and naval experiences, including the Horwitz Naval Series; as James Edmond Macdonnell, in Mackay, Queensland, Australia
• Died:
• * Frederick Rodgers, 75, American naval officer, last commander of the Asiatic Squadron
• * Léon Bloy, 71, French writer, author of The Woman Who Was Poor and Disagreeable Tales
• * Albert Carman, 79, Canadian religious leader, head of the Methodist Church of Canada during the 1870s and 1880s

  Sunday, November 4, 1917

• Born:
• * Leonardo Cimino, American actor, best known for his award-winning stage performances in The Brothers Karamazov, A Memory of Two Mondays and The Man in the Glass Booth; in New York City, United States
• * Virginia Field, British-born American actress, best known for her television work in Perry Mason and The Rebel; as Margaret St. John Field, in London, England
• Died: Leopoldo Franchetti, 70, Italian politician, one the first Italian politicians to lead an inquiry into the Sicilian Mafia

  Monday, November 5, 1917

• The Rapallo Conference in Rapallo, Italy, was convened by the Allied powers in the wake of the severe Italian setback at Caporetto. The conference decided to form a Supreme War Council at Versailles, France, to co-ordinate allied plans and actions and promised fresh aid to the Italians.
• Third Battle of Gaza - Continuous artillery barrages and low ammo forced the Ottoman command to consider a strategic withdraw from Gaza to Wadi el Hesi to the northeast.
• Buchanan v. Warley was decided by the Supreme Court of the United States, which stated designating neighborhoods to only sell only to members of a specific racial or ethnic group was unconstitutional.
• Born:
• * Jacqueline Auriol, French aviator, one the first female test pilots and holder of five speed records, founding member of Académie de l'air et de l'espace; as Jacqueline Marie-Thérèse Suzanne Douet, in Challans, France
• * Jens Evensen, Norwegian judge, member of the International Court of Justice from 1980 to 1993; in Christiania, Norway
• * Sal Bartolo, American boxer, world featherweight champion from 1944 to 1946; as Salvatore Interbartolo, in Boston, United States

  Tuesday, November 6, 1917

• Second Battle of Passchendaele - British and Canadian forces made one final push and captured Passchendaele, Belgium, after three months of bitter fighting.
• Battle of Hareira and Sheria - The British 20th Corps and Desert Mounted Corps attacked Ottoman defenses protecting the Gaza to Beersheba road, opening Gaza for capture.
• Battle of Tel el Khuweilfe - Australian, New Zealand and Welsh brigades secured territory around Tel el Khuweilfe in Palestine, ending the fighting.
• Westmoreland Davis was elected as the 48th Governor of Virginia after capturing 70 percent of the vote in the Virginia state election.
• John Francis Hylan beat John Purroy Mitchel in city elections to become the 96th Mayor of New York City.
• State elections were held in New York, with Merton E. Lewis elected to the Attorney General of New York office.
• The Royal Flying Corps established air squadrons No. 191.
• The Spruce Production Division was established with Colonel Brice Disque commanding, to ensure lumber material in the Pacific Northwest was being transferred for military use, including aircraft construction for the Aviation Section of the U.S. Signal Corps.
• British public servant Francis Hopwood was awarded the noble title Baron Southborough for his work for the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
• Born:
• * Karan Dewan, Indian actor, known for roles in Rattan, Bahar and Teen Batti Char Raasta; as Dewan Karan Chopra, in Gujranwala, Punjab, British India
• * Edgar Whitcomb, American politician, 43rd Governor of Indiana; in Hayden, Indiana, United States

  Wednesday, November 7, 1917

• October Revolution - The Bolsheviks organized an armed uprising in Petrograd to overthrow the Russian Provisional Government after eight months of rule:
• * The second All-Russian Congress of Soviets, now dominated by the Bolsheviks, passed a resolution formally recognizing the right to overthrow the government. The center and right wing groups of the Congress protested what they felt was an illegal seizure of power and walked out before the resolution was passed. Leon Trotsky famously taunted them as they left: "Go where you belong from now on — into the dustbin of history!"
• * Vladimir Lenin distributed a proclamation by telegram throughout Russia informing citizens of the overthrow of the government.
• * Bolshevik forces stormed the Winter Palace with little resistance and arrested the remaining members of the Russian Provisional Government.
• * Minister-Chairman Alexander Kerensky of the Russian Provisional Government fled Petrograd to Pskov to rally pro-government military support.
• The Regional Committee in Protection of Revolution in Ukraine was formed by the Central Council of Ukraine, but was dissolved in two days and authority transferred to the General Secretariat of Ukraine.
• Third Battle of Gaza - British 21st Corps occupied Gaza after confirming the Ottoman Army garrison had abandoned the city.
• Battle of Hareira and Sheria - British 20th Corps and Desert Mounted Corps captured Hareira and Sheria, marking the end of the Ottoman Gaza to Beersheba line.
• Units with the Ottoman Eighth Army delayed the advance of the British 21st Corps and the Desert Mounted Corps with a rearguard defense at Wadi el Hesi, Palestine.
• Charge at Sheria - The retreating Yildirim Army Group of the Ottoman Empire successfully held off pursuing cavalry of the Australian 4th Light Horse Brigade and made it safely to the Judaean Mountains to regroup.
• Women won the right to vote in New York.
• A branch of the Ku Klux Klan, known as the Knights of Liberty, abducted and tortured 17 Industrial Workers of the World union members under police custody in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• The Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army, established air squadron Jagdstaffel 79.
• The British noble title Marquess of Carisbrooke was created for Prince Alexander Mountbatten and lasted until 1960.
• The People's Commissariat for Posts and Telegraphs for Russia was established in Petrograd.
• Born: Edith Bouvier Beale, American socialite, best known as the subject of the documentary Grey Gardens with her mother Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale, first cousin to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; in New York City, United States