World War One Diary for Saturday, March 10, 1917:

Sea War

North Sea: Royal Navy submarine G13 sinks UC-43 off Shetlands.

Eastern Atlantic: Epic action between NZ Shipping Co SS Otaki (4.7-inch gun) (A Bisset Smith, posthumous Victory Cross) and German raider Moewe (15 casualties), 350 miles east of Azores. Otaki sinks after c.30 hits but hits Moewe 7 times.

Western Mediterranean: In tragic error troopship­-escorting sloop HMS Cyclamen rams and sinks Italian submarine Guglielmotti (14 die) off Capraia Island.

Middle East

Mesopotamia: British bridge river Diyala and turn Turk west flank 3 miles from Baghdad. Khalil Pasha grudgingly lets subordinates evacuate city and leaves by train. 9,500 Turks with 48 guns retreat before 45,343 British with 174 guns, German radio station blown up.

Home Fronts

Russia: Martial law declared in Petrograd as general strike begins (until March 19). Petrograd Soviet elected.

Turkey: Talaat Pasha obtains Chamber 3.5 million Turkish Pounds food board credit, promises radical solutions (March 24).