World War One Diary for Monday, November 5, 1917:

Southern Fronts

Italian Front: At Rapallo conference Italians ask for 15 Allied divisions, but settle for 11. Temporary British C-in-C Italy Lieutenant-General Lord Cavan arrives at Pavia with ADC Prince of Wales, sees Cadorna on November 6 and agrees to concentrate around Mantua not Milan. Most Italian troops stand behind river Livenza to let Fourth Army come down from north.

Eastern Front

Petrograd: Kerensky calls loyal troops from suburbs, closes two Bolshevik newspapers, portrayed as ‘counter revolution’.

Middle East

Mesopotamia – Battle of Tikrit: Cobbe (1,801 casualties) storms 6-mile Turk line aided by 13th Hussars’ 2 charges. 6,000 Turks lose estimated 1,500 (137 PoWs) men and retreat until November 6, destroying SS Julnar.

Palestine: Kress begins Gaza’s evacuation. Falkenhayn reaches Jerusalem.