FIRST WORLD WAR DIARY

February 1918: General Allenby builds on the success of his victory at Jerusalem by moving on Jericho, while the final move to end a shattered and fractious Russia’s involvement in the Great War is launched. In Germany, the crew of a commerce raider return home as heroes, while U-boats continue to add to their deadly tally.

WAR AT SEA:

5 February: The British liner SS Tuscania, sailing in convoy from Hoboken to Liverpool with 384 crew and 2,013 American soldiers on board, is torpedoed off Northern Ireland by UB-77. The U-boat had been stalking the convoy and fired two torpedoes under the cover of darkness. One of these hit, and Tuscania sank 7nm north of Rathlin Lighthouse. Most on board were rescued by the destroyers HMS Mosquito and Pigeon, but 210 were lost.

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