Western Front
View of the devastated Somme battlefield after rain: http://imgur.com/2bfhZ6r* © IWM (Q 2795)
The ruins of the village of Souchez, France: http://imgur.com/gxMddhn* © IWM (Q 70424)
A queue of prisoners outside a prisoner of war camp, by Nico Jungman: http://imgur.com/cHSocp7* © IWM (Art.IWM ART 526)

Eastern Front
Romania: Battle of the Arges ends (see 1st). Mackensen's demand for surrender of Bucharest refused; Austro-Germans advancing on Ploesti (oilfields);
Colonel Norton-Griffiths, Military Police, sabotages Ploesti oilfields (827,000t petrol lost) as Falkenhayn’s Group Morgen approaches and occupies on December 6.
Romanians abandon Predeal Pass; their Orsova rearguard gives battle on the Aluta.
Carpathians: Austro-Hungarian counter-attacks.

Southern Front
Greece: Much unrest at Athens, but comparative order.* Reservists concerned in attack dismissed.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Arabia: Turks retake Qunfideh on coast south of Mecca and drive Feisal back to Yanbo where Lawrence soon arrives.

Naval and Overseas Operations
East Africa: Portugese invested at Newala, Marumba and Majembi but escape over river Rovuma to Nangedi which Germans occupy between December 8-20.

Political, etc.
Germany: Hindenburg Auxiliary Service law, all males from 17-60 years liable.
United Kingdom: King asks Bonar Law to form government but Asquith twice refuses to serve under him so Lloyd George becomes Prime Minister.
Barnbow National Shell Filling factory (near Leeds) explosion kills 35 munitionettes.
Belgium: Allies associate themselves with Belgian protest against German “slave raids” in Belgium.

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On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Don't you turn left at Main St. and go three blocks to Marumba?

I love how news reports (old and new) are written like everyone would know just where all these locations are.

Oh, yeah, I think the Rovuma passes the Village Pharmacy on Glen.

Western Front
Battle of Verdun: Germans capture trenches at Hill 304, French recapture it on December 7.

Eastern Front
Romania: Bukharest capitulates to the German forces (see November 30th, 1918). Mackensen rides in on a white charger, on his 67th birthday. Kaiser celebrates with champagne. 8,000 survivors of Rumanian 1st Division with 26 guns surrender on river Aluta after 125-mile retreat to east.
German, Austro-Hungarian, and Bulgarian armies enter Bucharest, the capital of Romania: http://imgur.com/MnWB9Dj* © IWM (Q 87134)
Field Marshal August von Mackensen in Bucharest: http://imgur.com/zAWO26z* © IWM (Q 85937)
Austro-Hungarian cavalry entering Bucharest: http://imgur.com/3AA9VEQ* © IWM (Q 69958)
German troops and civilian onlookers in Bucharest: http://imgur.com/XThkCKj* © IWM (Q 87112)
Pripet: Fighting west of Lutsk, around Tarnopol and Stanislau (Galicia) and around Dorna Vatra (Bukovina).

Southern Front
Italy: Reciprocal air attacks on Trieste and Aquileia (Isonzo mouth).
Greece: Royalists at Athens in control. British legation prepares to leave. Massacre of Venizelists in Athens (see 1st, and November 23rd).
Bulgarian activity on the Carso checked.

Naval and Overseas Operations
East Atlantic: Destroyer HMS Ariel sinks SM UC-19 with modified explosive sweep (high-speed paravane).
East Africa: Action at Fort Kibata (until December 9): Lettow attacks 800 British troops with 3 (German) guns and seizes Picquet Hill, causing 127 casualties.

Political, etc.
Germany: Berlin Casualty Office ceases to publish regular casualty lists (Verlustliste), giving names, regiments or other particulars. Henceforward alphabetical lists of individuals appear with no indication of unit or even the front concerned.
German newspapers react to Prime Minister Asquith’s resignation, predicting that the war will end soon.
United Kingdom: King George signs an Order in Council giving the Board of Agriculture power to seize land to grow food.
United States: Special Note: 1865 –Slavery in the United States was officially abolished when the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.
Greece: Greek Provisional Government at Salonika denounces Royalist Government at Athens as unrepresentative.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

I knew I should have made that left turn at Albuquerque.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Western Front
Battle of Verdun: German attacks lead the capture of Hill 304 and 200 French prisoners; French subsequently regain trenches lost on Hill 304.

Eastern Front
Romania: Central Power armies in Romania capture 9000 Romanian troops, as its offensive continues after the fall of Bucharest.
Romanian retreat east on all fronts; Wallachia in Central Powers’ hands; latter checked on Moldavian frontier.
Russians attack in south-east Galicia.
Fighting in Oitoz and Trotus valleys.

Southern Front
Continued heavy fighting in Monastir region.
Action south of Seres.
Greece: Entente Governments announce forthcoming blockade of Greece from December 8th (see 1st). (Also reported for yesterday).
Sir G. Milne's despatch of 9 October 1916 issued, covering operations on Salonika front 9 July to 8 October 1916.
Troops from the Morea concentrating round Athens.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Sinai: Philip Chetwode GOC of new Desert Column.
Aden: British brigade retakes Jabir and Haturn (over 150 Turk casualties).

Naval and Overseas Operations
Suffren, the French battleship, sunk earlier (see 26 November), reported lost with all hands.
Atlantic: SS Mount Temple, a ship that responded to the Titanic’s distress signal, is captured by German raider SMS Möwe. Mount Temple is scuttled, resulting in loss of its cargo, which included 710 horses and 22 crates of dinosaur fossils: http://imgur.com/xpJS6hd
Africa:
Algeria: 1,200 Senussi besiege Agades inside the Sahara (until March 3, 1917), wipe out 54 camelry men on December 28. Senegalese battalion sails from Marseilles to Dakar (arriving January 4, 1917) and crosses to Nigeria.
Mediterranean: German submarine UB-46 hits a Russian mine near Bosphorus, resulting in the deaths of all 20 crew. Wreckage today: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...-46-wreck-2.jpg

Political, etc.
Germany: Germany rejects Belgian protest as unfounded.
France: Government wins confidence vote in the Chamber of Deputies 344-160.
United Kingdom: LLOYD GEORGE BECOMES PRIME MINISTER.
Call up of non-skilled munition workers agreed.
Turkey: Interior Ministry reports to Grand Vizir 702,900 Armenians ‘relocated’ by October 31.
Greece: “Persecution” of Venizelists continues. Official complicity in late outrages at Athens confirmed.

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On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Western Front
French daggers on display at Les Invalides, Paris: http://imgur.com/6DggMzP* © IWM (Q 107536)

Eastern Front
Romania: Battle of River Cricov (until December 12) as Rumanians retreat northeast on Rimnicu Sarat. Germans claim 70,000 PoWs, 184 guns, 115 MGs between December 1 and 9 and advance 20 miles east of Ploesti by December 11. Hungarian 51st Honved Division occupies Sinaia south of Predeal Pass.
Heavy fighting in Galicia, in south of Bukovina, and on Moldavian frontier.

Southern Front
Greece: Entente Powers begin blockade of Greece (see 7th), as King Constantine remains friendly with Germany.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Italian battleship Regina Margherita blown up on Italian minefield.
East Africa: Portuguese retire from Nangadi (East Africa); Germans occupy it.

Political, etc.
Russia: Murman Railway (from Murmansk to Petrograd) declared open.
United Kingdom: Asquith and members of the Liberal Party agree to support David Lloyd George as the new Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Greece: Allied citizens leave Athens but Ambassadors see King on December 9.
Allies demand explanation of Greek troops concentrated round Athens.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Eastern Front
Romania: Field Marshal von Mackensen, commander of the German forces in Romania, takes up quarters at the Royal palace in Bucharest.
In the past week, German forces in Romania have captured 70,000 prisoners, 184 artillery guns, and 120 machine guns.
Russian military warns that if Germany conquers Romania, then the Central Powers would be free to concentrate on Russia.

Southern Front
Continuous fighting throughout Russian southern front.
Bulgars cross Danube near Silistria and Tutrakan, capturing towns on left bank.
Fighting near Monastir.
Turkish posts taken south of Seres.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Distress caused in Canary Islands by German blockade.

Political, etc.
Russia: Tsar at Tsarskoe Selo (until December 19).
Germany: Hindenburg given the first 1914 Grand Cross of the Iron Cross.
Raw Materials Office merger/closure agreement on nonessential industries to save transport.
France: Terrier letter from Paris to Lyautey ‘The name that is in every mouth is …General Nivelle‘.
United Kingdom: War Cabinet formed in Great Britain.[The War Committee (see November 3rd, 1915) which held their last meeting on December 1st ceased to function on the formation of the War Cabinet which undertook the duties of the War Committee.] First Meeting held (see 1st).
Italy: Italian Chamber of Deputies votes 376 to 45 in confidence of their government’s conduct of the war.
Japan: Natsume Sōseki, the renowned Japanese novelist, passed away: http://imgur.com/4HzJHCZ
Greece: British and U.S.A. Ministers have audience of King Constantine.

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On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Eastern Front
Romania: Stubborn fighting in Carpathians, south Bukovina and Trotus Valley.
Fighting north of Ploesti.

Southern Front
Italy: Heavy snows hit the frontlines of Italy and Austria-Hungary in the Alps, as heavy artillery exchanges continue.
Serbia: Russo-Serb attacks against Hill 1050 fail (until December 11) against German Guard-Schützen Battalion.
Bulgarian forces cross the Danube from the Dobruja, in an effort to cut off the retreating Romanian army’s retreat.

Naval and Overseas Operations
North Sea: Merchant U-boat Deutschland returns to river Weser.
East Africa: British soldiers heading towards the wreck of the German cruiser SMS Königsberg in German East Africa: http://imgur.com/haPViHQ

Political, etc.
France: French government bans paper imports to help raise the exchange and to encourage the French paper industry.
United Kingdom: Members of Britain’s new War Cabinet are announced: Lloyd George, Earl Curzon, Andrew Bonar Law, Arthur Henderson, & Lord Milner.
British govt agrees to send railroad freight cars to France, as 20,000 freight cars are used to supply the British Expeditionary Force.
Japan: Field Marshal Prince Ōyama Iwao, one of the founders of the Imperial Japanese Army, passed away: http://imgur.com/Lp9bpQh
United States: Kirk Douglas (the future actor, producer, director & author), is born to an impoverished Jewish immigrant family in Amsterdam, NY. (Listed for yesterday)
Greece: Allies demand Greek demobilization and intercept King’s radio messages to Berlin.
Albania: The Autonomous Albanian Republic of Korçë is established by French forces in the occupied city of Korçë, Albania.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Bad weather shutting most military opertions (most, not all), but massively active day in the political realm:
Western Front
Allied air-raids on Zeebrugge.
Somme: Violent Allied artillery bombardment.
Battle of Verdun: Preparatory French bombardment by 760 guns (350 heavy).

Eastern Front
Romania: Heavy rains fail to halt the German advance in Romania towards Buzău. Several thousand more Romanian prisoners are captured.

Southern Front
Battle of the Cerna and Monastir ends (see October 5th).

Naval and Overseas Operations
Baltic: Vice-Admiral Adrian Nepenin’s Fleet order against non-saluting becomes unpopular with officers and men.

Political, etc.
Russia: State Council of Russia urges the government to work with the Legislature and eliminate “irresponsible influences” from state affairs.
Germany: German reply to U.S.A. Note re: Belgian deportations.
France: Heavy shakeup of the French government and military is in the works in response to the Allied failure in Romania and stalemate in the West.
United Kingdom: Mr. Lloyd George's Coalition Ministry formed in Great Britain (see 7th, and May 25th, 1915):
Lord Derby appointed Secretary of State for War, Great Britain, in succession to Mr. Lloyd George (see September 30th, 1915, and July 7th and April 20th, 1918).
Viscount Edward Grey, British Secretary for Foreign Affairs, resigns. (Appointed December 11th, 1905.)
Mr. Arthur Balfour, First Lord of the Admiralty, Great Britain, resigns, and is appointed Secretary for Foreign Affairs, (see 12th and May 28th, 1915).
Ministry of Labour formed in Great Britain.
Italy: Italian government announces it will take complete control of meat supplies after January 1st and will ban sales on Thursdays & Fridays.
Romania: King Ferdinand of Romania arrives in Reni, Bessarabia (Ukraine) to meet with Tsar Nicholas II.
United States: President Wilson announces that he will retain his current Cabinet members for his second term.
Greece: Allied Note presented to Greece demanding complete demobilisation (see 1st and 14th).
French Admiral Louis Fournet relieved of command for December 1 action. (The French felt he had not pursued a more vigorous bombardment when he could have).
Report Venizelist rising in the Cyclades.

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On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Western Front
The Army Council approves the expansion of the Royal Flying Corps to 106 frontline squadrons.
Battle of Verdun: French soldier at the hallowed out hills of Fort Vaux near Verdun: http://imgur.com/naiulNX

Eastern Front
Romania: Fighting continues round Tarnopol and Stanislau (Galicia) and in south Bukovina.
With help of Russians, Romanians feebly rally on the Jalomitsa and south-west of Buzeu.

Southern Front
Greece: Venizelist troops land at Syra which with other Cyclades comes under National Government.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
A lone British soldier in Mesopotamia (Iraq) looking towards Ottoman positions: http://imgur.com/nHeC7tC
British feint on Sanna-i-yat, and move on Shatt-el-Hai.

Political, etc.
Austria-Hungary: Identical Notes presented by Austro-Hungarian, Bulgarian, German and Turkish Governments to United States Ambassadors in their respective countries requesting them to inform the Governments of the Entente powers that the four Allied Central Powers are ready to negotiate for peace (see 30th).
Germany: German Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg (in concert with the note for Austria-Hungary, above) offers the Allied nations to start peace negotiations: http://imgur.com/hYUXa2Q
Von Bethmann-Hollweg reading the German government’s peace proposal at the Reichstag:
http://imgur.com/AJvJlof
Kaiser’s warlike speech to troops at Mulhouse, Alsace. General Groner addresses unique TU (Trade Union) Congress at Berlin, orders War Office bureaux to recognize unions (December 13).
France: Reorganisation of French Government. M. Aristide Briand remains Premier. New War Cabinet of five Ministers formed., includes Armaments Minister Albert Thomas. General Robert Nivelle becomes Commander-in-Chief of French Northern and North Eastern Groups of Armies (see May 15th, 1917); Nivelle cancels long-planned French blow south of Somme. General Joseph Joffre (see December 3rd, 1915) becomes Technical Military Adviser to the War Cabinet. Ferdinand Foch removed by Joffre from command of Northern Army Group (Franchet d’Esperey succeeds on December 27). Admiral Louis Dartigue relieved of command for Athens debacle, Vice-Admiral Dominique-Marie Gauchet takes over as French and titular Allied C-in-C (outside Adriatic and Aegean) on December 16, for duration of war.
United Kingdom: Sir Edward Carson succeeds Mr Balfour as First Lord of the Admiralty, Great Britain (see 11th and July 19th, 1917).
Munitions Ministry Trench Mortar committee formed.
Poland: Józef Piłsudski, founder of the Polish Legions, arrives in Warsaw in the newly-established Kingdom of Poland: http://imgur.com/BxtFXiu
United States: Wall Street reacts in turmoil to Germany’s announcement, and nearly 2.5 million shares are sold off.
Greece: King regrets Athens incidents via Paris Ambassador.
Netherlands: Government orders grain ships to only carry grain and to not mix cargo, in order to prevent them from being targeted by German submarines.

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On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Western Front
Ruins of the commune of Vitrimont, France: http://imgur.com/8PKyk4o* © IWM (Q 78962)
Western Allies estimate total German losses in killed, wounded, and missing now numbers 3,921,869 men, excluding naval and colonial losses.
Heavy bombardments on Somme front continue.

Eastern Front
Romania: Romanians again forced back from the Jalomitsa and the Ploeshti-Buzeu road.
Central Powers advance towards Braila and Galatz.

Southern Front
Italy: Near Mount Marmolada, Italy, an avalanche hits Austro-Hungarian Army barracks, resulting in around 200 deaths.

Asiatic and Egyptian
Mesopotamia: British operations for the capture of Kut begin with the Tigris offensive with 48,500 men; 174 guns and 24 planes against 20,600 Turks with 70 guns: Sannaiyat shelled and Shalt-el-Hai Canal bridged (6 pontoon bridges by December 18). (see May 19th, 1916, and January 9th, 1917).

Naval and Overseas Operations
Black Sea: Russian warships shell Bulgarian grain mills at Balchiknorth of Varna.
Eastern Atlantic: Destroyer HMS Landrail depth charges and sinks coastal submarine UB-29 in southwestern Approaches.
USS Pennsylvania, the lead ship of her class commissioned just this June, at Hampton Roads: http://imgur.com/OuFAAEb* © IWM (Q 58276)

Political, etc.
Austria-Hungary: Austrian Premier (Dr. Korber) resigns. Dr V. Spitzmuller forms new Ministry.
France: Prime Minister Briand sums up German peace note as*‘Heads I win, tails you lose.’.
Prototype Renault FT-17 light tank ordered (conceived by Colonel Estienne and Renault in July), limited production approved on December 30.
United Kingdom: Allied nations reject German proposal to enter into peace negotiations, as they do not believe the offer is serious.
British news-film “Topical Budget,” showing a Belgian armored car in action, and other news: http://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/index/5408
Portugal: Military coups until December 14 fail.
Spain: German Madrid Military attaché radios Berlin speculating that Mata Hari perhaps knows Allies can read code.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Western Front
Heavy reciprocal raiding near Ypres.

Eastern Front
Romania: Falkenhayn enters Buzeu in push for Braila and Galatz (Danube towns); Danube army over the Jalomitsa; all of Wallachia in German hands, military government established at Bucharest.
German Army announces the capture of the Romanian oil fields in Campina and reveals they are undamaged by the fighting.
Russians again in Carpathian struggle, and along Moldavian frontier.

Southern Front
Fighting near Monastir.
Strong artillery action in Lake Doiran zone.
Turkey: RNAS bomb Kuleli-Burgas rail bridge 20 miles south of Adrianople (and Razlovci in Occupied Serbia on December 15).

Asiatic and Egyptian
Mesopotamia: RFC B. E. 2C scatters Turk Shumran pontoon bridge, leaving only Tigris Ferry till December 17. 2 RFC B. E. 2cs shoot down Albatros near Kut on December 20. 2-10 aircraft attack Turk depots east of Kut (December 21-22).

Naval and Overseas Operations
Mediterranean: British horse-transport SS Russian is sunk eat of Malta, resulting in 28 crew member deaths: http://imgur.com/XTsVsxL ; general cargo ship SS Westminster torpedoed.

Political, etc.
Austria-Hungary: Prime Minister Dr Ernst Körber resigns against Emperor’s talks with Hungary. Count Heinrich Clam-Martinic succeeds on December 20.
Germany: Berlin fixes the upper price limit for horse meat at 39 cents a pound for the best cuts.
United Kingdom: House of Commons votes £400m war credit (total 1916-17 £1.75 billions: war costs £5.5 million per day). This will add 1 million men to the Army.
British government threatens to punish strikers at the Port of Liverpool, as they are impacting Royal Navy operations.
Greece: Allied 24-hour ultimatum (accepted on December 15). Greek withdrawal of entire Greek Armies from Thessaly demanded (see 11th and 15th).
Denmark: Denmark holds a referendum on whether or not to sell the Danish West Indian Islands to the US. Yes for the sale wins with 64.2% of the vote.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Western Front
Battle of Verdun: GREAT FRENCH ATTACK (north of Fort Douaumont): The Allies claim the following:
2-mile penetration at 1000 hours recaptures Vacherauville, Hill 342 (Poivre Hill), Louvemont and Les Chambrettes with 3,500 PoWs. Mangin employs 4 divisions (with 4 in reserve) against 9 German divisions. Within 4 days French front east of Meuse is reestablished almost as on February 20. French take 11,387 PoWs; 115 guns; 44 mortars; 107 MGs.
Nivelle leaves Verdun for GOG that evening with farewell words ‘The experiment has been conclusive … I can assure you that victory is certain’. Guillaumat takes over French Second Army.
In reality, almost all of these claims are grossly exaggerated; the ones that aren’t involve the recapture of militarily insignificant territory.

Eastern Front
Romania: Central Powers’ success on Tarnopol Railway, west of Lutsk.
Romanian and Russians still resisting north of Buzeu, but retiring from Jalomitsa.
Strong Russian defence on Moldavian frontier.

Southern Front
Naval aeroplanes bomb Razlovci, 37 miles east of Istip (Serbia).
Bulgarians bombarding Monastir.
Fighting on the Struma; repulse of Bulgarians.
British warships shell Greeks at head of Gulf of Orfano (south-west of Kavalla).

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
British Government recognize the "King of the Arabs" as the King of the Hejaz (see November 4th).

Naval and Overseas Operations
East Africa: Fort Kibata: Baluchis warriors retake Picquet Hill in night attack with first use Mills grenades in this theatre; Gold Coast Regiment takes hill to west.

Political, etc.
Russia: Vigorous speeches in the Duma.
Romanian treasures and gold reserves are evacuated to Russia for safekeeping (most of the gold reserves are never returned).
Germany: German Minority Socialists' manifesto against "oracular utterances"; demand Government should state peace conditions.
United Kingdom: King George V visiting the National Shell Filling Factory at Chilwell, Nottinghamshire: http://imgur.com/71j2kZQ
British government bans the manufacture of hairpins to conserve metal.
United States: Special Note: 1791: The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified.
Greece: Greek Government accept Allied Ultimatum (see 14th).

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Interesting comment on the Bill of Rights being ratified in 1791 ... but ... er ... 1791??

Western Front
Battle of Verdun: French 133rd Division (Passaga) claims to clrecapture Bezonvaux and Hardaumont. Again, most of the militarily significant territory remained in German hands. German counter-attack regains Les Chambrettes Farm on December 17. French further claim that 11,000 prisoners and much war material are captured.
{Copied verbatum, cause even if not accurate,the comparison is cool} German lines being bombarded by French artillery at Vacherauville, France: http://imgur.com/kxECDqA While I cannot say for certain, this might be the same view today via Google Earth: http://imgur.com/hRv6PF8

Eastern Front
Pripet: Russian positions between Kovel and Lutsk captured (restored on December 18).
Dobruja: Sakharov retreats north on Braila (until December 20).

Southern Front
Greece: Greek Army begins evacuation of Thessaly under Allied supervision (Anglo-French control officers).

Naval and Overseas Operations
East Africa: General Cunliffe's Nigerian brigade reaches Dar-es-Salaam.

Political, etc.
Russia: Russia dismisses German peace offer, stating it was a “sensational act of publicity calculated to prepossess the neutral powers.”
Germany: Friedrich Ernst Dorn, German physicist who discovered radium emits a radioactive substance, passed away: http://imgur.com/ZpQqfwG
Prussian General Max von Fabeck commits suicide after he was evacuated from the front due to serious illness: http://imgur.com/rVbRgy5
United Kingdom: British news film “Topical Budget,” showing blind soldiers being taught to become masseurs, among other news: http://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/index/5409
Ireland: Government decides to take over Irish railways, to satisfaction of Irish public.
Romania: Ion Bratianu forms Coalition Goverment, Tache Ionescu joins on December 25.
Portugal: Creation of the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps to serve in France alongside the rest of the Allies is announced.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.