20th April 1917 On this day: 16th Northumberland Fusiliers relieved by 2/6th Ox & Bucks   The 16th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers are relieved at Fayet by the 2/6th btn Oxon and Bucks Light Infantry, the Northumberlands withdraw to Germaine. Inspections   236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report marching order parades of C236 and D236 Batteries were inspected by acting OC. Brigade (Major C A Pollard DSO). War Diaries Second Battle of Dover Strait 1917   The Second Battle of Dover Strait was a naval battle fought in the Dover Strait in April 1917. Royal Navy destroyers defeated a superior force of Kaiserliche Marine torpedo boats. Two German torpedo boats were sunk and the British suffered damage to two destroyers. Background to events On 20 April 1917, two groups of torpedo boats of the German Navy raided the Dover Strait to bombard Allied positions on shore and to engage warships patrolling the Dover Barrage. The Dover Barrage was the field of floating mines that prevented German ships from getting into the English Channel. Six torpedo boats bombarded Calais and another six bombarded Dover just before midnight. Battle description Two flotilla leaders destroyers of the Royal Navy — HMS Broke and Swift — were on patrol near Dover and engaged six of the German ships early on 21 April near the Goodwin Sands. In a confusing action, Swift torpedoed SMS G85 and Broke rammed SMS G42. The two ships became locked together and close-quarters fighting took place between the crews, as the German sailors tried to board the British ship before Broke managed to break free and the G42 sank. Aftermath of the action HMS Swift was slightly damaged, but Broke was heavily damaged and had to be towed back to port. The other 10 German torpedo boats made it back to port without loss. John Doran  Regiment reunited at Lebiez  Battalion moves  Presents sent Home    CAUCOURT Vacated billets at CAUCOURT and marched to X hutments ECOIVRES. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1  Late Night  On the Move  On the March  In Reserve  A Prussian Offer  Relief  Reliefs  In Reserve  Working Parties  Training  Grenadier Deserter        Reliefs    Orders  Reinforcements  Bombardment  In Camp  Reliefs  Artillery in Action  At Reserve  Reliefs  Orders to Attack  Carrying Parties  Training  Supplied same fatigue for light railway and was relieved in the afternoon by 95th Brigade  Presentation of Medal Ribbons  Work  Attack Made  Operation again cancelled.  Casualties Can you add to this factual information? Do you know the whereabouts of a unit on a particular day? Do you have a copy of an official war diary entry? Details of an an incident? The loss of a ship? A letter, postcard, photo or any other interesting snipts? If your information relates only to an individual, eg. enlistment, award of a medal or death, please use this form: Add a story.

Killed, Wounded, Missing, Prisoner and Patient Reports published this day. This section is under construction.

Want to know more about 20th of April 1917? There are:39 items tagged 20th of April 1917 available in our Library   These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.

Remembering those who died this day, 20th of April 1917. Third Engineer Stewart Millman Allen. H.M.P.M.S. Nepaulin. Read their Story. Petty Officer Stoker Anderson. H.M.S. Vivid. Read their Story. Engineman Thomas Anderson. H.M. Trawler Loch Eye. Read their Story. Deck Hand Thomas Anderson. H.M. Trawler Othonna. Read their Story. Signaller Harold Edward Armstrong. H.M.S. Nepaulin. Read their Story. 4th Eng.Off. William Oliver Richard Blakey. SS Caithness Read their Story. Pte. Harold George Carter. 73rd Btn. Read their Story. Pte. Adrian Kingsley Dorrity. 1/10th (Liverpool Scottish) Btn. Kings (Liverpool Regiment) Read their Story. Spr. Stanley Frank Evans. Z Special Coy Royal Engineers Read their Story. Pte. Joseph Ferguson. 1st Btn. Royal Scots Fusiliers Read their Story. Pte. Victor Foat. 8th Btn. Lincolnshire Regiment Lascar Abdul Hakim. Read their Story. 2nd Lt. Henry Fairholm Manners. 7th Btn Norfolk Regiment Read their Story. L/Cpl Edward Powell. 4th (Denbighshire) Battalion Welsh Fusiliers Read their Story. Pte. Henry Rose. 14th Btn. Durham Light Infanty Read their Story. Pte. Benjamin Milburn Stafford. 149th Coy. Machine Gun Corps Read their Story. Pte. John J. Tennant. 1/8th Btn. Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Read their Story. L.Sig. A. R. Wilson. HMS Weymouth Read their Story. Add a name to this list.

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