The British transports _Cameronia_ (140 lives lost) and _Arcadian_ (279 lives lost) are sunk by submarine in the Mediterranean. April 16 (Mon.) The Second Battle of the Aisne begins (see May 20): the French attack on the front Soissons to Rheims; the German first positions are carried from Soissons to Craonne, the German first and second positions from Craonne to Juvincourt; 17,000 prisoners and 130 guns are taken. April 17 (Tues.) The French capture Auberive and carry the heights south of Moronvilliers. Palestine:--The British attack and carry Turkish first-line positions on a six-mile front (the Second Battle of Gaza). Mesopotamia:--General Maude forces the passage of the Shatt-el-Adhaim below Samarra. The British hospital ships _Donegal_ and _Lanfranc_ are sunk in the English Channel without warning; 75 persons (mostly wounded), including 15 wounded Germans, are drowned. April 18 (Wed.) The British capture Villers-Guislan, 12 miles south of Cambrai. The French continue to advance on the Aisne: Chavonne, Chivy, and Ostell are captured. Mesopotamia:--The Turkish 18th Army Corps is annihilated by General Maude at Istabulat, 12 miles south-east of Samarra. April 19 (Thur.) The French capture positions east and west of the Vrégny salient, and advance east of Rheims. April 20 (Fri.) The British capture Gonnelieu, 8 miles south-west of Cambrai. The Aisne Front:--The French continue to advance on the Chemin-des-Dames. Five German destroyers raid Dover; they are engaged by the British destroyers _Broke_ and _Swift_, and two of them are sunk (the loss being subsequently admitted by the German Admiralty). A German destroyer shells Calais. April 21 (Sat.) Mesopotamia:--The Turks evacuate Istabulat; the British attack their new positions between Istabulat and Samarra. April 22 (Sun.) The British gain ground east of Havrincourt Wood. April 23 (Mon.) The British advance north and south of the Scarpe on a front of 12,000 yards; Gavrelle, Guémappe, and the German positions for 2½ miles further south are captured. German counter-attacks fail to drive the French from the heights south of Moronvilliers. Mesopotamia:--Samarra station is occupied by the British. Three British aeroplanes attack five German destroyers off the Belgian coast: a German destroyer is sunk. April 24 (Tues.) Mesopotamia:--General Maude attacks on the west bank of the Shatt-el-Adhaim; the Turks retreat to the Jebel Hamrin range. April 25 (Wed.) Macedonia:--The British advance on the Doiran Front. A German flotilla bombards Dunkirk. April 26 (Thur.) A German counter-attack at Gavrelle is repulsed by the British; German counter-attacks on the Chemin-des-Dames are repulsed by the French. April 27 (Fri.) Guatemala breaks off diplomatic relations with Germany. The British transport _Ballarat_, carrying Australian troops, is torpedoed and sunk, but all hands are saved. Ramsgate is shelled by German destroyers (5 casualties). April 28 (Sat.)