<– Part 140 – March 25, 1917  | Part 141 – April 1, 1917 |  Part 142 – April 8, 1917 –>

The British Army’s Egyptian Expeditionary Force marched and engaged the Ottoman defenses at Gaza March 26. Despite encircling the 16,000 Ottomans with 22,000 of their own soldiers and taking trenches on three sides of the city, the British were ordered to withdraw that night as Ottoman reinforcements approached. 4,000 British soldiers were killed, while the Turks lost 1,400, with an additional 1,000 missing. Both sides have claimed victory, although the Ottomans are still in possession of the city.

The United States War College Division issued a report March 29, calling for preparations to raise an army nearly one million strong, and estimating ten months to send a force of 500,000 to Europe after training. This would put any potential US involvement in the war mid to late 1918, as the War College Division is adamant that untrained, drafted soldiers not be sent overseas. President Woodrow Wilson has called for a national army to be drafted and trained.