9 January 1917
British troops defeat the last Turkish force in the Sinai, at Rafa, west of Gaza. The initial British attack is on the verge of failure when the New Zealand Mounted Btidage capture the central redoubt in the Turkish position. Their next target is Gaza, which takes three attempts to capture.
War at Sea
The Duncan class battleship HMS Cornwallis is sunk by U 32 east of Malta. All but 15 of her crew are rescued.
How to cite this article: Rickard, J (28 December 2007), 9 January 1917, http://www.historyofwar.org/firstworldwar/daybyday/1917_01_09.html