World War I Day by Day
Page 9
4
Eastern Front: In the Ukraine the Russians under General Lesch launch the Second Great Russian Advance, driving the Austrians before them.
War at sea: On the Black Sea Goeben and Breslau bombard Russian ports.
7
Africa: In German East Africa General Smuts occupies Tanga where the Usambara railroad terminates.
12
Eastern Front: On the Southern Front a furious Austrian attack on the Adige is driven back.
Western Front: The British gain Mametz Wood and also make progress through Trônes Wood.
14
Western Front: On the Somme, the British penetrate the German second line, using cavalry. Start of the Battle of Bazentin Ridge. British capture Trônes Wood and take Longueval and Bazentin-le-Petit, so finishing the first phase of the Battle of the Somme.
Part of the German fleet en route to bombard Sunderland – however they met Beatty–s battle cruiser squadron at Jutland instead.
15
Middle East: The Middle-East Brigade of the RFC is formed under the command of Brigadier General W G H Salmond, concentrating RFC units based in Macedonia, Mesopotamia, Palestine and East Africa under one command.
Western Front: British win the Battle of Delville Wood as they advance to penetrate Bois des Foureaux and the outskirts of Pozières.
19
Mesopotamia: Russian troops are driven back and defeated by the Turks.
22
United States: During a Preparedness Day parade in San Francisco, California, a bomb explodes on Market Street killing ten and injuring 40.
23
Western Front: Start of the Battle of Pozières Ridge.
25
Balkans: On the Salonika Front the reconstituted Serbian Army engages with the Bulgarians.
Caucasus: The Turks capture Erzingan in Armenia.
Western Front: Pozières occupied by British forces.
The German 25,000tons battlecruiser Seydlitz was badly damaged during the Battle of Jutland.
The armour plating saved the Seydlitz from sinking at Jutland. She was later surrendered to the British and scuttled by her own crew at Scapa Flow in June 1919.
Admiral Sir David Beatty became commander-in-chief of the British Grand Fleet in November 1916.
27
Middle East: The Grand Sherif of Mecca captures Yanbo, the port of Medina.
28
Eastern Front: Sakharov enters Brody and takes 40,000 prisoners.
29
United States: U.S. Marines land in Haiti.
30
United States: Suspected German saboteurs blow up a munitions plant on Black Tom Island, in New York harbor. Tremors from the explosion are felt 90 miles away in Philadelphia.
AUGUST
Romania joins war on Allied side
August 1916
The fighting on the Somme although fierce did not see the front changing and the battle remained largely static with neither side making significant progress. Romania enters the war on the side of the Allies, but is quickly overrun by German forces. The fronts in Salonika and Palestine see activity again.
1
Italian Front: Fierce fighting on the Isonzo Front lasts for three days.
3
Middle East: Start of the Battle of Romani.
Western Front: French recapture Fleury.
After a long day’s march through summer heat, men of the Warwickshire Regiment collapse in near exhaustion before engaging in the battle of the Somme.
4
Africa: In East Africa the Belgians occupy Ujiji on Lake Tanganyika.
5
Middle East: In northern Sinai at Romani the British counter-attack and drive back the Turks, chasing them for 18 miles.
6
Italian Front: Start of the Battle of Gorizia as the Italians attack on the Isonzo starting the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo.
9
Italian Front: The Italians capture Gorizia and take 10,000 Austrain prisoners.
19
War at sea: Light cruisers HMSs Nottingham and Falmouth torpedoed and sunk.
20
Balkans: In Macedonia the Allies launch a general offensive.
24
Mesopotamia: Mush in Armenia is recaptured by the Russians.
26
Africa: In East Africa the British take and enter Morogoro.
27
Politics: Romania declares war on Austria-Hungary and the Central Powers and mobilizes her troops.
War at sea: Kaiser Wilhelm again restricts German submarine assaults to military shipping.
British soldiers preparing for the first bombardment which led to the battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916. The British batteries included 12- and 15in guns.
Sir Henry Rawlinson, commander of the 4th army, conducted the opening offensive of the Somme in 1916.
The Queen’s Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) moving up behind the Somme front.
28
Politics: Germany declares war on Romania.
Italy declares war on Germany.
29
Politics: Von Falkenhayn is sacked for failing at Verdun and is replaced by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg as Chief of German General staff. Von Ludendorff becomes Chief Quartermaster-General. Between them they control almost all Central Powers forces on the Eastern and Western Fronts.
30
Politics: Turkey declares war on Romania.
SEPTEMBER
First use of tanks at Flers-Courcelette
September 1916
Stalemate in the fighting on the Eastern Front, in Galicia, and in Italy. Romania is attacked by the Central Powers and is overrun.
1
Politics: Bulgaria declares war on Romania.
2
Balkans: Bulgarian forces invade Romania along the Dobrudja frontier.
Great Britain: The first German airship shot down over Britain. During the remainder of the year an additional four Zeppelins are brought down over Britain.
3
Africa: Dar-es-Salaam the port and capital of German East Africa surrenders to British naval forces.
Balkans: A combined army of Germans, Turks, and Bulgarians invades Romania, led by Mackensen, undermining any Romanian hopes of success;.
Western Front: Start of the Battle of Guillemont.
The U-boat stranglehold—another merchantman is claimed.
7
Balkans: The Bulgarians capture Tutrakan on the Danube taking 20,000 prisoners.
Eastern Front: Halicz burns and is taken by the Russians.
8
Western Front: Germany switches tactics from offense to defence in depth.
9
Balkans: Silistria on the Danube falls.
13
Italian Front: Italians defeat Austrians on the Carso.
14
Italian Front: Start of the Seventh Battle of the Isonzo.
15
Western Front: Battle of the Somme: Great British advance along a six-mile front on the Somme sees the capture of Flers, Courcelette, and other Germans positions. Success due in part to first use of British tanks at Flers-Courcelette.
19
Africa: Tabora in East Africa is occupied by Belgian troops under General Tombeur.
The first appearance of tanks in 15 September 1916, took the Germans by surprise.
9 August 1916. From left to right: Foch, Poincaré, the King, Joffre, Haig.
British troops returning to rest billets after capturing the village of Guillemont, during fighting on the Somme in July 1916.
20
Eastern Front: End of the Brusilov Offensive leaves the Austrian Army in shreds.
23
Western Front: Germany begins constructing the Hindenburg Line of defensive fortifications behind the German central and northern sectors.
25
Western Front: Battle of the Somme: The Battles of Morval and Thiepval Ridge continue the Allied advance.
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nbsp; 26
Western Front: Combles and Thiepval captured by British and French.
27
Middle East: The massacre of Turkish troops in the village of Tafas south of the city of Damascus by Arab forces led by T. E. Lawrence when he gave his infamous order to ‘take no prisoners.’.
29
Balkans: Romanians begin retreat from Transylvania.
OCTOBER
French counteroffensive at Verdun.
October 1916
The Allies again take the initative in France and resume the offensive in the Battle of the Somme.
1
Balkans: Austro-German attacks on Romania lead to enormous Romanian losses.
Western Front: Battle of the Somme: British offensive – Battle of Ancre Heights, until 11 October; Battle of Transloy Ridges, until 20 October.
General Sir Beauvoir de Lisle addressing a battalion of the 29th division before one of the battles of the Somme.
10
Italian Front: Eighth Battle of the Isonzo starts with the Battle of the Carso. The successful Italian attack wins ground and over 5,000 prisoners.
14
Balkans: Austro-German forces have pushed Romanians completely out of Transylvania except in the northeast corner.
15
War at sea: Germany resumes U-boat attacks under search and destroy rules.
21
Politics: The Austrian Premier Count Stürgkh is assassinated by Dr. F. Adler.
23
Eastern Front: Constanza falls to Austro-German forces.
24
Western Front: French recapture Douaumont Fort at Verdun. French forces recapture the strategic fortress of Douaumont. Verdun is saved.
29
War at sea: In the Aegean Greek volunteer transport Angeliki is torpedoed by a German submarine.
NOVEMBER
Lawrence of Arabia joins Arab army; end of Somme offensive
November 1916
The Allied attacks on the Western Front grind to an impasse. In central Europe Austro-Hungarian forces are closing in on Bucharest.
The line of an evacuated German trench winds across the Somme valley which was devastated by the battles that raged there in summer and autumn 1916.
A British wiring party sets out to consolidate positions won from the Germans in the action at Morlay during the British advance in September 1916.
1
Italian Front: Start of the Ninth Battle of the Isonzo.
2
Western Front: Fort Vaux evacuated by the Germans.
5
Politics: Germany announces that Poland is to be established as an independent state – with German interests at heart.
7
United States: Democratic president Woodrow Wilson defeats Republican candidate Charles E. Hughes and is re-elected President of the United States on a promise to keep the U.S. out of the war. Wilson’s victory is narrow and uncertain until the Californian returns – 277 to 254 in the electoral college.
13
Western Front: Battle of the Ancre starts the fourth phase of the Battle of the Somme. The British advance along the Ancre river and capture the St Pierre Division and the field fortress of Beaumont Hamel taking almost 4,000 German prisoners.
18
Western Front: End of the Battle of the Somme. The offensive finally comes to an end. A total of 1.1 million British, French and German soldiers have been killed or wounded. The British lost 420,000 and the French almost 200,000 casualties. The Germans are estimated to have lost around 500,000 casualties.
Seaforth Highlanders during the battle of the Somme.
19
Balkans: French and Serb forces capture Monastir in their joint advance. German and Bulgarian forces retreat toward Prilep.
21
Politics: Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz Josef dies aged 86 and succeeded by Kaiser Karl (Charles I) a liberal with a French wife.
War at sea: Britannic, the huge British hospital ship and sister ship to RMS Titanic, sunk by a mine or torpedo in Aegean Sea.
24
War at sea: British hospital ship Braemar Castle sinks after being torpedoed or mined in the Aegean.
23
War at sea: German warships bombard English coast.
28
Balkans: The Romanian government is transferred to Jassy.
Western Front: First German airplane raid on Britain. A German LVG C.IV seaplane raided London leaving ten injured. On its return flight, it develops engine trouble and is forced to crash land at Boulogne and its crew is captured.
28
Balkans: Bulgarian forces take and occupy Giurgevevo on the River Danube.
Men of the Wiltshire Regiment during the battle of the Somme.
Germans captured at Thiepval, today the site of Lutyens’ memorial to the missing.
Tanks first appeared on the Somme in September 1916 — this one has just taken part in the action.
29
General: Admiral Sir D. Beatty becomes commander in chief of the British Grand Fleet as Admiral Sir J. Jellicoe becomes First Sea Lord.
DECEMBER
Romania beaten; President Wilson’s peace note published
December 1916
Across Europe everyone is exhausted by the war. Germany experiences the ‘Turnip Winter.’ Because of the Allied blockade and poor planning, German soldiers and civilians alike have to subsist on little more than cattle feed for several months.
1
Balkans: 3,000 British, French, and Italian troops enter Athens after landing at Piraeus. They force surrender of Greek arms and munitions.
Politics: Political crisis in Britain as David Lloyd George resigns from the Government citing his frustration with the slow progress of the war.
2
Balkans: All Greek vessels are embargoed in Allied ports and Greece herself is blockaded by the Allies.
5
Politics: In Britain the political crisis deepens as Asquith resigns as Prime Minister.
6
Balkans: Bucharest, the capital of Romania is captured by Austro-German troops – effectively knocking Romania out of the war.
The 39th siege battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery engaged in a bombardment during the Battle of the Somme.
7
Politics: In Britain David Lloyd George succeeds Asquith as Prime Minister.
9
Balkans: The Central Powers defeat Romania, gaining vital supplies.
Politics: In Britain a new War Cabinet is formed and three new ministries – of Shipping, Food, and Labour.
12
General: French General Robert Nivelle becomes Western Front commander-in-chief replacing General Joffre who becomes Technical War Advisor to the War Cabinet.
The Air Board approves expansion of the RFC to 106 front-line squadrons and 95 reserve and training squadrons.
Politics: Germany issues a ‘Peace Note’ stating she was not responsible for the war but will agree to peace provided she keeps all territory gained. Any refusal will mean the Allies are responsible for further bloodshed. No specific terms are offered.
14
Balkans: The Allies give Greece a 24-hour ultimatum to withdraw their troops from Thessaly and cease aggression against the Allies.
15
Western Front: General Nivelle launches a massive French assault on German trenches at Verdun.
20
United States: Anxious to resolve the conflict as it is damaging the U.S. economy, President Wilson hands a Peace Note to all the belligerents asking them to state their peace terms and war objectives. He particularly offends the British by implying that their war aims are as immoral as Germany’s.
The Somme area, showing the three British advance stages between 1 July and 19 November 1916.
Serbian troops advancing to attack Austro-German held Monastir. Serbians joined other Allied Salonika-based troops in retaking the city.
Map of the area between Egypt and P
alestine, scene of the British advance in 1916.
18
Western Front: End of the Battle of Verdun – the longest battle of the war, ultimately defended by the French at great cost to both sides.
26
Politics: Germany replies to President’s note and suggests a peace conference.
30
Politics: French government replies on behalf of Allies to President Wilson’s peace note. They refuse to discuss peace till Germany agrees to restore lost liberties, pay reparation, and give guarantees not to infringe the independence of small nations – especially of Belgium.
1917
JANUARY
Zimmerman telegram urges German ambassador to provoke war between Mexico and the U.S.