World War I Day by Day
Page 14
The RAF start flying offensive fighter sweeps across the Western Front using either Sopwith Camels flying at 10,000 feet, SE5s at 14,000 feet, or Bristol Fighters at 18,000 feet.
German field guns captured in the Franco-American advance around Soissons in July 1918 turned against their former owners.
2
War at sea: Admiral Franz von Hipper becomes as c-in-c of the High Seas Fleet replacing Admiral Reinhardt Scheer who moves on to become German Naval Supreme Commander.
3
Far East: Large-scale British intervention begins at Vladivostok – the Russian far eastern port on the Sea of Japan – to support the Czech Legion against Bolshevik forces.
4
Western Front: Second Battle of the Marne ends as U.S. troops take Fismes and the Allies secure the right bank of the Vesle.
6
Great Britain: Four German airships carry out the last air raid on Britain over East Anglia. One, carrying the head of the German Naval Airship Service, was shot down near Kings Lynn, Norfolk. No British casualties or damage reported.
8
Western Front: Second Battle of Amiens starts with a massive Anglo-French attack with 2,070 guns and 342 Mark V heavy tanks and 72 Whippet medium tanks across a 15-mile front from Morlancourt to Montdidier. Directed by General Haig the British Fourth and French First armies achieve major successes forcing the Germans back to the Hindenburg Line. The Germans sustain 27,000 casualties on the first day alone and are pushed back eight miles. General Erich Ludendorff later describes it as ‘the Black Day’ of the German army. Heavy fighting results in losses of around a quarter of all aircraft.
Men from Allenby’s Palestinian command were transferred to France via Egypt and Italy to help stem the German March 1918 offensive. This crowded troopship is somewhere in the Mediterranean.
French tank in July 1918 at Battle of Maque.
American troops continue to come into Europe in 1918. Here a troopship disembarks at Liverpool docks.
9
Western Front: Second Battle of Lassigny starts as the French Third Army advance on Montdidier and the British occupy Morlancourt.
11
War at sea: British raid on Heligoland Bight shipping by six motor torpedo boats covered by Harwich Force and planned air cover. Three motor torpedo boats sunk by German aircraft, two damaged.
The Japanese Navy arrives at Vladivostok.
12
Western Front: Close of the Battle of Amiens resulting in heavy defeat for the Germans. The German General Staff realize that the end is in sight.
U.S. forces make first attack under independent command.
13
Politics: Great Britain recognizes the independence of Czechoslovakia.
14
Western Front: Germans start to retreat from positions around the River Ancre. They evacuate Beaumont-Hamel, Bucqoy, Serre, and Puisieux.
16
Far East: Japanese General Otani lands at Vladivostok at the head ofJapanese troops.
The tide had turned: German prisoners at Abbeville, August 27, 1914.
17
Far East: U.S. soldiers land at Vladivostok to join the Allied contingent.
Western Front: French troops begin successful drive to push the Germans off the Aisne Heights.
21
Western Front: second Battle of Albert: Battle of Bapaume begins as the British Third and Fourth armies attack north of the Ancre on a 10-mile front from Beaucourt-sur-Ancre and Moyenneville.
22
Western Front: British recapture Albert and the Bray-Albert road.
25
Caucasus: In Baku, ‘Dunsterforce’ comprising almost 1,000 elite British, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand troops assemble.
26
Western Front: Scarpe Offensive. This supporting operation starts with the British First Army attack on German positions on the River Scarpe that successfully captured the strongpoint of Monchy-le-Preux.
29
Russian Revolution: Lenin the Bolshevik leader escapes an assassination attempt depite being wounded. The damage affects his health for the rest of his life.
Western Front: French recapture Noyon and British recapture Bapaume.
Four pictures showing a patrol by men of the 6th Seaforth Highlanders. First, drawing bombs; second, heading out from the trench line; third/fourth, looking into German dugouts; Battle of the Scarpe, August 29, 1918.
Dunsterforce at Baku in August 1918.
British armoured cars on August 25, 1918.
31
Western Front: End of the Battle of Bapaume as the Germans evacuate Mt. Kemmel.
September 1918
Allied air power continues in support of offensives against the Hindenberg Line, Germany’s last line of defense, Between 11 and 15 September, 1,483 aircraft of all kinds are used in the assault on St. Mihiel Salient during the Battle of Bapaume.
1
Western Front: British capture Péronne. Announce that during August they captured over 57,000 German prisoners and 650 guns.
French retake Coucy, Juvigny, Leury as they continue their successful advance north of Noyon.
2
Western Front: Despite fierce fighting along a 23-mile front the British First Army supported by tanks break through the Drocourt-Quéant ‘switch’ line and capture Cagnicourt, Villers, and Quéant.
3
Politics: The U.S.A. recognizes Czechoslovakia.
Western Front: End of the Battle of the Scarpe as the Germans evacuate back toward the Hindenburg Line in the face of the British advance. Elsewhere the French cross the Somme at Épenancourt.
British Mark V tanks advance near Bellicourt, September 29, 1918.
4
Far East: After fierce fighting against German troops the Allied force occupies Oboserskaia, 73 miles south of Archangel.
Western Front: A British force takes the Canal du Nord. The British also retake Ploegsteert, Bailleul, Kemmel, and Neuve Chapelle.
12
Western Front: Start of the Battle of Epéhy on the Cambrai front.
Battle of St. Mihiel takes place through strong winds and heavy rain. American forces supported by French troops attack, clear, and occupy the St. Mihiel salient, in the process taking over 13,000 prisoners. During the battle despite the appaling weather conditions. the U.S. launches the greatest air assault of the war The AEF took 15,000 prisoners at St. Mihiel in Sept.
Battle of Havrincourt. Three British divisions capture the village from four German divisions.
14
Caucasus: The British evacuate from Baku.
Western Front: Kaiser Karl of Austria-Hungary informs the German Kaiser that he wants to enter into peace negotiations with the Allies. By this stage the Austro-Hungarian Empire is starting to disintegrate.
15
Balkans: A Franco-Serbian offensive against Bulgarian positions begins the Battle of the Vardar. The Allies prevail and take 800 prisoners.
General Pershing became the hero of St Mihiel in September 1918 when the U.S. Army first proved its worth.
An American regiment marches through the St Mihiel salient on September 12 and 13, 1918.
German prisoners head towards a POW cage, August 8, 1918.
17
Middle East: Dera, an important railroad junction in Palestine, is surrounded by 5,000 Northern Arab Army forces.
18
Western Front: Start of the Battle of Epéhy as the British Fourth Army attacks forward outposts of the Hindenburg Line.
19
Middle East: In Palestine the British start a great offensive to drive Turkey out of Syria and Palestine. Battle of Megiddo aka the Battle of Armageddon. Allied troops under General Allenby advance across a 16-mile front from Rafat to the sea.
21
Middle East: RAF aircraft in Palestine attack and destroy the retreating Turkish Seventh Army at Wadi el Fara.
22
Balkans: Serbians attack Bulgarian troops and
force them to retreat all along a 100-mile front from Monastir to Lake Dorian.
23
Middle East: British 15th Cavalry Brigade attacks Haifa.
25
Balkans: End of the Battle of the Vardar. Battered and routed by the Serbs and their Allies, Bulgaria proposes an armistice but the c-in-c General Franchet d’Esperey refuses to stop his advance.
Politics: Italy recognizes Yugoslavian independence.
Map of the ground over which British and French troops advanced after August 8, 1918.
US troops from the 7th Infantry Regiment.
26
Balkans: In Bulgaria British troops enter Strumitsa. Fierce fighting between Serbs and Bulgarians for Usküb.
Western Front: Massive (and final) Franco-American offensive along a 40-mile front from Champagne to the Meuse. This is the greatest offensive of the war for U.S. troops as they attack in the Argonne in eatsren France. The massive Allied attack breaks through the Hindenburg Line. Although victorious the U.S. troops take heavy casualties as General Pershing loses 120,000 (about 10 percent) of his men.
27
Western Front: British attack on German lines at Cambrai sets off the Second Battle of Cambrai and specifically the Battle of St. Quentin. Again the Hindenburg Line is broken and the British make gains: Canadians capture Bourlon Wood.
Continued successes for French and U.S. forces as they advance between Reims and Verdun and converge on the Argonne.
Canal du Nord Offensive by the British First Army on the Siegfried Stellung, the strongest part part of the Hindenburg Line.
28
Africa: Lettow-Vorbeck re-enters German East Africa with his Schutztruppe.
Balkans: Bulgaria signs an armistice with the Allies. When Ludendorff learns of the capitulation he suffers a seizure.
Italian Front: East of Condé Italians force the crossing of the Aisne.
Western Front: The Battle of Flanders begins with a successful Anglo-Belgian attack (led by King Albert) along a 23-mile front from Dixmude to Ploegsteert. They capture Houthulst Forest and more than 4,000 German prisoners.
U.S. forces retake many villages as they advance despite fierce fighting in the Argonne to Exermont and Brieulles.
Female munition worker regulating a lathe. Behind her are piled shell cases in various stages of completion.
Map showing the Caucasus area, the scene of final British operations in 1918.
29
Western Front: The Allies break through the Hindenburg Line – Germany’s last fixed line of defense on the Western Front – and cross the St. Quentin canal.
30
Africa: Bulgaria surrenders to the Allies and accepts their peace terms.
Middle East: British and Arab troops take Damascus and so end the Battle of Samaria. They capture 7,000 prisoners.
October 1918
Allies continue their successful offensives as many German forces are forced backward. Italian troops finally drive Austro-Hungarian soldiers out of Italy. Turkey surrenders to the Allies.
1
Middle East: In Palestine British and Arab forces occupy Damascus.
Western Front: Ludendorff summons his senior officers to his headquarters at Spa and tells them that Germany must request an immediate ceasefire.
French retake part of St. Quentin and advance remorselessly through Champagne.The Germans retreat back from the Reims-Aisne plateau.
British troops recapture Cambrai, October 9, 1918.
2
Western Front: French troops capture St Quentin.
4
Politics: Prince Max von Baden is appointed Chancellor of Germany.
Joint Austro-German peace note to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson requests an armistice based on his ‘14 Points.’.
King Ferdinand of Bulgaria abdicates in favor of his son Boris. The latter then signs the order for the demobilization of the Bulgarian Army.
War at sea: Japanese steamer Hirano Maru is torpedoed off the coast of Ireland with the loss of 292 lives.
5
Western Front: End of the Second Battle of Cambrai and the Battle of St. Quentin as Germans pull back to positions along the Suippe River. The main German positions on the Hindenburg Line fall to the Allies.
West of the River Meuse U.S. troops are engaged in fierce fighting.
6
Politics: Yugoslavia declares independence from Austria-Hungary.
In China the civil war becomes official.
Russian Revolution: British troops repulse Bolshevik troops at Seletskaya.
Western Front: Second Battle of Le Cateau begins as the French attack the Germans at the Suippe River.
Turks surrendering in Mesopotamia.
Turkish POWs in September 1918.
Above right: Map of Palestine showing the movements of British troops during the battle of Meggido, September 18–23, 1918.
7
Politics: Poland declares independence.
The Turkish government resigns and Izzet Pasha becomes Grand Vizier.
8
Western Front: Great Allied advance on 20-mile St. Quentin-Cambrai front. Forces include the British Third and Fourth Armies, the 30th U.S. Division and French troops. Successfully drive Germans back three miles.
9
Western Front: Cambrai is taken by the British and get to within two miles of Le Cateau. They take 110,000 German prisoners and 1,200 guns.
10
Russian Revolution: The Russian White (anti-Bolshevik) commander General Mikhail Alexeev dies following a heart attack.
Western Front: The British take Le Cateau, Rouvroy, and Sallaumines.
Germans evacuate the Argonne Forest following fierce American attacks.
11
Politics: Hungarian premier Alexander Wekerle resigns.
Mined British tank.
12
Western Front: End of the Second Battle of Le Cateau follows fighting on the River Selle.
End of the Battle for Champagne.
General Pershing forms the U.S. Second Army under the command of General Bullard.
14
Politics: In Czechoslovakia a provisional government is formed.
Western Front: Courtrai Offensive. Major Allied attack in Flanders led by the King of the Belgians. They advance five miles.
The largest bomb of the war, 1,650lb, is dropped by a Handley Page 0/400 aircraft of the Independent Air Force.
17
Politics: Proclamation in Prague of the Czechoslovakian Republic.
At Agram Yugoslavia announces its independence.
Western Front: Anglo-American attack starts the Battle of the Selle across a nine-mile front. British liberate Lille and enter Douai.
Belgians retake Ostend. British advance to the Sambre and Schledt rivers, taking many German prisoners.
18
Western Front: The Belgians reoccupy Zeebrugge and storm Bruges. The Channel coast west of Flanders is liberated.
19
War at sea: German submarines are ordered to return to their bases.
20
Western Front: British cross river Selle.
Another British tank that has run over a “plum pudding”.
British cavalry moving through the streets of Arras.
Cousins and kings. King George (left) greets Albert, King of the Belgians at his HQ in the village of La Panne.
21
War at sea: Germany ceases unrestricted submarine warfare.
22
Western Front: British troops enter Valenciennes.
American troops engaged in fierce fighting on both banks of the Meuse and north of Verdun.
23
Western Front: British push the German line back three miles with a big attack between Le Cateau and Valenciennes. Take Bruay and reach the River Scheldt.
23
Italian Front: Italian Vittorio Veneto Offensive as Italian forces attack Austro-Hungarians in the Vittoria Veneto with some success.
24
Balkans: On the Southern Front the Third Battle of the Piave begins with a successful Serb advance.
25
Western Front: The Battle of the Selle ends as the British advance between Le Quesnoy and Maing.
26
Middle East: British advanced troops occupy Aleppo and the Turks retreat along the Tigris to Kalaat Shergat.
Politics: General von Ludendorff resigns.
The Menin Road in October 1918.
27
Politics: The Austro-Hungarians apply for an armistice. Following von Ludendorff’s resignation General Wilhelm Gröner replaces him as deputy Army chief of staff. He authorizes the immediate withdrawal of German forces in France.
28
Balkans: The Tenth and Twelfth Italian Armies advance despite fierce fighting. The Austrians are driven back and the Italians enter Allessio in Albania.
29
United States: German sailors manning the German High Seas Fleet at Jade refuse to obey orders to engage the British fleet for the ‘final battle’ when they know the war is already lost. When the news spreads to Germany other mutinies follow.