The Great War (1914-1918) in real time

Day 1499 of the Great War, September 13th 1918

YouTube (The Battle of Saint-Mihiel)



Western Front

British and French nearing St. Quentin: they take Holnon Wood and Savy respectively.

Western Front: Americans Wrap Up Operations at St Mihiel

At 7AM on September 13, only 26 hours after the infantry began their advance, lead elements from both sides of the attack on the St Mihiel salient met up in the middle. Although the Americans would take well over 10,000 prisoners, the bulk of the German army in the salient would escape. The Americans, committed to another attack on the other side of the Meuse less than two weeks later, could not pursue. George Marshall believed this was a lost opportunity, later writing:

Had not the operation been definitely limited in order to permit troops participating in it to be withdrawn immediately and marched to the Meuse-Argonne in time for that battle, there is no doubt on my mind that we could have reached the outskirts of Metz by the late afternoon of the 13th, and quite probably could have captured the city on the 14th, as the enemy was incapable of bringing up reserves in sufficient numbers and formation to offer an adequate resistance.

Whether Marshall’s defense of Pershing’s original plan rings true is unclear. The Americans may very well have turned the capture of the St Mihiel salient into a full rout if afforded the opportunity, or, as was so often the case, progress could have slowed, the Germans could have brought up reserves that had been delayed by rain, and the Americans could have been stopped at the prepared position behind the St Mihiel salient.

Regardless, George Marshall had larger concerns to deal with on the 13th, as he now had to start moving the First Army back across across the Meuse, even while fighting continued in what was left of the salient. Traffic soon became a nightmare. There were not enough roads and railroads, and the Americans had overestimated their capacity. There were disputes between American and French drivers over the rules of the road, often resulting in accidents that would block the highway for a time. French PM Clemenceau wanted to see St Mihiel for himself and congratulate Pershing. Pershing would only let him go as far as Thiaucourt, 25 miles from the front, but even there Clemenceau could plainly see the problem:

They wanted an American army. They had it. Anyone who saw, as I saw, the hopeless congestion at Thiaucourt will bear witness that they may congratulate themselves on not having had it sooner.

United States

Registration in U.S.A. of 13 million citizens between 18 and 21, and 32 and 35 for military service.

United Kingdom

British Railway strike begins in South Wales.

Naval operations: ship losses

AMIRAL CHARNER (France) The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 44 nautical miles (81 km) west of Pantellaria, Italy (36°36′N 12°58′E) by SM U-41 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy).

BUFFALO (United Kingdom) The coaster was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea of Corsewall Point, Wigtownshire by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of ten of her crew.

M. J. CRAIG (United Kingdom) The coaster was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 7 nautical miles (13 km) north east of Black Head, County Antrim by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of four of her crew.

SETTER (United Kingdom) The passenger ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 9 nautical miles (17 km) north west of Stranraer, Wigtownshire by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of nine of her crew.

Day 1501 of the Great War, September 15th 1918

Western Front

British capture Maissemy, five miles north-west of St. Quentin.

Germans make ineffective counter-attacks south of the Oise.

Americans continue advance on 33-mile front; they come within reach of fortress guns of Metz.

Karlsruhe and Mainz heavily bombed by R.A.F.

Macedonian Front: Allies Break Bulgarian Front

Allied leaders in the Great War were divided between “Westerners” and “Easterners.” Westerners, like General Haig, believed that victory would only come from defeating Germany on the Western Front. Easterners, like David Lloyd George, believed victory would come from “knocking down the props” of Germany’s junior allies on the other fronts. In the end both strategies contained an element of truth. The final break-down of the Central Powers began in September when Bulgaria was forced from the war. However, the reason for Bulgaria’s defeat was that Germany could no longer prop her partners up.

After bombardments on September 14, Allied troops in Greece went on the offensive the next day. General Franchet D’Esperey’s Army of the Orient attacked with 36,000 Serbian, French, and Italian troops at Dobro Pole. The 12,000 Bulgarian soldiers defending their line were dispirited by the lack of support they received from the Germans, as well as the Allied bombardment. Nevertheless, they clung tenaciously to their trenches, ravaging Allied attack with their machine-guns, until French flamethrower teams, being used for the first time in southeastern Europe, could burn them out.

Another “first” of the day was the appearance of the Yugoslav Division, an infantry unit made up of Slovenes, Croats, Serbs, Bosnians, Montenegrins, and Macedonians who had put aside national differences to fight alongside each other in hopes of creating a united South Slavic kingdom after the war. During the battle, the Yugoslavs crossed the Greek border back into Serbia for the first time since their retreat in 1915. The soldiers spontaneously broke off the attack to cheer and embrace one another, as well as the French soldiers fighting alongside them.

Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary sends a Note to U.S.A. and all belligerent and neutral powers suggesting a "confidential and non-binding" discussion on peace terms.

Aerial operations: Giant destroyed

151 Squadron has been in France since June 1918 with its Sopwith Camels. Its main role is to defend British bases in the area. It has also developed a process called night intrusion, which involves the detection and attack of German bombers returning to their airfields.

Tonight, Lieutenant Frank Crossley Griffiths Broome was on patrol in his Sopwith Camel (D6102) when he pursued a giant German Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI bomber over Beugny, France. Eventually he caught the bomber and shot it down in flames.

Only thirteen of these bombers were constructed during the war and of this was the only one shot down on the Western Front. One was shot down on the Eastern Front and two were lost to AA fire. Six more were lost in crashes. Broome was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for the achievement.

Naval operations: ship losses

IOANNA NO.37 (United Kingdom) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea by SM U-65 ( Kaiserliche Marine).

ENERGY (United Kingdom) The sailing vessel was shelled and sunk in the Irish Sea 14 nautical miles (26 km) east south east of the Codling Bank Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine).

JOSEPH FISHER (United Kingdom) The two-masted schooner was shelled and sunk in the Irish Sea 16 nautical miles (30 km) east north east of the Codling Bank Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine).

KENDAL CASTLE (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) south east of Berry Head, Devon by SM UB-104 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of eighteen of her crew.

MARY FANNY (United Kingdom) The ketch was shelled and sunk in the Irish Sea 14 nautical miles (26 km) east south east of the Codling Bank Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine).

Day 1503 of the Great War, September 17th 1918

Western Front

British make local progress north-west of St. Quentin and in the north near Ploegsteert.

Germans counter-attack at Moeuvres.

French gain ground north-east of Soissons, capture several strong points.

Americans consolidate their line between the Meuse heights and the Moselle.

Good bombing attacks by R.A.F. on German objectives.

Photo: Cavalry in reserve halted in the Authie River to water the horses, Auxi-le-Chateau, 17th September 1918



Italian Front

Italians repulse strong counter-attacks north of Mt. Grappa.

Macedonian Front: Franco-Serbian Advance Continues

Fierce fighting continued in the Macedonian mountains on the second day of the Allied offensive. After a bitter struggle throughout September 16th, the Serbians took the critical Kozyak position, the last large mountain before they could reach the Crna river vallye below. German reinforcements prevented a complete breach in the Bulgarian lines, however. On the night of the 16th and throughout the 17th, the Bulgarian position grew worse, however. The Bulgarian 2nd Division fell back twice without consulting its neighbors, first to the the third line of defense, and then behind the River Crna itself. The Serbians simply advanced with nearly no opposition into a five-mile gap left for them. To the east, extensive mutinies in the Bulgarian 3rd Division meant it was in little condition to resist the Allied advance. The Germans resisted an additional Serbian push to the west, but the main thrust of the offensive was to the north and east along the Crna. By the end of the day on September 17th, the Allies had advanced up to fifteen miles on a front of over twenty miles, and were planning to expand the offensive onto an even broader front the next day.

Naval operations: ship losses

CAIRO (Egypt) The sailing vessel was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea by an enemy submarine.

IGOR (Sweden) The cargo ship sank after an explosion in the North Sea, south of Longstone, while in convoy. Whether it was a torpedo or mine is unknown. Her crew survived.

LAVERNOCK (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) south west of Trevose Head, Cornwall 50°28′N 5°06′W by SM UB-117 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

MURRIEL (United Kingdom) The collier was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 3.5 nautical miles (6.5 km) north east of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire (57°32′06″N 1°44′16″W) by SM UC-58 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

No. 1 (Soviet Navy Red Movement) The gunboat was grounded in a trap and then shelled by artillery and abandoned on the Kama River. One crewman was killed, another was wounded, and three were captured.

PORTARITISSA (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (35°39′N 26°08′E) by SM U-27 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy). Her crew survived.

SOFFIA (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (35°39′N 26°08′E) by SM U-27 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy). Her crew survived.

URSA (Sweden) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in Lyme Bay[77] by SM UB-104 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

WIGBERT (Imperial German Navy) The minesweeper struck a mine in the mouth of the Elbe at Cuxhaven, Germany, and became a constructive total loss.

Day 1505 of the Great War, September 19th 1918

Western Front

Further British and French gains in direction of St. Quentin; heavy fighting round Gouzeaucourt and Moeuvres, all Germans attacks finally repulsed.

British capture Lempire and the French advance beyond Contescourt; they capture Essigny le Grand at end of the day.

Macedonian Front

Bulgarian rout continues; Serbians cross the Cherna and march on Prilep; over 5,000 prisoners taken.

Sinai and Palestine campaign: Armageddon

British operations in Palestine and Transjordan were largely put on hold by the needs of the Western Front and the summer heat, but by September Allenby was ready for another offensive. His plan was to break through the Turkish positions along the coast and then send his mounted troops far into the Turkish rear. Secrecy was of the utmost importance, to make sure the Turks did not fall back before the British could break through, or reinforce the coastal area. The British attempted to convince the Turks that the attack would fall across the Jordan, towards Amman, as it had done in the spring. They kept some of their best troops in the Jordan Valley, marched troops around in the area to create dust clouds, and spread as many rumors as possible among the Arab population. The Germans and Turks were fooled by these deceptions, despite the defection of an Indian sergeant just two days before the planned attack who told the Turks that the attack would come near the coast.

The British attacked with heavy artillery support at 4:30 AM on September 19. In most places, they quickly overran the Turkish defenses. Some of the stiffest resistance came on the right of the Allied attack, near Bidye. Assisting here was the small French contingent in Palestine, which included a regiment of Armenians who had been rescued from Musadagh by the French Navy in 1915. The Turks launched their only counterattack of the day here, and the town was not taken until 3AM the next day.

Once the Turkish lines were taken, British cavalry, camelry, and armored cars proceeded into the open country beyond as soon as 7AM, heading north for distant objectives or east to help outflank any remaining points of Turkish resistance. They were largely able to secure water and fodder during their advance, something that had stymied major cavalry operations in earlier actions in Palestine. They captured multiple Turkish Corps and even Army HQs. The commander of XXII Corps forced its commander, Refet Bey, to try to escape on foot; Cyril Falls writes that “so far as it is known, he spoke no English, but he moved always by night and answered challenges by saluting and riding on at a walk. He finally reached Tyre, 75 miles to the north,” early in October. On the first day, the cavalry advanced well over twenty miles, and by dawn the next morning had taken Tul Karm and Megiddo. The latter gives its name to the battle as a whole, the first battle in recorded history (in 1457 BC), and the term Armageddon in Christian eschatology.

Also in the wee hours of the 20th, the British cavalry reached the outskirts of Nazareth, more than 40 miles from their starting positions. Nazareth was the Turkish headquarters in Palestine, and the overall commander, Liman von Sanders, was apparently forced to flee the city in his pajamas. It may have been only then that Liman von Sanders realized the full scope of the disaster in progress, as he had only had limited contact with his disintegrating armies on the 19th.

Map: Falls Sketch Map 30 Situation at Zero hour 19 September



United Kingdom

Mr. J. Davis appointed U.S.A. ambassador to Great Britain.

Aerial operations: Megiddo

The British forces in Palestine under General Allenby started their latest offensive against the Turks today. The RAF played a vital role in supporting the attack (later known as the Battle of Megiddo) that assisted the British to Turkish Forces and end the war in Palestine.

Prior to the battle, the RAF maintained almost complete air superiority, so the enemy had no knowledge of the preparations and the attack was a surprise.

At 0100 this morning, the single Handley Page O/400 bomber in the area (C9681 from 1 Squadron AFC with crew Captain dropped its full load of sixteen 112-pound bombs on the main telephone exchange and railway station in Al-Afuleh. This cut communications between the headquarters at Nazareth and Ottoman Seventh and Eighth Armies for the following vital two days, dislocating the Ottoman command completely. DH9s from 144 Squadron RAF also bombed El Afule telephone exchange and railway station, Messudieh railway junction and the Ottoman Seventh Army headquarters and telephone exchange at Nablus. Later in the day, the rest of 1 Squadron AFC in their Bristol Fighters carried out bombing and reconnaissance. They suffered the only casualty of the day when Lieutenant Dudley Russell Dowling and Lieutenant Mulford were shot down by ground fire and captured. Luckily they were freed a few hours later, such was the speed of the advance.

Once the Turks started to retreat in the afternoon, every available aeroplane was in the sky, harassing the fleeing troops. In the preceding months every potential escape route had been photographed and places to attack identified.

Naval operations: ship losses

AGIOS SPRIRIDON (Greece) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (36°04′N 24°00′E) by SM U-27 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy). Her crew survived.

BARRISTER (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 9 nautical miles (17 km) west of the Chicken Rock Lighthouse, Isle of Man by SM UB-64 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of 30 crew.

Belliqueux (France) The vessel struck a mine laid by UC 69 (Erwin Waßner) and sank in the Bay of Biscay 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) off the Tevenec Lighthouse, Île de Sein, Finistère.

ERIK (Denmark) The three-masted schooner was shelled and damaged in the Atlantic Ocean 75 nautical miles (139 km) west of Cape Roca, Spain (38°05′N 10°17′W) by SM UB-129 ( Imperial German Navy). She foundered three days later.

FANNY (Sweden) The cargo ship was sunk in the Raz de Sein by SM UB-88 ( Imperial German Navy), with the loss of two crew members.

GORDON C. (Newfoundland) The cargo ship was destroyed by fire 12 nautical miles (22 km) north east of Grate's Cove.

Day 1507 of the Great War, September 21st 1918

Western Front

British encounter stubborn resistance but gain ground east of Epehy, capturing Le Petit Priel farm and other strong positions.

British line improved at Moeuvres.

Further French gains south of St. Quentin, they take Benay.

Macedonian Front: General Bulgarian Retreat

On September 19, the Bulgarians and Germans held a conference at Prilep to plan their response to the Allied offensive. The French and Serbians had made large gains, but the British and Greek attack near Lake Doiran had been entirely repulsed. The commander of the Bulgarian First Army, which had won at Doiran, suggested an immediate counteroffensive towards Salonika. The Germans believed the logistics of such an attack would be infeasible, and vetoed the idea. The Bulgarians then suggested a long withdrawal to the next set of mountains in northern Macedonia and southern Bulgaria–a significant amount of the distance to Sofia. Although this might give the Bulgarians a chance to recover, this was also dismissed as being too drastic.

Ultimately, the Germans and Bulgarians decided on a smaller withdrawal, hoping to draw the French and Serbians further north before trapping them with attacks from both flanks. Of course, this withdrawal went further than the zone of the Franco-Serbian advance so that the Bulgarians’ own flanks would not be threatened. On September 21, the Bulgarian First Army abandoned the Grand Couronné that the British and Greeks had lost thousands of men trying to take just three days earlier. The British would not be able to pursue on the ground until the next day, but the RAF, which was the first to spot the withdrawal, could act almost immediately. British planes were able to inflict heavy casualties on Bulgarian troops retreating through ravines, steep hills on either side preventing the Bulgarians from scattering to escape. Over 700 Bulgarians were killed in the Kosturino defile alone, and the RAF repeated the feat in other canyons and passes over the coming week.

In the meantime, the French and Serbians were conscious of the threat on their flanks and were taking action to forestall any German and Bulgarian attempt at regrouping. In the west, the Serbians, French, and Greeks secured that flank by taking the 7000-foot Mt. Dzena, while the Italians secured Hill 1050 and advanced six miles. In the east, the Bulgarian 3rd Division, which was supposed to be preparing for a counterattack on that flank, instead largely fell apart as its troops mutinied and headed home. Crown Prince Boris attempted to rally its men personally, driving from unit to unit, but with little success.

By midday on the 22nd, it was clear the Bulgarian retreat was not going well. Franchet d’Esperey issued this general order to his armies:

The enemy is retreat on the whole front between Monastir and Lake Doiran. We have now to rout him, to take prisoners from his ranks, and to capture his materiel by an unceasing and resolute pursuit. Outflank resistance and push forward light detachments, which should establish themselves on his line of retreat. The cavalry, whose hour is come, should precede the infantry columns and open the way for them.

Sinai and Palestine campaign

Advance of British Infantry in Palestine; they reach Shechem and Samaria, and drive Turks into arms of cavalry operating southward from Jenin and Beisan.

East of Jordan the Hejaz Arabs cut the Damascus railway in numerous places. 18,000 prisoners taken.

Naval operations: ship losses

DOWNSHIRE (United Kingdom) The coaster was shelled and sunk in the Irish Sea 8 nautical miles (15 km) west of Rockabill by SM UB-64 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

SANTO FORTUNATO (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Sicily by SM UB-105 ( Imperial German Navy).

STAITHES (United Kingdom) The coaster was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km) south east by south of Sunderland, County Durham by SM UB-115 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of four of her crew.

Day 1509 of the Great War, September 23rd 1918

Western Front

Series of local battles along front; Germans make stubborn resistance round Epehy.

French advance their line east of St. Quentin Canal; they reach the Oise, three miles north of La Fere.

Actions round Haumont on American front.

Macedonian Front

Bulgarian rout; French cavalry enter Prilep, enemy stream northward toward Veles pursued by Allied troops.

Serbians in neighbourhood of Demir Kapu are well north of the Vardar.

British advance north of Lake Doiran and their cavalry pursue Bulgarians along road to Strumitsa.

Sinai and Palestine campaign: Indian Cavalry Secures Haifa by Charge with Lances

British cavalry had advanced dozens of miles since the 19th, destroying the better part of two Turkish armies. So far, they had been able to find water and fodder for their horses from the large amount of territory captured, but supply was still becoming a concern. Bringing supplies over such a long distance by land would be quite difficult, so it became a top priority to secure the seaports at Acre and Haifa to land supplies by sea. Acre would fall quickly, but Haifa was a more difficult matter. An attempt to secure it with armored cars on the evening of the 22nd failed, driven back by an Austrian battery on Mount Carmel and German machine gun fire. The next day, British cavalry and armored cars made another attempt. Maneuver was difficult due to marshy ground, and many horses were killed while attempting to get around it.

Photo: Indian lancers in Haifa, 23 September 1918



Despite their weakened state, the Mysore and Jodhpur Lancers was able to charge the German machine guns and quickly overwhelmed them; while many of the horses were mortally wounded during the charge, they were still able to carry their riders to their objective. Another uphill attack by the Mysore Lancers took the Austrian battery on Mt. Carmel, and Haifa was taken soon thereafter. Only three Allied soldiers were killed in the fighting. The victory, involving one of the final successful cavalry charges in history, is still celebrated by the Indian Army as Haifa Day.

Aerial operations: Great Fire cancelled

Back in April 1918 a new type of incendiary bomb, known as the B-1E, had been developed by the Griesheim-Elektron company. The bomb had none of the flaws of its predecessors and, weighing just 1 kilogramme, they could be dropped in their thousands over the target, and burned at such a high temperature that they were extremely difficult to extinguish.

As soon as sufficient bombs had been stockpiled, the new weapons were to be unleashed in two overwhelming incendiary attacks on London and Paris. In a last desperate attempt to change the war, the OHL had decided that every bomber fit to fly was to attack its designated target, return to base, reload and take off again, raining down incendiaries on London and Paris over and over again, until every aircraft had been shot down, or the surviving aircrews were too exhausted to fly.

Bogohls 1, 2 and 4 had already been drawn forward to the Ham area in preparation for the attacks on Paris, while at Sint Denijs-Westrem, Gontrode and Scheldewindeke Bogohl 3 and Rfa 501 were also at readiness. Tens of thousands of Elektron bombs were stored in stockpiles at or near the bomber’s bases, ready for the onslaught to begin.

The order to attack was issued twice, in August 1918, and again in early September, and twice countermanded at short notice.

Finally, today, 36 Gothas from Bogohl 3 were prepared to attack London, while 45 from other units stood by to bomb Paris. Thousands of Elektron incendiaries were loaded on to the aircraft but half an hour before the commencement of the attack General Ludendorff, the supreme commander of the German army, forbade the use of the bombs.

The reason was simply one of bargaining, as it was clear to the German High Command that the war was lost, and such an pointless attack would only weaken thei position further come the armistice.

The reason was that on 8 August 1918 the British had cracked the German salient on the Somme with over 400 tanks. OHL then realized that the war was lost as its troops wavered, straggled, and surrendered by the thousand. Consequently, the Fire Raids would only boomerang when it became necessary to negotiate for an armistice.

Naval operations: ship losses

ALDERSHOT (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) east south east of Dartmouth, Devon by SM UB-113 (both Imperial German Navy) with the loss of a crew member.

EDLINGTON (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 70 nautical miles (130 km) east by south of Cape Passaro, Sicily, Italy (36°42′N 16°37′E) by SM UC-54 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

Day 1511 of the Great War, September 25th 1918

Western Front

Sharp local fighting renewed in neighbourhood of Selency (two miles west of St. Quentin).

Surprise attacks by enemy near Moeuvres and Epehy are repulsed.

Artillery actions on French front.

Macedonian Front

Bulgaria proposes an Armistice, but General Franchet d'Esperey, (Commander-in-Chief of Allied forces) declines any suspension of hostilities.

Serbians in posession of Babuna Pass, they capture Veles and Ishtip, press on to Uskub.

British cross Bulgarian frontier at Kosturino. Over 10,000 prisoners and 200 guns.

End of battle of the Vardar.

Sinai and Palestine campaign

In Palestine British cavalry reach Sea of Galilee in pursuit of Turks, who are fleeing towards Damascus.

East of Jordan British cavalry occupy Amman on Hejaz railway. Total of prisoners 45,000 and 265 guns.

Italy

Yugo-Slav State recognised by Italy as independent.

Naval operations: U-156 hits a mine

German submarine U-156, which sank 44 ships during its career and participated in the Attack on Orleans (the only attack on the American mainland in the war), hits a mine and sinks, resulting in the deaths of all 77 crew.

Naval operations: ship losses

GLORIRE A JESUS (France) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 200 nautical miles (370 km) south west of the Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom by SM U-46 ( Imperial German Navy).

HEBBURN (United Kingdom) The collier was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 14 nautical miles (26 km) off Mine Head, Cornwall (51°40′N 7°13′W) by SM UB-91 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of six of her crew.