The Great War (1914-1918) in real time

French losing wine, now they must really hate the Germans.

Day 149 of the Great War, December 23rd 1914

Western Front: British and French governments give orders

- The British government announces a further tightening of the blockade of Germany by declaring additional items to now be contraband and subject to seizure. New to the list are all types of rubber, whether raw or wast, and all elements used in the production explosives.

- The French Parliament today votes to hand over even more powers to Joffre and the French Army. Within the 'Zone of Armies' along and near the front, the power of the French Army is supreme and cannot be interfered with by civilians - politicians are even forbidden to visit the front line.

Caucasus Campaign: Ottoman X Corps today seizes the town of Oltu

In the Caucasus the Ottoman X Corps today seizes the town of Oltu, its first objective. However, given low supplies and appalling weather conditions, the advance of X Corps and the neighbouring IX Corps are already behind schedule.

Naval operations: Pacific Ocean

HMS BRISTOL and GLASGOW arrive back at Vallenar Road and recoal. Armoured Cruiser HMS KENT spends the day patrolling the same area. HMS NEWCASTLE is on her way south to Valparaiso.

Photo: A port broadside view of armoured cruiser HMS KENT



Naval operations: Port Stanley, Falkland Islands

HMS INFLEXIBLE arrives at Port William and recoals.

Day 151 of the Great War, December 25th 1914

YouTube (The First Battle of Champagne - Dying In Caucasus Snow)



Western Front: Christmas truce

Along certain stretches of the Western Front remarkable scenes play out today. In what will become famous as the 'Christmas Truce', soldiers on both sides cease firing and for a time congregate in No Man's Land. These episodes are most common in Flanders, where British soldiers (as of yet less prone than the French to hate the Germans, as it was not their country that had been invaded and occupied) and Germans from Saxony and Bavaria (it being generally accepted that Prussians were more war-like). On both sides, Christmas Eve had seen the arrival of all kinds of care packages and donations from the home front, and some trenches were decorated with whatever greenery or 'ornaments' one could find. At night the sounds of singing often echoed across the trenches as one side, then another, would sing Christmas carols. In the daylights hours signs appear over the trenches, often proclaiming in the language of the other side: 'You no shoot, we no shoot.' Soldiers then climb out of the trenches, first cautiously, then eagerly, and move out into No Man's Land. Often the first task undertaken was the burying of the dead, who had lain out of reach for weeks and months. Once completed, the two sides would mingle, frequently trading cigarettes, tinned-meat, and other recent gifts from the home front, while attempting to converse. In some places they even play an improvised game of soccer across the mud and ruin of No Man's Land. Diary entries by soldiers today often speak of sympathy with those on the other side, sharing as they did the terrible conditions of life in the trenches. These 'truces' often continued for much of the day, neither side being in any great rush to return to their lines. When they do depart, it is often with an informal agreement not to immediately resume firing.

The Christmas Truce is the most prominent example of the 'live and let live' attitude that is emerging along stretches of the front - outside of major battles, there is a desire among the common infantry to avoid unnecessary shelling and rifle fire whose only effect can be to prompt reprisals. In other words, for some the attitude is 'if you don't make our lives any more miserable, we won't make yours any more miserable.'

Eastern Front: Russian attacks continue to batter the Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army

- In the Carpathians Russian attacks continue to batter the Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army. The latter are short on ammunition and lack sufficient infantry to cover the entire front. When Russian units push through Jaslo between two of 3rd Army's corps, its commander accepts the inevitable and at 10pm cancels the proposed offensive of his eastern wing and informs his corps commanders that they are permitted to withdraw to the Carpathian watershed if hard-pressed by the enemy.

Albania: Italy takes the port city of Valore

Though Albania has existed for less than two years, it has already become a 'failed state'. A recent rebellion has driven out the old monarch, the German Wilhelm of Wied, who had been appointed by the agreement of the Great Powers before the war. A central government, for all intents and purposes, does not exist in Albania, and thus though it is formally neutral, it is entirely unable to defend its sovereignty. Today Italy takes advantage of Albanian disorder to occupy the port of Valore, Albania's second largest city and close to the narrowest point in the Adriatic Sea before it empties into the Mediterranean. The occupation of Valore gives Italy greater control over the Adriatic, which Italian nationalists view as an Italian lake. Such an action would normally have provoked the ire of the other Great Powers, especially Austria-Hungary, but given not only the ongoing war but also the desire to secure Italian support, neither side in the Great War objects. Thus Italy is not only using the war to secure territorial bribes to end its neutrality, but also as a cloak for unprovoked aggression against other states.

Naval operations: Bosporus

The 'Ottoman' battlecruiser YAVUZ SULTAN SELIM (ex GOEBEN) strikes a Russian mine at the entrance to the Bosporus after returning from a sortie in the Black Sea. Though the warship is never in danger of sinking, it will be out of commission for some time.

South West Africa campaign: South African force lands at Walvis Bay

The elimination of the German East Asiatic Squadron removes the major impediment to British amphibious operations in the south Atlantic, and today a South African force lands at Walvis Bay on the coast of German South-West Africa.

East African campaign: British detachment of four Indian companies occupies the coastal town of Jasin

A small British detachment of four Indian companies occupies the coastal town of Jasin, located at the mouth of the Umba River and sitting on the border between British East Africa and German East Africa. The occupation is not directly intended as a threat to the Germans - being sixty-four kilometres to the north, it is remote from Tanga, and the move is primarily designed to stabilize the frontier tribes in the Umba Valley inland.

Arial operations: British raid on Cuxhaven

Yet another British raid on the Zeppelin sheds, this time at Cuxhaven. It is too far for land-based planes to fly, so a force of three seaplane tenders, HMS EMPRESS, ENGADINE and RIVIERA make the attack, escorted by a force of light cruisers, destroyers and submarines.

Photo: The British seaplane carrier EMPRESS, one of three to attack the German coast today



Seven aircraft are involved, all of them various types of Short floatplanes, each carrying three 20-pound bombs. There were nine intended, three from each carrier, but two are unable to take off. The seven planes begin their journey in weather that is just above freezing. Due to heavy fog the group cannot find their intended target, and proceed to drop their bombs on targets of opportunity. They find part of the High Seas Fleet anchored at Schilling and drop their bombs there. No hits are scored. Three of the planes made it back to their tenders, three landed near the island of Nordeney and their crews were picked up the British submarine E-11, and the last ditched in the sea. The pilot, Flt. Lt. Francis E.T. Hewlett, was listed as missing but was actually picked up by the Dutch trawler MARTA VAN HATTEM.

Drawing: Short seaplanes taking off for the Cuxhaven Raid



The naval force was attacked by two Friedrichshaven floatplanes and the Zeppelin L-6, but also suffered no damage.

England, Thames Estuary: Yet another attack by a Friedrichshaven FF.29 is foiled when Lt. M.R. Chidson and observer Cpl. Martin, in a Vickers FB.4 (forerunner of the famous FB.5 Gunbus) attempt to shoot it down. Martin's Lewis gun jams, but he has nine phosphorous rounds for his carbine. The German plane dives away and the British pilots report it as a kill, but it turns out later that the plane made it home safely.

Map: The German North Sea coast targeted by the British seaplanes



Lieutenant Louis Strange leaves his squadron Christmas party, climbs into his Avro 504 alone, crosses enemy lines and drops a soccer ball on the opposing German airfield.

Naval operations: Pacific Ocean

Stoddart's light cruisers spend Christmas Day combing the Chilean coast for SMS DRESDEN.

Naval operations: Strait of Magellan, Cape Horn

The crew of DRESDEN name their hiding place Weihnachts (Christmas) Bay.

Naval operations: German East Africa

The crews of HMS CHATHAM and SMS KONINGSBERG exchange Christmas greetings via wireless. One of the British messages refers to the fact that they are stuck at sea during the holiday:

"Kony we wish you the best of good cheer;
but blame you for stopping our Xmas beer."