The Great War (1914-1918) in real time

Day 156 of the Great War, December 30th 1914

Western Front: a German counterattack captures three lines of trenches

In Champagne a sudden German counterattack against the flank of the French II Corps captures three lines of trenches, inflicts heavy casualties on the defenders, and threatens to disrupt the ongoing French offensive.

Caucasus campaign: Russian make two important decisions

- With the Ottoman assault on Sarikamish having stalled, General Yudenich, Chief of Staff of the Russian Caucasus Army, senses an opportunity to deliver a devastating counterattack. The Ottoman IX and X Corps at Sarikamish are dependent on a single line of communication back to Ottoman territory running through Bardiz, and Yudenich concludes that if the bulk of I Caucasian and II Turkestan Corps can hold the line against the Ottoman XI Corps, IX and X Corps can be encircled and annihilated. To this end, he has ordered two regiments from II Turkestan Corps at Yeniköy to move north towards Bardiz, and today they are able to bring the town under artillery fire.

Map: The Battle of Sarikamish, December 30th, 1914



- Though the Ottoman effort to capture Sarikamish has stalled, the turn in fortunes is not immediately apparent to the Russian army leadership. Faced with the prospect of potential defeat in the Caucasus, two important decisions are taken. First, all Russian forces in Tabriz and northern Persia are ordered to withdraw northwards - now is no time for quasi-colonial adventures if the Turks are advancing into Russia. Second, Grand Duke Nicholas has a conversation with the British military attache at his headquarters. He remarks on the implications of a defeat at Sarikamish, and inquires whether the British would be able to mount an expedition against the Ottoman Empire in order to force them to withdraw forces from the Caucasus. The British attache writes up a report of the request, which is dispatched to London. The second link in the chain leading to the end of the British Liberal government is forged.

Naval operations: Cape Horn

HMS BRISTOL and GLASGOW move from Punta Arenas to Sholl Bay, where they encounter HMS CARNARVON.

Naval operations: Atlantic Ocean

HMS INFLEXIBLE communicates with armed merchant cruiser HMS CELTIC, which had also encountered INVINCIBLE two days earlier.

Day 158 of the Great War, January 1st 1915

YouTube (The Ottoman Disaster - The Battle of Sarikamish)



France: President Poincarè, Prime Minister Viviani, and Minister of Justice Aristide Briand meet

French President Poincarè, Prime Minister Viviani, and Minister of Justice Aristide Briand meet this morning for breakfast to discuss French strategic options for 1915. Among the operations considered is the deployment of between four and five hundred thousand French soldiers to the Balkans, either to assist Serbia directly or more generally to threaten Austria-Hungary, via a landing either at Salonika in Greece or on the Adriatic coast. Proposals for such an undertaking have come from such leading army officers as General Franchet d'Espèrey and General Joseph Gallieni, who view operations in the Balkans as a means to break the deadlock on the Western Front.

Naval operations: English Channel - sinking of HMS FORMIDABLE

Kapitanleutnant Rudolf Schneider of U-24 has been following the British 5th Battle Squadron since the previous morning. He has counted eight battleships escorted by two light cruisers. There are no destroyers in sight. He is greatly frustrated because the enemy's cruising speed of 10 knots is much faster than he can make submerged, and he doesn't dare surface in during daylight hours. At nightfall he loses sight of his targets. He then surfaces to recharge his badly depleted batteries.

Squadron Commander Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly records "At 7 PM the fleet turned 16 points (90 degrees) in accordance with an Admiralty Fleet Order requiring an alteration of course soon after dark in areas where a submarine attack was possible. At 2 AM, when near Start Point, the Fleet turned 16 points in succession." The squadron has now reversed its previous course and is heading strait back towards U-24.

Schneider sees the group looming out of the dark and orders an immediate dive. At 0150 he fires his first torpedo, which misses. Since the night is moonless and dark he decides to take the risk and surfaces. At full speed he circles around the rear of the British squadron and rushes forward to gain a good position. At 0225 Schneider fires his second torpedo at the last battleship in line, the old pre-dreadnought HMS FORMIDABLE. The big ship is hit amidships and immediately begins to take on a list. At 0315 U-24 fires a third torpedo and FORMIDABLE takes a second hit. At 0445 HMS Formidable rolls over onto her back and sinks beneath the waves.

Photo: HMS FORMIDABLE before the war



The loss of FORMIDABLE will have serious repercussions at the Admiralty, with yet another round of leading admirals trying to place the blame on each other.

Postcard: German U-Boat U-24 sinks the HMS Formidable New Year's Eve 1914-15



Naval operations: Cape Horn

HMS BRISTOL and GLASGOW make their way back into the Strait of Magellan, anchoring at Punta Eugenia, on the Chilean (southern) side of the channel.

Naval operations: German East Africa:

British Captain Sidney Drury-Lowe of HMS CHATHAM sends German Kapitanleutnant Max Looff of SMS KONINGSBERG a New Year's greeting in German: "Wir wünschen Ihnen ein glückliches neues Jahar und hoffen, Sie bald zu sehen." ("We wish you a happy new year and hope to see you soon.")

Looff replies in English, "Thanks. Same to you. If you want to see me I am always at home."

Germany: Falkenhayn and Conrad meet this morning at the Prussian War Ministry in Berlin

Falkenhayn and Conrad meet this morning at the Prussian War Ministry in Berlin to discuss the overall strategic direction of the war. Conrad argues that all offensive operations on the Western Front should be put on hold in order to concentrate on securing a decisive victory on the Eastern Front. To this end, reinforcements drawn from the Western Front, in addition to the four and a half German reserve corps now being formed, should be sent to the East. Falkenhayn rejects Conrad's suggestions out of hand; the German army, he asserts, is already outnumbered two to one in the West, and that when the new formations are ready for deployment in February, he will employ them on the Western Front. In the face of this fundamental disagreement, the meeting degenerates into mutual recriminations. Falkenhayn chastises the Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army for continuing to retreat, arguing it has to stop and observes dismissively 'there can't be that many Russians facing you.' Conrad replies sharply that the German army began the war in the west with its own great retreat from the Marne. Such an observation, while correct, is hardly calculated to improve Falkenhayn's disposition; he dismisses Conrad's observation with the comment that it was an error ordered by his predecessor.

The meeting breaks for lunch having accomplished nothing, and in the afternoon they are joined by Ludendorff, who had been summoned to Berlin. While the latter supports the deployment of the new corps to the East, his proposal is to use them to undertake an offensive in East Prussia. Both Falkenhayn and Conrad oppose the suggestion, the former not wanting the corps on the Eastern Front at all and the latter believing an operation in East Prussia is too distant to affect the situation in Galicia, which is Conrad's preoccupation. By the end of the discussion, the most Falkenhayn is willing to concede is that a final decision on the deployment of the four and a half new corps does not need to be made for three weeks. The only concrete decision of note to come from the meeting is an offer by Ludendorff to place three or four German divisions, drawn from 9th Army, at the disposal of Conrad. Ludendorff believes that the failure of 9th Army in December to break through to Warsaw indicates that a decisive victory cannot be won here, and thus a portion of the German formations concentrated here can be better employed reinforcing the faltering Austro-Hungarians. Conrad, not surprisingly, enthusiastically accepts.

Map: The Eastern Front, January 1st, 1915.

Day 160 of the Great War, January 3rd 1915

Naval operations: The Admiralty, London

- First Sea Lord Jacky Fisher finally responds to Admiral Doveton Sturdee's earlier reply, this time demanding that Sturdee "Explain why neither INFLEXIBLE, INVINCIBLE nor any other vessel of your command proceeded immediately on completion of action to Punta Arenas."

- Churchill discusses a potential naval operation against the Ottoman Dardanelles today with Admiral Fisher. The latter is enthusiastic, but only if an attack is immediate, includes the landing of 100 000 soldiers (75 000 from the Western Front and 25 000 from India), military support from Greece and Bulgaria, and uses only pre-dreadnoughts. Of the four points, only the latter is possible - in particular, there is absolutely no chance whatsoever of Sir John French agreeing to withdraw such a substantial force from the Western Front, given the belief of himself and the rest of the BEF leadership that the war can only be won or lost in France and Belgium.

The First Lord, however, is taken with the idea of a purely naval operation, and in particular of using the power of the Royal Navy to force the Ottoman Empire out of the war. The great hope is that if a powerful British squadron can force its way through the Dardanelles and anchor off Constantinople, the Ottoman government will collapse, opening sea lanes to Russia and invasion routes to the Balkans. This is more than simply aiding the Russians - to its most ardent supporters the Dardanelles operation carries the potential to win the war without the constant slaughter of the Western Front.

Crucially, when Churchill sends a message to Vice Admiral Sackville Hamilton Carden, commanding the British squadron currently blockading the Dardanelles, he asks simply if he thinks the Dardanelles can be forced by a naval operation - no mention is made of amphibious operations. This opens what will grow into a great chasm between the First Lord and the First Sea Lord - the former believes that the navy can do the job by itself, while the latter, worried over warship losses, believes army support is essential. It will be a long-simmering divide, but one that will eventually destroy not only their working relationship but the government itself as well.

Naval operations: Cape Horn

HMS Bristol and Glasgow return to Picton Island at the eastern end of the Beagle Channel.

Day 162 of the Great War, January 5th 1915

Western Front: Joffre today formalizes the place of General Foch in the command structure of the French army

- Joffre today formalizes the place of General Foch in the command structure of the French army when the latter is appointed to lead the Provisional Group of the North, with responsibility for French armies in northern France and Belgium. Similarly, General Yvon Dubail, who had commanded 1st Army in the Battle of the Frontiers, now heads the Provisional Group of the East, covering the front in Alsace and Lorraine. Joffre reserves for himself direct control over the armies in the centre of the line, consisting of 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Armies. The French Commander-in-Chief also specifics that Foch and Dubail are responsible for operations in their regions, but that he retains control over administration, personnel, and strategy, leaving Joffre still firmly in control of the French army.

- Bad weather has continued to plague the offensive of the French 10th Army in Artois, with almost no gains secured while suffering heavy casualties. Today Joffre informs Foch that he intends to transfer fifteen battalions from 10th Army to the Vosges, which severely curtails the former's offensive capability.

- In the Argonne west of Verdun, the French undertake a heavy assault on the lines held by the German 33rd Division, but are repulsed.

French government: open to an operation against the Dardanelles but also suspicious of British motives

The French government, while also open to an operation against the Dardanelles, is also suspicious of British motives. As the minster of war writes the minister of foreign affairs today, it is essential that the British do not land in Asia Minor by themselves. Instead, a French presence is necessary to ensure that ongoing French interests in the region are protected.

Eastern Front: German 9th Army wins an unexpected victory over the Russians

In fighting near the Rawa River the German 9th Army wins an unexpected victory over the Russians. In order to be able to take advantage of any opportunity to exploit the success, Ludendorff informs Conrad that he is now only willing to transfer two and a half infantry and one cavalry division from 9th Army to support Austro-Hungarian operations in Galicia.

Kamerun campaign: German forces attack the French Senegalese infantry defending Edea

In German Kamerun German forces attack the French Senegalese infantry defending Edea. Though the determined assault is unsuccessful, it does accomplish its main objective - the British, fearing further German attacks, restrict themselves to the defensive perimeter around Duala, thus posing no risk to the German-held interior.

Naval operations: The Admiralty, London

First Sea Lord Fisher sends a message to Admiral Sturdee repeating his demand for an explanation, ending with "...your previous reply does not answer the question."

From his anchorage at St. Vincent Sturdee replies "Their Lordships selected me as Commander-In-Chief to destroy the two hostile armoured cruisers and I endeavoured to the best of my ability to carry out these orders. I submit that my being called upon in three separate telegrams to give reasons for my subsequent action was unexpected."

Naval operations: Cape Horn

HMS BRISTOL and GLASGOW arrive at Possession Bay and anchor near CARNARVON.

Day 164 of the Great War, January 7th 1915

France: Joffre meets today with President Poincaré

Joffre meets today with President Poincaré and the French Council of Ministers today, and when operations in the Balkans are discussed, he voices his adamant opposition. For the Commander-in-Chief, the decisive theatre of the war is and always will be the Western Front - any transfer of units from France to elsewhere risks disaster in the homeland, while victory in the war necessitates the defeat of Germany, France's strongest opponent, whose army is massed in occupied Belgium and France. Victory can only come by crushing the German army, and since the German army is on the Western Front, that is where the war must be fought. Joffre also highlights the logistical difficulties of deploying and supplying a large force in the Balkans; as he emphasizes, the Serbs have difficulties keeping their army of only a hundred thousand supplied. When the Minister of War supports Joffre's objections, the Balkans operation is set aside - the prestige of the victor of the Marne is still sufficient to ensure that he is able to dictate grand strategy to the politicians who are, at least nominally, his masters.

Eastern Front: Falkenhayn observes that the Entente offensives

- In a circular to the German armies on the Western Front, Falkenhayn observes that Entente offensives have been directing artillery fire behind the first German trench line to prevent them from bringing up additional infantry to the front during infantry attacks. To combat this, Falkenhayn emphasizes the importance of constructing protective trenches behind the first line of defence to provide cover for infantry during enemy bombardments. This reflects the continued learning process on the Western Front, as both attackers and defenders adapt to trench warfare and a new tactic implemented by one side leads to a counter-tactic devised by the other in a constant struggle for supremacy between the offensive and defensive.

- Conrad replies to Falkenhayn's message of yesterday, arguing that there is nothing that Austria-Hungary could provide that would satisfy Italy's appetite, writes that the 'entire political situation particularly in the East and in the Balkans is entirely dependent on the military situation with Russia. Without a decisive success against Russia, even a major success in Serbia will be ineffective.'

Petrograd, Russia

A Bolshevik group puts out pamphlets calling upon average Russians to not pay their monthly rent. In Constantinople Alexander Helphand tells the German ambassador to Turkey that Russian revolutionaries have the same interests as the German government.

Naval operations: Cape Horn

HMS BRISTOL and GLASGOW sail around the Horn to Port Tamar, on the western end of the Strait of Magellan.

Naval operations: Atlantic Ocean

Two days behind her sister, HMS INFLEXIBLE arrives at St. Vincent.

Naval operations: Indian Ocean

Three weeks and one day after the sinking of the schooner AYESHA, SS CHOISING arrives at the Strait of Bab el Mandeb, the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Kptlt von Mücke has spent the time carefully avoiding any ships sighted by his crew. They arrive off the Island of Perim during the day and put back out to see upon sighting an unknown ship. This later turns out to be a French mail packet. After dark CHOISING again enters the straits of Perim. Since the steamer is helpless against even the smallest warship, von Mücke plans to run the ship aground and take to the boats should an enemy come near. Against this possibility he has the steamer's three largest boats swung out and provisioned for eight weeks at sea. With these precautions taken CHOISING enters the Red Sea.

Day 166 of the Great War, January 9th 1915

Western Front: new attack by the French 4th Army near Perthes

A further attack by the French 4th Army near Perthes, launched at 4pm after a heavy artillery bombardment, are broken up by the German defenders. Further to the east, French infantry are able to reach and enter a narrow strip of the first German trench line, and are able to hold on despite repeated enemy counterattacks.

Eastern Front: Ludendorff's appointment as Chief of Staff to Südarmee does not sit well with Hindenburg

News of Ludendorff's appointment as Chief of Staff to Südarmee does not sit well with Hindenburg. In a letter sent directly to the Kaiser today, the commander of German forces in the East urges the return of the 'irreplaceable' Ludendorff to his old post as his Chief of Staff. Hindenburg knows full well that his victories in the East have been accomplished in large part through the planning of Ludendorff, and that their partnership is essential to the success of both. He also insists that the four new reserve corps forming in Germany need to be sent to the Eastern Front, and in particular to East Prussia for an offensive (planned by Ludendorff) in the neighbourhood of the Masurian Lakes. He concludes his letter with an assurance that he would be more than happy to retire, a none-too-subtle hint to Wilhelm II of the stakes involved in breaking up the partnership that has achieved Germany's most notable victory to date.

Austria-Hungary: Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister suggest handing Trentino to Italy

At the start of the war, Count Berchtold, the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister, had opposed ceding territory to Italy in exchange for it fulfilling its responsibilities as a member of the Triple Alliance. The steady tide of Austro-Hungarian defeats since August, however, has led Berchtold to change his mind. He fears that both Italy and Romania may take advantage of the Empire's apparent weakness by attacking it, a catastrophe that might spell the end of Austria-Hungary itself. To avoid this, Berchtold is now willing to cede territory to Italy and Romania in exchange for their continued neutrality in the war, and today he advises Franz Joseph to surrender Trentino to Italy.

The alternative course of action - namely, to ensure Italian and Romanian neutrality by demonstrating Austro-Hungarian military strength through victory on the battlefield - is supported not only by Conrad, but others within the government, including Count Tisza, the Hungarian Prime Minister, who wishes to avoid seeing Hungarian lands used to bribe Romania. Most vitally, Emperor Franz Joseph himself is loath to yield an inch of territory to the Italians, whom he sees as the Empire's natural enemy.

Naval operations: Cape Horn

HMS BRISTOL explores the western channels of the Strait of Magellan. GLASGOW is patrolling the eastern side, off the Argentina coast. NEWCASTLE is sailing southward along the Chilean coast. CARNARVON meanwhile puts into Port William in the Falklands.

Naval operations: Red Sea

Hellmuth von Mücke and his men sail and row their boats to the harbor at Al Hudaydah, where they find that their mysterious moving lights belong to the French armored cruiser DESAIX and the Italian freighter JULIANA. The boats are rowed down the coast where they are anchored and the masts and rigging taken down. Von Mücke determines to spend the time ashore finding out who has control of the area. While heading toward the shore they encounter an Arab fishing boat. Unfortunately the sole occupant speaks no German, so they continue toward the beach. About 800 meters out they run aground in the shallow surf. Unwilling to risk their heavy equipment getting ruined in the waves, von Mücke has rafts made out of the boats' masts plus some extra boards and life jackets. The machine guns are taken ashore first.

Once safely on shore the Germans are approached by two different locals, neither of whom speaks other than their own language. Finally they are confronted by a man wearing a uniform and riding a camel. This man dismounts and von Mücke approaches him. When about 200 meters away he is confronted by a raised rifle. Von Mücke stops and tries to look friendly. The man lowers the rifle and von Mücke moves closer. after a few paces the man raises his rifle again. This game is repeated until von Mücke is within about 50 meters, at which point the man keeps his rifle pointing at him. The man makes a sign indicating that the Germans should not move from that spot, mounts his camel and rides off toward the city. Once he is out of sight the crew bring the rest of their equipment ashore and prepare to move off into the desert.

While von Mücke is explaining to his men that their best course now will be to hide in the desert until dark and then return to CHOISING, they are approached by a large body of Bedouins, eighty to one hundred, all armed. These spread out into a skirmish line and disappear behind some sand dunes. Von Mücke breaks his men into a similar formation and waits. Soon they are confronted by a group of twelve men. When they show that they are unarmed the Kapitanleutnant removes his pistol and sword and approaches them. When is attempts to speak to them in German, English, French and Malay all fail he shows them his ship's war flag. When this also doesn't work he tries the merchant flag. Still the men do not understand. Von Mücke then takes out a German coin and points to the picture of the Kaiser. The Arabs then start saying "Aleman!" He points to his men and himself and says "Aleman! Aleman!" Suddenly the rest of the group runs over the dunes toward them, shouting and yelling. They stack their arms and begin picking up the Germans' equipment and luggage and dragging the machine guns behind them in the direction of Al Hudaydah. One of the men speaks a little English, and tells von Mücke that the city is controlled by the Turks.

After some time another large group of locals come out and start shooting at them. The group surrounding them manage to convince the new party that they are friends. An hour later this incident is repeated. By the time they are within sight of the city they are escorted by a singing, dancing party of almost eight hundred armed men. As they approach the city gates they are met by a large party of regular Turkish soldiers escorting a handful of city officials. Once inside the Germans find themselves at the center of a parade made up of most of the citizens of Al Hudaydah. A building is turned into a barracks for the men and the officers are quartered in a very nice house. From the upstairs windows they can see the French cruiser anchored in the bay.

At 1700 hours the German officers attend a meeting with their Turkish counterparts to discuss their options. They are told they can obtain nautical charts in the city if they choose to proceed by sea, but the whole area is crawling with British and French gunboats and, as they have already seen, the occasional cruiser. Overland might be the better option, but there is no railroad in the region so any journey that way will have to be by camel. Whatever decision they make will have to be taken quickly, as the Turks are certain there are spies in the city and it is only a matter of hours before the Allies know the Germans are there.

It will take close to two weeks to prepare for a land journey, but von Mücke sees no other choice but to make the preparations and hope they remain undiscovered. Using fireballs he sends a pre-arranged signal to CHOISING: "Caution! Hostile ships! Proceed at once to Massowa." They then settle into their new home to prepare for the second stage of their great journey.