The Great War (1914-1918) in real time

Day 372 of the Great War, August 3rd 1915

Eastern Front: Joffre's staff at GQG submits a memorandum on the probable future moves of the Germans and Austro-Hungarians

- Joffre's staff at GQG submits a memorandum today on the probable future moves of the Germans and Austro-Hungarians, which suggests that the German concentration on the Eastern Front will shortly come to an end, and will be followed by a 'vast effort' on either the Balkan or Western Fronts. France's response, the memorandum concludes that 'the simplest method is the attack.' It is an argument reflective of Joffre's own views, who remains convinced that the French army must remain on the attack if the war is to be won. The memorandum is also suggestive of the tendency of Joffre's staff to reinforce the inclinations of their commander-in-chief, instead of challenging them and offering alternatives. Given Joffre's almost monomaniacal focus on the attack, this is not a healthy combination.

- Expanding on yesterday's orders to 2nd Army to evacuate the west bank of the Vistula River, General Alexeiev of North-West Front issues instructions for a broader withdrawal from the Polish salient, pulling his armies back to a line running roughly from Lomza south to a point southwest of Siedlec, then bending southeast to the Bug River between Cholm and Wlodawa. This involves the retreat of the 12th, 1st, 2nd, and 4th Armies in central Poland, effectively 'flattening' the salient. Again, however, this is not to be a rushed retreat, but rather 'gradual and orderly' - the concept is still to slow the pace of the German advance and make them fight for the terrain they do capture. Thus east of the Narew River the German force under General Gallwitz find the Russians before them withdrawing to the east, and are able to occupy Ostrolenka today.

To the south, the Russian 3rd and 13th Armies opposite Mackensen's army group once again retreat to new defensive positions to the north this morning, as they implement Alexeiev's orders to slow the German advance but not risk the annihilation that would certainly ensue if they stood and endured the set-piece bombardments and assaults that have been the standard German tactic for the past few months. The gradual retreat has had its desired effect - when the Germans reach a new Russian defensive position, they pause to gather artillery and prepare an assault, only to find the Russians gone when they are ready to strike. Once they discover the latest Russian withdrawal the Germans quickly pursue, and by this afternoon come up against the next line of Russian defensives and prepare for a major assault tomorrow.

- As the German advance on the Eastern Front continues, Falkenhayn writes to Conrad today about the future direction of the campaign. His aim is to drive the Russians behind the Bug River in the south and a line running from Brest-Litovsk to Grodno in the north. Once this has been accomplished, Falkenhayn intends to withdraw significant forces from the Eastern Front, while leaving only enough strength to hold the territory gained. Again this reflects Falkenhayn's limited perspective on the Eastern Front: Russia can never be crushed, and if it cannot be convinced to agree to a separate peace the aim should be to contain the Russians to allow redeployments to seek the decisive victories that are possible on other fronts. Such views, of course, stand in stark contrast to those of Hindenburg and Ludendorff, who continue to believe that the Russian army can be annihilated, and seek the decisive envelopment campaign - Tannenberg on a massive scale - that can deliver victory.

Italian Front: Cadorna formally calls off the offensive

- After the failure of a final set of Italian attacks along the Isonzo River today, Cadorna formally calls off the offensive today. Over the two weeks of fighting, the 2nd Battle of the Isonzo has cost the Italians 42 000 losses while gaining no significant ground whatsoever. Moreover, the Italian army has been ravaged by disease; 21 000 soldiers caught cholera or typhus, and 4300 died. The only redeeming aspect of the battle was that the Austro-Hungarians suffered 47 000 casualties which, given the Italian numerical superiority on the Italian Front, means the Austro-Hungarians lost a significantly greater proportion of their forces than the Italians.

- The advance of the German armies on the Eastern Front over the past several months has had a significant impact on the attitude of neutral states in the Balkans: not only has Romania decided on neutrality for the time being, but the Bulgarian government of Minister President Vasil Radoslavov under King Ferdinand has shifted towards Germany, concluding that its primary foreign policy objective of annexing Macedonia can only be achieved through German aid. To learn of the German position and discuss the potential terms of a Bulgarian entry into the war, Radoslavov had dispatched to Germany Lieutenant-Colonel Petur Ganchev, a former adjutant to Ferdinand and military attaché to Germany. He brings with him Radoslavov's terms for Bulgaria's entry into the war: in addition to the territorial acquisitions, Germany is to extend a loan of two hundred million francs and guarantee support for Bulgaria against any potential intervention by Greece and Romania and assistance in defending Bulgaria's Black Sea coast from the Russian navy.

Today Ganchev arrives at Pless, headquarters of the German OHL, where he finds a receptive audience in Falkenhayn. The German chief of staff has long intended to follow the offensive on the Eastern Front with an operation to conquer Serbia and open a land link with the Ottoman Empire, and a coordinated Bulgarian attack from the east would outflank the main Serbian line facing the Austro-Hungarian frontier to the north. In response to Ganchev's proposal, Falkenhayn states that Bulgaria would need to deploy five divisions to participate in an offensive against Serbia within six weeks of agreeing to the terms of an alliance, and would need to exert diplomatic pressure on Romania to adopt a more pro-German stance. Though there are differences between the two proposals, they are not substantive, and negotiations proceed accordingly.

East African campaign: retired major-general Wahle orders his small force to fall back across the frontier into German East Africa

Having failed to take the British post at Saisi in northern Rhodesia on July 25th, and with ongoing difficulty with water supplies, retired major-general Wahle orders his small force to fall back across the frontier into German East Africa today.

Naval operations: Celtic Sea

Georg-Günther von Forstner, commanding U-28, sinks British freighter SS COSTELLO, 1,591 tons, bound from Liverpool to Genoa with a general cargo. His score is now 18 ships and 44,470 tons.

Day 374 of the Great War, August 5th 1915

Eastern Front: two forces are formed into a single army group under the command of Prince Leopold of Bavaria

- In Russian Poland, the primary axes of the German advance have been from the northwest across the Narew River, and from the south between the Vistula and Bug Rivers. The line to the east, at the 'apex' of the Russian salient, has been covered by the German 9th Army and a German force under the command of General Woyrsch. As the German focus has been elsewhere, 9th Army in particular has been reduced over the past few months, and now consists of only three infantry and one cavalry divisions. The Russian evacuation of the west bank of the Vistula River, however, necessitates a vigorous pursuit by 9th Army and Woyrsch's command to pin the Russians while their flanks to the northwest and south are pushed in. To ensure their movements are coordinated, the two forces are formed into a single army group under the command of Prince Leopold of Bavaria, with instructions to drive to the east.

Photo: German Cavalry entering Warsaw on August 5, 1915



There is, however, another purpose behind Falkenhayn's formation of this army group, as the German chief of staff has placed Prince Leopold's command directly subordinate to OHL, as opposed to placing it under OberOst. While ostensibly this is to ensure that its advance is in line with the flank attacks, it also reduces the role of Hindenburg and Ludendorff in deciding strategy on the Eastern Front; now there is a formation in the east that reports only to Falkenhayn. It is another episode in the ongoing rivalry between the German chief of staff and the command duo at OberOst.

Photo: Poniatowski Bridge in Warsaw after being blown up by the retreating Russian Army in 1915



Naval operations: North Sea

Max Valentiner and U-38 begin their third war patrol with the sinking of Danish sailing ship HANS EMIL, 106 tons, bound from Halmstad to Granton with a load of pit props; and Norwegian SV VANADIS, 484 tons, from Kristiania to West Hartlepool, also with pit props. His score is now 24 ships and 9,724 tons.

Naval operations: Adriatic Sea

Georg von Trapp, in Austro-Hungarian U-5, sinks Italian submarine NEREIDE, 225 tons, bringing his score to 2 ships and 12,631 tons.

Day 376 of the Great War, August 7th 1915

Western Front: Field Marshal Sir John French is now willing to accept a British attack in the sector desired by the French

- Realizing that efforts to dissuade the French from insisting that the British Expeditionary Force attack south of La Bassée Canal are futile, Field Marshal Sir John French is now willing to accept a British attack in the sector desired by the French. The commander of the BEF, however, is still unwilling to order an assault on the scale desired by the French; in his instructions to General Haig of 1st Army, Sir John French informs his subordinate that 'the attack of the First Army is to be made chiefly with artillery, and a large force of infantry is not to be launched to the attack of objectives which are so strongly held as to be liable to result in the sacrifice of many lives.'

Eastern Front: several divisions of the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army break through the Russian line west of Lubartow

In southern Poland several divisions of the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army break through the Russian line west of Lubartow, and the town itself is captured early this afternoon. By evening lead elements of the Austro-Hungarian XVII Corps have advanced fifteen kilometres through a twenty kilometre gap in the Russian front. On paper the advance looks quite impressive; in practice, it is less so. As the Russians pull back from central Poland, their forces in southern Poland will peal back west to east to keep in line with the general retreat. Thus the enemy in front of 4th Army, western-most of Mackensen's army, is precisely those most willing to give ground, in contrast to those to the east who need to hold off the Germans to allow time for the withdrawal from central Poland. The Austro-Hungarians are thus pushing on an open door.

Aerial operations: Royal Flying Corps dropped 4062 bombs on enemy targets on the Western Front during 483 operations in one month

Though from April 1st to June 18th the Royal Flying Corps dropped 4062 bombs on enemy targets on the Western Front during 483 operations, dissatisfaction is expressed at what is perceived to be inadequate results at a meeting of British and French aviation representatives today. Numerous obstacles remain to more effective aerial bombing, including the heavy maintenance needs of existing aircraft, high casualties among aircrew, and continuing suspicion of the value of airpower by the army (artillery battery commanders, for example, still have a tendency to ignore air reports of potential targets or damage inflicted that do not correspond to what they think should be/is happening). In an effort to address the shortcoming, RFC headquarters has instructed its squadrons to only strike targets in the immediate vicinity of the front lines, where it is easier to confirm potential targets and damage inflicted.

Naval operations: North Sea

Rudolf Schneider, commanding U-24, starts a new war patrol with the sinking of Norwegian freighter SS GEIRANGER, 1081 tons, bound from Patschora to Southampton with a load of timber. His score is now 16 ships and 49,187 tons.

Otto Wünsche, in U-25, sinks Norwegian barque SV NORMAN, 1,060 tons, carrying pit props from Göteborg to Hull. His score is now 17 ships and 9,956 tons.

Day 378 of the Great War, August 9th 1915

Eastern Front: left wing of the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army makes rapid progress

In southern Poland the left wing of the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army makes rapid progress today, given that with the Russian retreat they face only cavalry patrols, and is able to reach the north bank of the Wieprz River by this evening. The army's right wing, however, gets nowhere, given that here the Russians are holding their line as the withdrawal from central Poland continues.

Naval operations: Atlantic Ocean

Max Valentiner, in U-38, has moved from the North Sea and into the Atlantic. Off the northwest coast of Ireland he sinks the British trawler TRUSH, 264 tons. His score is now 27 ships and 10,425 tons.

Day 380 of the Great War, August 11th 1915

Western Front: Joffre meets with Generals Foch, Castlenau, and Dubail

Joffre meets today with Generals Foch, Castlenau, and Dubail, who command the three French army groups that cover the Western Front, to discuss the forthcoming French offensive. Foch advocates a careful and methodical approach to the attack; given that the enemy's second and third lines of defence lay beyond artillery range, a separate effort was needed to pierce each line, which in turn required due preparation and concentration of force. Such an operation would thus consist of a separate effort for each enemy defensive position. Castlenau and Dubail, however, entirely disagree; the former argues that since the defender could build new lines as quickly as the attacker could advance, the methodical approach would always face further lines to attack. Instead, Castlenau calls for what is termed a 'continuous battle;' a surprise attack with a minimal artillery bombardment to forewarn the enemy could advance, he believed, ten to twelve kilometres in the first few days. While this would not effect a breakthrough, this was not the explicit goal; instead, such a penetration, accompanied by constant pressure, would force nearby defenders to pull back, creating a wedge in the enemy line that could then be exploited by subsequent attacks. Dubail concurs with Castlenau, arguing that the Germans do not have enough manpower to hold every kilometre of the second and third lines sufficiently, and that by attacking on a broad front the 'empty spaces' in the reserve lines could be found and exploited. Foch is dismissive of his colleagues' suggestions, arguing that such gaps could be adequately covered by just a couple of machine guns. Joffre, however, agrees with Castlenau and Dubail, as much for political as military reasons, as he explains to Foch:

If we adopt your system of methodical attack, which will require a month for the attack and a maximum expenditure of munitions, when will we be ready to attack? Perhaps not in the coming year, perhaps not ever. But it is necessary to act - for us and for our allies. As our regulations say, 'Only inaction is shameful.'

Eastern Front: the pursuit by the army group under Prince Leopold continues

In Poland the pursuit by the army group under Prince Leopold continues, though Russian rearguard actions prevent the capture of the important railway junction at Lukow. To the south, the German 11th Army launches its attack today against the Russian defensive line in southern Poland. In bitter fighting, 2nd Guard Division manages to push forward towards the town of Orzechow, but is otherwise unable to break through. To the east the Army of the Bug undertakes heavy assaults on either side of the Cholm-Wlodawa road in the direction of the latter; despite dogged Russian resistance, the German 1st Division is able to seize the main defensive position to the east of the road by midnight.

Naval operations: North Sea

Erich Haecker, commanding UB-6, scuttles British fishing vessel LEADER, 57 tons, bringing his score to 8 ships and 4,257 tons.

Otto Steinbrinck, in UB-10, encounters and scuttles an entire fleet of British fishing smacks: GOERGE BORROW, 62 tons, GOERGE CRABBE, 42 tons, HUMPREY, 41 tons, ILLUSTRIOUS, 59 tons, OCEAN'S Gift, 60 tons, PALM, 47 tons, TREVEAR, 47 tons, WELCOME, 59 tons, and YONG ADMIRAL, 60 tons. His score is now 29 ships and 11,693 tons.

Day 382 of the Great War, August 13th 1915

YouTube (The Ruse at Gallipoli and the Siege of Kovno)



Western Front: President Poincaré, Premier Viviani, and Minister of War Millerand visit Joffre at his headquarters

President Poincaré, Premier Viviani, and Minister of War Millerand visit Joffre at the latter's headquarters, where they press Joffre to transfer four divisions to General Sarrail's new Army of the Near East. The French commander-in-chief refuses, saying that nothing can be spared until the completion of the upcoming autumn offensive, and opposes making military decisions to please whom he refers to as 'a factious general.'

Eastern Front: units under Woyrsch's command are forced to launch a determined attack on the Russian positions to the east of Lukow

In central Poland, while the German 9th Army crosses the Liwiec River, the units under Woyrsch's command is forced to launch a determined attack on the Russian positions to the east of Lukow, in order to dislodge the enemy and resume the advance. Though the Russians are pushed back, they are able to retain cohesion and establish a new defensive position on the line Misie-Hadynow. To the south, the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army finds itself now advancing almost due east as the Russian salient collapses, and like its German counterparts to the east finds itself being squeezed; today XIV Corps is pulled from the line.

Naval operations: Celtic Sea

Rudolf Schneider, Commanding U-24, has moved to the southeast coast of Ireland. Here he sinks the British freighter SS CAIRO, 1,671 tons, bound from Glasgow to Huelva, Spain, with a general cargo. This brings his score to 18 ships and 51,168 tons.

Naval operations: North Sea

Wilhelm Smiths, in UB-5, stops and scuttles a pair of fishing smacks - E.M.W., 47 tons, and J.W.F.T., 60 tons, bringing his score to 4 vessels and 951 tons.

Naval operations: Aegean Sea

Heino von Heimburg, in UB-14, sinks Canadian troopship HMT ROYAL EDWARD Edward, 11,117 tons, travelling from Alexandria to Mudros. Estimates of the lives lost vary from a low of 866 (Gray) to a high of 1,865 (Gilbert). Von Heimburg's score is now 2 ships and 21,235 tons.

This is one operation out of many that should never have been attempted.