lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 68,045 
Likes: 49,445
|
Post by lordroel on Aug 15, 2020 7:17:24 GMT
Day 384 of the Great War, August 15th 1915
Eastern Front: Russian forces in southern Poland pull back from their positions along the Slawatycze-Polubicze road
Having slowed the German advance yesterday, Russian forces in southern Poland pull back from their positions along the Slawatycze-Polubicze road, once again withdrawing before Mackensen can concentrate his artillery for an overwhelming blow. The Germans energetically pursue, and the German X Reserve Corps advances the furthest, its 105th Division reaching the town of Biala late this evening.
Senussi campaign: Senussi have concentrated their efforts on the Italian garrison in Libya, and have driven the latter north to the Mediterranean coast
In northern Africa the Senussi have concentrated their efforts on the Italian garrison in Libya, and have driven the latter north to the Mediterranean coast. The German liaison officer with the Senussi, Otto Mannesmann, is eager, however, to draw the Senussi into fighting the British in Egypt, and today attempts to manufacture an exchange of fire between a Senussi force and a British detachment today. The Senussi, however, are reluctant to embrace the German vision of a global war and remain focused on ejecting the Italians from Libya. The British, too, are not eager to engage the Senussi, recognizing that the latter do not presently pose a threat to their rule in Egypt, even if Italian entry into the war makes the Senussi at least their nominal foe.
Naval operations: North Sea
Hans Walther, commanding U-17, sinks Danish schooner MARIE, 158 tons, bound from Falkenberg to Granton with a load of wood. He also captures Swedish freighter SS GOTELAND, 3,538 tons, as a prize, but the ship is later released. Walther's score is now 8 ships and 12,219 tons.
Karl Groß, in UB-4, spies another group of fishing smacks. Groß approaches one of them and commands the crew to abandon ship. The intended victim is His Majesty's Armed Smack INVERLYON. Her commander, RN gunner Ernest Jehan, waits until the u-boat is only 30 yards away, then raises the White Ensign and opens fire with his 3-pdr gun. The bridge crew, including Groß, are killed. Another group of shots sends the u-boat to the bottom, taking the rest of her 15-man crew with her.
Naval operations: German East Africa
Work continues preparing HMS SEVERN for another raid.
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 68,045
Likes: 49,445
|
Post by lordroel on Aug 16, 2020 6:46:25 GMT
Day 385 of the Great War, August 16th 1915Eastern Front: right wing of the German 8th Army has advanced past TykocinIn Poland the right wing of the German 8th Army has advanced past Tykocin, and is in position to threaten the Russian fortress of Ossoviets from the south, while the German 12th Army has pushed beyond Briansk. To the south elements of the German 9th Army, part of Prince Leopold's army group, have reached the Bug River northeast of Siedlec, while the Army of the Bug now covers a hundred kilometres of its namesake from Koden southwards. It is only between the two armies that the Russians hold ground west of the Bug, centred on the major Russian fortress at the city of Brest-Litovsk, situated on the river where its flow bends to the northwest after running northwards for several hundred kilometres. It is into this stretch of the line that the German 11th Army is advancing - X Reserve Corps, its lead formation, is today due west of Brest-Litovsk, while the Guard Corps is approaching the southern edge of the fortifications - and today Mackensen is instructed that the next objective of the German offensive is the envelopment and seizure of Brest-Litovsk. Naval operations: North SeaHans Walther, commanding U-17, sinks Norwegian freighter ROMULUS, 819 tons, bound from Halmstad to West hartlepool with a load of pit props. The prize crew aboard SS GOTELAND, on their way to List, stop and sink Norwegian freighter SS TELLO, travelling from Göteborg to Sunderland with pit props and sleepers (props to support wooden flooring). This brings his score to 10 ships and 14,256 tons. Naval operations: Baltic SeaJohannes Spieß, in U-9, torpedoes British freighter SS SERBINO, 2,205 tons, carrying a load of machinery and steel from Riga to Petrograd. His score is now 12 ships and 8,635 tons. Naval operations: German East AfricaThe crew of HMS SEVERN continue re-installing armour plating on the monitor. Naval operations: Battle of the Gulf of RigaGerman dreadnoughts SMS NASSAU and POSEN, four light cruisers, and 31 torpedo boats breach the Russian defenses to the gulf, the German minesweeper T46 is sunk, as is the destroyer V99. Map: Scheme of defense of gulfs of Finland and Riga by the Russian Navy
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 68,045
Likes: 49,445
|
Post by lordroel on Aug 17, 2020 2:49:55 GMT
Day 386 of the Great War, August 17th 1915Western Front: French government passes the Dalbiez LawThe French government passes the Dalbiez Law today to regulate the industrial workforce. While allowing for the conscription of unskilled labourers, it also exempts skilled workers from military service, limiting the ability of the army to draft as many soldiers at it desires. It is a further recognition that in a war of material as well as manpower, some are more valuable in the factory instead of the trench. Eastern Front: Stavka decides to split off the northern stretch of the line into a separate Northern FrontOn the Eastern Front General Alexeiev of North-West Front, though responsible for the line from the Baltics to the Bug River south of Brest-Litovsk, his attention has been squarely focussed on the ongoing threat posed by Mackensen's offensive. Concerned over the German threat in Courland, Stavka decides to split off the northern stretch of the line into a separate Northern Front, and in typical Russian fashion they appoint disgraced General Nicholas Ruzski, who had been dismissed as commander of North-West Front in April. The appointment is a reflection of both the conservatism and unimaginativeness of the Russian army. Meanwhile, for the past nine days the Germans have systematically reduced the Russian fortifications at Kovno, which had not been modernized prior to the war. Further, though the garrison numbered ninety thousand, it was composed of poorly-trained territorial soldiers, and the fire from the defensive batteries was uncoordinated - on one occasion Russian artillery fired on a fort still held by their countrymen, thinking it had already fallen to the Germans. General Vladimir Grigoriev, the seventy-year-old commander of Kovno, had no experience with modern warfare and was convinced of German superiority, and when the German XL Reserve Corps assaults the last forts today, Grigoriev panics and flees, abandoning the garrison to its fate. In capturing Kovno the Germans seize over 1300 artillery pieces, 5300 heavy artillery shells, and 800 000 light artillery shells. Further south, this morning the German XXV Reserve Corps of 9th Army crosses the Bug River northeast of Siedlec, while to the southeast the German X Reserve Corps of 11th Army reaches the Bug near Janow. Between the two German corps the Austro-Hungarian XVII and VIII Corps of 4th Army have also reached the river. Naval operations: Pelagosa in the central AdriaticThe Austro-Hungarian navy bombards the Italian garrison on the island of Pelagosa in the central Adriatic today. Undertaken by the light cruisers HELGOLAND and SAIDE, accompanied by two destroyers, they blanket the island with shells, destroying among other installations the fresh-water cistern before withdrawing unhindered by the Italian navy, which had no warning of the sortie and was thus unable to respond before the Austro-Hungarians had departed. Naval operations: Celtic SeaIn St. George's Channel, the pass between Ireland and Wales, Max Valentiner in U-38 has a field day. His victims are British freighters SS BONNY, 2,702 tons, travelling in ballast from Marseille to Liverpool; GLENBY, 2,196 tons, bound from Cardiff to Archangelsk with a load of coal; KIRKBY, 3,034 tons, carrying coal from Barry to an unlisted destination; Maggie, 269 tons, travelling in ballast from Youghal to Fleetwood; PAROS, 3,596 tons, from Karachi to Manchester with a load of wheat; THE QUEEN, 557 tons, carrying coal from Ayr to Devonport; and THORNFIELD, 488 tons, from London to Peel, on the Isle of Man, with a cargo of wooden huts. Also sunk is Spanish freighter SS ISIDORO, 2,044 tons, inbound from Bilbao to Glasgow with a load of iron ore; drifter GOERGE BAKER, 91 tons; and trawler REPEAT, 107 tons. The day's work nets 10 ships for 15,084 tons. Valentiner's score is now 38 ships and 29,788 tons. Naval operations: North SeaOtto Wünsche, commanding U-25, uses his deck gun to sink Norwegian freighter SS MINERAL, 649 tons, bound from Narvik to Newcastle with a load of pig iron and reels. His score is now 20 ships and 12,282 tons. Naval operations: German East AfricaConverted minesweepers CHARON, RATTLER and SALAMANDER patrol the area off Dar-Es-Salaam, on the coast just south of Zanzibar, supported by HMS CHALLENGER. At 1215 CHALLENGER opens fire on a German merchant in the bay, at a range of 8,800 yards. The cruiser fires for twenty minutes, ceasing at 1235. Damage to the target is not recorded by the British. The crew of HMS SEVERN re-mount a 4.7" gun that had previously been removed, while others continue rigging armour plate and mattresses for splinter protection. Naval operations: Battle of the Gulf of RigaGerman dreadnoughts SMS NASSAU and POSEN engage in an artillery duel with the Russian battleship SLAVA, resulting in three hits on the Russian ship that prompted her withdrawal. Photo: the half sunk remain of the German destroyer V99 which was sunk a day earlier
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 68,045
Likes: 49,445
|
Post by lordroel on Aug 18, 2020 2:53:32 GMT
Day 387 of the Great War, August 18th 1915Aerial operations: Germans zeppelins strike London againOvernight four German Zeppelin undertake a bombing raid on London. Two turn back due to engine trouble, and the captain of L11 manages to confuse the village of Ashford with the British capital, dropping his forty-one bombs in farmers' fields. L10, however, guided by the lights of towns and villages after making landfall on the Suffolk coast, is able to find London. Even its navigation is imperfect, though, and drops its bombs on what its captain believes is the City but is actually the north-east suburbs of Leyton and Wanstead Flats. Nevertheless, it is the first time a Zeppelin of the German navy bombs London, and the strike kills ten and damages the Leyton railway station. Eastern Front: Kaiser Wilhelm II and Falkenhayn meet with Archduke Friedrich and Conrad- Wilhelm II and Falkenhayn meet with Archduke Friedrich and Conrad at the latter's headquarters at Teschen today, ostensibly to celebrate the birthday of Emperor Franz Joseph, but also to decide further operations on the Eastern Front. Despite his continuing lack of faith in the fighting ability of the Austro-Hungarian army, Falkenhayn approves Conrad's suggestion of the latter's army conducting an offensive through Kowel. It is also agreed that the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army will be transferred from the left flank of the German 11th Army in Poland to the southeast, to join the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army in Conrad's offensive. This will leave 11th Army directly adjacent to the forces under General Worysch, and will help facilitate a clearer division of the Eastern Front between German and Austro-Hungarian sectors. In central Poland Prince Leopold's army group push forward in pursuit of retreating Russian forces, while 12th Army on its northern flank aims for the railway between Brest-Litovsk and Bialystok. To the south, Mackensen's army group opens its offensive against Brest-Litovsk itself. The Army of the Bug has been assigned additional responsibility for the line from the Krzna River west of the fortress southeast to the Bug River, and its 119th Division, alongside XXII Reserve Corps of 11th Army to the north, is to confront the western face of Brest-Litovsk. This adjustment of responsibility has allowed 11th Army to reinforce its left wing for a drive across the Bug River downstream from Brest-Litovsk to enable the fortress to be enveloped from the northeast. Here the advance is to be led by X Reserve Corps, followed by the Guard Corps, 103rd Division, and the Guard Cavalry Division. Today XXII Reserve Corps and 47th Reserve Division of X Reserve Corps, after hard fighting, push forward to the line Kijowiec-Lipnica-Tielesnica to the west of Brest-Litovsk, while elements of 105th Division of X Reserve Corps secures a bridgehead across the Bug River downstream from the Russian fortress. Map: The German advance towards Brest-Litovsk, August 18th to 26th, 1915 Naval operations: Saltholm island in the Øresund between Malmö and CopenhagenHMS E.13 Ordered with E.8 to join E.1 and E.9 in the Baltic, sailed Harwich 14th, approaching the Sound separating Denmark from Sweden late on the 18th, and E.13 dived. shortly before 2300, surfaced and ran hard aground on the SE of Saltholm island between Copenhagen and Malmo in neutral waters, tried all night to get clear and at 0500 on the 19th, Danish torpedo boat NARHALVEN arrived to inform the captain that there was a 24 hour limit for getting off, no assistance could be given and a guardship would anchor nearby. Photo: The British submarine E13 aground at Saltholm in the Øresund in 1915 after being attacked by German torpedo boats German destroyer came up but left when two more Danish TB's arrived, by this time it was accepted that E.13 could not be refloated and the crew were waiting to be taken off. About 0900 (or 0930) two German destroyers approached from the south flying the signal "abandon ship immediately", the leading G.132 fired one or two torpedoes which hit the bottom and failed to damage E.13, then both opened fire with machine guns, crew jumped into the water and swam for the shore or the Danish vessels but the Germans apparently fired on them until torpedo boat SOULVEN interposed herself, destroyers left and surviving men picked up by the Danes; 15 ratings lost by gunfire or drowning, 23 survivors landed in Copenhagen that evening and interned, Photo: E13 alongside dock at Copenhagen, showing damage caused by German gunfire Naval operations: Italian navy orders the evacuation today of PelagosaAfter the successful Austro-Hungarian bombardment of Pelagosa yesterday, the Italian navy orders the evacuation today of the island, believing that it cannot be held in the face of active enemy opposition. Covered by a strong cruiser and destroyer force from Brindisi, the Italian withdrawal is accomplished without difficulty. The evacuation, however, does nothing for the reputation of the Italian navy in the eyes of their allies, as Captain Richmond, the British liasion officer, writes in his diary today: They have by this admitted that the Austrians have command of the sea in the Adriatic in spite of inferior naval force & without fighting an action! They have surrendered to them. They had better sell their Fleet & take up their organs & monkeys again, for, by Heaven, that seems more their profession than sea-fighting.
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 68,045
Likes: 49,445
|
Post by lordroel on Aug 19, 2020 3:08:31 GMT
Day 388 of the Great War, August 19th 1915Eastern Front: Siege of NovogeorgievskPhoto: Russian fortifications at Novogeorgievsk - For the past eleven days German artillery, directed by General Beseler, has been systematically reducing the fortifications around Novogeorgievsk. Their work has been aided by the poor state of the defences - one fort was blown up by a single shell. The siege ends today with the surrender of the surviving Russian garrison, and while the Russian armies in the field suffer from munition shortages, over a million shells fall unused into German hands, and the fall of Novogeorgievsk provides yet another example of how fortified positions, on their own, are no match for the power and range of modern artillery. Photo: Russian 8-inch mortars captured at Novogeorgievsk - On the Eastern Front, Ludendorff issues orders for the German 10th Army to push its left wing from Kovno towards Vilna, with the Army of the Niemen covering ths northern flank of the advance by pushing towards the Dvina River. On the southern flank 8th and 12th Armies are instructed to push to the northeast, and the former seizes the town of Bocki today. Meanwhile, Prince Leopold's army group runs up against a new Russian defensive line running from Tokary to Nurec, and is held up. Stiff resistance is also encountered west of Brest-Litovsk by Russian forces on both sides of the Bug River as they attempt to cover the withdrawal of soldiers and wagons still in front of the fortress, and the German 11th Army is able to make only marginal gains today. Upriver from Brest-Litovsk, however, the German 1st Division on the southern wing of the Army of the Bug is able to break through the Russian defenders along the Bug at Wlodawa and drive eastward to Piszcza by this evening. The Austro-Hungarian offensive towards Kowel opens today with the advance of the cavalry corps commanded by the German General Ernst von Heydebreck and consisting of the German 5th and the Austro-Hungarian 4th and 11th Honved Cavalry Divisions. The ground opposite is lightly defended, as the Russian 13th Army has been pulled northwards to maintain contact with 3rd Army and cover the lines of communication with Brest-Litovsk. The only substantial Russian force in the area is XXXI Corps near Kowel, and it too is in the process of retreating northwards, its rear threatened by the advance of the Army of the Bug. Otherwise, only cavalry rear guards remain to impede the German and Austro-Hungarian advance, and given the paucity of defenders the cavalry is able to cover significant ground. Italian Front: General Cadorna ire is drawn to Italian aviation and the director-general of the air corps, Colonel Maurizio MorisAs General Cadorna assesses the failure of the first two offensives along the Isonzo River, his ire is drawn to Italian aviation and the director-general of the air corps, Colonel Maurizio Moris. A myriad of difficulties has prevented the air corps from adequately supporting Cadorna's attacks: it is short of manpower, poorly organized, and the few Farman aircraft that are available are limited by a low ceiling. The result has been poor observation of targets, preventing adequate counter-battery fire, and Cadorna writes to the war minister today insisting that the problems had to be fixed, and that Moris ought to go. While the performance of the air corps has certainly failed to live up to expectations, the same could be said for the entire Italian war effort, and one cannot help but wonder the extent to which Cadorna is attempting to pass on blame that ought to rest on his shoulders. Naval operations: North AtlanticFor the past several months, a series of communications have traveled back and forth between Berlin and Washington, attempting to resolve the dispute over unrestricted submarine warfare which had emerged after the sinking of the passenger ship Lusitania in May, and the two sides are approaching agreement on the basis of Bethmann-Hollweg's declaration of June 1st that neutral ships, and passenger ships of all countries, are to be spared. However, diplomatic discussions and theoretical limitations on the limits to submarine warfare take little account of the practical reality of naval combat in the North Atlantic, and the difficulty U-boat commanders can have reconciling such instructions with the necessity to ensure the safety of their submarine. Off Kinsale, Ireland today the captain of U-20 encounters precisely this dilemma, and his choice torpedoes the diplomatic efforts since May. The German U-boat stops the British steamer DURNSLEY, permitting the crew to enter their lifeboats before detonating bombs in the vessel's hold. All of this is perfectly 'legitimate' submarine warfare, even in the eyes of the American, but it is what happens next that this problematic. DURNSLEY takes a long time to sink, and as it does so the large passenger steamer ARABIC of the White Star line appears, bound for New York. Photo: ARABIC in about 1905 The captain of U-20 recalls that his submarine had been fired upon by a large steamer five days earlier, and decides that ARABIC is not just a target but a potential threat. Rather than remain on the surface, possibly exposing itself to fire from the steamer, the captain orders U-20 to submerge and attack, firing a torpedo that strikes and sinks ARABIC. Forty-four passengers drown, including three Americans. News of the sinking outrages American public opinion; not only does it make it seem that German submariners are ignoring instructions issued by their own government, but that the German government had been duping the Americans into believing they were making concessions regarding unrestricted submarine warfare that they either never intended to follow through on or could not be enforced. Either way, the diplomatic progress of the past few months sinks with ARABIC. Map: Contemporary map of the sinking location, marked with a red cross
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 68,045
Likes: 49,445
|
Post by lordroel on Aug 20, 2020 2:57:32 GMT
Day 389 of the Great War, August 20th 1915
YouTube (Escalation At Sea - Russia Up Against the Wall)
Western Front: Kitchener informs the committee, 'we must make war as we must, not as we should like
- For several months Kitchener has resisted complying with the request of Joffre for a major British attack to accompany the fall French offensive, preferring the British contribution to be limited to a heavy artillery bombardment that would not waste large numbers of infantry in futile assaults. A discussion of operations on the Western Front at the Dardanelles Committee today, however, shows that events have conspired to wear down the opposition of the Secretary of State for War. On the Eastern Front, the recent fall of Warsaw seems to indicate that the Russians face a fresh series of disasters, and a strong effort by Britain and France is needed to prop up Russian morale. Such a success is not to be found on Gallipoli, however, given the failure of the big push over the past two weeks. The French themselves, Kitchener suggests to the committee, need to go on the attack to preserve morale, and that the hesitancy of the British to attack is leading the French 'to have grave doubts about us.' The nightmare scenario of Russia and/or France seeking a separate peace is even raised. In such circumstances, Kitchener, with the utmost reluctance, now states that the British Expeditionary Force needs to undertake a major attack along the French this fall, even though, as he replies to a colleague, 'the odds were against a great success.' The circumstances of the war have forced the British hand; as he informs the committee, 'we must make war as we must, not as we should like.' With such sentiments are thousands of British infantry condemned to die; indeed, it is an appropriate summary of how all sides view the ongoing struggle.
Eastern Front: German 12th Army is able to make significant progress, seizing Nurec and Bielsk
On the Eastern Front only the German 12th Army is able to make significant progress today, seizing Nurec and Bielsk; the army groups of Prince Leopold and Mackensen are largely held up by strong Russian resistance. Even where the Russians are pulling back, however, the pace of the German advance is slowing, as casualty lists grow and logistical difficulties multiply; since the beginning of the month, General Gallwitz's 12th Army has suffered 60 000 losses while supplies now have to be hauled 125 kilometres by cart from the nearest railheads.
Italy: Italian government formally declares war on the Ottoman Empire
Though it had declared war on Austria-Hungary in May, it is only today that the Italian government formally declares war on the Ottoman Empire, and technically remains at peace with Germany.
Afghanistan: German mission to Afghanistan reaches the border at Herat
Having successfully evaded Russian patrols in eastern Persia, the German mission to Afghanistan reaches the border at Herat today. The Germans enter the city in formal dress; the governor of the town is polite but unimpressed, and decides to hold the mission in the town while awaiting instructions from the emir of Afghanistan in Kabul.
Naval operations: Celtic Sea, off the south English Channel
Max Valentiner, commanding U-38, sinks four more ships, his score is now 45 ships and 49,767 tons.
Naval operations: German East Africa
The crew of HMS SEVERN are busy once again removing armour plates, patching holes, replacing damaged gear and cleaning their ship.
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 68,045
Likes: 49,445
|
Post by lordroel on Aug 21, 2020 6:54:16 GMT
Day 390 of the Great War, August 21st 1915
United Kingdom & French relations
The finance ministers of France and Britain, meeting at Boulogne today, agree to float a joint loan in the United States, though it will formally be in Britain's name only. It was also agreed that proceeds would be shared with Russia, though Russian involvement would be kept private as American investors would be very hesitant to take up a loan backed by a government with such a poor fiscal reputation. It is hoped that American revulsion at the sinking of the passenger liners Lusitania and, two days ago, Arabic would enhance the willingness of American investors to back the Entente financially, and President Wilson has indicated privately that while he will not endorse the loan, he will not oppose it.
Eastern Front: Russians opposite Prince Leopold's army group retreat during the night
The Russians opposite Prince Leopold's army group retreat during the night, and during the former's pursuit of the latter today elements of both the German 12th Army and General Woyrsch's command cut the railway linking Brest-Litovsk and Bialystok while cavalry seize the town of Kleszczeli.
Naval operations: Argentina
Wilhelm Canaris arrives in Buenos Aires. When SMS DRESDEN was attacked by HMS KENT and GLASGOW on March 14th and forced to scuttle, her crew escaped to Juan Fernandez Island. From there they were taken by the Chilean Navy to Quiriquina Island, where they were interned for the rest of the war. Among the refugees was DRESDEN'S intelligence officer, in command of the prisoners. On August 5th Canaris escaped from the island in a boat and made his way to the German embassy in Santiago. There he was given a false passport and some travelling expenses. He then set out on horseback under the name "Reed Rosas". Crossing the Andes Mountains into Argentina Canaris arrives in Buenos Aires on August 21st.
Naval operations: Celtic Sea
Max Valentiner, commanding U-38, sinks three more British ships, his score is now 48 ships and 62,911 tons.
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 68,045
Likes: 49,445
|
Post by lordroel on Aug 22, 2020 6:20:00 GMT
Day 391 of the Great War, August 22nd 1915Western Front: General Haig adds the release of chlorine gasA centrepiece of Entente propaganda since the spring had been the German use of chlorine gas at the First Battle of Ypres, both as a violation of the rules of war and an affront to Western civilization, and had materially contributed to diminished reputation of Germany in neutral states in particular. What was undeniable, however, had been the impact of the first use of gas on the Western Front, given the hole it 'blew' in the Entente line at Ypres and the ground subsequently captured. Given the success the Entente powers have also been strongly tempted since April to make use of chemmical warfare themselves, and while some voices were raised in the British government opposing the use of chlorine gas on both a moral and a technical level (doubts were raised whether British industry could produce sufficient amounts of chlorine gas), the Cabinet had ultimately decided that they could not set aside a weapon that had the apparent potential to break the stalemate on the Western Front. For several months special detachments of Royal Engineers had been training on the handling and use of chlorine gas, and today demonstrate their capabilities before General Haig and his corps commanders. Suitably impressed, Haig adds the release of chlorine gas to his planning for the impending attack of his 1st Army south of La Bassée Canal. Eastern Front: German 8th Army seizes the Russian fortress at OssovietOn the Eastern Front the German 8th Army seizes the Russian fortress at Ossoviets today, while a subsequent advance also captures the town of Tykocin on the Narew River. To the south Prince Leopold's army group launches attacks to drive the Russian defenders opposite into the Bielowiese Forest further east, and though progress is made among the swamps a decisive success eludes the Germans. On the other side of Brest-Litovsk, the German 1st and 22nd Divisions of the Army of the Bug have reached Oltusz and Radez respectively today, and their advance has forced the Russian II Caucasian Corps to pull back from the Bug River between Wlodawa and Slawatyzce, with 11th Bavarian Division crossing in pursuit. Photo: Osowiec Fortress, Fortress Church. The parade on the occasion of the distribution St. George's crosses. January 24, 1915 Greece: King Constantine I of Greece resume his political responsibilitiesAfter several months convalescence, King Constantine I of Greece has sufficiently recovered to resume his political responsibilities, and today appoints Eleutherios Venizelos, who had emerged victorious in the June elections, Prime Minister. Naval operations: Celtic SeaMax Valentiner, commanding U-38, sinks British freighters DIOMED , 4,672 tons, bound from Liverpool to Shanghai with a general cargo; and PALMGROVE, 3,100 tons, captured and sunk with the deck gun while en route from Clyde to Porto Vecchio with a load of coal. Valentiner's score is now 50 ships and 70,683 tons.
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 68,045
Likes: 49,445
|
Post by lordroel on Aug 23, 2020 6:48:20 GMT
Day 392 of the Great War, August 23rd 1915
Western Front: Sir John French informs Haig that the 1st Army is to mount a full-scale attack
Having received instructions from Kitchener that the BEF is to attack not only in the location but also the manner desired by Joffre, Sir John French informs Haig that the latter's 1st Army is to mount a full-scale attack against the German line south of La Bassée Canal.
Eastern Front: German 10th Army has pushed over halfway from Kovno to Vilna
Over the past four days the left and centre of the German 10th Army has pushed over halfway from Kovno to Vilna. Along the entire Eastern Front, the only area where the Germans have not pushed significantly eastwards is the old battlefield at the forest of Augustow, where the line remains west of Grodno.
Naval operations: Celtic Sea
Max Valentiner, commanding U-38, sinks British tanker SILVIA, 5,268 tons, carrying oil from Halifax to Queenstown; and freighter TRAFALGAR, 4,572 tons, bound from Mejillones to Glasgow with a load of nitrate. He finishes his third war patrol with a total of 53 ship and 80,852 tons, overtaking Rudolf Schneider as the highest-scoring u-boat ace.*
Naval operations: North Sea
Werner Fürbinger, in UB-2, torpedoes HMT MIURA, 257 tons, bringing his score to 7 vessels and 554 tons.
Hans Nieland, in UB-12, stops and scuttles fishing smacks BOY BERT, 57 tons, and INTEGRITY, 52 tons. His score is now 8 vessels and 388 tons.
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 68,045
Likes: 49,445
|
Post by lordroel on Aug 24, 2020 2:47:00 GMT
Day 393 of the Great War, August 24th 1915
Eastern Front: German 11th Army is unable to make significant progress
- For the past four days, the German 11th Army has attacked Russian positions on both sides of the Bug River northwest of Brest-Litovsk, but have been unable to make significant progress. When a further assault is launched this morning, however, the enemy trenches are found to be abandoned. Overnight the southern wing of the Russian 4th Army retreated to avoid being outflanked by the advance of Prince Leopold's army group to the north. In response the left wing of 11th Army sets off in pursuit - 44th Reserve Division pushes to the village of Kolodno at the confluence of the Bug and Lesna River, the Guard Corps advances east through Niecholsty, and X Reserve Corps drives northeast to reach the next Russian defensive position on the line Kustyn-Barszczewo.
- After only occasional delays caused by the rearguard actions of Russian cavalry, German and Austro-Hungarian cavalry detachments under General Heydebreck occupy the city of Kowel this morning. The German 5th and Austro-Hungarian 11th Honved Divisions turn north, pursuing the retreating Russian XXXI Corps. This secures the northern flank for the next phase of Conrad's offensive, and the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army is assembling between Vladimir-Volynski and Kowel for an attack towards the town of Luck, aiming for the gap that has opened between the Russian 13th Army to the north and 8th Army, still along the upper Bug River, to the south.
Naval operations: North Sea
Rudolf Schneider, commanding U-24, takes Norwegian freighter SS SINSEN, 1,925 tons, bound from Archangelsk to Bayonne with a load of wheat, as a prize. The ship is later released.
Ralph Wenninger, in UB-17, takes Belgian sailing vessel LEON MATHILDE as a prize, details, including displacement, are unknown, making it difficult to record Wenninger's tonnage score.
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 68,045
Likes: 49,445
|
Post by lordroel on Aug 25, 2020 2:50:48 GMT
Day 394 of the Great War, August 25th 1915
Eastern Front: General Alexeiev fears of the imminent danger of envelopment
The German advance both north and south of Brest-Litovsk convinces General Alexeiev that the fortress is in imminent danger of envelopment. Wanting to avoid a repetition of the debacle at Novogeorgievsk, he orders the abandonment of Brest-Litovsk today, and instructs the Russian armies in central Poland to withdraw to the line Grodno-Kobrin. The Russian X, XIV, and III Caucasian Corps begin to pull back eastwards, and throughout the day massive explosions continuously rock the fortifications as the Russians attempt to destroy anything of military value. German and Austro-Hungarian forces push into the ruins, though they continue to suffer casualties due to exploding mines.
Naval operations: North Sea
Hans Nieland, commanding UB-12, scuttles fishing smack YONG FRANK, 49 tons, bringing his score to 9 vessels and 437 tons.
Naval operations: Gulf of Finland
Egewulf von Berckheim, in U-26, sinks Russian freighter SS PETSHORA, 1,982 tons. Ship's destination and cargo unknown. Von Berckheim's score is now 4 ships and 14,206 tons.
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 68,045
Likes: 49,445
|
Post by lordroel on Aug 26, 2020 2:57:28 GMT
Day 395 of the Great War, August 26th 1915Germany: Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg convenes a conference at PlessChancellor Bethmann-Hollweg convenes a conference at Pless today to discuss the diplomatic crisis that has ensued from the sinking of the passenger liner ARABIC on the 19th. He argues that there is no point arguing over whether the Americans ought to be outraged or not; the fact is they are, and that war is possible if decisive action is not taken. His position that the Americans must be appeased by restricting submarine warfare is supported by Falkenhayn, who hopes that the United States can be kept out of the war. Only the naval officers present insist that unrestricted submarine warfare must be allowed to continue, and that any concessions to the Americans would constitute pandering. The navy is overruled, and Wilhelm II authorized Bethmann-Hollweg to conclude a diplomatic agreement with the Americans that defers to the latter's wishes regarding submarine warfare. Admiral Bachmann, chief of the naval staff, asks to be relieved rather than execute a policy he disagrees with, and he is replaced by Admiral Hennig von Holtzendorff, a personal friend of the Chancellor and a skeptic of the ability of unrestricted submarine warfare to bring Britain to its knees. East Front: German 12th Army finally manages to capture the Russian fortress of Osowiec- On the Eastern Front the German 12th Army finally manages to capture the Russian fortress of Osowiec today, which had repulsed prior assaults. For several weeks it had served as a northern 'hinge' for the Russian retreat from Poland. With the Russian armies to the south having pulled back behind the line of the fortress, Osowiec has served its purpose, and the Russians have withdrawn eastwards. To the south, the fortress of Brest-Litovsk is also seized today; in the predawn hours advance elements of the German 11th Army pierce the inner fortifications and reach the Bug River, where they find the highway bridge in flames, set alight by the retreating Russians. Despite their best efforts, however, vast quantities of food and supplies fall into German hands with the capture of Brest-Litovsk, including once again a significant stockpile of artillery shells that could have been put to much better use by the armies in the field. The Russian forces on both flanks of the fortress also retreat, and 11th Army and the Army of the Bug make significant progress today, with the Guard, X Reserve, and XXII Reserve Corps reaching the line Rudka-Pruska northeast of Brest-Litovsk this evening. Photo: German soldiers outside the burning citadel at Brest-Litovsk[img src="  " alt=" "] The second phase of Conrad's offensive opens today with the advance of the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army southeast from the line Kowel-Vladimir-Volynski. Though the pace of the advance is slowed by the vast swamps of the region, which require foot-bridges to cross, the Austro-Hungarians are able to make encouraging progress against light opposition from Russian cavalry. General Ivanov of Southwest Front, however, had not been ignorant of the potential threat to his northern flank with the withdrawal of 13th Army to the northeast, and had instructed General Brusilov of 8th Army to stretch his northern wing back from the Bug River to cover Lutsk, and the latter had deployed four cavalry divisions to screen his exposed flank. The Russians have also used the two months of relative quiet along this stretch of the front to reinforce their battered divisions, and their average combat strength has risen from four to seven thousand. The new recruits, however, are dreadfully inexperienced, and many lack rifles. Map: The Eastern Front after the fall of Brest-Litovsk, Aug. 26th, 1915 Kamerun Campaign: British and French officials confer at DualaBritish and French officials confer at Duala today regarding the campaign in German Kamerun, and decide on a joint thrust to Jaunde after the end of the rainy season (October in the east and November in the west). Naval operations: Aegean SeaJohannes Kirchner, commanding UC-13, sinks Italian sailing vessel SAHINA NORIA, 37 tons, near Orak, Turkey.
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 68,045
Likes: 49,445
|
Post by lordroel on Aug 27, 2020 2:47:22 GMT
Day 396 of the Great War, August 27th 1915YouTube (The Battle of Hill 60 - Lunatic Persistence in Gallipoli)Eastern Front: Conrad's offensive on the southern stretch of the Eastern Front keeps going- Though for Conrad's offensive on the southern stretch of the Eastern Front the primary advance is to be undertaken by 1st Army from the north, the massive envelopment the Austro-Hungarian chief of staff desires can only be achieved if the armies to the south - 2nd, Süd, and 7th - also push forward south of the confluence of the Bug and Zlota Lipa Rivers. Launching their assaults this morning, elements from all three armies are able to secure bridgeheads over the Zlota Ripa by this evening. Given that Southwest Front is now confronting threats to both of its flanks, General Ivanov orders his forces in the centre - 8th and 11th Armies, along with the northern wing of 9th Army - to fall back to a line between the Bug and Styr Rivers (for the former) and along the Strypa (for the latter two). Map: The Austro-Hungarian offensive in Galicia and Volhynia, Aug. 27th to Sept. 2nd, 1915
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 68,045
Likes: 49,445
|
Post by lordroel on Aug 28, 2020 6:20:08 GMT
Day 397 of the Great War, August 28th 1915
Eastern Front: Falkenhayn issues new orders for the Eastern Front
- Falkenhayn today issues new orders for the Eastern Front which emphasize that once ongoing operations have been completed - especially the offensive towards Vilna undertaken by Hindenburg's army group - German forces will halt and construct a long-term defensive position stretching roughly from the upper Bug River to the Baltic Sea in Courland. In the centre this means that the army groups under Mackensen and Prince Leopold will halt roughly along the line Ratno-Szereszowo, as Falkenhayn sees no strategic purpose in pursuing the retreating Russians into the Pripat Marshes, which would only stretch German logistics even farther than they already are. Falkenhayn also warns Hindenburg and Ludendorff that once German forces have taken up their new defensive positions, between ten and twelve divisions will be transferred for service on other fronts. Though Russia has not been knocked out of the war, Falkenhayn believes, with some justification, that both the ability and willingness of the Russian army to undertake offensive operations has been shattered for the foreseeable future, and thus wishes to take advantage of the opportunity to strike against other foes. Hindenburg and Ludendorff, not surprisingly, disagree, seeing in the weakened Russian foe an opportunity to strike the knockout blow that the German chief of staff believes impossible.
Given his conclusion, Falkenhayn has been issuing orders for the redeployment of some of the German forces on the Eastern Front. In addition to dispatching forces to the Balkans for an offensive against Serbia, the German chief of staff wishes to send some divisions back to the Western Front, where they can act as reserves while they rest and receive replacements for losses suffered during the campaign in Russia. Today, orders go out to the Guard Corps, which is detached from Mackensen's army group and instructed to march from Brest-Litovsk to Warsaw, where it will entrain for the west.
- To the south, overnight the Russian 8th Army pulls back from the Bug River eastwards. Conrad emphasizes to the commander of the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army the importance of quickly seizing Lutsk, and elements of the army are across the Styr River north of the city by noon.
Mesopotamian campaign: Townshend returns to Amara and reassumes command of 6th Indian Division
After the capture of Amara in early June General Townshend of 6th Indian Division had become ill, and departed for India to convalesce, His soldiers, meanwhile, had endured the summer heat of Mesopotamia, with a number also becoming sick. The summer low of the Tigris also impaired the resupply of the division, and shortages of all kinds were being felt. Today, however, Townshend returns to Amara and reassumes command of 6th Indian Division which its soldiers take, correctly, as a sign of a return to action., as accompanying him are orders from General Nixon to advance up the Tigris River and seize Kut. Townshend himself has concerns over the advance: reinforcements are needed, and advancing another 120 miles up the Tigris will further extend the already tenuous supply line back to Basra. Nevertheless, he has been reassured by the commander-in-chief of the Indian army that he will not be ordered to advance beyond Kut without additional reinforcements.
Naval operations: Eastern Mediterranean
Despite the recent arrival of U34 and U35 in the eastern Mediterranean, Admiral Souchon has pleaded with his superiors in Berlin to send more submarines, in light of the British landing at Sulva Bay earlier this month. It is decided to dispatch two submarines, not only for the military impact they may have, but also to given the impression of German strength to the neutral states in the Balkans. Yesterday U39 departed Germany for the Mediterranean, followed today by U33.
Naval operations: North Sea
His Majesty's Trawler DANE, 265 tons, strikes a mine laid by Matthias Graf von Schmettow in UC-6. This is the fourth vessel lost to this minefield, giving von Schmettow a score of 1,567 tons.
|
|
lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 68,045
Likes: 49,445
|
Post by lordroel on Aug 29, 2020 6:07:14 GMT
Day 398 of the Great War, August 29th 1915Easter Front: German Army of the Bug captures the town of KobrinThe German Army of the Bug, driving east from Brest-Litovsk, captures the town of Kobrin today. To the south, the centre of the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army, advancing southeast between Lutsk and the Bug River, runs into new Russian defensive positions near Swiniuchy and along the Sierna River covering Lutsk, and the army commander informs Conrad that he intends to assault the lines tomorrow once his artillery, delayed by poor roads, can be brought up. Conrad, however, believes attacking here can have only negligible results, and instead once again emphasizes that the main axis of advance should be towards and north of Lutsk, to execute the envelopment of the Russian 8th Army he so greatly desires. As a result the Austro-Hungarian X Corps is pulled out of the line today and ordered to march east to swing around Lutsk from the north. Map: The Austro-Hungarian advance towards Lutsk, Aug. 29th, 1915 Naval operations: North SeaSS SIR WILLIAM STEPHENSON, 1,540 tons, bound from Tyne to London with a general cargo, becomes the latests victim of the minefield laid by UC-6. Matthias von Schmettow's score is now 5 ships and 3,107 tons. Naval operations: Adriatic SeaGeorg von Trapp, commanding Austrian U-5, takes Greek freighter SS CEFALONIA, 1,034 tons, as a prize off Durrazzo (Durrës), Albania. The ship was heading from Saloniki to San Giovanni de Medua with a load of grain. Von Trapp's score is now 3 ships and 13,665 tons.
|
|
