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Post by lordroel on Jan 25, 2021 3:37:40 GMT
Day 545 of the Great War, January 25th 1916
Western Front
Severe fighting near Arras.
Serbian campaign: Montenegrin campaign
Montenegro has been invaded by Austria-Hungary and Germany. Most of the country has been overrun. King Nikola has fled together with most of his government. The army has been disbanded but now the Austro-Hungarians insist on a formal surrender by what is left of the country’s government.
Already mostly overrun by Austria-Hungary, Montenegro is now placed under formal military rule by its occupiers.
Mesopotamia campaign
General Aylmer encamped at El Owasa (Orah).
United Kingdom: East End By-Election Fought on Air Defense
Although the United Kingdom would not hold a General Election during the war, by-elections continued as normal due to the death or resignation of MPs. A gentleman’s agreement between the parties meant that when such by-elections were called, the incumbent party was to run a candidate unopposed by the other major parties. This agreement of course did not apply to independent citizens. On January 9, the Baron Burnham died, leaving his son, Harry Levy-Lawson, the barony and its accompanying seat in the House of Lords. This meant that Levy-Lawson had to leave the Commons, triggering a by-election. The Conservatives nominated Warwick Brookes to be his successor, but he was challenged by Noel Pemberton-Billing.
Noel Pemberton-Billing was the founder of Pemberton-Billing Ltd., a maker of seaplanes. He served in the Royal Naval Air Service for the first portion of the war, but resigned to campaign for a stronger and independent Royal Air Force. He strongly advocated for increased air defense of London against zeppelins, promising that a strong air force could make the city safe and end the nightly blackouts–he even frequently gave his speeches from the cockpit of an airplane. He accused the current government of deliberately neglecting the defense of the East End from zeppelins due to the area’s poverty, which the First Lord of the Admiralty strongly denied. Brookes, not wanting to be outdone, also advocated for a stronger Air Force, as well as the institution of conscription.
Ultimately, Brookes won the by-election, held on January 25, by 376 votes (around 10%). The large Jewish community in the constituency may have proved a decisive factor, as Pemberton-Billing was a vocal anti-Semite (though he perhaps kept quiet during the campaign).
Aerial operations: Germans Maintain Aerial Superiority Over the Western Front, Churchill Urges Stronger British Air Force
Flying their single-wing, Fokker Eindecker figher planes, the German Imperial Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte) continued to dominate the skies over Britain and France lines. Fitted with synchronized Parabellum MG14 machine guns that allowed them to fire through their propellers, German flyers routinely defeated British and French foes in reconnaissance planes. Their Fokker monoplanes were designed on pre-war French racing models, and were consequently both fast and maneuverable, though in fact they were so responsive to changes in pitch and yaw that they were quite a danger to new flyers, and their roll-handling was rather poor.
With the Fokker Eindecker came the first generation of German aces, like Max Immelman, and Kurt Wintgens, who racked up kills despite needing eyeglasses, and Oswald Boelcke, the inventor of modern fighter tactics. Watching from the ground, Winston Churchill wrote letters home urging the British government to concentrate on creating a stronger Royal Flying Corps able to cope with its German competitors.
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Post by lordroel on Jan 26, 2021 4:00:43 GMT
Day 546 of the Great War, January 26th 1916
Mesopotamia campaign
Sir Percy Lake joins the Kut relief force.
Macedonian front: Falkenhayn Orders Attack on Salonika
After the Central Powers’ victory over Serbia, Falkenhayn recalled the majority of German troops in the Balkans, choosing not to pursue the Serbian Army into Albania or the French back to Salonika. On January 26, he had a change of heart, ordering General Gallwitz’s Eleventh Army to immediately spearhead a joint German-Bulgarian attack against the Allied forces at Salonika. His thought was that an attack against Salonika would divert Allied reinforcements from France so that they would be weakened ahead of his planned attack on Verdun.
Gallwitz began preparations, but realized that the immediate attack called for was impossible. The German forces in the area were too meager, and the Bulgarian Army was in no condition or mood to attack. The typhus epidemic that had ravaged the Serbian army had spread to the Bulgarians, food supplies were low, and the Bulgarian desire for attack had waned. One Bulgarian general even told a German officers: “For us Bulgars the war is really over. We have all we want.” Furthermore, the French had destroyed the railway line south of Velés in their retreat back to Salonika, leaving the closest railhead a good 60 miles away from the Allied lines. The rail line to Velés from Niš was inadequate to supply a whole army, as well. Multiple German generals warned Falkenhayn that any attack would both face severe supply problems and require additional guns (that could not be adequately supplied, anyway).
Meanwhile, the Greeks began to suspect that an attack might occur, and on the same day quietly ordered their troops to withdraw from the border if Germans or Bulgarian forces should appear. The coming fight, though fought on Greek soil, was between the Allies and the Central Powers and the current pro-German government would have nothing to do it.
United States/German relations: Colonel Edward M. House Meets with German Officials in Berlin as Personal Envoy of President Wilson
For six days in January 1916, the Texan Colonel E.M. House visited Berlin as a personal and unofficial envoy of American President Woodrow Wilson to discuss possible peace terms between the Entente and the Central Powers. Former Texas state politicians, House was close friends and a personal advisor to Wilson, and had helped him win the election in 1916. Despite no official position in the government, he lived in the White House and was Wilson’s most trusted confidant.
During the war, House threw himself behind Wilson’s efforts to try and broker a peace between the warring powers. His first visit had been a year earlier, when he stayed in Europe for six months, and came home to recommend to Wilson a policy of “limited preparedness” for war, while trying to find a way to end it. Enthusiastic and passionate about the same liberal values Wilson shared, House believed that the United States was morally superior to the European countries, and could find a way to resolve their disputes. On his second trip to Europe, beginning in January 1916, he often over-exaggerated his own role in diplomacy, and that of the US, in letters home to Wilson, despite the fact that the European powers were generally somewhat annoyed as what they saw as holier-than-thou behavior from Wilson and House.
House actually courted disaster for US policy during his trip, when British Foreign Minister Sir Edward Grey managed to get him to agree to what amounted to an ultimatum to Germany: submit to American mediation on pain of U.S. military intervention. Wilson was dismayed at this, though House was spared a breach with his president when the British government disavowed the agreement. Returning to the United States later in the year, House worked tirelessly on developing Wilson’s Fourteen Points. However, Wilson’s second wife, who he married in 1916, disliked House, and his position consequently weakened.
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Post by lordroel on Jan 27, 2021 3:50:53 GMT
Day 547 of the Great War, January 27th 1916
Western Front: Falkenhayn lights the fuse
It is the birthday of the Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. Perhaps it is not just coincidence that German chief of staff Erich von Falkenhayn today issues the formal orders for the great offensive against Verdun he is planning. The attack will begin in just over two weeks time, on the 12th of February. Nine divisions will attack towards Verdun on the eastern bank of the Meuse river, supported by a vast weight of artillery.
The local commander of the offensive is Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, the Kaiser’s son and heir, ably assisted by career army officer General Schmidt von Knobelsdorf. In the planning stages of the offensive they have clashed with Falkenhayn, because they think the attack should proceed on both banks of the Meuse. But Falkenhayn insists that he does not have enough troops available for so broad an offensive. He must keep men back to cover the counter-attacks elsewhere on the line that he is sure will follow once the attack on Verdun begins.
Preparations for the offensive continue in the utmost secrecy. To avoid Allied reconnaissance aircraft spotting anything unusual the Germans have concentrated their fighter planes in the Verdun sector. Their artillery pieces are camouflaged to hide them from prying eyes. Underground shelters close to the front are being dug for the German troops; these stollen will be used to conceal and shelter troops who might otherwise be noticed waiting for the attack in forward trenches.
The secrecy cannot be total. The Allies are beginning to suspect that something might be up, but the Germans are cleverly engaging in diversionary activities along the line to keep the British and French off balance. Haig and Joffre increasingly realise that the Germans are planning to attack somewhere, but they are still not certain that Verdun is the target.
United Kingdom: Conscription Bill Passes Parliament
Despite Kitchener’s call to arms in 1914 that rallied tens of thousands of men to recruiting offices throughout Britain and the Empire, Britain’s growing need for men in 1916 forced her to repudiate her old volunteer tradition and initiate the draft, like the other European powers. By the second half of 1915, Britain’s forces had been drained by battles in France and throughout the rest of the world, and the lines in front of recruiting offices were shortening, even though Britain had put more men into uniform than ever before in its history
Though it was bitterly contested, Parliament passed the Military Service Act on January 27, obliging single and un-widowed men under the age between 18 and 45 to enroll in military service. Those who required exceptions were required to apply for them before March 2. Soon the requirements would extend to married men, and then older ones too - in an attrition war, the nation that could put the last man into uniform would win, and so Britain was forced to adopt the conscription system of its neighbors. Though the first conscripts would not be ready for the offensives of summer 1916 (this would be the job for Kitchener’s volunteers), they would be on hand to fill in the gaps afterwards.
A: General Service.
B1: Garrison Service Abroad.
B2: Labour Service Abroad.
B3: Sedentary Work Abroad.
C1: Garrison Service at Home Camps.
C2: Labour Service at Home Camps.
C3: Sedentary Service at Home Camps.
The Official History records the physical standards defining each category:
A: Able to march, see to shoot, hear well and stand active service conditions.
B: Free from serious organic diseases, able to stand service on the lines of communication in France, or in garrisons in the tropics.
B1: Able to march five miles, and see to shoot with glasses and hear well.
B2: Able to walk five miles to and from work, see and hear sufficiently for ordinary purposes.
B3: Only suitable for sedentary work.
C: Free from serious organic disease, able to stand service conditions in garrison at home.
Aerial operations: Germans shoot down a RFC plane in German South East Africa
In German South East Africa, RFC planes had bombed German camps Serengeti and Taveta on 8 January. A German officer at Taveta subsequently writtten an essay on the impact of aerial bombing on native troops for Colonel von Lettow-Vorbeck, the German commander. It read:
‘The appearance of the aeroplane above Taveta on the morning of the 8th of January has not failed to make a considerable impression on the natives. Seized with fear and terror, they ran away from their fields and concealed themselves in the huts and in the forest. Natives who were on the road to Taveta to work there for the Government, threw away their tools and did not return for many days. Women who were on their way to the market left their produce on the road, ran home and, by exaggerating what they had seen, spread terror in places far distant. Also the natives who had more common sense, as the Manki and Akiden, were perplexed. They considered the aeroplane as a supernatural being Muungu. This Muungu was endowed with great power. The route which he followed had now become spirited and the land was unproductive. The natives over whom he flew were now possessed of evil spirits. … It is quite comprehensible that the natives, seeing the aeroplane, were shaken in their belief in the power of the Germans. According to their belief, the War-Lord is with the conqueror and not with the vanquished. The War-Lord (aeroplane) has now come from the English side, and has visited the Germans by sending the evil spirit (bombs).’
Fortunately for the Germans they were able to restore some credibility with the native troops when they shot down a British aircraft from the ground today. This was a Cauldron G3 (3882) piloted by Flight Sub-Lieutenant F O Brown who was nevertheless able to return to his own lines.
Naval operations: North Sea
Ernst Voigt, commanding UB-6, scuttles fishing smack CRYSTAL, 57 tons, 25 miles south-east of Southwold.
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Post by lordroel on Jan 28, 2021 3:52:56 GMT
Day 548 of the Great War, January 28th 1916
YouTube (The Kaiser's Birthday - Hypocrisy in Greece)
Western Front
Germans take Frise (Somme) and trenches near Givenchy; repulsed at Carnoy (Mametz).
Macedonian front: Allies Seize Greek Peninsula After Negotiations
The Allied army at Salonika was in an awkward position, essentially occupying a major city in a neutral power. The Greek Army still had a presence in the surrounding area, and Allied commanders were worried they were passing on information to the Germans. One particular concern was Point Karaburun, twelve miles south of Salonika, where a Greek battery had a clear view of the naval approaches to the city. The Greek King’s had earlier refused to hand over the point, having said ”I will not be treated as if I were a native chieftain.” On January 22, the British troop-carrier Norseman was sunk off the point, and although all the people (and 500 of the mules) on board were saved, the French became convinced the Greek officers on the point were in league with the Germans and were signalling their submariners.
On January 26, French General Sarrail, determined to take action, began moving troops towards the point, only informing the British commander the next day. By the morning, the Allied forces arrayed against the point were ready. Three thousand French infantry were approaching from Salonika, supported by British Marines. Obsolete (but still deadly) Allied warships had their guns trained on the battery, including the Russian cruiser ASKOLD, which had arrived last year all the way from Vladivostok. Three airplanes circled overhead, and a squadron of cavalry was ready in reserve. In the end, the Greeks surrendered without a shot early in the morning of the 28th. In fact, the Greeks were so unperturbed that one of the senior officers there had driven through the Allied lines to go on leave while the Allies were advancing on his fort.
On the same day, Joffre sent a telegram to his old nemesis Sarrail, telling him to prepare an offensive against the Bulgarians. Joffre hoped that a demonstration in the Balkans would pull some German forces back away from the Western Front, where they had been concentrating. Falkenhayn, apparently of similar mind, had ordered essentially the same of Gallwitz only two days earlier.
Kamerun Campaign: Allies Capture Yaounde, Capital of German Kamerun
French and Belgian troops storm the capital of German Cameroon, putting the overlooked Kamerun Campaign into its final stage. The German commander of the Kamerun garrison, Carl Zimmerman, seeing the Entente pressing in on all sides against his badly outnumbered command, gave the order to abandon Yaounde before the French and Belgian arrived. His soldiers escaped across the border to the Spanish colony of Rio Muni (modern-day Equatorial Guinea).
The French commander of the expedition, General Aymerich, addressed his multi-national command, which came from France, Britain, Belgium, as well as Nigeria, French West Africa, and the Belgian Congo, in a speech that summed up this oft-forgotten but unbelievably difficult campaign:
“For more than 18 months, you have known sweltering days in the humidity and freezing nights without shelter, you have withstood the torrential rains of the Equator; you have crosses impenetrable rain forests and fetid swamps; you have, without rest, broken through enemy positions one after another and lost many comrades. Lacking food, sometimes lacking ammunition, your uniforms in tatters, you have persevered on your glorious march without a complaint, without a murmur, until you had achieved the task in hand. Before I depart from the Belgian Force Publique, I must express just how precious, and I am speaking from the bottom of my heart, has been the cooperation of your officers and European junior officers. To all the ranks and native soldiers, you have earned every manner of praise for your bravery under fire, for your patience, and your abnegation which was required for entire long duration of this campaign. This brotherhood forged on the field of battle, the blood lost by us all fighting for the same cause, will again assure the links of friendship which have always existed between our nations. It is for me a grand honor to have had under my command such valiant troops.”
Aerial operations: Sykes Leaves
The commander of the air forces in the Dardannelles, Wing Captain Frederick Sykes has been relieved of his command and ordered home to London.
The main reason for this is that ground troops have now been successfully evacuated from the peninsula, and although the RNAS will remain in place to carry out reconnaissance and occasional bombing, there is no need for someone of his rank. The commander of 2 Wing RNAS, Eugene Gerrard will assume command.
Naval operations: North Sea
Norwegian freighter SS PERTH, 3,522 tons, bound from Fremantle to Fredriksstad with a load of whale oil, hits a mine laid by Egon von Werner in UC-1. The ship is only damaged and reaches port safely.
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Post by lordroel on Jan 29, 2021 8:47:11 GMT
Day 549 of the Great War, January 29th 1916Western FrontGerman troops take the village of Frise in the Somme, capturing 1,000 prisoners and 22 artillery guns. German offensive at Dompierre (south of the Somme). Eastern FrontRenewed fighting on the Strypa and in Bukovina; Austrians claim success. Caucasus campaign: Erzurum OffensiveRussians bombard ridge protecting Erzerum. Armored Warfare: British Armored Landship, or “Tank” Begins TrialsIn Febraury 1915, Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, established a “Landships Committee” to design an armored vehicle capable of breaking through the deadlock of the Western Front. Multiple designs were tested in attempted to invent a tractor-like vehicle which could navigate the mud of France and Belgium, crush barbed-wire, and support and protect infantrymen. When the Committee ran out of funding, Churchill provided funds directly from the admiralty. Numerous designs were tested, in England, as well as in France and Russia, whose engineers were also doing their utmost to design such a vehicle. Finally, months of trials produced a new prototype, the creation of Walter Wilson and William Tritton, members of Fosters Engineering Works at Lincoln. In September, the duo had produced a prototype called Little Willie, which actually looked quite a lot like the tanks of the future, but lacked trench-crossing abilities and so was vetoed without much thought. In January, Wilson and Tritton returned with a new design - this time, Big Willie, or “Mother”. Unlike their last try, this time the pair’s prototype landship fared well, crossing a 3-meter trench and riding over a vertical obstacle. Big Willie, the first of the Mark I tanks, needed a crew of eight. Its caterpillar tracks were powered by a 105 horsepower Daimler engine originally used for tractors, and guided by a two gearsmen who worked the gears on the drive shafts to the sprocketed wheels that runed the caterpillar tracks. Weighing over 27 tons and protected by 6-12 inches of plate-steel armor, Big Willie topped out at a maximum of 3.7 miles per hour, and could carry either two naval 6-pounder guns in sponsor turrets on the side and four machine guns, or seven machine guns with nothing else. The brass who witnessed its trial (with the exception of Lord Kitchener) were so blown away that they immediately placed an order for 100 machines. This vehicle, the Mark I, would be the basis for Britain’s armor for the rest of the war, and the first ever “tank”. The term “tank” was coined because, without its guns, it looked like a vehicle for carrying water, and the Army was so concerned that they should take the Germans by surprise that when they were finally loaded on trains for transport from the factory, they were labelled “to Petrograd” in Cyrillic on the sides to fool spies. Aerial operations: Zeppelin Raid on Paris Injures 30, Kills 24German Zeppelins had largely been directed at London, rather than Paris, during the war so far. Presumably this was because the Zeppelin was one of the few weapons that could hit the hated English directly, while the Germans already occupied and fought over a great deal of France already. On January 29, the Germans launched only their second attack of the war on Paris. The Zeppelin’s bombs mainly hit a dense, poorer section of Paris, killing 24 and injuring 30. French authorities blamed dense fog for their air defenses’ failure to intercept the Zeppelin. Photo: Aftermath of the Zeppelin raid Naval operations: North SeaDutch freighter SS THUBAN, 3,260 tons, bound from New York to Rotterdam, runs on a mine laid by an unknown ship. The damaged freighter is beached at Mucking Flats in the Thames estuary and saved. Naval operations: English ChannelBritish destroyer HMS VIKING is damaged by a mine while patrolling off Boulogne.
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Post by lordroel on Jan 30, 2021 7:48:30 GMT
Day 550 of the Great War, January 30th 1916
Western Front: Germans Attack French Positions Near the Somme
In a zealous display of patriotism, German troops attacked French positions on the Somme in late January in honor of the Kaiser’s 57th birthday. The attack overran the village of Frise, capturing or killing all the French troops there. The next day, the Germans fell on the British lines near Carnoy, providing some fighting experience for the Liverpool Pals, one of the first of Kitchener’s New Army battalions to have reached the front in preparation for the summer offensive. The Pals, who like the other “Pals Battalions” all came from the same city and walks of life, enlisting together, drove off the German attack, and were excited to find one of their captured enemies was a wearing the ribbon of the Iron Cross.
United Kingdom: UK Attorney General Arrested by Army
Despite his effective exile to the continent, Churchill was not without his friends in British political life. One of these was Attorney General F.E. Smith, one of the few Conservatives to favor Churchill despite the latter’s 1904 break with the party. Smith crossed the Channel to visit Churchill on January 30, but he was shortly thereafter arrested by military police for not having a pass allowing him to be there. He was released within a day, and was mollified by a visit with General Haig. The next day, Smith met with Churchill, along with Lloyd George and Conservative leader Bonar Law, who were returning from Paris. At the meeting, all four agreed that PM Asquith was ineffective and should be removed from office, but settled on no concrete plans on how to do so.
Aerial operations: RFC Reorganises
The expansion of the RFC on the Western Front has finally reached the point where additional formations other than Wings are needed to ensure the Corps is able to carry out its work effectively.
Today the RFC was divided up into Brigades – which will support each Army. Each Brigade is made up of two or more wings. Importantly at least one wing will be responsible for reconnaissance, photography, and artillery co-operation on the immediate front of each army. Another will cover reconnaissance work beyond the area covered by the corps, which had special interest for the army commander
Since, too, the air work for the army head-quarters called for aeroplanes of extended radius of action, those of the highest performance and most fitted to fight for their information were attached to the army wings. Each brigade includes an aircraft park and a kite balloon squadron and is, in effect, a self-sufficient air unit.
Today the following Brigades were formed:
- I Brigade, commanded by Brigadier-General E. B. Ashmore, comprising 1 and 10 Wings
- III Brigade, under Brigadier-General J. F. A. Higgins comprising 3 and 12 Wings
II Brigade, grouping the Second and Eleventh Wings, will form shortly.
Two squadrons (12 and 21) have been retained at RFC headquarters to carry out special strategical and patrol work required by GHQ.
Naval operations: North Sea
Dutch freighter SS MAASDIJK, 3,557 tons, travelling in ballast from Rotterdam to Portland, Maine, hits a mine laid by Egon von Werner and UC-1. The ship is safely beached but is later written off as a total loss. Von Werner's score is now 14 ships and 14,588 tons.
Naval operations: Atlantic Ocean
British collier SS CORBRIDGE was captured by SMS MOWE on January 11th, and has been used since then to carry fuel for the German raider. Her coal supply exhausted, the ship is sunk today, 280 miles north-northwest of Fernando Noronha Island, off the coast of Brazil. MOWE'S score is now 12 ships and 50,224 tons.
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Post by lordroel on Jan 31, 2021 8:14:17 GMT
Day 551 of the Great War, January 31st 1916Naval operations: North SeaRalph Wenninger, commanding UB-17, captures and scuttles British fishing smacks ARTHUR WILLIAM, 56 tons; HILDA, 44 tons; and RADIUM, 59 tons; and Belgian smack MARQUERITE, 32 tons. Wenninger's score is now 11 vessels and 730 tons. Aerial operations: 26 Squadron RFC arrives in Mombasa26 (South African) Squadron RFC finally arrived in Mombasa, British East Africa today. The Squadron is made up from a nucleus of the officers and men who had taken part in the German South-West Africa campaign under Major Gerald Percy Wallace. The squadron was equipped with eight BE2c’s, some steel framed Henri Farmans retained from the previous campaign, Leyland lorries and work- shops,Crossley tenders, plus stores and spares. Unfortunately the propellers of the BE2c’s were not packed at Farnborough. There are six spare propellers of a different and less suitable type, but one of these had been broken in transit, leaving only five for the eight aeroplanes. The spare propellers will have to be specially bored before they will fit the BE2c’s. The Farmans are in a poor state too with warped wings and rotten fabric. It will take a while before the Squadron will be able to start operations. Photo: a Royal Aircraft Factory BE2C Aerial operations: Zeppelins return to the United KingdomFollowing the bombings on 23 January, the German Naval Air Service carried out a major airship raid overnight. Nine Zeppelins took part, but bad weather over the North Sea and much fog and mist over Britain meant that all found it extremely difficult to plot their positions, and the main target Liverpool was missed altogether. The first Zeppelins to arrive were L21 and L13 which crossed the coast north of Mundesley, Norfolk at 4.50pm. L21 then reached Nottingham and Derby (thinking it to be Manchester) then turned towards Wolverhampton, which was mistaken for Liverpool. Bombs were dropped on Tipton at about 8.00pm. Three bombs fell on Waterloo Street (killing one) and Union Street (13 killed and 10 injured). Over Lower Bradley, near Bilston, five bombs landed near the canal killing one and mortally injuring another. A further three fell on a Bloomfield brickworks but two failed to ignite. Wednesbury was attacked at about 8.15pm. In King Street, three houses were destroyed and others damaged; killing 14 people. In the same road another person was killed at the Crown Tube Works. And a bomb at the Mesty Croft Goods Yard killed one person and damaged railway trucks. At about 8.25pm, L21 appeared over Walsall and dropped 11 bombs damaging the Congregational Church in Wednesbury Road – killing Thomas Merrylees and in Bradford Place injuring a man in the Science and Art Institute and killing two men in the street. Shrapnel from the bomb also mortally wounded Mary Slater, mayoress of Walsall whio was passing by in a tram. L21 then set course back to the coast, but dropped six final incendiary bombs on the Islip furnaces at Thrapston in Northamptonshire at about 9.15pm. All six fell harmlessly in fields. L21 passed out over the coast south of Lowestoft at about 11.35pm. L13 separated from L21 near Foulsham, Norfolk and then crossed Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, and at about 8.15pm south of Stoke-on-Trent dropped six bombs on Fenton Colliery, causing only minor damage. After circling around Stoke, L13 then went East and around 11.00pm appeared over Scunthorpe. L13 then attempted to bomb the Frodingham Iron and Steel Works which was lit up but missed and instead hit the nearby Redbourne Iron Works killing two men. Four workmen’s houses in Scunthorpe were demolished, killing a man and injuring seven people. 15 minutes later L13 was out at sea. . L15 arrived at around 5.50pm, in the same area as the previous raiders and then flew on westwards and bombed Burton-on-Trent at about 8.45pm, attracted by fires caused by incendiary bombs dropped by L20. It’s ubnclear exactly which Zeppilin dropped which bombs, difficult to determine which Zeppelin dropped which bombs but the engine house at Bass’s Brewery, the sawmill at Allsopp’s Brewery and the malthouse at Worthington’s Brewery were all hit and damaged. Charrington’s and Robinson’s Breweries were also hit, but without causing damage. The bombs wrecked nine houses and damaged others killing five. At the Christ Church Mission Room a bomb exploded outside, killing six. L15 then headed home and out to sea at Corton at 12.35am. L16, came inland near Hunstanton, Norfolk, at about 6.10pm. As the craft was suffering form engine problems during her crossing the Captain attacked nearby targets, dropping bombs on Swaffham at 6.20pm – causing no damage, 18 bombs near Mildenhall, which and 22 on Isleham Fen. The only casualties were 16 chickens. L16 then headed east, and headed out to sea near Lowestoft at 9.05pm. Zeppelin L14 appeared at 6.15pm shortly after L16. At 7.00pm she reached Wisbech and dropped a single bomb and then went north-west dropping a bomb on Knipton at about 8.00pm. L14 reached Shrewsbury at 10.05pmbut unable to locate a target L14 turned east where, two bombs were dropped on a furnace at Ashby Woulds. L14 then dropped four HE bombs on Overseal, Derbyshire at about midnight, and shortly after on Swadlincote where the blast broke some windows. Ten minutes later, L14 reached Derby and dropped 25 bombs. Nine fell on the Midland Railway works damaging the sheds and killing William Bancroft, James Hardy and Harry Hithersay, and injuring two others. Three bombs hit the Metalite Lamp Works, wrecking the factory but injuring no-one. The remaining bombs only caused minor damage. A retired headmistress, Sarah Constantine, also died of heart failure caused by the raid. L14 headed east and went out to sea at about 2.10am. Zeppelin L19 cam inland at 6.20pm near Sheringham, Norfolk suffering from serious engine problems. Passing Stamford at 8.10pm L19 then circled back before flying on towards Loughborough. From Loughborough L19 saw the fires in Burton and dropped two bombs at about 9.45pm. L169 then went to the west of Birmingham before passing Stourbridge, Kidderminster and Bromsgrove. L16 now went North and dropped a bomb over Wednesbury, damaging the Monway Works of the Patent Shaft & Axletree Company. L19 now flew south east to Dudley dropping 5 bombs on the way without any damage. Arriving over Dudley at 12.15am, L19 dropped 17 bombs causing only minor damage. Shortly after this, 11 bombs were dropped on Tipton, wrecking the Bush Inn amongst other buildings but causing no causalities. Finally L19 headed for Walsall dropping three bombs killing a horse, four pigs and about a hundred chickens. L19 then turned for home. L17 came inland about 6.30pm also at Sherringham. Moments later a searchlight at RNAS Holt broke through the cloud and illuminated L17. In response, L17 dropped ten bombs hoping to extinguish the light – but without success. L17 then dropped bombs on Bayfield Lodge, about 800 yards from RNAS Holt, Bayfield Hall, and Letheringsett, south of Bayfield Hall without any serious damage. L17 went out to sea south of Great Yarmouth 20 minutes later. L11 and L20, arrived over the Wash together, parting near Sutton Bridge at about 7.10pm. L11 headed north west, passing Lincoln and south of Sheffield before reaching the Peak District between Sheffield and Macclesfield. Thick fog made it impossible to navigate and L11 returned to base without dropping any bombs. L20 headed west and as she approached Stamford dropping a bomb and then continued to Loughborough and dropped four HE bombs Extensive damage was caused in the town killing 10 and injuring 12. L20 then headed north, dropping bombs on Kimberley, Awsworth and Trowell, and the Stanton Ironworks at Hallam Field where two men were killed. Finally L20 reached Burton and dropped 12 bombs at 8.45pm – which later attracted the other raiders. L.20 then headed out to sea near Cromer at 11.52pm. Naval operations: Legal Dispute over Captured Steamship APPAM Brought to Norfolk, Virginia, by German Prize CrewCaptured by the German surface raider SMS MOWE in January, the APPAM was a British steamer, one of fifteen ships sunk or captured by MOWE during its month-long voyage. Sailed by a German prize crew, the MOWE docked in Norfolk, Virginia, on February 1, 1916. The British company which owned the ship then filed suit with the American government to recover the ship. In July, a Federal Judge ruled that the ship had to be returned to its owners, as well as all cargo or the proceeds from selling it off. Germany appealed, but the Supreme Court of the United States, in their decision The Steamship APPAM, ruled in 1917 that it would be unneutral for the United States to permit either belligerent to bring prizes into American ports, and that Germany could not claim such right under any of the existing treaties between that country and the United States. Furthermore, “The principles of international law,“ the opinion added, "leaving the treaty aside, will not permit the ports of the United States to be thus used by the belligerents. If such use were permitted, it would constitute the ports of a neutral nation harbors of safety into which prizes might be safely brought and indefinitely kept.” Photo:S.S. APPAM captured by German raider flies Tueton flag in American port
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Post by lordroel on Feb 1, 2021 3:45:09 GMT
Day 552 of the Great War, February 1st 1916Eastern FrontViolent cannonade south-east of Riga. Macedonian frontSerbians repulse Austrians near River Ishmi (northern Albania). Caucasus campaignRussian progress in Armenia. Russians drive back Turks in Karmanshah district. Russia: A new prime minister for RussiaThe impressively whiskered Ivan Goremykin has been serving as Russian prime minister since early 1914. His conservative views have endeared him to Tsar Nicholas. However, he has found it difficult to deal with the more progressive members of the cabinet, who have been pressing for a less autocratic approach to government. The 76 year old Goremykin has little stomach for the fight; he has asked to be allowed retire. Now the Tsar finally lets him go. The new prime minister is Boris Stürmer. Stürmer’s record does not promises great success in his new job: as a provincial governor he was accused of corruption while his previous stint as minister of the interior was seen by many as marred by incompetence. He is however unquestioningly loyal to the imperial dynasty, so much so that he finds it difficult to make any decision of substance without first consulting the Tsarina and her spiritual adviser, the holy man Grigori Rasputin. Aerial operations: L19 and King StevenFollowing the attacks last night, the Zeppelin L19 made a slow, erratic return journey, doubling back several times due to engine trouble with the new Maybach HSLu engines. While lighter and more powerful than those they replaced, the new engines were proving unreliable. They finally set out to sea after five hours. The L19 sent several signals, hoping to fix here position by radio-triangulation and reporting the results of her bombing. The last signal was heard from her at 4pm on 1 February 1916 when she was 22 miles (40 km) north of the Dutch island of Ameland. She reported three out of four engines had failed and her radio equipment was malfunctioning. Around 5pm, the Zeppelin drifted low over the island, and Dutch units on the ground opened fire on her. A south wind blew the L 19 offshore again and during the night of 1–2 February, the Zeppelin came down in the North Sea. The Kapitänleutnant Odo Löewe dropped a bottle into the sea, with a report on his situation and with letters to his family. The German Navy put ships to sea that night to search for the L19, but they only discovered one of her fuel-tanks, still containing fuel. This was likely dropped as a measure to save weight and remain aloft. The next morning, the floating wreck of the airship was discovered by a British steam fishing trawler, King Stephen commanded by William Martin. The vessel had sighted distress signals during the night and had spent several hours steaming towards them. Clinging to the wreck were the airship’s 16 crew. The fishing vessel approached and Kapitänleutnant Loewe, who spoke English well, asked for rescue. Martin refused. Ignoring the Germans’ pleas for help, promises of good conduct and even offers of money, Martin sailed away. The weather was worsening as King Stephen departed and the Zeppelin remained afloat for only a few hours. During this time, the L 19’s crew threw a bottle with messages into the sea. Royal Navy ships later made a search of the area, but they found no trace of the Zeppelin or her crew. Captain Martin later claimed that the nine crew of King Stephen were unarmed and badly outnumbered and would have had little chance of resisting the German airmen if, after being rescued, they had hijacked his vessel to sail it to Germany. An alternative explanation for his action, suggested that King Stephen was in a zone in which fishing was prohibited by the British authorities and that Martin feared that if he returned to a British port with a large number of German prisoners, attention might have been drawn to this and he would have been banned from fishing.[17] He later said he intended to search for a Royal Navy ship to report his discovery to. However, he met none and the encounter with the L 19 was only reported to the British authorities on his return to King Stephen’s home port of Grimsby. In 1964, a journalist researching the incident checked Admiralty archives and interviewed two surviving members of King Stephen’s crew. This revealed that Martin had indeed been fishing in a forbidden zone and had initially given the naval authorities a false position for the Zeppelin in order to conceal this, making the Royal Navy search for the airship futile. The incident received world-wide publicity and divided British public opinion. Captain Martin was condemned by many for leaving the German airmen to die. Others, including Arthur Winnington-Ingram, the Bishop of London, praised Martin for placing the safety of his crew first and not trusting the promises of the Germans. Some elements of the Allied press viewed the Germans’ deaths as just “retribution” for their bombing of civilian targets. Martin was unsurprisingly vilified by the German press, as was the Bishop of London for supporting him. The incident was still remembered 25 years later, when it was used in Nazi-era, anti-British propaganda. Propaganda poster: "Pirate's punishment: returning from a raid on England, Zeppelin L 19 sinks in the North Sea" Over the next few months some of the bottles washed up, containing personal last messages from the airmen to their families and a final report from Loewe. This said: “With fifteen men on the top platform and backbone girder of the L 19, floating without gondolas in approximately 3 degrees East longitude, I am attempting to send a last report. Engine trouble three times repeated, a light wind on the return journey delayed our return and, in the mist, carried us over Holland where I was received with heavy rifle fire; the ship became heavy and simultaneously three engines broke down. 2 February 1916, towards one o’clock, will apparently be our last hour.” Drawing: Artist's illustration of the wrecked L 19 and the King Stephen; published in Flight Naval operations: Mediterranean SeaOtto Hersing begins his fifth war patrol in U-21 with the sinking of British freighter SS BELLE OF FRANCE, 3,876 tons, carrying a load of grain from Karach to Algiers. His score is now 10 ships and 46,303 tons. Naval operations: U-Boat Successes Covered by Zeppelin ActivityGerman submarines were once again operating in the North Sea, although they were operating under official pre-war prize rules in order to avoid angering the United States. This meant, among other things, that they were not supposed to sink merchant ships without warning. In practice, however, many U-boat captains continued business as usual as long as they were sure they were not about to sink a passenger liner. In the early morning of February 1st, the submarine UB-17 sank the British merchant ship FRANZ FISCHER (which had been seized from its German owners at the beginning of the war). Those on board the FRANZ FISCHER and nearby vessels, however, did not suspect a submarine, with many claiming they saw a Zeppelin dropping a bomb onto the ship. It was assumed by the British for many years that this was one of the Zeppelins returning from the Midlands raid that night. Even as late as the 1980’s, it was assumed by the British that a Zeppelin was responsible, rather than a submarine violating prize rules.
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Post by lordroel on Feb 2, 2021 3:51:29 GMT
Day 553 of the Great War, February 2nd 1916Kenya: Somali Attacks into KenyaThe British colonial forces in Kenya were far more concerned with the German threat to their south than the more typical peacetime threats elsewhere along their borders. The Aulihan tribe, residing in Jubaland along the border between Kenya and Somalia, knew this and took advantage of it. The leader of the Aulihan convinced the local British Constabulary to disarm their askaris when they were off-duty at night. On the night of February 2, the Aulihan attacked and quickly overwhelmed the largely-disarmed British force, killing 95 soldiers and civilians. They seized many of the weapons that had been locked up and inaccessible to the Askaris, including a machine gun and 50 rifles. The British, still concentrated on the Germans, were unable to respond to this attack for more than a year and a half. Naval operations: Adriatic SeaRudolf Singule, commanding Austrian submarine U-4, torpedoes French auxiliary patrol boat JEAN BART II, 475 tons, off Durazzo. Singule now has 5 ships and 7,719 tons. Photo: French auxiliary patrol boat JEAN BART II
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Post by lordroel on Feb 3, 2021 3:45:20 GMT
Day 554 of the Great War, February 3rd 1916Western Front: Verdun Attack Postponed due to Heavy SnowIn an incredible logistical feat, 1,400 German guns had been amassed on a 3-mile front outside Verdun, east of the Meuse River. The guns would blast apart the French defenders. Nine divisions of the German Fifth Army were assembled then to advance against whatever was left of the two French divisions on the other side. This was to be the battle that finished France once and for all. As France fed reinforcements into the fight, German artillery would smash them to pieces. Falkenhayn bragged he “would bring movement into the war once again,” on the 11th, the day before D-Day. No detail had been overlooked, and “no line is to remain unbombarded,” read the instructions to the German gunners. Six days of ammunition had been stacked by their guns. A 380-mm naval gun was to open the battle, by dropping shells on the town of Verdun, a planned forty-a-day. Then 210-mm howitzers would pulverize the French front line, before boxing it off with a barrage designed to prevent reinforcements from being brought up while the German shock troops moved forward. Light guns and mortars would move up with the troops to support them as needed, while other artillery would use gas shells to interrupt French counter-battery fire. Bringing up this massive assortment of guns across muddy roads had cost the Fifth Army thirty percent of its horses, but it had been done. Photo: Anti-aircraft gun crews run to their guns, QF 13-pounder 9cwt on Mk III lorry mounting. Outskirts of Armentieres, France Telephone lines were spooled, ready to be brought forward with the troops, and liason troops were equipped with special red balloons to mark friendly forces for artillery spotters. Meanwhile, the rest of Germany had been kept in the dark about these preparations. The French on the other side knew something was up, but now when it would be unleashed, or on such a colossal scale. Their frontline troops were ordered to stand to on the night of the 11th. It wasn’t a false alarm. The Crown Prince’s orders for the morning read: “After a long period of stubborn defense, the orders of His Majesty, our Emperor and King, call us to the attack!” But as the day dawned, sentries looked out at snowy fields: a blizzard. The same again on the next day, the 13th. The attack was called of; another day of respite, another day of the infernal “waiting machine” as one French novelist called it. Photo: a British 13 pounder 6 cwt anti-aircraft gun on Mk II mounting, on a Thornycroft Type J lorry, 1916, outskirts of Armentieres, France Eastern FrontRussian forces resume attack in Bukovina. Canada: Canadian Parliament BurnsAt 8:37 PM tonight, the fire alarm went off near the Reading Room of the Canadian Houses of Parliament. The fire soon spread beyond the the ability to quickly control it, and quickly engulfed the side containing the House of Commons. Seven people were killed in the blaze, including two ladies who were trying to retrieve their checked fur coats, several policemen who were trying to organize the evacuation, and one MP from Nova Scotia. Many others were burned or suffered the effects of smoke inhalation. Shortly after 12:30, the main clock tower collapsed; its main bell had continued to ring properly until the twelfth stroke of midnight. By the early morning, firefighting crews believed they had the blaze under control and thought they would be able to save the Senate side of the building; however, this too was lost by the end of the day on February 4th, leaving only the library at the rear of the building relatively undamaged. Given the state of war, many jumped to the conclusion that German agents were responsible for the fire–given credence by a report in a Providence, RI newspaper a few weeks before that the Germans were planning to attack Ottawa. There remains no firm evidence today, however, that proves that Germany was responsible for the fire. Photo: The Canadian Houses of Parliament (Centre Block), pictured at 12:30 AM on February 4th. The tower would collapse only minutes later
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Post by lordroel on Feb 4, 2021 3:49:57 GMT
Day 555 of the Great War, February 4th 1916
YouTube (Germany Aims For Verdun - Russia Goes South)
Macedonian front
Austrians occupy Kroja, 25 miles north of Durazzo.
Naval operations: YAVUZ(ex - GOEBEN Ferries Turkish Troops to the Caucasus
The Russian winter attack at Köpruköy had caught the Turks entirely off guard. Now Erzurum and much of the eastern Black Sea coast was threatened. The Turks had plenty of troops now available since the Allied evacuation of Gallipoli, but poor infrastructure in Anatolia meant it would take months for the Army to move them to the front against the Russians. Desperate to get men to the Caucasus, the Turks drummed the YAVUZ, the most advanced ship in its fleet, to serve as a glorified troop transport, departing with 429 soldiers, a mountain artillery battery, and munitions on February 4th, bound for Trebizond.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet was also in the area, the next day assisting a Russian advance 100 miles to the east of Trebizond. General Alexeyev, effective commander in chief of the Russian Army, was not pleased at this, having told its Admiral a week earlier that “we have no right…to disperse our troops…[to] tasks…secondary even if appreciable in themselves, in remote theaters of war.” Alexeyev often threatened to effectively disband the Black Sea Fleet and conscripting its sailors into the Army directly.
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Post by lordroel on Feb 5, 2021 2:49:16 GMT
Day 556 of the Great War, February 5th 1916
Caucasus campaign: Trebizond Campaign
The Russian Empire launch a naval and land campaign to capture to port Trabzon, Turkey from the Ottoman Empire.
Canada: Tensions High in Canada After Parliament Fire
Canadian authorities were on high alert today after the burning of the Canadian Parliament two days prior, an incident many believed was the act of German spies. Twice early in the morning of February 5th someone was chased away from the Victoria Bridge in Montreal, once from the main deck of the bridge by verbal warnings, and once from the ice under the bridge by rifle fire. The guards believed they had stopped an attempt to destroy the important bridge.
Tensions continued to run high in Ottawa, with some claiming that the fire extinguishers had been filled with a flammable substance, in an attempt to explain why the fire came back after it was thought to have been doused. The government completely dismissed these rumors, and reiterated their entirely reasonable belief that the fire had been caused by a cigarette dropped on some newspapers located under recently revarnished shelves. They also had to dismiss continual rumors that airplanes flying overhead were planning to bomb the railways. An Ottawa hotel manager claimed to find detailed plans of key locations in Canada and of locations along the American border in a trunk left by a German in 1913, addiing credence to the belief that the Germans had been planning similar attacks since before the war began. Calmer heads did prevail when American music conductor was also freed today for lack of evidence, having been arrested for trying to leave the city immediately after the fire.
Naval operations: Black Sea
Greek freighter SS THEOSKEPASTI, 2,461 tons, is sunk by a mine off Sulina, Romania.
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Post by lordroel on Feb 6, 2021 10:13:27 GMT
Day 557 of the Great War, February 6th 1916
Western Front
German bombardment of Loos continues.
Allies bombard Lille.
Italian Front: Austria Plans Trentino Offensive Against Italy
The Austrians, having been fighting a three-front war since May, had been by necessity on the defensive versus Italy. With Serbia knocked out of the war, Conrad thought the time was ripe to strike against Italy. His plan, which he presented to Falkenhayn in December, was primarily based around an offensive out of the Trentino towards Venice and the sea. Such an attack could cut off Cadorna’s main forces along the Isonzo, take Venice and Padua, and, he hoped, would force Italy out of the war. Although Germany was not at war with Italy, Austria would need German help, at the very least by relieving Austrian troops on the Eastern Front to be freed for the fight against Italy.
Falkenhayn summarily dismissed Conrad’s plan. For an attack to be successful, it would require far more divisions than he could afford replacing. And even if the attack did succeed, the Italian government, buoyed up financially by the Allies, would not capitulate short of a revolution. Success would shorten the front line, but at too high a cost to be worth it.
Conrad, annoyed at Falkenhayn, essentially broke off contact with him and began planning the attack on his own. Falkenhayn, in return, told Conrad nothing of his own plans to attack the French at Verdun. Relations soured further on February 6 when Conrad offered Falkenhayn back all the German troops on the Eastern Front south of the Pripet Marshes–an offer Falkenhayn refused, believing the Austrians could not hold the lines on their own.
Conrad’s hopes of success against Italy were buoyed by the easy Austrian victory over Montenegro in January–but Italy was no Montenegro. Also on February 6, Conrad gave his first orders preparing an offensive against Italy. Fourteen infantry divisions and 250 massive guns would launch the assault from the Trentino. Many of these would come from the Eastern Front or from Serbia. Preparations would take two months, especially since South Tyrol was only serviced by a single rail line.
Germany/United States relations
Germany admits full responsibility for LUSITANIA incident and recognizes America's right to claim indemnity. The story will not be made public until February 9th.
Russia: Boris Stürmer’s embarrassing problem
Boris Stürmer is the new prime minister of Russia. He has an embarrassing problem: his name. Russia is in the midst of a war with Germany. The war is not going well and mamny blame this on traitors at the centre of the Russian government who are betraying the country. Stürmer’s Germanic surname means that he is the subject of much speculation as to where his real loyalties lie.
To try and deflect the attentions of rumour-mongers and affirm his Russian patriotism, Stürmer has applied to change his surname to Panin. However, as the Panins are an old Russian aristocratic family, the Tsar feels that he must consult with all of them before allowing Stürmer to take their name. The Tsar is away at army headquarters so it will be some time before he can consult with all the Panins.
In the meantime Stürmer is advised by Tsarina Alexandra to keep his original surname. She and Grigori Rasputin, her spiritual adviser, think that there is no benefit to Stürmer’s changing his name. Alexandra is herself of German birth, a member of the royal house of Hesse. On marriage to the Tsar she took the Russian surname Feodorovna, so it is odd that she would advise Stürmer to keep his German name. But the Tsarina has never been well liked by the Russian people and perhaps she thinks that Stürmer would be wasting his time trying to court their popularity.
Stürmer’s German surname contributes to rumours about his true loyalties, but these are as nothing to the rumours surrounding the Tsarina. As the daughter of a German royal house, many believe that she remains loyal to the country of her birth. And there is much lurid speculation as to the nature of her relationship with Rasputin. It is Rasputin’s apparent ability to treat the haemophilia of her son, Tsarevich Alexei, that has brought him into the Tsarina’s circle. However, the holy man has an earthy and sensual side, leading to speculation that the Tsarina is another of his lovers.
Aerial operations: Senussi campaign
In Egypt, the British have been attempting to subdue the Sennussi. The RFC support consists only of 2 BE2c’s from A flight of 14 Squadron. Nevertheless they have continued to support the advance. Obviously their are no enemy aircraft on this front and the RFC can operate freely. That said the conditions are harsh on the aircraft.
Aerial reconnaissance located the Senussi main camp on 19 January 1916 25 Miles from Mersa Matruh. British forces arrived a few days later at Mersa Matruh and shortly afterwards began their advance.
The aircraft continue to not only spy on enemy positions but also provide information about the terrain over which the advance is taking place.
Naval operations: Adriatic Sea
British cruiser and French torpedo boat drive four Austrian destroyers to Cattaro, cover Serbian retirement to Corfu.
Naval operations: North Sea
British coaster SS BALGOWNIE, 1,061 tons, bound from London to Leith with a general cargo, strikes a mine laid by Georg Haag and UC-7. Haag's score is now 5 ships and 5,729 tons.
Naval operations: Brazil
German raider SMS MOWE captures and scuttles British freighter SS FLAMENCO, 4,629 tons, carrying a load of coal to Valparaiso, Chile. Möwe now has 14 ships and 59,175 tons.
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Post by lordroel on Feb 7, 2021 8:06:44 GMT
Day 558 of the Great War, February 7th 1916
Eastern Front: Heavy artillery duel around Riga
Germany’s perilous advance through Poland in 1915 jeopardized the strategic city of Riga on the Baltic coast, especially after the fall of nearby Kovno. To make safe the city, the Russian military reorganized a Northwestern Front consisted of three armies with 28 divisions, and led by General Nikolai Ruzsky, to defend the area. At sea, minelayers commanded by Alexander Kolchak kept German ships at bay. In September 1915 the Riga front froze into a trench stalemate, with artillery battles and occasional probing attacks.
Aerial operations: First Single Seat Fighter Squadron
After a long period of training at Houndslow Heath, 24 Squadron arrives at St Omer to begin its duty at the front under the command of Major Lanoe Hawker.
Although a few DH2s have been arriving in dribs and drabs with various squadrons, 24 Squadron is the first one equipped entirely with the type. It is hoped that this aircraft (along with the new FE2b will go some way to countering the threat of the Fokkers.
Hawker has been instrumental in proving the worth of the new aircraft after two fatalities in flying accidents earned it a reputation for spinning. Its rear mounted rotary engine and sensitive controls made it very responsive. Hawker took up a DH2 up over the squadron base and, in front of the squadron pilots, put the aircraft through a series of spins, each time recovering safely. After landing, he carefully described to all pilots the correct procedures to recover from a spin. Once the pilots became used to the DH2’s characteristics, confidence in the aircraft rose quickly, as they came to appreciate its manoeuvrability.
They will certainly need it as 15 Squadron lost another aircraft after Lieutenant Joseph Prestwich and Corporal HE Alton were attacked in their BE2c (2077) near Vlamertinghe. Prestwich died of his wounds after getting the aircraft home. Alton was wounded slightly in the leg.
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Post by lordroel on Feb 8, 2021 3:47:53 GMT
Day 559 of the Great War, February 8th 1916United Kingdom.Japan relations British Government requests naval assistance from Japan. The request is for patrols to stop German auxiliary cruisers laying mines in shipping lanes. Eastern FrontHeavy artillery duel around Riga. Armored Warfare: King George V Rides in Tank PrototypeHatfield Park–The Landships Committee survived Churchill’s departure from the Government, and had by the end of 1915 developed a workable prototype, codenamed “Mother.” Around the same time, the codename “tank” had been developed for the vehicle, and the committee was renamed the deliberately more innocuous “Tank Supply Committee.” A trial for high-ranking Cabinet members was arranged at Hatfield Park, the estate of the Marquess of Salisbury (the son of the late PM). On February 2, Kitchener, Lloyd George and Reginald McKenna witnessed the tank successfully cross trenches, barbed wire, and boggy ground. Lloyd George and McKenna were instantly convinced of the utility of the tank. Kitchener called it “a pretty mechanical toy,” but even he admitted the next day that he was impressed. An order for 100 tanks was soon placed. With the initial trials a success, a special demonstration was arranged for the King on February 8. The King even went for a brief ride in the tank. He too was impressed, saying that “such a weapon would be a great asset to the army possessing a large number.” Photo: prototype Mark I tank "Mother" during trials in the grounds of Hatfield House, 1916 Aerial operations: Lighting Orders in the West MidlandsIn the aftermath of the Zeppelin raids on 31 January- 1 February, local councils have been discussing their response. Today lighting orders came into force in the West Midlands. All lights, flares and fixed lamps must be extinguished except those deemed as essential by the police. Lights left on must be shaded from above and reduced to a minimum. Similar measures are in place in hotels, houses and flats where lighting visible from outside must be kept to a minimum. Factories must also comply by reducing visible light without curtailing war work. Failure to comply with the order will be punishable by fines. Naval operations: English ChannelBritish freighter SS ARGO, 1,720 tons, bound from Bulogne to Dunkerque with a load of pitwood, hits a mine laid by Erwin Waßner and UC-3. Waßner's score is now 14 ships and 17,525 tons. Naval operations: North SeaBritish freighter SS ELSWICK MANOR, 3,943 tons, carrying a load of barley from Baltimore to Hull, hits a mine laid by Franz Wäger in UC-7. The damaged ship is beached and later refloated. Naval operations: Mediterranean SeaADMIRAL CHARNER was a French armored cruiser built in the 1890s. Besides a brief stint in China during the Boxer Rebellion, the ship served most of its career in the Mediterranean, forming part of the International Squadron during the Greco-Turkish War in 1897 before being relegated to a training ship. In 1914 she was re-commissioned for war, joining the French Mediterranean Fleet, blockading Western Turkey. In September 1915, the cruiser played a brief but heroic role by saving 3,000 Armenian refugees on the coast from encroaching Ottoman troops north of the Orontes River Delta. On this day while sailing from Syria to Egypt, German submarine U-21 torpedoed and sank the ADMIRAL CHARNER, which went down in less than four minutes with 374 crew members, the whole crew save one. The German submarine was commanded by Otto Hersing, who had already sunk one British battleship of Scotland and two off Gallipoli.
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