lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 26, 2021 8:02:14 GMT
Day 606 of the Great War, March 26th 1916Western FrontGerman troops explode a mine underneath British lines at Neuville-Stain-Vaast and capture the crater. French artillery fire west of Pont-à-Mousson hit a German grenade depot, causing it to explode. Eastern Front: Lake Naroch Offensive Stalls in Sludgy TerrainThe weather proved uncooperative for the Russian Second Army’s assault on German lines in the Lake Naroch area in Belarus, turning virtually the entire battlefield into a marshy lake, turning attackers into easy targets as they trudged through mud. Poor artillery preparation and support lead to fatal results for waves of attacking Russian infantry, and after weeks of fighting the Russians had captured only the first and second German trench lines; miserable results on the fast-flowing Eastern Front. The battle died down in late March as Russian General Razoga began disengaging his troops. Photo: A frontovik watches an artillery crew in action Sinai and Palestine CampaignTurkish base destroyed by air raid on Bir-el-Hassa (North Africa). Caucasus campaignRussian progress on upper Chorok (Armenia). Allied powers: Inter-Allied Conference in ParisAristide Briand, the new French premier, convened a conference of all the Allied nations in Paris today: France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, Japan, Portugal, and even the governments-in-exile of Belgium and Serbia. At the conference, all the Allies agreed they would sign no separate peaces with Germany. They also pledged further cooperation on the blockade of Germany, ensuring that no supplies would slip through to the Central Powers. This new economic cooperation extended to their own markets; the conference created a new Permanent Committee of International Economic Action. While the full extent of this economic cooperation would be decided at a conference scheduled for the summer, the French had in mind objectives for post-war Europe, including high tariffs on the defeated Central Powers and preferential access of the Allies to each others’ goods. Aerial operations: Paddle Steamers to the rescueSince the failure of the RNAS to detect and intercept the October raid on London, the Navy has been considering how to improve its detection capabilities. The recent raids on Kent and the Midlands have only increase the pressure. To improve detection on the East Coast, The Admiralty sent a letter to the naval commands on the East Coast pointing out that every effort must be made to intercept and destroy Zeppelins remind them also that it was for this purpose ‘that the executive control was taken from the Air Department and transferred to Senior Naval ‘Officers on the coast when the Air Service was recently reorganized.’ The Admiral of Patrols promptly replied that he had less than half the required number of aircraft to ensure patrols of his area, and he proposed that light draught paddle steamers should be equipped to carry four seaplanes each and sent out, before sunset on favourable nights, along a line fifty to sixty miles east of the coast from the Tyne to the Wash. A similar suggestion had been made by the Senior Naval Officer at Lowestoft, and as it was obvious that Zeppelins could be more effectively attacked in daylight than in the dark. The Admiralty therefore adopted the proposal and today two paddle steamers, the KILLINGHOLLM and BROCKLESBY, capable of crossing the minefields, and fitted to carry two or three Sopwith Schneider Cup seaplanes, entered service, based at Killingholme and Yarmouth respectively. Naval operations: English ChannelBritish freighter SS SAINT CECILIA, 4,411 tons, bound from Portland, Maine to London with a general cargo, hits a mine laid by Mattias von Schmettow in UC-6. Von Schmettow's score is now 32 ships and 41,851 tons. Naval operations: North SeaFrench freighter SS HEBE, 1,494 tons, travelling in ballast from Caen to Newcastle, hits a mine laid by Ulrich Mohrbutter in UC-5. British trawler KHARTOUM, 303 tons, also hits a mine laid by Mohrbutter, raising his score to 6 ships and 7,824 tons. British collier SS Cerne, 2,579 tons, carrying a load of coal from Tyne to London, hits a mine laid by Georg Haag in UC-7. Haag's score is now 15 ships and 26,709 tons. Naval operations: Bay of BiscayGeorg-Günther von Forstner, in U-28, sinks Norwegian freighter SS NORNE, 1,224 tons, carrying a load of pit props from Villagarcia to Cardif. His score is now 20 ships and 47,867 tons.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 27, 2021 7:35:09 GMT
Day 607 of the Great War, March 27th 1916
Western Front
Two lines of German trenches captured at St. Eloi (Ypres).
British troops explode a mine under German lines at St. Eloi, south of Ypres, and capture 600 yards of trenches.
Eastern Front
Russian troops continue its offensive in the Dvinsk sector. Germany reports the attacks were made with “unprecedented numbers.”
Macedonian front
German air raid on Salonika.
Aerial operations: Millstone
British forces have been besieged at Kut since 7 December 1915 despite various attempts to relieve them.
As food supplies are running short, 30 Squadron RFC have attempted to drop supplies to the garrison. But with only four BE2c’s, a Voisin, a Henri Farman, and three Short seaplanes, the task is extremely difficult.
The weight of the supplies mean that the aeroplanes cannot carry armaments have to be escorted to protect them from German planes, further reducing the amount that can be dropped
Despite the difficulties, the Squadron has improvised some special containers and supplies have been dropped including a 70 pound millstone using a specially designed parachute.
The millstone was required to make flour for Chapatis to feed the large Indian contingent.
Naval operations: Celtic Sea
Paul Wagenführ, commanding U-44, sinks British freighter SS MANCHESTER ENGINEER, 4,302 tons, bound from Philadelphia to Manchester with an unspecified cargo. His score is now 2 ships and 4,629 tons.
Naval operations: North Sea
British freighter SS EMPRESS OF MIDLAND, 2,224 tons, carrying a load of coal from Newcastle to Rouen, hits a mine laid by Egon von Werner and UC-1. Von Werner's score is now 17 ships and 19,252 tons.
Danish freighter SS HARRIET, 1,372 tons, en route from Oran to Leith with a load of esparto (African grass), hits a mine laid by Ulrich Mohrbutter in UC-5, bringing his score to 7 ships and 9,196 tons.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 28, 2021 8:13:10 GMT
Day 608 of the Great War, March 28th 1916
Eastern Front
Russian success north of Bojan (Galicia).
Sinai and Palestine campaign
Second Anzac Corps formed in Egypt.
United Kingdom: Royal Aircraft Factory Under Political Attack
For the last seven months, the Germans had had effective control of the skies over the Western Front–the so-called “Fokker scourge.” This was mainly due to the fact that the Germans were the first to develop a working synchronizer gear, allowing them to effectively and accurately shoot a machine gun in flight. The Allies eventually caught up, however, and on March 25, the first British plane with such a gear arrived in France, and it seemed as if the Fokker Scourge might soon be at an end.
In the meantime, however, enemies of the Royal Aircraft Factory repeatedly attacked it–most notably, Noel Pemberton-Billing, formerly a competing aircraft manufacturer, who had been elected to Parliament in a by-election earlier in the month after prior defeats. He attacked the Factory for the poor performance of its B.E.2 biplane, and accused it of mismanagement. Under-Secretary for War H.J. Tennant defended the factory in Parliament on March 28, saying that they did not manufacture the majority of British airplanes there, and they could not be held responsible for Britain’s lagging air power. To this, Pemberton-Billing responded that if they were not an important manufacturer, then why did they employ 3000 skilled workmen who could be employed in more critical jobs, or on the front? Pemberton-Billing called for further investigations into the RFC’s mismanagement.
Aerial operations: No bell ringing (but singing is ok)
In an effort to bolster the defences against German air raids, a further clause was added to the Defence of the Realm Regulations to prevent the ringing of bells and striking of clocks in those areas where Lights Orders are in effect.
The purpose of Lights Orders is of course to make urban areas harder to spot from the air at night. It is hoped that the prevention of bells and clocks will provide some additional protection in this regard. The order states:
“In any area in which an order made under Regulation 11 or Regulation 12 requiring lights to be extinguished or obscured is in force the ringing and chiming of bells and the striking of clocks audible in any street or other open space shall be prohibited between the hours between which lights are so required to be extinguished or obscured, except in cases where special permission is obtained from the competent military authority, and if any person having control of any bells or clock allows the bells to be rung or chimed or the clock to strike in contravention of the provisions of this Regulation he shall be guilty of a summary offence against these Regulations.”
The Home Office had received many other suggestions for securing silence from various authorities, including proposals to prohibit singing, whistling, shouting in the streets, and even the barking of dogs. None of these were seriously considered.
Naval operations: Celtic Sea
Otto Wünsche, commanding U-44, sinks British freighter SS EAGLE POINT, 5,222 tons, bound from St. John, New Brunswick to Le Havre with a cargo of hay and oats. His score is now 26 ships and 27,868 tons.
Naval operations: Bay of Biscay
Georg-Günther von Forstner, in U-28, sinks British freighter SS RIO TIETE, 3,042 tons, carrying coal from Barry to Alexandria. His score is now 21 ships and 50,909 tons.
Naval operations: Reichstag Votes for Immediate Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
The Reichstag in Berlin voted to authorize a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare on the high seas. This mean German submarines would not follow the rules of war at sea: no giving warning to merchant ships and allowing passengers to flee before sinking, no searching neutral ships for contraband. Instead, in areas around Britain and in the Atlantic, German submarines would sink any merchant ships, neutral or enemy. It was a pitiless policy designed as a measure to win the war, and a fairly desperate one, for it almost surely meant America would join the war against Germany. It was a race against time: could German submarines starve the British into surrender before the United States impacted the war?
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 29, 2021 2:46:19 GMT
Day 609 of the Great War, March 29th 1916Western Front: Fierce Fighting on Extreme Left at VerdunOver the past three weeks, the Germans had been relentlessly attacking the French positions on the west bank of the Meuse at Verdun, hoping to capture Hills 304 and 295 that overlooked German positions on both sides of the river. The German attack had been essentially proceeding from east to west, pushing up onto the slope of Hill 295 “Mort Homme” before moving over to Malancourt and the Avocourt woods. The initial attacks in Avocourt, launched March 20, were met with little resistance, with entire sections of the French line simply surrendering. Some, it was rumored, had coordinated their surrender with the Germans in advance, with an entire regiment having “given up” in such a manner. While such failures led to increased political pressure from Paris, French resistance did eventually stiffen. Some of the areas surrendered on March 20th were retaken by French forces on March 29th. Meanwhile, however, the Germans continued their attacks to the north and east, reaching Malancourt on the same day. Over the next week, as the Germans took Malancourt and pushed on to Hill 304, six companies of the French 69th Division would “completely disappear” in the fighting, while the remainder suffered horrific casualties. In the first 39 days of the fighting at Verdun, the Germans suffered nearly 82,000 casualties; the French over 89,000. Eastern FrontRussian offensive against the Germans in the Dvinsk region falters due to the spring thaw, inundating the marshes and lakes. Italian FrontItalian success east of Seltz. Allied powers: Allied Declaration of Unity in Paris; Plans for an Inter-Allied Cabinet to Run the WarAlong with their interior lines, the Central Powers benefited from the fact that decisions were centralized in Germany, whereas the Allies had to debate and compromise over differing courses of action. Naturally, British and French statesmen suggested the creation of some sort of inter-Entente council to streamline decisions, as early as 1915. “There should be some central authority,” wrote Lord Kitchener. Astride Briand, France’s Premier, agreed in a speech: “We believe that the coordination of the efforts of the Allied nations can and must be made even more complete and above all more speedy… we are resolved to bring this about by more frequent and increasingly more intimate contacts.” Politicians on each side of the channel hammered out drafts for a cooperative body, which came into operation at the Paris Conference in March 1916. Admittedly, it failed to accomplish anything concrete: the Italians bowed out and the British struck out the clause establishing a permanent secretariat. As a motion, however, it was meaningful, and a step towards the true inter-Allied command that would be formed by the end of the war on the Western Front. Postcard: an imaginative inter-Allied flag, with the emblazoned motto “Pour le Droit”: “For Rights”, or “For the Law”
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 30, 2021 2:47:52 GMT
Day 610 of the Great War, March 30th 1916Western FrontBattle of Verdun: German repulsed at Fort Douaumont. Two German attacks on the east of the Meuse, despite being supported by flamethrowers, are repulsed by French defenses. Eastern Front: Russia calls a halt to its failed Lake Naroch offensiveRussian troops have been attacking the Germans in the Lake Naroch area of Byelorussia and also near Riga on the coast. They hoped to relieve the pressure on the French at Verdun and also to show the Germans that even after the disasters of last year the Russian army was still a force to be reckoned with. But the attacks have been a ghastly failure and today the Russian generals call a halt to the offensive. No significant gains in territory have been made and the Russian casualties (100,000) are five times those of the Germans. There has been no succour given to the French, as the Germans have repelled the Russian assaults without deploying any reinforcements. The failure of the Russians at Lake Naroch provides further support to those who say that the Russians are essentially beaten and no longer able to mount a successful offensive. Senior figures in the German and Austro-Hungarian armies are convinced that they do not need to worry about what the Russians might be planning to do in the future. Aerial operations: RFC HQ has new homeRFC Headquarters is moving from their chateau at St. Omer (leased from its owner at a rental of twenty francs per day) to another chateau (at 500 francs per month) at St. Andre-aux-Bois, 10 miles south-east of Montreuil. The main reason for this move is that the British Commander-in-Chief has recently moved his headquarters to Montreuil. It is important for RFC HQ to be based nearby to ensure maximum coordination between the two services. The RFC’s Number 1 Aircraft Depot and Transit Point for new Squadrons in France will remain at St Omer. Naval operations: Celtic SeaPaul Wagenfürh, commanding U-44, stops and scuttles Norwegian barque SV BELL, 3,765 tons, bound from Portland, Oregon to Falmouth with a load of wheat. Wagenfürh's score is now 3 ships and 8,394 tons. Naval operations: Bay of BiscayGeorg Günther von Forstner, in U-28, torpedoes British freighter SS TREWYN, 3,084 tons, carrying a load of iron ore from Algiers to Middlesbrough. The same day von Forstner stops and scuttles French brigantine SV ST. HUBERT, 232 tons, en route from Lisbon to Saint-Malo with a load of wine and salt. These two sinkings bring von Forstner's score to 23 ships and 54,225 tons. Naval operations: Black SeaGerman submarines had been active for some time in Turkish waters, having made their way to the Mediterranean via the Atlantic or overland to the Adriatic. They had menaced the Allied fleet during the Dardanelles campaign, but with that now over, several now harassed the Russian fleet in the Black Sea. The Russians were now pushing on Trebizond, using their fleet to support, supply, and transfer troops to their offensive there. German submarine U-33 believed it had a Russian troop transport in its sights, and fired a torpedo at it. The explosion broke the ship in two, and it sank quickly. In another blow for Germany’s reputation, the ship was in fact the hospital ship PORTUGAL. No wounded were on board at the time, though it had been just about to accept wounded from the shore. 115 people died on board, including many Red Cross nurses and doctors. Photo: Russian hospital ship PORTUGAL Naval operations: Ionian SeaRudolf Singule, in Austrian U-4, sinks British schooner SV JOHN PRITCHARD, 118 tons, travelling in ballast from Patras to Caravassera. Singule's score is now 6 ships and 7,837 tons.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 31, 2021 2:37:55 GMT
Day 611 of the Great War, March 31st 1916YouTube (Verdun - A Nightmare to Annex)Western Front: Verdun: the butchers’ billAt Verdun the Germans are still trying to break the French army. German morale may be showing some signs of cracking, but discipline and esprit de corps keeps the men in the field. Their line inches forward. The Germans are taking terrible casualties but surely the smaller French army must be suffering even more? In fact, yes, the French are having the worst of it, though they have not taken as many casualties as Germany’s Falkenhayn thinks. Since the start of the battle the Germans have taken 81,607 casualties, but French casualties amount to 89,000. The French have less reserves of manpower than the Germans. Falkenhayn is determined to continue the offensive, thinking that the enemy will run out of men before he does. To keep the men fighting they must still be fed the prospect of victory. Wilhelm, Crown Prince of Prussia, commands the German army at Verdun, but he follows the advice of Knobelsdorf, his chief of staff. Knobelsdorf proposes now that the offensive be resumed in earnest on the east bank of the Meuse. Falkenhayn agrees, though he declines to supply reinforcements to the level Knobelsdorf is requesting, as he fears a French or British offensive elsewhere along the line. Map: German dispositions, Verdun, 31 March 1916 Caucus campaign Russians defeat Turks at Kara Malachkan (Armenia). Naval operations: Celtic SeaPaul Wagenführ, commanding U-44, sinks British freighter SS ACHILLES, 7,043 tons, bound from Sydney to Liverpool with a load of grain and wool; tanker SS GOLDMOUTH, 7,446 tons, carrying a load of fuel oil from Tarakar to Falmouth; and Norwegian freighter SS HANS GUDE, 1,110 tons, travelling from Cardiff to Oran with a load of coal. This brings his total to 6 ships and 23,993 tons. Naval operations: North SeaErnst Voigt, in UB-6, torpedoes Swedish freighter HOLLANDIA, 1,115 tons, travelling in ballast from Rouen to Rotterdam, while the ship is anchored near the Galloper Light Vessel. Voight's score is now 2 ships and 1,172 tons. Arthur Metz, in UB-13, torpedoes British freighter SS ALACRITY, 1,080 tons, travelling in ballast from Le-Havre to Seaham. Metz's score is now 2 ships and 14,991 tons. British freighters SS CLINTON, 3,381 tons, carrying manganese ore and grain from Bombay, and SS MEMENTO, 1,076 tons, carrying a load of coke from London to Porsgrunn, both hit mines laid by Ulrich Mohrbutter in UC-5. CLINTON is later salvaged. MEMENTO sinks, bringing Mohrbutter's score to 7 ships and 10,272 tons. Naval operations: Bay of BiscayGeorg-Günther von Forstner, in U-28, sinks Spanish freighter SS VIGO, 1,137 tons, carrying a load of pitwood from Freijo to Cardiff. His score is now 24 ships and 55,362 tons. At 0700 hours French fishing boat REDEMPTEUR, 36 tons. hauls a mine into their nets. The crew take their lifeboat to another fishing smack, CLEMENTINE, which takes them to shore. At about 1000 hours the boat apparently comes into contact with the mine, which explodes, completely demolishing the smack. Naval operations: Black SeaKonrad Gansser, in U-33, shells Belgian freighter SS ROI ALBERT, 2,853 tons, near Sukhumi, Georgia. The damaged ship manages to escape. Later that day Gansser stops and scuttles a small sailing vessel. The name of the boat is unknown, but it is credited at 7 tons, which raises Gansser's total to 45 vessels and 120,613 tons. Naval operations: Balearic SeaGreek schooner SV EUTICHIA, 385 tons, travelling from Arzew to St. Loius Du Rhône with a load of salt and coal, is wrecked at Casa de Alcanar, Spain. Naval operations: Ionian SeaWalter Forstmann, in U-39, sinks Italian freighters SS EGEO, 1,787 tons, and RIPOSTO, 1,003 tons, in the Gulf of Taranto, bringing his score to 46 ships and 112,138 tons. Naval operations: Adriatic SeaAustrian freighter SS ANDRASSY, 1,546 tons, converted to a minelayer, hits one of the mines she has just laid and sinks at San Giovanni di Medua (modern Shëngjin, Albania).
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Apr 1, 2021 2:53:05 GMT
Day 612 of the Great War, April 1st 1916Western FrontBattle of Verdun: Germans capture part of Vaux village. German occupied Belgium: Execution of Belgian Resistance Leader Gabrielle PetitGerman authorities in Belgium executed Gabrielle Petit at dawn on Apirl 1, 1916. Petit, 23 years old, had been recruited by the British Secret Service at the beginning of the war, when she helped her wounded fiancé escape to the Netherlands. SInce then, using a number of false identities, she passed on information about German troop numbers to British Intelligence, sneaked Belgian volunteers out of the country to join the army, and helped publish and distribute and underground newspaper, Libre Belgique. The Germans only knew about the last offense, Petit proudly confessed to the rest at her trial. The Germans kept her in prison for two weeks with the death sentence hanging over her head, hoping she would betray her colleagues to save herself. She refused to break under mental and physical duress, and was shot at dawn on April 1 at the National Shooting Range in Brussels. Allied Powers: Allies Divide Mediterranean into ZonesGerman submarines continued to be an increasing menace in the Mediterranean despite the resumption of the campaign in the Atlantic. This came as the priorities of the Allied powers were shifting there. With the end of the Dardanelles campaign, the British wanted to wind down their presence there, with First Sea Lord Sir Henry Jackson writing “anything not really essential…should be returned to us at home where we can use anything that floats or can move.” A conference of Allied admirals ending on April 1 decided that the best way to safeguard the Mediterranean was to divide the sea into zones that each country would have responsibility over, and specific routes within these zones that would be carefully patrolled. The countries in question were the UK, France, and Italy; Russian and Japanese naval strength in the Mediterranean were too small for them to receive a dedicated zone. The zones and fixed patrol routes, while politically convenient, were all too easy for the Germans to pick up on, and actually made it much easier for them to operate and wreak havoc on Allied warships and shipping in the Mediterranean. The Allies were also worried about the prospect of a breakout of the Austrian fleet from the Adriatic. The Italians were not confident that they could prevent it, and the Russians were highly fearful that the Austrians would try to head for Turkey and the Black Sea, as the Goeben and Breslau had done. As a result, the bulk of the French naval forces in the Mediterranean agreed to rebase from Malta to the Greek island of Cephalonia, closer to the Adriatic. Aerial operations: Large Zeppelin Raid on London, East AngliaSeven Zeppelins set off last night to attack London, though two were forced to turn back. L14 came inland over the Norfolk coast at about 8.15pm and flew west of Norwich before heading towards London. At 10.30pm L14 bombed Sudbury with 27 bombs. Extensive damage was caused and Ellen Wheeler, Thomas and Ellen Ambrose and John Edward Smith were killed. Rifleman Robert Wilson was severely injured by glass at his billet in Constitution Hill. L14 then continued towards London and at 11.05pm bombed Braintree killing Ann Herbert, Alfred Dennington, his wife Annie and their three-year-old niece Ella Hammond. At Kelvedon hatch an AA gun and searchlight engaged L.14 without success. L14 then proceeded to drop a succession of bombs across the countryside without causing any serious damage before heading out to sea at Dunwich, south of Southwold, at about 3.00am. L16 appeared over Winterton at around 10.10pm and reached Bury St Edmunds at 11.45pm. Two mobile 1-pdr guns opened fire. L16 responded by dropping 26 bombs on the town wrecking two cottages and damaging nine others. Annie Dureall was killed along with two of her children James and Catherine when the floor collapsed below them. Three other children survived. Their neighbour Harry Frost was also severely injured. Hubert Hardiment, a 21-year-old soldier was killed when the back of his house collapsed on him. Finally, Henry Adams, 60, and his son George were killed when a bomb hit the Vicarage. L16 headed east and dropped a final bomb over Lowestoft, causing considerable damage to a tram shed in the town. L13 came inland over Sizewell in Suffolk at about 8.00pm. Commander Heinrich Mathy decided to attack Stowmarket where he knew the New Explosive Company was located. Mathy attempted to locate the works by dropping flares. A searchlight and two AA guns opened up on L13, but Mathy failed to realise they were defending the works. Mathy circled around and approached the town again at about 9.15pm. , The AA guns opened up again and damaged one of the gasbags. Losing gas, Mathy immediately set course for the coast dropping bombs on Wangford narrowly missing RNAS Covehithe. By now L13 was lightened and able to struggle home. L22 was delayed for four hours due to serious engine problems. They abandoned London and targeted the Humber. At about 1.35am a searchlight locked on to L22 and a 1-pdr AA gun at Waltham Wireless Station opened fire. L22 dropped 26 bombs with little effect. At 1.48am L22 arrived at Cleethorpes, dropping six bombs. One of these hit the roof of a Baptist Chapel, a billet for a company of the 3rd (Special Reserve) battalion of the Manchester Regiment who had arrived only the previous day. When the rubble was cleared and the bodies recovered 31 men were dead and 51 injured. The fifth Zeppelin, L15, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Joachim Breithaupt, crossed the coast at Dunwich, Suffolk at about 7.45pm. L15 bombed Ipswich at about 8.20pm, killing a man standing outside The Gun public house. Another bomb fell on Stoke Bathing Place killing two more. Flying south L15 reached Pitsea in Essex where L15 picked up the course of the Thames, but at the same time attracted searchlights and AA gunfire. To gain height, L15 dropped the rest of their bombs, but at 9.45pm a round fired by the AA gun at Purfleet, ripped through three of her gas cells. L15 flew off but was then attacked by 2nd Lieutenant Alfred de Bathe Brandon of 19 Reserve Aeroplane Squadron, who failed to cause further damage. By now L15 was losing height and all non-essential equipment was jettisoned. However, with her structure severely weakened and flying at just 2,000ft, her back broke and she fell into the sea about 15 miles north of Margate. One of the crew, Willy Albrecht, drowned but the rest were rescued and taken back to England as prisoners. Painting: ‘St George and the Dragon: Zeppelin L15 in the Thames’ Naval operations: English ChannelGeorg-Günther von Forstner, commanding U-28, stops and sinks British barque SV BENGAIRN, 2,127 tons, bound from Seattle to Queenstown with a load of wheat. This is von Forstner's last sinking. He becomes a senior officer and retires with a score of 25 ships and 57,489 tons. Paul Wagenführ, in U-44, sinks British freighter SS ASHBURTON, 4,445 tons, at the end of a long voyage from Wellington via Montevideo to London with a general cargo, mostly wool. Wagenführ's score is now 7 ships and 28,438 tons. Naval operations: North SeaReinhold Saltzwedel, in UB-10, torpedoes Norwegian freighter SS PETER HAMRE, 1,081 tons, carrying a load of pig iron from Middlesbrough to Rouen. his score is now 2 ships and 2,825 tons. Hans Valentiner, in UB-16, sinks British freighter SS PERTH, 653 tons, travelling in ballast from Fécamp to Hull. Valentiner's score is now 16 ships and 10,812 tons Naval operations: Black SeaRussian submarine TJULEN sinks Turkish merchant SS DUTOR, 4,232 tons, off Sile, near the passage from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara.
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Post by lordroel on Apr 2, 2021 1:46:50 GMT
Day 613 of the Great War, April 2nd 1916Eastern FrontGermans repulsed in Liakhovichi region. Caucus campaign Russians cross Upper Chorok, taking fortified mountain positions (Armenia). United Kingdom: Munitions Factory Explosion in KentZeppelin raids on April 1 killed civilians in London, Leith, and Edinburgh. Death loomed for civilians in other ways, too. On April 2, a Sunday, a massive explosion rocked the town of Faversham, in Kent. 200 tons of TNT exploded accidentally after some empty sacks at the factory caught fire. Because it was a Sunday, no women were at work, but 115 men and boys died. The blast, the worst accidental explosion in English history, was heard as far away as Yarmouth. Photo: The aftermath of the explosion at Faversham German occupied France: Germans Start Forced Labor in Occupied FranceThe inhabitants of occupied Belgium and northern France were viewed by the Army as an increasing drain on German resources. In this vein, Falkenhayn ordered on April 2 that 50,000 people from the occupied zones should be conscripted to work as forced laborers, and notified his Army HQs appropriately. Later in the month, the Governor of Lille proclaimed this new policy: The attitude of England renders it increasingly difficult to feed the population. To lessen misery, the German authority has recently asked volunteers to work in the country. This offer has not had the success which was expected. Consequently the inhabitants will be removed by compulsion and transported to the country. Those removed will be sent in the interior of French occupied territory far behind the front, where they will be employed in agriculture and now way in military work.The removals began on April 22, at a rate of 1400 per day. Aerial operations: DH2s score first victoryA pair of DH2s from 23 Squadron claimed the first victory for the type, and themselves, today. At around 6.50 am 2nd Lieutenants David Mary Tidmarsh and Samuel John Sibley were on patrol in their DH2s (5924 and 5948) when they came across an enemy Albatross 2 Seater near Baizieux. Sibley dived to attack first and exchanged fire with the enemy aircraft using his two fixed Lewis guns. Tidmarsh then joined in the fight with his fixed Lewis and the two chased the enemy aircraft over Albert. Eventually it crashed near Grandcourt killing the crew Karl Oscar Breibisch-Guthmann and Paul Wein from FAb 263. Photo: Group of pilots of No. 32 Squadron RFC, Beauval, 1916 (Fourth Army aircraft park). Behind them is an Airco DH.2 (De Havilland Scout) biplane with Monosoupape Rotary Engine Naval operations: North SeaOtto Wünsche, commanding U-70, sinks Norwegian freighter SS ARENA, 1,019 tons, bound from Fredrikstad to Hull with a mixed cargo of Ferrosilicon, paper and lumber. This brings his score to 27 ships and 28,887 tons. French barque SV BORUBAKI, 2,208 tons, carrying a load of Barley from San Francisco to Ipswich, hits a mine laid by Georg Haag in UC-7. The heavily damaged ship is towed to Butterman's Bay and later repaired. His Majesty's Trawler COMMANDANT, 207 tons, also hits a mine laid by UC-7, raising Haag's score to 16 ships and 26,916 tons. Naval operations: Mediterranean SeaWalter Forstmann, in U-39, torpedoes British freighter SS SIMLA, 5,884 tons, travelling in ballast from Marseille to an unspecified destination. Forstmann's score is now 47 ships and 118,022 tons.
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Post by lordroel on Apr 3, 2021 8:21:35 GMT
Day 614 of the Great War, April 3rd 1916Western Front: Mangin’s 5th Division Attacks at VerdunThe French were continually bringing fresh troops up to Verdun. Newly arrived in early April was the 5th division under General Mangin. Mangin was still eager for the offensive even after nearly two years of war, reminding one historian of “a wild boar about to charge.” His division was supposed to hold the lines beneath Douaumont that the Germans had been continually harassing, but, with tacit approval from General Nivelle, Mangin ordered an attack almost immediately. In some places the attacks met some measure of success, pushing the Germans away from Vaux. In many others, however, the attack proved disastrous. Part of the 9th Brigade advanced in the wrong direction without any artillery support, highlighted by the rising sun. Captain Jean Tocaben described the sight in rather overworked language: And on its polished helmets the morning sun broke in splashes of light and, clothing in splendor the men, the young men going to their deaths, covered them with a nimbus of glory and crowned them with a crest of fire. What a sublime, what a poignant sight!Tocaben imagined what the Germans must have been feeling: It’s certainly a rare piece of luck to see troops coming at you deployed as if they were on maneuvers, and to shoot them at your leisure, without running the slightest risk.Eastern FrontGermans repulsed at bridgehead of Uxkull (Dvina). Macedonian front: Russians, Italians Land at SalonikaThe French government requested 30,000 Russian reinforcements for the Western Front in 1915, prompting their ally to organize, in a show of friendship, a number of special expeditionary brigades. The first of these special brigades arrived in France in April 1916, where it was monikered the Russian Legion and proceeded to fight on the Western Front until 1917. More reinforcements arrived, eventually outstripping the original request by 10,000 men. One of these brigades, numbering 5,000 Russian soldiers, went to Greece instead of Salonika to shore up Allied positions versus the Bulgarians on the Macedonian frontier. Another 11,000 Italian reinforcements complemented them. The arrival of these two contingents made the Allied Army of the Orient, as the Salonika force was known, a remarkably diverse formation, counting among its ranks now French, Britons, Italians, Serbs, Indians, Africans, Russians. Australians and New Zealanders, all under the command of General Maurice Sarrail. Additionally, the Allies gradually won over the Greeks to a more pro-Allied stance. Streams of propaganda flowed into Athens newspapers from the front, not all of it faithfully depicting the situation on the frontier. A young historian named Llewellyn Woodward, whose job it was to distribute information from London to Greece, remarked upon his work with distaste. “I remember a disgusting sentence,” he later wrote, “transmitted by wireless from the propaganda office: ‘Our men are enjoying killing Germans in the spring sunshine.’ Photo: Russian troops after loading pass through the streets of Thessaloniki, 1916 Aerial operations: Joint Air War Committee CollapsesLess than two months after its establishment, the Joint Air War Committee, set up to improve coordination in supply of the two air services, has collapsed with the resignation of its Chairman Lord Derby today. His resignation states that the position has become untenable as: (1) The Committee has no executive power and no authority. (2) A fundamental disagreement exists between the two branches of the service, each having its own organization, esprit de corps, and aspirations. (3) The terms of reference are so narrowly limited as to preclude the committee from deciding any question of policy. Lord Derby goes on to say that “it appears ‘to me to be quite impossible to bring the two Wings closer together than they are at the present moment, unless and until the whole system of the Air Service is changed and they are amalgamated into one service as personally I consider they ultimately must be. To make this great change would be a difficult and lengthy operation in peace time. I am inclined to think it would be practically impossible in war time.” Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, has also resigned stating that he became a member because he thought the committee would soon become the nucleus of a Board of Aviation and he could see no chance of this happening. Naval operations: North SeaHans Valentiner, commanding UB-16, captures Dutch sailing vessel SV ELZIENA HELENA, 121 tons, bound from Drammen for Poole with a load of timber. His score is now 17 ships and 10,933 tons. Norwegian freighter SS Ino, 702 tons, carrying a load of coal from Blythe to Rouen, hits a mine laid by Alfred Nitzsche in UC-10. Nitzsche's score is now 10 ships and 19,582 tons. Naval operations: Black SeaKonrad Gansser, in U-33, attacks Russian converted minesweeper ENRICHETTA, 442 tons, with his deck gun. The crippled ship stays afloat, but despite efforts to save her, will sink thirteen days later, raising Gansser's score to 46 ships and 121,055 tons. Naval operations: Mediterranean SeaClaus Rucker, in U-34, sinks British freighters SS ELLASTON, 3,796 tons, en route from Immingham to Alexandria with a load of coal; and SS SNEATON, 3,470 tons, carrying coal form Hull to Alexandria. This raises his score to 22 ships and 77,355 tons. Walter Forstmann, in U-39, sinks British freighter SS CLAN CAMPBELL, 5,897 tons, travelling from Tuticorin to London with a general cargo. His score is now 48 ships and 123,919 tons.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Apr 4, 2021 5:58:21 GMT
Day 615 of the Great War, April 4th 1916
Western Front
Battle of Verdun: French progress north of Bois de Caillette.
Eastern Front: Brusilov Promoted to Command of Southwest Front
Nikolai Ivanov had commanded the Southwest Front, facing the Austrians, since the start of the war. While he had seen several successes, including the fall of Przemysl, the last year had seen all of these reversed by the Central Powers’ Gorlice-Tarnow offensive, which saw the loss of almost all of their gains in Galicia as well as the entirety of Poland. While they were eventually stopped in September, the few attempts since then for a counterattack had all failed. On April 4, Ivanov was sacked; this may seem somewhat removed from the events of the Great Retreat, but Russian politics and the Czar moved slowly. A personal letter from Ivanov to the Czar asking for reinforcements in September was not read until March.
Ivanov was replaced by General Brusilov, commander of the Eighth Army. Brusilov was not so demoralized by the failures at Lake Naroch, and was convinced that successful offensives were possible, even without ludicrous quantities of shell, if that shell were applied carefully and judiciously. Surrounded by like-minded officers in the Southwest Front, Brusilov hoped to apply his theories against the Austrians.
German East Africa campaign
British attack Lol Kissale (German East Africa).
Germany: Social Democrat Leader in the Reichstag: “Germany is not free!”
Germany’s parliament, the Reichstag, was generally a rubber-stamp affair for the Kaiser and his generals, but as the war entered its twenty-first month, there began to be cracks in the foundation from which real democracy shone through. In March 1916, Karl Liebknecht, party leader of the Social Democrats, entered a tirade, to the boos from the right, telling workers to unite. “Our task right now is to tell the working class of every country, “On with the job!” Whether you are in the trenches and inside the country, lower your weapons and turn them against the common foe, who robs you of breath and life!”
In 1914 Liebknecht had voted against the war budget, in 1915 he published an underground pamphlet opposing the war. After his March speech, he gave another in April, declaring that Germany was not free. In May he was jailed for these offenses and sentenced to two years for high treason.
Aerial operations: More raids further south
Not to be outdone by their Navy colleagues, two Army Zeppelins also raided England on the night before last, hoping to reach London. LZ90 crossed the coast near the River Colne, Essex, at 10.40pm. Approaching London, LZ90 came under fire from Great Baddow and Kelvedon Hatch. At 11.50pm the searchlight at Chingford illuminated her and AA guns opened fire. LZ90 immediately dropped all 90 bombs which fell in a line between Woodredon Farm and Windmill Hill off Honey Lane. With the release of the bombs, LZ90 rose sharply and disappeared from view. LZ90 now turned for home, going out to sea again near Clacton at about 1.00am.
LZ88 came inland at about 11.30pm near Orfordness, Suffolk and headed for Ipswich. Machine gun fire from Rushmere Heath, she circled to the west of the town. LZ.88 then crossed the River Orwell, attracting fire from the gun at Levington Heath, and headed east back towards the coast. As LZ88 crossed the River Debden just after 1.00am, the bomb load was dropped between the villages of Ramsholt, Alderton and Hollesley, causing little damage.
Following up on the Army raid, two Navy Zeppelins, L11 and L17 attempted to raid London last night, but strong headwinds made it impossible. Both made for Norfolk but L17 was forced to turn back before reaching the coast.
L11 arrived over Norfolk between Cromer and Sheringham around 1.45am. She made slow progress southwards towards Norwich, one of her secondary targets. Only four bombs were dropped harmlessly. L11 then turned away from Norwich, following the River Bure to Salhouse where she dropped one bomb, which landed on an allotment. From there L11 continued eastwards, reaching the coast around 3.00am and dropped nine bombs over the sea. Three RNAS aircraft eventually took off but fog prevented any interception.
Naval operations: North Sea
British freighter SS BENDEW, 3,681 tons, bound from Port Briera, Algeria for Tyne, hits a mine laid by Egon von Werner in UC-1. Von Werner's score is now 18 ships and 22,933 tons.
Naval operations: Mediterranean Sea
Walter Forstmann, commanding U-39, sinks Italian brigantine SV GIUSEPPE PADRE, 184 tons; and SV Maria Carmella Findari, 42 tons, bringing his score to 50 ships and 124,145 tons.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Apr 5, 2021 6:24:39 GMT
Day 616 of the Great War, April 5th 1916
Western Front
Battle of Verdun: Germans occupy Haucourt; attack on Bethincourt breaks down.
Mesopotamia campaign
British take Um-el-Hanna and Falahiya position (Mesopotamia), and positions on right bank of Tigris.
Aerial operations: RFC starts preparations for major British offensive
The British Fourth Army under General Sir Henry Rawlinson is preparing for a major offensive in the Somme area during the summer. For the first time in the war a coordinated plan has been agreed between Rawlinson and RFC Commander Hugh Trenchard for the support that the RFC will provide to the offensive.
Army squadrons will conduct conduct strategic reconnaissance and begin the process of achieve air superiority over the German Army Air Service, followed by long-range bombing of German communication networks.
Corps squadrons will observe and direct counter-battery fire against German artillery followed by contact patrols with the infantry, close reconnaissance, destruction of enemy observation balloons, aerial photography and other special missions as determined by the RFC commander.
Today, the Third and Fourteenth Wings began the process of photographing every yard of ground opposite the Fourth Army. Work has also begun to identify and target German artillery batteries.
Fighter aircraft are protecting the corps and army aircraft from enemy attacks as well as preventing German observation and reconnaissance aircraft from venturing into British airspace where they could view the gradual build-up of units and equipment.
Naval operations: English Channel
Otto Steinbrink, commanding UB-18, sinks Norwegian freighter SS BAUS, 1,287 tons, bound from South Shields for Rouen with a load of coal; and French lugger SV JEANNETTE, 160 tons, travelling in ballast for Boulogne to Ireland. His score is now 34 ships and 35,528 tons.
UB-26, commanded by Wilhelm Smiths, becomes entangled in nets laid by French destroyer TROMBE. Smiths has no choice but to surface and scuttle his boat. He and the other 20 members of his crew are taken prisoner. Smiths had previously commanded UB-5 and sank 5 ships for a total of 996 tons. After the war Smiths will become German consul in Messina and manage a company manufacturing citrus-fruit essences.
Thorwald von Bothmer, in U-66, begins his career with the torpedoing of British freighter SS zENT, 3,890 tons, travelling in ballast from Garston for Santa Marta, Colombia.
Naval operations: Mediterranean Sea
Claus Rücker, in U-34, torpedoes British freighter SS CHANTALA, 4,951 tons, carrying a general cargo from Tees and London to Calcutta, bringing his score to 23 ships and 82,306 tons.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Apr 6, 2021 2:48:19 GMT
Day 617 of the Great War, April 6th 1916
Western Front
Battle of Verdun: German progress between Bethincourt and Hill 265.
Germans regain two craters at St. Eloi.
Caucus campaign
Russians drive Turks across Kara Dere (Armenia).
Mesopotamia campaign: Kut Relief Force Takes Heavy Casualties to Friendly Fire
The situation inside Kut was growing more desperate. Estimates of how long the food supply could last continued to increase as it was stretched even more thinly, but the timespan was certainly on the order of weeks, at best. The relief force launched a third attempt to reach Kut, beginning on April 5. A difficulty was that snowmelt would soon bring floods to the Tigris, rendering a land advance difficult and unpredictable. The Turks knew this, and withdrew their forces from their first lines, which were especially exposed to flooding, as a result on the night of April 4.
The British Indian force attacked these now-emptied lines the next morning, after a carefully-timed barrage. Edward Roe recalled:
Only a few stray and ill-aimed shots greet us instead of the hail of lead which we expected, and the first two lines of trenches were taken with trifling loss. On meeting with no opposition our officers lost their heads, and instead of remaining for the stipulated twenty minutes in the captured Turkish trenches, flourished their revolvers and yelled “Come on boys, we’ve got them on the run! We won’t stop until we get to Kut.” [They advanced] in what we call in army slang “columns of lumps,” the grandest target an artillery or machine gun commander could wish for. Men were sent to Kingdom Come in bundles of eight by our howitzers and river monitors.
The British suffered 1868 casualties despite essentially no Turkish opposition.
Aerial operations: Zeppelins go North
Not content with the major raid on 31 March/1 April, Zeppelins have continued their attacks over the last couple of nights.
The night before last L11 and L17 set out to attack London but strong wings forced them to abandon this mission and continue up the North-East coast. L17 was forced to turn back after reachinghte English coast with engine trouble, dropping bombs harmlessly in the sea.
L17 came inland south of Sunderland dropping bombs on Ettleton Colliery, Hetton Downs and Philadelphia causing minor damage but no injuries. L11 reached Sunderland at around 11.20pm and dropped 21 bombs on the city killing 22 and injuring 128. 23 building were destroyed and a further 66 had to partially demolished. Another 212 buildings suffered minor damage. L17 then flew on to Midleborough and at around 12.05 dropped bombs on the city causing minor damage. The l17 then headed out to sea dropping the last two bombs on Skinningrove Iron Works with no damage. Four RNAS and three RFC aircraft took off to intercept, but none spotted the Zeppelin.
The raids continued last night when L14 and L22 and L16 made the furtherest inroads North when they attacked Scotland.
L14 appeared off the Scottish coast at about 9.30pm. Failing to find the naval docks at Rosyth, L14 dropped 20 bombs on Leith at about 11.30pm. Five bombs damaged Edinburgh Dock and Albert Dock. Robert Love was killed when a bomb hit his flat and David Robb was killed by another bomb. £44,000 worth of damage was done when a bomb destroyed Innes & Grieve’s bonded warehouse and its whisky.
L14 then reached Edinburgh and dropped 24 bombs A bomb exploded on the roof of 39/41 Lauriston Place causing serious damage – the occupants escaped unhurt but David Robertson was killed by flying debris. A bomb at 183 Causewayside injured six people and caused a 74-year-old woman to have a fatal heart attack. Another bomb wrecked the White Hart Hotel, injuring four people and a further bomb dmaged the County Hotel in Lothian Road. Turning back over the city, L14 dropped further bombs. One hit 16 Marshall Street killing six and injuring seven. Another at 69 St Leonard’s Hill killed Cora Bell, and injured her mother and younger sister. L14 went back out to sea at about 1.00am over Cockburnspath.
Zeppelin L.22came inland north of Berwick-upon-Tweed at about 9.00pm. The Captain dropped 28 bombs but these fell harmlessly in fields. By the time L.22 approached Leith, L14 was already bombing at a much lower height so L14 stood off. Further bombs dropped on Slateford, and Bridgend without any damage. At about 12.40pm L22 went out to sea over the Firth of Forth near Portobello.
L16, approached from further south coming inland over Druridge Bay, Northumberland at about 11.00pm. L22 then headed South and West until attracted by flares burning at the High West Houses aircraft landing ground. L16 dropped 23 bombs there without causing any damage. Peterson then turned north-east, dropping 11 more bombs on Cramlington airfield at 11.50pm causing some minor damage. L.16 then headed back northwards before dropping seven bombs near Broomhill Colliery at 12.15am. Five minutes later L16 headed out to sea over Amble. Two RFC aircraft went up from Cramlington but failed to intercept L16 and one was wrecked on landing.
Naval operations: Irish Sea
Bruno Hoppe, commanding U-22, torpedoes British tanker SS VENNACHER, 4,926 tons, bound from Glasgow for Key West, Florida. The damaged ship makes port and is repaired.
Naval operations: English Channel
Thorwald von Bothmer, in U-66, sinks French schooner SV BINICAISE, 151 tons, en route from St. Malo to Briton Ferry with a load of scrap iron and steel. His score is now 2 ships and 4,041 tons.
Herbert Pustkuchen, in UB-29, torpedoes British freighter SS VESUVIO, 1,391 tons, heading from Messina to London with a general cargo; and Danish freighter SS ASGER RYG, 1,134 tons, carrying a load of coal from Tyne to Algiers. Pustkuchen's score is now 27 ships and 39,135 tons.
Naval operations: Mediterranean Sea
Claus Rücker, in U-34, sinks British freighter SS YONNE, 4,039 tons, carrying a load of coal from Clyde to Alexandria. His score is now 24 ships and 86,345 tons.
Just south of Sardinia Walter Forstmann, in U-29, sinks Danish freighter SS STJERNEBORG, 1,592 tons, travelling from Dunston to Bagnoli with a load of coal, bringing his score to 51 ships and 125,737 tons. Forstmann also attacks French troopship COLBERT, 5,394 tons, but the damaged ship escapes with the loss of two lives.
Naval operations: German East Africa
British monitor HMS SEVERN is patrolling off Dar-es-Salaam when they spot the German signal station there flying a white flag. Severn stops and is approached by a German motor boat. The boat's commander hands over a letter, which is transferred to gunboat HMS FLY and taken to Zanzibar. The German boat returns to Dar-es-Salaam and SEVERN resumes her patrol.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Apr 7, 2021 2:47:00 GMT
Day 618 of the Great War, April 7th 1916
YouTube (Zeppelins over Britain - Terror in the Skies)
Western Front
Battle of Verdun: French repulse an attack south and east of Haucourt.
German artillery continues its bombardment of Rheims. Around a thousand artillery shells hit the city.
The first Australian troops arrive on the Western Front. Units of the Australian 2nd Division are introduced to the battlefield at ‘The Nursery’ – a relatively quiet sector south of the manufacturing town of Armentieres on the Lys River near the Belgium border.
Eastern Front
Renewed fighting at Lake Naroch (south of Dvinsk).
Macedonian front: Serbian Army Redeployed to the Salonika Front
The Serbian Army and government-in-exile retreated to the island of Corfu after the conquest of their country by the Central Powers in the winter of 1915-1916. In April, they started to ship back out to the front, reequipped with material from their Entente allies. Gradually, they began to play a role again in the war, working closely with the French at Salonika. The time at Corfu had taken its toll, however: lacking food and adequate medical supplies, and tuberculosis took a devastating toll on the recuperating troops.
Italian front: Italians Driven Off of Rauchkofel
The front line between the Austrians and the Italians in many places in South Tyrol was extremely rugged, Alpine terrain, strewn with mountains 6000 feet high or higher. In late March, a force of 208 Italian infantry scaled the steep face of Rauchkofel (6493′), in one case climbing up a sheer rock face with ropes and pitons. They surprised the Austrian garrison from above and took the mountain, and fortified themselves in cover just below the summit. Over the next few days, they were subject to fierce counterattacks and artillery barrages. These often loosened huge boulders from the summit above them, which crashed down onto the Italians. Attacked with overwhelming force and almost impossible to reinforce, after a week of resistance, the 59 Italian survivors were forced to retreat, leaving the mountain by April 7.
The same day they were driven off the summit, however, another detachment of Italians took Punta Serauta (9715′), one of the summits of the tallest mountain in the Dolomites, Marmolada. Fighting raged on the peak for the remainder of the month, with the Italians eventually securing the peak.
German East Africa campaign: Portuguese Forces Cross into German East Africa
Portugal’s entry into the war had been delayed for so long both because the Allies feared their weak forces would be a liability during the war, and that they might make outsized demands regarding German colonies at the peace table. Occasionally, British planners at the Foreign Office anticipated a rearrangement of Portugal’s colonies as well in any peace deal.
The first priority for Portugal’s forces in Mozambique was the capture of the Kiongo Triangle, a small region south of the Rovuma river seized by the Germans in 1894 but historically claimed by Portugal. Securing its “liberation” was thus a point of Portuguese national honor. On April 6, a Portuguese force of 400 crossed into Kiongo, quickly overcame the few German border guards, and secured the territory within four days. The Portuguese hoped to use the area as a staging ground for attacks further into German East Africa, as well as to combat smuggling operations that let supplies and people into and out of the German colony.
The victory was widely celebrated in Lisbon by the republican government there, “the laurels gathered,” and new Kionga postage stamps swiftly printed. Meanwhile, the force that captured Kionga quickly began to suffer from malaria and other tropical ailments, losing a quarter of its strength in the next six weeks.
Naval operations: Celtic Sea
Thorwald von Bothmer, commanding U-66, stops French barquentine SV SAINTE MARIE, bound from Fecamp for Newfoundland with a load of salt, and sinks her with his deck gun. His score is now 3 ships and 4,439 tons. Von Bothmer also torpedoes Dutch freighter SS RIJDIJK, 3,557 tons, carrying a load of wheat from Portland, Maine, to Rotterdam. The ship is beached and later refloated.
Naval operations: English Channel
Otto Steinbrinck, in UB-18, stops and sinks British brigantine SV CLYDE, 204 tons, travelling from London to Dieppe with a load of scrap iron. His score is now 35 ships and 35,732 tons. Steinbrink also torpedoes Dutch freighter SS EEMDIJK, 3,048 tons, carrying a load of maize from Baltimore to Rotterdam, but the damaged ship makes port and is repaired.
Herbert Pustkuchen, in UB-29, torpedoes British freighter SS BRAUNTON, 4,575 tons, bound from Boulogne for Newport with a load of government stores; and sinks French sailboat SV MARQUERITE, 42 tons. His score is now 29 ships and 43,572 tons.
British freighter SS HALCYON, 1,319 tons, carrying a general cargo from Bordeaux to London, hits a mine laid by Matthias von Schmettow in UC-6, bringing his score to 33 ships and 43,180 tons.
Naval operations: South Africa
Old second-class cruiser HMS CHALLENGER arrives at Durban, meets monitor HMS MERSEY.
The crew of MERSEY, meanwhile, are busy loading ammunition and setting up the guns.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Apr 8, 2021 2:47:19 GMT
Day 619 of the Great War, April 8th 1916Western FrontBattle of Verdun: French evacuate Bethincourt: German gain at Haucourt reported. Photo: Loading a 240mm gun at Mailly Camp on the Aube Armored Warfare: French Army puts in order for 400 TanksThough the British were first off the mark on the development of the tank, the French Army also worked on its own designs. In April 1916, they put in an order for 400 St. Chamond heavy tanks, made by the Schnieder tractor company. The tank drew its design from heavy tractors that towed heavy artillery, with the tracks elongated to cross trenches. Aerial operations: British Capture First Fokker with Synchronization GearThe Germans had dominated the air over the Western Front since last August–the so-called “Fokker Scourge.” Their main advantage was the synchronization gear, which allowed them to fire a machine gun through their propeller without destroying it. The Allies, after initially trying a different approach, had finally developed a gear of their own, which by early April had undergone limited testing. Full deployment of British and French synchronization gears would not start until May. In the meantime, however, the British got their hands on an example of the German technology that had menaced their pilots for the past eight months. A Fokker was forced down behind British lines in Flanders; the plane was captured and the intact synchronization gear was captured. It was sent back to Britain for analysis, and it was test-flown the next month. Although it arrived too late to influence the first British synchronization gears, it may have played a role in future iterations. Naval operations: ScotlandBruno Hoppe, commanding U-22, uses his deck gun to sink British freighter SS ADAMTON, 2,304 tons, travelling in ballast to Barry. Hoppe's score is now 8 ships and 17,972 tons. Naval operations: Celtic SeaThorwald von Bothmer, in U-66, sinks Spanish freighter SS SANTANDERINO, 3,346 tons, travelling from Liverpool to Havana. This brings his score to 4 ships and 7,784 tons. Naval operations: Black SeaWilhelm Werner, in UB-7, sinks Russian sailing vessel SAL'DAGEN, 75 tons, bringing his score to 2 vessels and 6,086 tons. Naval operations: Mediterranean SeaClaus Rücker, in U-34, sinks British freighter SS ZAFRA, 3,578 tons, Bound from Cardiff to Malta with a load of coal. His score is now 25 ships and 89,923 tons. Naval operations: South AfricaBritish cruiser HMS CHALLENGER departs Durban for Zanzibar.
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Post by lordroel on Apr 9, 2021 7:30:14 GMT
Day 620 of the Great War, April 9th 1916Western FrontBattle of Verdun: Germans gain footing on Hill 295, but fail in attack on 12-mile front west of Meuse. General Pétain praises the French defenders, calling it “a glorious day for our forces…Courage, we shall have them yet!” Recapture of mine crater at St. Eloi by British reported. Photo: Partial view of one of the many huge ammunition dumps that had been built for the defense of Verdun Mesopotamia campaignBritish attack on main Turkish position at Sanna-i-Yat (Mesopotamia) fails. Anglo-Egyptian Darfur ExpeditionAbiad (Darfur) occupied. Germany: SS Libau Leaves Germany Bound for Ireland, Carrying Rifles for Irish RebelsFilled with guns and ammo, the German cargo ship LIBAU left Lubeck for Ireland, where it would deliver them to a group of Irish republican rebels. Filled with 20,000 Mosin-Nagant rifles captured from the Russians at Tannenberg in 1914, the AUD took a circuitous route to Ireland around the North Sea, trying to evade Royal Navy patrols. The ship masqueraded as the Norweigan cargo ship AUD. It was due to meet Roger Casement, a leader in a circle of Irish republicans planning a rebellion to take place in Dublin that Easter, on April 20 in Tralee Bay. illustration: LIBAU, disguised as the Norweigian cargo ship AUD Naval operations: Celtic SeaThorwald von Bothmer, commanding U-66, sinks British freighters SS EASTERN CITY, 4,341 tons, travelling in ballast from St. Nazaire to Barry; SS GLENALMOND, 2,888 tons, carrying a load of iron ore from Bilbao to Glasgow; and Norwegian freighter SS SJOLYST, 997 tons, travelling in ballast from Nantes to Manchester. His score is now 7 ships and 16,010 tons. Naval operations: North SeaBritish freighter SS AVON, 1,574 tons, bound from London to Leith with a general cargo, hits a mine laid by Georg Haag in UC-7. Haag's score is now 17 ships and 28,490 tons. Naval operations: Black SeaWilhelm Werner, in UB-7, sinks Russian sailing vessel GRYOZA, 119 tons, bringing his score to 3 ships and 6,205 tons. Naval operations: Mediterranean SeaWalter Forstmann, in U-39, sinks Danish freighter SS CALEDONIA, 1,815 tons, carrying a load of coal from Glasgow to Livorno, just south of Toulon. His score is now 52 ships and 127,552 tons.
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