lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 21, 2021 3:45:47 GMT
Day 875 of the Great War, December 21st 1916Eastern FrontNorthern Russia: Fighting south of Dvinsk. Also on south Galician rivers. Macedonian frontIn Dobruja, Russians drive Bulgars into Lake Ibolota (Babadagh). United Kingdom: British Reject American President Wilson’s Peace ProposalAt the end of 1916, the combatants were in preliminary talks about peace, begun by Germany’s offer. Chances for an end to the war looked slim, however. British and French politicians cajoled the German offer for being painfully one-sided, and vowed to fight until they could enforce a real peace on Germany. Yet America’s president, Woodrow Wilson, hoped to make the negotiations stick. Wilson wrote a peace note to the individual Entente powers, asking each to formulate its own peace conditions as a way of continuing the talks. Yet his ambitious desire to be the man who “ended the war” and a portion of his letter which repeated his claim that the US was “too proud to fight” offended those who had been fighting for over two years. Lloyd George sent back the official British rejection on December 21: “We shall put our trust rather in an unbroken army than in broken faith.” He had been placed in power twelve days earlier by both parties which were convinced he could able prosecute the war. He would not let them down. Sinai and Palestine campaign: ANZAC Cavalry Captures El Arish Since the repulse of the last attack on the Suez Canal in August, British forces in Egypt felt confident that Egypt was no longer under direct threat, and began considering offensive operations. A push into Ottoman Palestine, however, would require crossing the Sinai, which had little infrastructure and even less water, and was thus completely unable to support an invading army; all the Turkish crossings of the Sinai were smaller forces, supported by Arab irregulars, and were counting on an uprising within Egypt itself for ultimate success. Over the course of 1916, the British had slowly been building a railway and water pipeline across the desert, reaching over halfway to the Turkish border by early December. The effort was given added impetus when Lloyd George became Prime Minister; well-known for seeking theaters of war beyond the Western Front, he had a special interest in pushing into Palestine and eventually taking Jerusalem from the Ottomans. On December 20, General Murray gave orders to capture El Arish, the largest town in Sinai, planning to eventually push on from there to Rafah. The Turkish garrison there had noted the methodical advance of British infrastructure by aerial reconnaissance, and knew that British naval dominance in the Mediterranean rendered them vulnerable from the sea, as well. That same day, the Turks abandoned El Arish, with some heading back east towards Rafah and the Turkish border, and others heading south and east towards Magdhaba, out of the range of British naval guns and water supplies. British planes spotted the evacuation, so the plans to capture the town by force were not needed. On December 21, ANZAC cavalry units entered the town, and British engineers soon began improving the port to serve as an advance base for the British in the Sinai. Aerial operations: New Sopwith CamelSince Autumn 1916, British fighters old and new have been distinctly outgunned as the new German fighters all have twin machine guns. Various designers have been working away to remedy this. The Royal Aircraft Factory has already come up with the SE5 and now the Sopwith Company has tested a new design, the Camel, which is the first British design with two forward firing Vickers guns. The design, intended as a replacement for the popular but undergunned Sopwith Pup was test flown today at Brooklands. Despite being a Pup replacement, the two aircraft could not be more different. Unlike the docile Pup, the Camel is front heavy due to the engine, guns and pilot all being within seven feet of the front. This coupled with the torque of the rotary engine makes this an inherently unstable aircraft that is difficult to master. Photo: Royal Flying Corps Sopwith F.1 Camel in 1914-1916 period Naval operations: English ChannelHis Majesty's Trawler ST. IVES, 325 tons, hits a mine laid by Ralph Wenninger in UC-17, off Falmouth. Wenninger's score is now 32 ships and 13,366 tons. Naval operations: North SeaNorwegian freighter SS MODIG, 1,704 tons, bound from Tyne for Rouen with a load of coal, hits a mine laid by Friedrich Moecke in UC-46. His score is now 4 ships and 8,887 tons. While on operations with the Grand Fleet, Parker class destroyer leader HMS HOSTE develops engine trouble. 'M' class destroyer HMS NEGRO is assigned to escort HOSTE back to Scapa Flow. In the dark NEGRO runs into HOSTE, causing two depth charges to roll off HOSTE'S stern. HOSTE'S stern is blown off, sinking that ship and the second charge goes off under NEGRO, wrecking her engine room and causing her to quickly sink. NEGRO loses 5 officers and 46 men, with 29 rescued. HOSTE loses only 4, thanks to the heroic efforts of HMS MARVEL, which takes off 8 officers and 126 men despite repeated bumpings in the heavy seas. Naval operations: Baltic SeaRussian coaster SS SKIFTET, 336 tons, hits a mine laid by Karl Vesper in UC-27. His score is now 6 ships and 11,840 tons. Naval operations: Mediterranean SeaGustav Seiß, in U-73, sinks British Tanker SS MUREX, 3,564 tons, travelling in ballast from Mudros to Port Said. Seiß's score is now 12 ships and 90,424 tons. Naval operations: The SEEADLER sets sailThe British navy has strangled Germany’s overseas trade, leading to increasing hardships as the German people are unable to source food from the Americas. Germany has attempted to strike back at British shipping using its U-boat fleet. For the moment, though the U-boats are on a tight leash, forbidden to attack merchant ships at will for fear of antagonising the Americans. Now the Germans attempt to disrupt British trade by another method, one that seems to have escaped from the pages of a book on the Napoleonic Wars. Today the SEEADLER (SEA EAGLE) sets sail from Germany. In an age of industrial warfare the SEEADLER is a throwback, as she is a three-masted sailing ship, albeit one also equipped with engines. And like a privateer of old, the SEEADLER flies a false flag, that of Norway, and has her guns well hidden. Her captain, Felix von Luckner, and many of his crew are fluent Norwegian speakers. They hope to trick any Allied warships into letting the SEEADLER pass as a neutral vessel.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 22, 2021 3:57:57 GMT
Day 876 of the Great War, December 22nd 1916
Romanian Campaign
Romania: Enemy concentrating at Ramnicu, Sarat; hard fighting; Russian retreat to Danube completed.
Mesopotamian campaign
British positions south of Kut consolidated; second air raid on Baghela; also on Beersheba.
Germany: Admiral Holtzendorff Lays Out Detailed Case for Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
As 1916 came to a close, Germany did get the one victory they had sought–the conquest of Romania. However, they were largely on the defensive on all the other fronts, and even their few gains around Verdun had been largely reversed. The German (and American) peace offers were on the table, but few were optimistic that they would succeed. As a result, pressure to unleash the potentially war-winning weapon they had at their disposal, the submarine, was steadily increasing. Hindenburg & Ludendorff were strongly in favor, as was Admiral Scheer. They gained a new advocate late in 1916, in the form of Admiral Holtzendorff, head of the Imperial Admiralty Staff. He had earlier taken a more moderate stance on the use of the U-boats, once advocating their unrestricted use but then backing off in the face of American pressure. Holtzendorff had been convinced this time in part by Scheer, who told him that the Navy was losing confidence in his leadership as long at the U-boats remained leashed.
On December 22, Holtzendorff sent Hindenburg and the Kaiser a 200-page memorandum strongly advocating for the resumption of submarine warfare. Intensely detailed, it laid out the mathematical case for the submarines, taking into account the amount of shipping that they could sink, the increase in shipping and insurance costs for the Allies, and the resulting increase in prices of basic goods in Britain. He calculated that the U-boats would be able to sink 600,000 tons a month, and could scare even more away due to the risk of death (or the higher prices required to justify the risk). “In five months, shipping to and from England will be reduced by 39%. England would not be able to stand that. I do not hesitate to assert that, as matters now stand, we can force England to make peace in five months by an unrestricted U-boat campaign. But this holds good only for a really unrestricted U-boat campaign.”
While targeted at Britain, Holtzendorff argued that this would be a war-winning move on the continent as well. “A decision must be reached before the autumn of 1917, if the war is not to end in the exhaustion of all parties and consequently disastrously for us. Of our enemies, Italy and France are economically so hard hit that it is only by the energy and force of England that they are still kept on their feet. It we can break England’s back, the war will immediately be decided in our favor.”
This left only one major actor firmly opposed to the unleashing of the submarines: Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg, who feared that America would enter the war as a result and make the war impossible to win. For now, the Kaiser still sided with the Chancellor, but the Kaiser had changed his mind on the topic many times before.
Aerial operations: Air Board given new powers
Following the formation of the War Cabinet on 7 December, the question of long term air policy remained unanswered and on 19 December, Lord Curzon addressed a note to the War Cabinet calling attention to the outstanding problems of air policy and supply. He made it clear that there was no possibility of meeting Sir Douglas Haig’s demand for twenty extra fighting squadrons from Royal Flying Corps resources, and he stated that it was indispensable that stock should be taken of all material to be produced for both air services during the next few months.
Today, in response the War Cabinet decided to widen the powers of the Air Board. It was laid down that
“(1) The Air Board should continue to fulfil the functions allotted to it, devoting special attention to the question of the proper allocation of the aerial resources of the country whenever conflict of com- petition arose as between the Admiralty and War Office.
(2) A Fifth Sea Lord should be added to the Board of Admiralty in order to represent that Department on the Air Board with a status and authority of the Director-General of Military Aeronautics.
(3) A representative of the Ministry of Munitions should be added to the Air Board.
(4) The design and supply of aircraft should be trans- ferred from the Admiralty and War Office to the Ministry of Munitions.
At the same time, the New Ministries and Secretaries Act became law giving legislative backing to the Air Board and its president who is now ‘deemed to be a Minister appointed under this Act and ‘the Air Board a Ministry established under this Act’.
Section 7 of the Act said the Air Board was formed “for the purpose of organizing and maintaining the supply of aircraft in the national interest in connexion with the present war…”
Section 8 of the Act stated that ‘The Air Board shall in relation to aircraft have such ‘powers and duties of any Government Department or ‘Authority, whether conferred by Statute or otherwise, ‘as His Majesty may by Order in Council transfer to the ‘Board, or authorize the Board to exercise or perform ‘concurrently with or in consultation with the Govern- ‘ment department or authority concerned.’
Naval operations: English Channel
Wilhelm Kiel, commanding UC-18, sinks three Allied ships:
French schooner AMADEE, 130 tons, bound from Binic for Cardiff; scuttled.
Danish freighter SS DANSBORG, 2,242 tons, carrying a load of coal from Sunderland to Lisbon.
Danish freighter SS HROPATYR, 1,300 tons, en route from Tyne to Oran with a load of coal.
Kiel's score is now 26 ships and 23,418 tons.
Naval operations: Bay of Biscay
Otto Wünsche, in U-70, attacks two ships off the north Spanish coast:
Italian freighter SS AVANTI, either 1,673 or 1,723 tons, travelling from Villaricos to Tyne with a load of iron ore, sunk with all hands and listed as missing.
Norwegian freighter SS THYRA, 749 tons, carrying a load of coal from Cardiff to Oporto; captured. Thyra will be kept until December 29th, when an attempt is made to scuttle her. The ship survives, however, and is towed to port.
Wünsche now has 32 ships and 42,230 tons.
Naval operations: North Sea
British submarine HMS E30 hits a mine in the North Sea and sinks with the death of all 30 crew.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 23, 2021 3:47:54 GMT
Day 877 of the Great War, December 23rd 1916Western FrontHostile activity in Champagne. Eastern FrontFierce struggle for Moldavian frontier positions. Russians from Dobruja retire to Bessarabia, leaving some troops at Macin (Braila). Italian FrontBad weather last fortnight on Italian front. Macedonian frontTwo successful British attacks along Doiran front (Macedonia). Sinai and Palestine campaign: British Capture Turks Retreating from El ArishBefore the ANZAC cavalry entered El Arish, the bulk of the Turkish forces had withdrawn southeast up the valley to Magdhaba, on the way to Auja [Nitzana] and the railhead at the Turkish border. The British wanted to pursue, but this would prove difficult as there were no water sources in the vicinity. They had to wait two days before adequate supplies could be brought by camel, and even then they only had enough for a very limited operation on the night of the 22nd. Map: Keogh's Map 3 shows the desert – Magdhaba and the railway from Auja to Beersheba The ANZAC cavalry and the Camel Brigade found the Turks just before dawn on December 23rd, and attacked immediately, hoping to defeat them before they themselves were forced to withdraw due to their lack of water. By noon, they had made few gains and begun to take heavy casualties (especially among the camelry),and at 1:50 PM their commanding general decided to withdraw. However, before he could issue the order, they had taken the main Turkish strongpoint, and were able to mop up all Turkish resistance by 4:30. Nearly 1300 prisoners were taken, with most of the remainder killed, while the British lost under 150. After the engagement, there was a fair amount of fraternization between the prisoners and their captors. Many of them had both been at Gallipoli. Said one Australian private to his Turkish prisoner “I was there myself, and it was such a hell of a place that you have my sympathy,” before taking the man’s tobacco and his Gallipoli campaign medal. Map: Map of Magdhaba, showing Ottoman redoubts in green and attacking forces in red The clearing of the El Arish valley meant that the British now had control of most of the Sinai peninsula; General Murray’s subordinates now began to advocate for an advance on Rafah, at the border with Palestine. Painting: Painting depicts mounted troops of the Imperial Camel Corps Brigade with the Egyptian town of Magdhaba in the distance, 23 December 1916 Aerial operations: Advances in EgyptFour days ago the air detachments in Egypt were concentrated for the impending operations against El Arish. The Fifth Wing head-quarters transferred to Mustabig from Ismailia and 67 (Australian) Squadron RFC and 14 Squadron RFC are also there. Early on the morning of 20, as preparations for the advance were completed, an air observer came back with news that the hospitals and tents had been moved from El Arish, and that the town had been evacuated. In the afternoon, a further reconnaissance reported that the Turks had abandoned their positions at Maghara. This being the case, the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division and the Imperial Camel Brigade set off for El Arish immediately. Yesterday morning, air observers reported that the town was completely encircled by the mounted troops and that no resistance was being offered. El Arish was subsequently found empty of Turks, and today the first ship are unloading supplies at the port. Air reconnaissances revealed that the bulk of the enemy forces from El Arish had retreated south-east along the Wadi el Arish, and that a considerable body was encamped at Magdhaba. On this information, Lieutenant-General Sir Philip W. Chetwode, commanding the Desert Column, decided on 22 December to advance on Magdhaba with his main mounted forces. On the same day the Turkish camps were attacked by ten BE2c’s from 67 Squadron and by three from 14 Squadron. A total of six 100lb. and 126 smaller bombs were dropped on the camps and many hits were made. This morning, in preparation for the attack on Magdhaba, aeroplanes flew over the Turkish positions and drew fire from various points along the bed of the Wadi el Arish, a useful indication of the places held by the enemy. Early air reports also gave the welcome news that there were no signs of reinforcements on the move. At 1000 another message was dropped, suggesting that the Turks were withdrawing, and to prevent their escape orders were at once given to the 1st Light Horse Brigade to move straight on Magdhaba. They met with heavy fire, and it was clear that no evacuation of the Turkish positions had taken place, The air observer had been misled, most likely by demoralised troops fleeing the bombardment The British attack pressed on and, by 1630 all organized resistance had been ended and the Turkish garrison, 1,282 strong, with a great quantity of ammunition, was captured; the British losses were 146 (22 killed). Naval operations: Bristol ChannelFriedrich Moecke, commanding UC-46, stops British freighter SS WILLIAM MIDDLETON, 2,543 tons, travelling in ballast from Boulogne to Dublin. Scutttling charges are laid and detonated, but the damaged ship is beached and later salvaged. Naval operations: Bay of BiscayAlfred Saalwächter, in U-46, sinks Spanish freighter SS MARQUES DE URQUIJO, 2,170 tons, carrying a load of iron ore from Bilbao to Middlesbrough. His score is now 6 ships and 12,385 tons. Naval operations: Mediterranean SeaOtto Hersing, in U-21, torpedoes British freighter SS BENALDER, 3,044 tons, travelling from Manil to Marseilles with a general cargo. The damaged ship reaches Alexandria safely. British freighter SS THISTLEBAN, 4,117 tons, en route from Karachi to Hull with a load of rapeseed, linseed and peas, hits a mine laid off Alexandria by Gustav Seiß in U-73. His score is now 13 ships and 94,541 tons.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 24, 2021 8:19:42 GMT
Day 878 of the Great War, December 24th 1916Western Front Photo: Battery of 9.2 inch howitzers in action. Note a large numbers of shells ready for use Romanian Campaign: Germans Continue Advance in RomaniaBucharest had fallen in early December, along with most of the Romanian Army. Further progress by the Central Powers was slow, however. The extremely rapid advance had outstripped their supply lines, despite the capture of large quantities of materiel that the Allies had not managed to completely destroy. Secondly, the Russians, realizing a complete Romanian collapse now threatened their southern flank, began to send large numbers of troops to the area. Romania’s entry into the war was supposed to have been a great boon for the Allies, but ultimately it only made Russian lines longer. In late December, Austrian forces were attempting to push through the Carpathians into Moldavia, but were for now being kept in check by Russian forces. Falkenhayn and Mackensen, meanwhile, were pushing northeast from Bucharest, and by late December had reached Râmnicu Sărat, a vital transportation hub 90 miles from Bucharest. The fighting continued for five days over Christmas, with the Germans finally taking the town and 10,000 PoWs on December 27. This forced the Romanians to fall back even further, towards Focsani. Photo: German troops outside the German occupation authority in Bucharest, on Christmas Eve 1916 Macedonian frontLively British raids on Doiran front. Aerial operations: 54 Pups54 Squadron RFC arrived at St Omer today to reinforce the RFC on the Western Front. The Squadron was formed at Castle Bromwich in May 1916 and initially tasked with Home Defence duties flying BE2c’s and Avro 504s. In August 1916, Captain Kelham Kirk Horn, an Australian, was appointed Commanding Officer and it re-equipped with Sopwith Pups in preparation for its new role as a fighter squadron. Captain Horn is now leading the Squadron to the front where it will be used initially as a bomber escort squadron. It is the first RFC Squadron to be equipped with the Pup. A number of RNAS squadrons have already been using the aircraft and despit Naval operations: Bristol ChannelBritish tanker SS PAUL PAIX, 4,196 tons, travelling in ballast from Dunkirk to Swansea, hits a mine laid off Mumbles Head by Friedrich Moecke in UC-46. The damaged ship manages to make it safely to port. Naval operations: English ChannelRalph Wenninger, commanding UC-17, sinks British freighter SS BARGANY, 872 tons, bound from Cardiff for Lorient with a load of coal, north of Ushant. His score is now 33 ships and 14,238 tons. His Majesty's Trawler ABELARD, 187 tons, is wrecked off Plymouth. Naval operations: Bay of BiscayOtto Wünsche, in U-70, stops British schooner HARRY W. ADAMS, carrying a load of codfish from Burin, Newfoundland to Corunna. After the crew abandon ship Wünsche sinks it with his deck gun. This takes place off Cape Vilano, Spain, and Wünsche's score is now 33 ships and 42,357 tons.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 25, 2021 7:46:25 GMT
Day 879 of the Great War, December 25th 1916
Western Front
British take over more French line.
Romanian Campaign: Germany seizes Romania’s granaries
The German food situation is grim. The British navy prevents Germany from importing food or fertilisers from overseas. The dislocation of war has led to a significant decline in domestic agricultural production. This year’s potato harvest has been struck by blight. Germans are calling this the “turnip winter”, as they are having to eat turnips (normally used as animal feed) instead of potatoes.
But there is one bright star on the horizon. When Romania joined the Allies, there was consternation in Berlin as Germany no longer had access to Romanian grain exports. Now, though, Romania has mostly been overrun by Falkenhayn and Mackensen. In their advance they have managed to seize the country’s granaries intact. The Germans will be able to eat bread made from Romanian wheat after all. Their food situation is still desperate but the conquest of Romania will allow Germany to continue fighting the war.
Caucasus campaign
Armenian front: fighting round Van.
East Africa campaign
Combined offensive (in East Africa) by Generals Northey and van Deventer begins, pushing enemy east and south.
Aerial operations: celebrating Christmas
Continuing the work done on the 24th, overnight various RFC units bombed and machine-gunned German positions at Pont-a-Vendin, Douvrin, Cite St Theodore, Vaulx-Vraucourt and Grevillers. However, for the rest of day the weather was unsuitable for flying and the crews were able to celebrate Christmas.
Naval operations: English Channel
Ralph Wenninger, commanding UC-17, stops and scuttles French schooner COURLIS, 181 tons, bound from Lisbon for Palmol with a load of salt and wine. Wenninger's score is now 34 ships and 14,419 tons.
Naval operations: Gulf of Bothnia
German freighter SS CREMON, 1,074 tons, travelling from Söderhamn to Germany, runs aground at Lövgrund, Sweden.
Naval operations: Bay of Biscay
Alfred Saalwächter, in U-46, sinks French schooner MARIE PIERRE, 166 tons, carrying a load of pit props from Bayonne to Swansea. The crew are transferred to captured trawler GOULFAR and MARIE PIERRE is set afire off the north Spanish coast. Saalwächter's score is now 7 ships and 12,551 tons.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 26, 2021 9:07:03 GMT
Day 880 of the Great War, December 26th 1916
Western Front: General Joffre made Marshall of France
Replaced as French Chief-of-Staff on December 13 by General Nivelle, Joffre was too popular with the French people to be officially “sacked”. Instead, on Boxing Day 1916, he was “promoted” to Marshall of France, cementing his legacy but essentially kicking him up and out of a job. In a way, his promotion had a poetic justice, as Joffre had been fond of sacking any French general not obsequious to him. Eventually, his quasi-dictatorial manner tried to civilian government to put its trust in Nivelle instead, who promised to end the war with his first offensive in the spring of 1917.
Eastern Front
Heavy shelling of Russian positions in Galicia.
Romanian Campaign
Severe fighting along whole Romanian front.
Mesopotamia Campaign
Mesopotamia: Weather broken; operations much hindered.
United States/Central Powers relations: Central Powers Reply to Wilson’s Peace Offer
Wilson’s attempt to jumpstart the peace process was mainly viewed with annoyance in Germany, in part because it trampled on their own efforts. Germany and the other Central Powers replied on December 26, and declined to give Wilson a statement of their war aims, as requested. They preferred to deal directly with the Allies, and wrote to “propose the speedy assembly, on neutral ground, of delegates of the
warring States.” As for Wilson’s proposal of a league of nations, the Central Powers thought that it would be a matter for after the peace.
Privately, the Germans, especially the new Foreign Minister Zimmermann, did not hide their annoyance towards Wilson. He cabled the German Ambassador in Washington, Count von Bernstorff, on the same day, telling him: “We will only consider some place in neutral Europe as the spot for the eventual gathering of the delegates….American indiscreetness and intermeddling makes it impossible to adequately conduct negotiations. The interposition of the President, even in the form of a clearing house, would be detrimental to our interests and is therefore to be avoided.”
Naval warfare in the Mediterranean
Naval aeroplanes bomb Turkish camps at Galata (Dardanelles).
Aerial operations: Back to the grindstone
The brief respite for Christmas Day is over and both sides were back in force over the front today.
5 Squadron got beaten up by Jasta 1 this morning. 2nd Lieutenant Herbert Edward Arnold was shot down and killed in his BE2c (4498) by Oberleutnant Hans Bethge. 2nd Lt Frederick Norman Insoll was also shot down in his BE2d (6254) by Paul Bon. He crashed behind enemy lines and was taken prisoner.
18 Squadron and Jasta 5 got into a fight over the lines. 2nd Lieutenants George Arthur Masters and 2nd Lieutenant Philip Stanley Taylor were shot down in their FE2b (A5450). They crashed into a shell hole and were wounded. The victory was claimed by Hans Karl Müller for his 11th victory. Captain Henry Leftwyth Haddon Owen and Lieutenant Richard Mayberry in FE2b (A5453) were also forced down in a shell hole but but unharmed. In return the squadron claimed to have shot down three enemy aircraft.
8 Naval Squadron also claimed four enemy aircraft.
2nd Lieutenant Edmund Llewelyn Lewis from 24 Squadron was shot down in flames in his DH2 (7885) by Leutnant Koenig from Jasta 2. In return Captain Selden Herbert Long and Lieutenant Francis Balfour Sedgwick claimed an enemy two seater.
Captain John William Washington Nason and Lieutenant Claude Algernon Felix Brown from 46 Squadron were also shot down and killed in their Nieuport 12 (A3294) by Vitzfeldwebel Alfred Ulmer from Jasta 8 in his Roland.
Finally, Lieutenant Robert William Paylor Hall and 2nd Lieutenant Ernest Frederick William Smith from 9 Squadron shot down a Halberstadt D in their BE2e. Smith let fly with the rear gun and wounded the pilot Hans Muller from Jasta 8. The machine crashed but Muller survived
Naval operations: Bristol Channel
Friedrich Moecke, commanding UC-46, scuttles Belgian naval trawler NEPTUNE, 199 tons.
Brtitish schooner AGNES, 99 tons, carrying a load of oats from Waterford to Gloucester, hits a mine laid by Moecke off Ann's head.
French schooner SAINT LOUIS, 184 tons, bound from Swansea for Bordeaux with a load of coal, hits a mine laid off Mumbles Head by Moecke.
His score is now 7 ships and 9,369 tons.
Naval operations: English Channel
Heinrich Jeß, in U-79, scuttles Danish barque JOHAN, 828 tons, en route from Montego Bay, Jamaaica to Le Havre with a load of logwood, near the western end of the Channel. His score is now 2 ships and 5,786 tons.
Naval operations: Spain
Otto Wünsche, in U-70, scuttles British schooner SPIN-AWAY, 95 tons, travelling from Burgeo, Newfoundland to Figueira, Portugal with a load of codfish. His score is now 34 ships and 42,452 tons.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 27, 2021 3:46:00 GMT
Day 881 of the Great War, December 27th 1916Western FrontBig French air-raids on German industrial works (Rhineland, etc.). Romanian CampaignFalkenhayn takes Ramnicu Sarat. Macedonian frontIn the Dobruja, the Bulgars seize position east of Macin. United States: Colonel House Arranges Secret Telegram Channel for German AmbassadorDespite the German government’s cool reception to Wilson’s peace note, the German Ambassador in Washington, Count Bernstorff, was very much in favor, and hoped to get his government to send Wilson their peace terms. Bernstorff knew a failure of the peace initiative would lead to a resumption of the submarine campaign, which would in turn lead to American entry into the war. Part of German Foreign Minister Zimmermann’s reluctance to deal with the Americans, as he would tell Bernstorff, was “American indiscreetness and intermeddling.” Bernstorff, meeting with Wilson’s advisor Col. House on December 27, attempted to find a solution that would decrease both of these. Wilson proposed that he would limit himself to bringing the belligerents together and organizing a league of nations, and would stay out of the negotiations for the peace, as long as Germany would tell him their proposed terms, in confidence. Bernstorff liked this idea, but was worried as to how the peace terms would make their way from Zimmermann to Wilson in complete confidence; using normal American State Department channels (i.e. through the American Embassy in Berlin) was not acceptable “because there were so many leaks there.” House proposed that Zimmermann could use the State Department’s telegraph cable to send messages to Bernstorff, in German code, preventing prying eyes at the State Department from reading their contents. Wilson signed off on this measure the next day. Secretary of State Lansing was infuriated by this arrangement. Not only was he being cut out of the negotiations altogether, this arrangement violated America’s duties as a neutral country. America was allowed to keep her cable from Berlin to Washington (via Allied countries) because they were being used to conduct their own diplomatic business, not Germany’s. Although it was intended for the purpose of transmitting peace aims, there was no way of knowing what the Germans would actually transmit. Lansing would have to be personally ordered by the President to allow the messages to be sent every time Bernstorff wanted to send or receive a message from Berlin. Aerial operations: Chikadir BridgeYesterday the BEN-MY-CHREE left Port Said to rendezvous with the RAVEN II to carry out A bombing raid on the Chikaldir bridge over the Jeiham Four aircraft took off from from BEN-MY-CHREE, including a Short seaplane (Flt S/Lt Smith & Capt Wedgwood Benn) and three Schneider seaplanes (Cdr Samson, Flt Lt Clemson, Flt Lt Brooke), to bomb the bridge. in The Short seaplane dropped one 65lb bomb on the bridge and two 16lb bombs on a train but none of the three exploded and the aircraft then attacked the bridge defences. The Schneider seaplanes obtained one direct hit and two near misses on the bridge. A second wave then attacked from RAVEN II, with two Short seaplanes (Flt Lt Burling & Lt Stewart, Flt S/Lt King & Lt Williams) and obtained a further hit on the bridge. Finally one Short seaplane (Flt Lt Maskell & Lt WL Samson) and two Schneider seaplanes (Flt Lt Clemson, Flt S/Lt Henderson) from BEN-MY-CHREE secured one more hit on the bridge and caused some damage to the embankment. Naval operations: English ChannelHeinrich Jeß, commanding U-79, sinks two ships at the west end of the Channel: British freighter SS COPSEWOOD, 599 tons, bound from Bordeaux for Middlesbrough with a load of pit props. Norwegian freighter SS IDA, 1,300 tons, carrying a load of fruit from Valencia to Liverpool. Jeß's score is now 4 ships and 7,785 tons. Naval operations: Bay of BiscayAlfred Saalwächter, in U-46, sinks two Allied ships off El Ferrol, Spain: British freighter SS AISLABY, 2,692 tons, travelling in ballast from Lisbon to Bilbao. French trawler GOULFAR, 259 tons. Goulfar had been captured on the 24th and used as a prison boat. Saalwächter ends his first patrol with 9 ships and 15,502 tons. Naval operations: PortugalRobert Springer begins his career in UC-34 with the sinking of French schooner MAUD, 176 tons, bound from La Pallice for Lisbon. Naval perations: Mediterranean SeaPart of France’s Mediterrenean Squadron, the battleship GAULOIS was torpedoed and sunk on December 27, 1916 by Wolfgang Steinbauer, in UB-47 bringing his score to 13 ships and 54,410 tons. Constructed in the mid-1890s, GAULOIS was a CHARLEMAGNE-class pre-dreadnought. She participated in the Gallipoli campaign in 1915, bombarding Turkish fortresses on the shoreline, being sunk once by Ottoman guns but afterwards refloated. Heading back for home in Brest in 1916 for a badly-needed refloat, she was torpedoed and sunk in the Aegean Sea. The ship capsized shortly but only four crewmen died, two in the initial explosion and two when they abandoned ship. Drawing: A drawing of the sinking GAULOIS with the trawlers taking off the crew
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 28, 2021 3:52:10 GMT
Day 882 of the Great War, December 28th 1916
Western Front
Heavy enemy attack on Mort Homme front (Verdun).
Romanian Campaign
Enemy pursues northwards from Ramnicu Sarat and advances to south-east.
British armoured cars engaged.
Caucasus campaign
Armenia: Turks driven south of Van.
Greece: Black Hand Ringleader Arrested by Serbian Government
The official aim of the Austrian ultimatum to Serbia, which had caused the outbreak of war, had not yet been achieved. The ringleaders of the plot to assassinate Franz Ferdinand had not yet been brought to justice. Although Voija Tankosić, named in both the Wiesner Report and the ultimatum, died during the retreat from Serbia, the leader of the Black Hand, Dragutin Dimitrijević (codename Apis) remained as head of Serbian Military Intelligence in exile with the Serbian Army in Salonika. Although Apis’ direct involvement in the plot was never conclusively proven, he certainly knew of it ahead of time. Apis was no stranger to regicide; he had also been instrumental in the assassination of King Alexander Obrenović in 1903, causing the rise of the present ruling dynasty of Karađorđević.
By the end of 1916, PM Pašić and the royal family had grown weary of the Black Hand’s influence in the Serbian army and government, and had Apis arrested, on charges of conspiracy to assassinate Prince Regent Alexander. Some theorize that there may have been more than purely domestic political concerns behind the arrest. The new Emperor of Austria-Hungary, Charles I, had been preparing his own peace feelers via his brother-in-law, Prince Sixtus, in neutral Switzerland. There is some evidence to suggest Sixtus met with Serbian representatives there. A necessary precondition for any Austrian-Serbian peace deal would have been the destruction of the Black Hand; it is possible that Apis’ arrest and subsequent execution in June may have been done in part to appease the Austrians and pave the way for a negotiated peace.
Also arrested around the same time and tried with Apis was the one member of the plot in Sarajevo who had escaped Austrian custody, Muhamed Mehmedbašić; he would be sentenced to 15 years in prison, though he would ultimately only serve two years of the sentence.
Aerial operations: Anzacs
After spending Christmas at sea, 3 Squadron Australian Flying Corps arrived in England today on board the HMAT ULYSSES. It is the first Australian squadron to reach England.
The Squadron was formed in September 1916 at Point Cook in Victoria, where it underwent its initial Flying training.
Transported to Europe on HMAT ULYSSES, it landed in England on 28 December 1916. The Squadron will now deploy to South Carlton, Lincolnshire for further training on Avro 504 and BE2s.
The squadron is under the command of Major David Valentine Jardine Blake. Other pilots include James Lionel Montague Sandy, and James Brake who has been in temporary charge during the sea voyage.
Also arriving in England on the Willochra are four pilots from New Zealand. These are John Maxwell Warnock, Malcolm Charles McGregor, Edgar H. Garland and Gordon G. A. Martin.
Naval operations: English Channel
Heinrich Küstner, commanding UB-39, torpedoes French passenger ship SS ROUEN, off the Casquets. The damaged ship is towed into Dieppe with 5 casualties.
British freighter SS SUFFOLK, 7,573 tons, carrying a load of government stores from London to Devonport, hits a mine laid by Egon von Werner in UC-16 off the Oeers lightship. The damaged ship makes it safely to port.
Ralph Wenninger, in UC-17, stops and scuttles two ships off Start Point:
British schooner PITHO, 150 tons, travelling from Cardiff to Cherbourg with a load of coal.
Norwegian sailing vessel UNION, 563 tons, carrying a load of logwood from Aquin, Haiti to Le Havre.
Wenninger's score is now 36 ships and 15,132 tons.
Naval operations: Strait of Dover
French torpedo boat TORPILLEUR 317 hits a mine laid off Calais by Oskar Steckelberg in UC-1. This is his first sinking.
Naval operations: North Sea
Hans Howaldt, in UB-40, takes Dutch coaster SS OLDAMBT, 470 tons, bound from Rotterdam for London, as a prize off Hoofden. His score is now 7 ships and 4,444 tons.
Naval operations: Portugal
Robert Sprenger, in UC-34, sinks Russian schooner SEEDONIS, 284 tons, en route from Garston to Seville. His score is now 2 ships and 460 tons.
Naval operations: Mediterranean Sea
Heino von Heimburg, in UC-22, sinks British freighter SS ORONSAY, 3,761 tons, bound from Calcutta for Dundee with a load of jute and manganese ore. His score is now 12 ships and 29,082 tons.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 29, 2021 3:46:12 GMT
Day 883 of the Great War, December 29th 1916
YouTube (Turmoil in Russia - The Assassination of Rasputin)
Western Front
At Verdun, Germany troops attack French positions on a two-mile front at Le’Homme Morte and gain some ground.
Romanian Campaign
Heavy fighting continues on Moldavian frontier; some enemy progress in the Oitoz valley.
Enemy advance north and east from Ramnicu Sarat continued.
Aerial operations: Double disaster
The German Naval Air Service had hoped to end the year with one final mission over England. To this end, eight Zeppelins set out with orders to bomb the south of England. Bad weather reports led to their recall after they had been at sea three hours.
This followed bad news yesterday, when Zeppelin L24 crashed into a wall while being taken into its hangar at Tondern, It caught fire and was completely destroyed. L17 in the hangar next door also caught fire and was destroyed.
Despite these losses the German authorities can be content that the Zeppelins are having the desired effect. The raids over England have caused substantial damage, killed 293 and injured 692. This is obviously miniscule compared to the losses at the front, but such is the public outcry from the raids that the Army and Navy have been forced to set up substantial defences which are diverting men, guns, aeroplanes and other supplies from more important theatres of war.
For example, there are over 17000 men retained for home anti-aircraft defence. Of these over 2000 are in the RFC, 12000 are manning anti-aircraft defences such as guns and searchlights and the remainder involved in early warning and detection. This is on top of the emergency services personnel who are also tied down on home defence activities.
Naval operations: North Sea
Berndt Buß, commanding U-48, sinks Russian freighter SS TUSKAR, 3,042 tons, bound from Achangelsk for London with a load of hides and skins. His score is now 6 ships and 16,518 tons.
British freighter SS ZOROASTER, 3,803 tons, carrying a load of coal from Tyne to an unnamed destination, hits a mine laid by Benno von Ditfurth in UC-11 near the Sunk lightship. His score is now 5 ships and 9,963 tons.
Thee British ships run afoul of a minefield laid near the Shipwash lightship by Werner von Zerboni di Sposetti, beginning his career in UC-6:
Freighter SS LONADA, 1,286 tons, travelling from Tyne to London with a load of coal.
Minesweeper HMS LULDLOW, 810 tons.
Minesweeper HMS TOTNES, 810 tons.
TOTNES is only damaged, and von Zerboni's opening score is 2 ships and 2,096 tons.
Naval operations: Bay of Biscay
Heinrich Jeß, in U-79, captures Danish freighter SS DANMARK and keeps her for supply purposes.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 30, 2021 3:46:58 GMT
Day 884 of the Great War, December 30th 1916Romanian CampaignVery heavy fighting on whole Romanian front. Enemy progress at various points in mountains and south-east of Ramnicu Sarat, but checked between here and Focsani. Bulgars and Turks advance slowly towards Macin. Austria-Hungary: Emperor Charles Crowned as King Charles IV of HungaryFranz Joseph had been greatly beloved throughout his empire after a 68-year reign. His successor, his 29-year-old grandnephew Charles, lacked the devotion that Franz Joseph had attracted, and was eager to quickly legitimize his reign. Hungarian PM Tisza was more than eager to oblige, and arranged for his coronation as King of Hungary on December 30, just more than a month after his accession to the throne. This was only the second coronation in Hungary since the Augsleich raised Hungary to be on equal status with Austria within the empire, and Tisza assured Charles that a swift coronation would be viewed favorably in Hungary, signalling Charles’ interest in defending Hungary’s interests within the empire. Tisza also had less lofty political interests in mind when arranging a swift coronation. Part of the coronation included an oath to defend the integrity of the lands of the Crown of St. Stephen; this ensured that Charles could then take no action to reduce the size of Hungary without breaking this oath. The death of Franz Joseph had brought hope to many that the Dualist Austro-Hungarian system could be reformed. South Slavic peoples hoped that the Kingdom of Croatia (which was within the Kingdom of Hungary) could be expanded to include Dalmatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, then in Austria. Earlier in the war, this seemed possible, as Austria could be compensated by parts of Russian Poland; however, the promise of an independent Poland made in November foreclosed this idea, and the coronation oath prevented Croatia from being split off from Hungary to become a separate part of the Empire. The oath also frustrated Czech ambitions; although most of the Czech people lived in Austria, many were clamoring for unification with the Slovak people in Hungary. Finally, it also prevented any peace deal made by Charles from giving away any Hungarian land. While this was relatively unlikely, as Hungary only bordered defeated Serbia and Romania, it still further tied Charles’ hands as he attempted to bring his country out of the war. Photo: King Charles IV taking his coronation oath at Holy Trinity Column outside Matthias Church, Budapest, 29 December 1916 Russia: Rasputin MurderedLike so many of Europe’s inter-married royal families, the Russian Romanovs had a history of hemophilia. The imperial heir to the throne, the Tsarevich Alexei, suffered from this disease which caused endless hemorrhaging when the blood failed to clot. In 1915, Tsar Nicholas went to the front to take command of Russia’s armies, leaving the Tsarina at home to fret over her son. In her despair, the Tsarina Alexandra turned to a mystic Siberian monk and con-man named Grigori Rasputin, who claimed to be a faith healer that could save her son. Somehow or another, when Rasputin came he seemed to halt the young Tsarevich’s bleeding. The Tsarina, who had become increasingly distraught, now felt strongly attached to Rasputin, an in the absence of her husband she consulted the monk more and more for help running the government. Rasputin’s influence was poisonous and widely detested throughout Russian society. Rasputin constantly influenced Alexandra to clamp down on any governmental reform that would loosen Russia’s autocracy, and under his influence the Russian Duma went through a revolving-door of Prime Ministers. Liberals blamed Rasputin for letting the Tsar keep up his disastrous policies, and monarchists worried that he would destroy the royal family. What shocked Russians the most was the rumors that spread widely naming Rasputin and the Tsarina as illicit lovers. Determined that Rasputin must die, a group of nobles invited him to Prince Yusopov’s palace on the night of December 30, 1916. Yusopov was the Tsar’s nieces’ husband, and while he made conversation with Rasputin he slipped cyanide into the mystic’s wine. Amazingly, it seemed to have no effect. Yusopov, unbelieving, took a revolver and shot Rasputin in the chest. When a doctor came, the monk woke up and hobbled up the stairs, leaving through a window into a courtyard. The nobles pursued and one of them, a right-wing politician named Vladimir Purishkevich, put a bullet through his spine. The killers dumped the body into Petrograd’s icy river, but they covered their tracks poorly. The police soon discovered the body (apocryphally, Rasputin only died after drowning and freezing in the river), and the Tsar knew who to blame. The Empress ordered an investigation and arrested Yusopov and his accomplices. They went to house arrest or exile believing they had done enough to save the Russian royal family - little could they foresee that Russia would be consumed by revolution two months later. Aerial operations: Aircraft and Engines1916 has seen a massive increase in aircraft production to keep up with the ever expanding demands of the RFC and RNAS. Britain produced 706 single-seater aircraft and 4964 two-seaters in 1916, showing the continued predominance of aircraft needed for reconnaissance and spotting duties. The corresponding figures for 1915 were 224 and 1323. The reliance on foreign produced (mainly French) aircraft has dropped, though these still are still a major part of the RFC and RNAS inventory numbering 173 and 737 respectively in 1916 compared to 93 and 173 in 1915. However, seaplane and flying boat production is almost entirely home grown now. British production expanded from 252 in 1915 to 433 in 1916, whereas foreign aircraft fell from 87 to 21. It is a similar story with engines where local production has soared to meet demand. The production of stationery engines has trebled from 1365 in 1915 to 3839 in 1916. Engines from abroad also trebled over the period from 332 to 952. British reliance on French-built rotary engines has dropped however as the production of license-built copies of various French designs has taken off. British firms increased production from 350 to 1500. French built engines are still important though with 912 acquired in 1916 compared to 567 in 1915. Naval operations: English ChannelBritish tanker SS ASPENLEAF, 7,535 tons, bound from Port Arthur for Portsmouth with a load of oil fuel, hits a mine laid off the Owers lightship by Egon von Werner in UC-16. The damaged ship makes it safely to port. Friedrich Moecke, in UC-46, sinks Greek freighter SS SAPPHO, 2,087 tons, travelling from Alexandria to Hull with a load of cottonseed. His score is now 8 ships and 11,456 tons. Naval operations: SpainOtto Wünsche, in U-70, stops and scuttles two Norwegian freighters off Cape Finisterre: SS BORRE, 741 tons carrying a load of fruit from Valencia to Hull. SS EDDA, 1,138 tons, en route from Seville to Preston with a load of pyrites. Wünsche's score is now 36 ships and 44,331 tons. Heinrich Jeß, in U-79, scuttles Danish freighter SS DANMARK, 1,875 tons, captured the previous day, off Viveiro. His score is now 5 ships and 9,660 tons. Naval operations: Mediterranean SeaHeino von Heimburg, in UC-22, torpedoes British freighter SS APSLEYHALL, 3,882 tons, travelling from Karachi to Cardiff with a load of wheat, off Gozo Island (Għawdex in Maltese), just north of Malta. His score is now 13 ships and 42,964 tons.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 31, 2021 7:34:51 GMT
Day 885 of the Great War, December 31st 1916
Romanian Campaign
Further enemy progress in Moldavian mountains and west and south of Focsani.
Bulgars fail in attack on Braila bridgehead, but carry positions east of Macin.
Sinai and Palestine campaign
Magharah Wells, Hassana and Nakhl (Sinai) cleared of enemy.
Aerial operations: number of German fighters operating at the front
According to Idflieg's bi-monthly report the German Air Service has the following fighters operating at the front:
Albatros:
D.I----39
D.II--214
D.III--13
Fokker:
D.I-----4
D.II---68
D.III--34
D.IV----2
E-II-----1
E.III---11
E.IV-----2
Halberstadt:
D.II----55
D.III---17
D.V----32
LFG Roland:
D.I------7
Pfalz:
E.I-------1
SSW:
E.I-------2
Supposedly all Fokker aircraft were grounded at the beginning of December, but those numbers are still reported as front-line aircraft, and one or two pilots are still claiming kills in them.
Aerial operations: A year of losses
The last day of the year was lost to bad weather, but it gave the RFC on the Western Front a chance to reflect on the losses.
In 1916, the RFC (and lately RNAS) lost a total of 513 aircraft on the Western Front compared to just 133 in 1915.
Unsurprisingly, aircrew losses have also risen with 293 killed, 211 Taken prisoner and 219 wounded. This is compared to, 53 aircrew killed, 81 POW and 139 wounded in 1915.
The worst month was September with 63 killed, 40 POW and 34 wounded, as the new German aircraft started to come on line and the British were still flying mainly BE2s and pusher fighters.
The losses slowed in recent moths, though this is much to do with the reduced number of flying days, never British aircraft are only starting to appear at the front in small numbers
Naval operations: English Channel
Claus Lafrenz, commanding UB-18, stops and scuttles 2 Norwegian freighters south of the Lizard:
SS EVA, 1,081 tons, bound from Swansea for Rouen with a load of coal.
SS FLOEA, 1,033 tons, carrying a load of coal from Swansea to Cantenay.
Lafrenz's score is now 24 ships and 22,384 tons.
Naval operations: North Sea
British pilot boat PROTECTOR, 200 tons, hits a mine laid in the River Tyne by Otto von Schrader in UC-31. Von Scrader's score is now 9 ships and 6,026 tons.
Erwin Sebelin, in UC-43, captures Norwegian freighter SS LUPUS, 539 tons, traveling from Øierhavn to Amsterdam with a load of pyrites. This is Sebelin's first attack.
Naval operations: Aegean Sea
French naval trawler VENUS, 281 tons, hits a mine laid of Milos by Johannes Kirchner in UC-23. His score is now 5 ships and 14,985 tons.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 1, 2022 8:21:14 GMT
Day 886 of the Great War, January 1st 1917Western FrontNormal activity proceeding. Sir Douglas Haig promoted to Field Marshal. Romanian CampaignStubborn fighting in Carpathians on Moldavian frontier; slight enemy progress at various points. Enemy in touch with Sereth lines at Focsani and Fundeni. Further enemy progress at the Macin bridgehead (Dobruja). Photo: Romanian Model 1912 105 mm howitzers firing during the Battle of Mărăști East Africa campaign: Smuts Tries to Trap Lettow-VorbeckBy the end of 1916, the Allies had taken all of northern German East Africa, leaving the Germans with two isolated forces: Wahle’s near Mahenge and Lettow-Vorbeck’s north of the Rufiji. After a long pursuit, Lettow-Vorbeck’s force was short on food–even more so after an attempt to seize a large store of British supplies at Kibata in December failed. Smuts hoped to take advantage of this and cut off Lettow-Vorbeck’s forces. A South African force under Van Deventer pushed west from Iringa, though its progress was slowed by heavy rain and the formidable terrain. Another, mainly Nigerian force pushed south, engaging the Germans near the Mgeta river on January 1. Whether Van Deventer would close the trap in time was unclear; Lettow-Vorbeck began to plan an escape south across the Rufiji. Russia: The Tsar’s sad ChristmasWhen Prince Felix Yusupov, Grand Duke Dmitri and their associates murdered Rasputin, they hoped that his elimination from the Tsar’s circle would shock him into adopting a more sensible approach to the governance of Russia. In this they are disappointed. When Rasputin’s body is recovered from the Neva, the police soon identify the men behind his murder. Their aristocratic status saves them from the full rigours of the law, but the Tsar orders them exiled from Petrograd. Family members and well wishers are forbidden from bidding them farewell at the station as they leave. The Tsar becomes more determined to resist all demands to moderate his rule. He exiles another four grand dukes, whose loyalty he deems suspect. He sinks further into the political embrace of the Tsarina, who urges him to stand firm against any suggestion that he create some kind of representative government. He reduces his ties even to the pliant yes-men who populate his court. Now it is Christmas in Russia. Previously this would have seen the Tsar and Tsarina exchange lavish gifts with the other members of royal family. This year though the event is passed in relative seclusion in their palace at Tsarskoe Selo. Naval operations: English ChannelHeinrich Küstner, commanding UB-39, sinks two ships north of Ile de Batz: British freighter SS HOLLY BRANCH, 3,568 tons, bound from La Plata for Le Havre with a load of oats in bags. French freighter SS LEON, 652 tons, travelling in ballast from Tréport to Brest. Küstner's score is now 20 ships and 33,048 tons. Friedrich Moecke, in UC-46, sinks Swedish freighter SS GOOSEBRIDGE, 1,886 tons, carrying a load of coal from Port Talbot to Saint Nazaire. His score is now 9 ships and 13,342 tons. Naval operations: North SeaBritish freighter SS SUSSEX, 5,686 tons, en route from Sydney to Dunkirk with a load of meat, hits a mine laid by Oskar Steckelberg in UC-1 north of Gravelines, just east of the Strait of Dover. The damaged ship is beached, then refloated and repaired. Naval operations: Bay of BiscayOtto Wünsche, in U-70, sinks Greek freighter SS TSIROPHINAS, 3,015 tons, carrying a load of maize from Buenos Ayres to Belfast. His score is now 37 ships and 47,346 tons. Naval operations: PortugalHeinrich Jeß, in U-79, sinks Norwegian freighter SS LAUPAR, 1,407 tons, en route from Malaga to Glasgow with a load of fish. His score is now 6 ships and 11,067 tons. Otto Launberg, in UC-37, sinks Norwegian freighter SS BRITANNIC, 2,289 tons, travelling from Almeria to Barrow with a load of irone ore, off Leixoes. This is his first sinking. Naval operations: Mediterranean SeaWolfgang Steinbauer, in UB-47, sinks British passenger liner SS IVERNIA, 14,278 tons, south of Cape Matapan, the southernost point of Greece. Ivernia is acting as a troopship and suffers 125 casualties. Steinbauer's score is now 14 ships and 68,688 tons. Heino von Heimburg, n UC-22, sinks British freighter SS BAYCRAIG, 3,761 tons, carrying a load of sugar from Port Loouis, Maritius to Marseeille. His score is now 14 ships and 46,635 tons. Naval operations: ZanzibarIn anticipation of a long-overdue refit, the crew of monitor HMS SEVERN are transferred to HM Fleet Messenger TRENT.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 2, 2022 7:42:58 GMT
Day 887 of the Great War, January 2nd 1917Western Front: Haig Plans Attack at ArrasIn their Chantilly conference in November, the Allies had planned for a repeat of the Somme offensive after the end of the winter. However, its main proponent, General Joffre, was essentially sacked in early December; his replacement, General Nivelle, favored an entirely different strategy. He would attack along the Aisne, while the British would attack near Arras, hoping to cut off the rough German salient centered around Noyon. Although Haig was not thrilled with these plans, he agreed to them, at least provisionally. On January 2, Haig, promoted to Field Marshal two days earlier for his supposed victory on the Somme (in actuality, in response to Joffre’s similar promotion on the 26th), issued the first orders for an attack at Arras and Vimy Ridge, scheduled for Easter, April 8. Photo: A photo, taken January 2, of British troops above the ruins of the chateau at Contalmaison, on the Somme battlefield. The basement was still used as a field hospital Eastern FrontEnemy attack repulsed near Zloczow (north-eastern Galicia). Romanian CampaignContinued heavy fighting in Moldavian mountains. Enemy advance between frontier and Focsani; Russian successful counter-attacks south-east of that town. Enemy advance near Macin continues. Aerial operations: RufiniOut in German East Africa, the Commander-in-Chief of the British forces intends to hold the main enemy forces to the Mgeta front while he sends a flanking column to make a wide turning movement to the west. This column was to cross the Rufiji at Mkalinzo, where it is joined by the Ruaha, and then move south-west to join the Kilwa division coming from the direction of the Matumbi Mountains. These movements were designed to cut off the enemy forces on the Rufiji from those at Mahenge. on the Mgeta front delayed the opening of the operations from the 26th to the 31st of December 1916. A holding attack was delivered yesterday from the forward positions on the Dutumi front, while two columnsworked their way round the flanks. The Tulo detachment (‘B’ Flight) of 26 Squadron RFC, which had been reinforced by two Henri Farmans from ‘A’ Flight at Morogoro, co-operated in the operations in this sector. Two aeroplanes, fitted with wireless, co-operated with the artillery and reported to ground stations enemy movements in their areas of operations. The remaining aeroplanes of the detachment were to patrol continuously from 5.30 a.m. over the area Tulo-Kiruru-Kinyanguru-Behobeho- Wiransi-Kisaki-Dakawa-Dutumi-Tulo. The patrolling airmen were to report urgently any sign of the evacuation of Dutumi or Dakawa and also suitable bombing targets. As these aircraft had no wireless, they carried message which were dropped on the advanced headquarters on the Dutumi ridge. Only three officer observers were available, and eight air mechanics were impressed to do duty as observers. Soon after 4.0 p.m. the evacuation of Kiderengwa was reported, and an aeroplane was at once sent out to bomb the retreating columns. The pilot discovered a large enemy detachment in the open bush and dropped one 100lb and five 20lb bombs, scattering the enemy. He returned for a second load and, when he got back over the front, found the enemy had taken up a position at Tshimbe, parallel to trenches occupied by the British easterly flanking column. The pilot dropped one 100lb and eight 20lb bombs on the enemy. The bombing was taken up later by another aeroplane and continued intermittently till dusk. Meanwhile the patrolling observers were able to keep the head-quarters informed of the progress of the local enveloping columns. An early air reconnaissance this morning revealed no sign of the enemy troops in the positions they had held yesterday, and it soon became clear that the whole force had slipped away from the Mgeta front. Finding his retreat blocked by the enveloping columns, the enemy had in fact broken up his own columns and had taken to the bush: he eventually took up a new position on the Tshogowali river south of Beho-beho. Naval operations: Celtic SeaClaus Lafrenz, commanding UB-18, sinks two Norwegian freighters off Bishop Rock: SS BESTIK, 2,185 tons, bound from Cardiff for Philippeville with a load of coal. SS ELLIK, 603 tons, carrying a load of pit props from Villagarcia to Swansea. Lafrenz's score is now 26 ships and 25,172 tons. Naval operations: English ChannelHeinrich Küstner, in UB-39, sinks British coaster SS CARLYLE, 466 tons, carrying a general cargo from Manchester to La Pallice. His score is now 21 ships and 33,514 tons. Naval operations: Bay of BiscayOtto Wünsche, in U-70, sinks three Allied ships: French freighter SS ACONAGUA, 1,313 tons, en route from Antofagasta, Chile to La Pallice with a load of nitrate; sunk with the deck gun. Norwegian freighter SS ODDA, 1,101 tons, carrying a load of pyrites from Huelva to Rouen. Spanish freighter SS SAN LEANDRO, 1,616 tons, travelling from Malaga to London with a load of fruit. Wünsche's score is now 40 ships and 51,376 tons. Hans Adam, in U-82, sinks French freighter SS Omnium, 8,719 tons, en route from New Orleans to Saint Nazaire with an unspecified cargo. His score is now 6 ships and 10,681 tons. Naval operations: PortugalHeinrich Jeß, in U-79, sinks Norwegian freighter SS OLDER, 2,256 tons, Bound from Newport for Gibraltar with a load of coal, just west of Oporto. His score is now 7 ships and 13.323 tons. Otto Launburg, in UC-32, sinks three ships off Cape Roca: Greek freighter SS ARISTOTELIS C. IOANNOU, 2,868 tons, cravelling from Bouenos Aires to Belfast with a load of maize. Greek freighter SS DIMITRIOS GOULANDRIS, 3,744 tons, carrying a load of wheat from Buenos Aires to Avonmouth; sunk by deck gun. French scooner NOTRE DAME DU VERGER, 227 tons, en route from Swansea to Lisbon; scuttled. Launburg's score is now 4 ships and 9,128 tons. Naval operations: Atlantic OceanGerman surface raider SMS MOWE stops and scuttles French barque ASNIERES, 3,103 tons, carrying 3,000 tons of wheat from Bahia Blanca, Argentina to Pauillac, France.
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Post by lordroel on Jan 3, 2022 3:46:23 GMT
Day 888 of the Great War, January 3rd 1917
Western Front: Portuguese Expeditionary Corps Arrives in France
A new nation joined the Western Front in 1917 as Portuguese soldiers made their appearance in France. Portugal had been de-facto at war with Germany since colonial border troubles in 1915, and in 1916 it declared war on the Central Powers in response to further provocations, especially at sea. To supplement its troops in the colonies, Portugual also organized an expeditionary force to be sent to France, the Corpo Expedicionário Português (CEP).
The first units of the CEP arrived in France on January 3, 1917. An infantry force of 55,000 men, the CEP was placed under the command of the British First Army. An independent force of heavy artillery and railway guns was also raised, and served under French command. The British divided the CEP into two divisions on British lines, and had helped train and re-equip them. The Portuguese soldiers wore baby-blue British pattern tunics, carried Lee-Enfield rifles, and wore a derivative of the British tin hat on their heads.
Less used to conditions on the Western Front, and certainly unprepared for its miserable climate, Portuguese troops saw their first action in summer 1917. However, the collapse of the CEF during the German Spring Offensive of 1918 has led historians to summarize their combat performance negatively.
Eastern Front
Germans take island in Dvina near Glandau, north-west of Dvinsk.
Romanian Campaign
Successful Russian attack near Mt. Botosul (Bukovina).
Enemy advance in region of Milcovu, north-west of Focsani.
Germans and Bulgarians take Macin and Jijila (Dobruja).
United States: Roosevelt Attacks Wilson For Peace Note
Since the defeat of the Republican ticket in November, former President Roosevelt had stayed quiet on political matters. He broke this silence late on January 3, issuing a statement highly critical of Wilson’s recent peace note to the belligerents. He claimed that its release, and the State Department’s conflicting statements on its meaning, were meant to disrupt the stock markets so that a few well-informed people could take advantage. This claim was almost certainly groundless; the strange handling of the note by the State Department was due to the fact that Secretary Lansing, more of a hawk than Wilson, was not in favor of the note, and attempted to spin it in a fashion not really in line with Wilson’s aims.
Roosevelt then went on to attack the note itself:
The note takes positions so profoundly immoral and misleading that high-minded and right-thinking American citizens whose country this note places in a thoroughly false light are in honor bound to protest. For example the note says that thus far both sides seem to be fighting for the same thing. This is palpably false. Nor is this all. It is wickedly false.
To say that the Germans, who have trampled Belgium under heel and are at this moment transporting 100,000 Belgians to serve as State slaves in Germany, are fighting for the same things as their hunted victims…is not only a falsehood, but a callous and a most immoral falsehood….
Mr. Wilson pompously announces that we are to use “every resource at our command to secure the future peace of the world” at the very time that, after three years of effort, he is helplessly unable to secure peace in that small part of the world immediately adjoining us which is called Mexico.
Aerial operations: 32 New
The first meeting of the new Air Board, its 32nd overall, took place today under its new President, Lord Cowdray, the Liberal industrialist, who has insisted on working without a salary.
The Board has modified the War Cabinets proposals of 22 December 1916 and agreed that the Air Board, and not the Ministry of Munitions, should be responsible for design. All the departments concerned agreed to the proposal that the Board should select the designs of aeroplanes and seaplanes with their engines and accessories. The Board has also agreed to decide the numbers to be ordered and their allocation between the two services, while the Ministry of Munitions will undertake production and inspection during manufacture.
The officers and staff previously engaged at the Admiralty and War Office on design and supply and on the Board of Invention and Research are to join the Air Board or Ministry of Munitions. As, at this time, a great number of the engines and aircraft on order are of Government design, and the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough, where the designs are prepared, will be taken over by the Ministry of Munitions.
Not only this, but is is hoped that the move of the Air Board to the Hotel Cecil, where it will share space with the representatives on the Board of the Ministry of Munitions (William Weir and Percy Martin) and the military and naval air executives.
The Board will now set about preparing a new constitution in time for its next meeting.
Naval operations: Bay of Biscay
Hans Adam, commanding U-82, sinks Danish freighter SS VIKING, 761 tons, bound from Sunderland for Setubal with a load of coal. His score is now 7 ships and 11,442 tons.
Heinrich Küstner, in UB-39, attacks a French fishing fleet, scuttling 15 small fishing craft:
COLUMBIA, 34 tons.
DIAMANT DE LA COURONNE I, 36 tons.
DIAMANT DE LA COURONNE II, 34 tons.
FORMIDABLE, 26 tons.
HONNEUR ET DEVOUEMENT, 26 tons.
JEANNE MATHILDE, 60 tons.
LA PENSEE, 30 tons.
MARIE HENRIETTE, 25 tons.
MODERNE, 38 tons.
PERE MONFORT, 13 tons.
PIERRE LE GRAND, 42 tons.
RICHELIEU, 25 tons.
SAINT JACQUES, 34 tons.
SAINT PAULII, 30 tons.
PETIT EMILE, 60 tons.
Also sunk is Norwegian freighter SS Helgøy, 1,806 tons, travelling in ballast from Blaye to Barry.
Küstner's score is now 37 vessels and 35,833 tons.
Naval operations: Portugal
Heinrich Jeß, in U-79, sinks two ships off the Portuguese coast:
Italian freighter SS ANGELA, 2,422 tons, en route from Genoa to Barry with an unnamed cargo.
Portuguese sailing vessel VALLADARES, 124 tons; scuttled.
Jeß's score is now 9 ships and 15,870 tons.
Otto Launburg, in UC-37, scuttles two ships off Cape St. Vincent:
French schooner CAPRICIEUSE, 156 tons, carrying a load of wine from Algiers to Vannes.
Norwegian freighter SS FAMA, 2,417 tons, travelling from Portland, Maine to Marseille with a load of wheat; captured and scuttled.
Naval operations: Mediterranean Sea
Wolfgang Steinbauer, in UB-47, torpedoes British freighter SS HUNTSEND, 8,826 tons, route and cargo unknown, off Crete. The damaged ship makes it safely to port.
Naval operations: Zanzibar
Work begins transferring HMS SEVERN'S stores to HMFM TRENT.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 4, 2022 3:46:50 GMT
Day 889 of the Great War, January 4th 1917
Eastern Front
Germans fail to cross to right bank of Dvina near Glandau.
Romanian Campaign
Enemy advance in Focsani sector, and also take Gurgueti and Romanul, thus piercing the Braila bridgehead; Russians evacuate Braila.
Russians defeated at Vacareni (Dobruja).
Naval operations: Celtic Sea
Otto Wünsche, commanding U-70, stops Russian barque RUBY, 949 tons, bound from Darien for Fleetwood, and sinks her with his deck gun. His score is now 41 ships and 52,325 tons.
Hans Adam, in U-82, sinks Italian freighter SS Calabro, 1,925 tons, en route from Cartagena to Middlesbrough. His score is now 8 ships and 13,367 tons.
Naval operations: English Channel
Claus Lafrenz, in UB-18, sinks Danish freighter SS NESBORG, 1,547 tons, carrying a load of coal from Sunderland to Bayonne. His score is now 27 ships and 26,719 tons.
Naval operations: North Sea
British freighter SS LONCLARA, 1,294 tons, hits a mine laid at the mouth of the River Wear by Otto von Schrader in UC-31. His score is now 10 ships and 7,320 tons.
Naval operations: Bay of Biscay
Heinrich Küstner, in UB-39, sinks French fishing BESSEL GABRIELLE FRANCOIS, 37 tons, at the mouth of the Gironde River, raising his score to 38 ships and 35,870 tons.
Naval operations: Portugal
Heinrich Jeß, in U-79, sinks Japanese freighter CHINTO MARU, 2,592 tons, off the Gulf of Cadiz. His score is now 10 ships and 18,462 tons.
Naval operations: Gulf of Cadiz
Otto Launburg, in UC-37, sinks 4 Allied ships:
French schooner LIBERTE, 166 tons, bound from Cardiff for Marseilles with a load of coal; sunk with deck gun.
Italian freighter SS LUIGI CAMPA, 3,988 tons, travelling from Philadelphia to Gibraltar with a load of wheat.
Russian sailing vessel SEEMEL, 209 tons, en route from Seville to Faro.
British freighter SS WRAGBY, 3,641 tons, carrying a load of coal from Barry to Gibraltar; scuttled.
Launburg's score is now 10 ships and 19,705 tons.
Naval operations: Egypt
The bulk of the Russian Navy was blocked off from the world’s oceans by Turkish control of their Straits and German dominance in the Baltic. This left just their ships at Vladivostok on the Pacific and Archangelsk on the White Sea available to work with other Allied navies. With Japan fighting on the side of the Allies, the Russians had gradually been bringing ships from the Pacific to serve in the Mediterranean or the Arctic.
In 1916, the Russians also began to buy back some ships from their former Japanese enemies. In the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War, in which the Russians were soundly defeated, the Japanese had captured many Russian ships as prizes, and kept them in the peace deal. By now, they could no longer go toe-to-toe with modern dreadnoughts, but they would still be useful to the Russians. One of the ships repurchased by the Russians in April 1916 was the pre-dreadnought battleship PERESVYET (the SAGAMI when in Japanese service). After running aground the next month off Vladivostok and being repaired by the Japanese, she set off for Archangel in October.
After having passed through the Suez Canal, she struck a German mine, probably laid by the German submarine U73. The explosion tore a large hole in the ship’s hull, followed by a large fire. When she sank shortly thereafter, she took over 100 men with her.
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