The Great War (1914-1918) in real time

Day 66 of the Great War, October 1st 1914

von Spee reduces his supply train

While his crews are enjoying R&R in the Marquesas, Maximilian von Spee reduces his supply train by sending SS HOLSTIA and O.J.D. AHLERS to Honolulu, each ship carrying a full set of reports for Berlin. They also carry messages to be forwarded to the German Consulate at San Francisco, giving his coal requirements for his planned stops at Juan Fernandez and Valparaiso, where he intends to refuel on his way to South America. He then sends SS TITANIA to Easter Island to make sure the area is safe for his planned rendezvous with his light cruisers. His only remaining support ships are the fast 14-knot transports YORCK and GOTTINGEN.

Western Front: 3 German Corpses arrive east of Arras

Three German corps - from south to north the Guard, IV, and I Bavarian Reserve - arrive east of Arras today, and encounter Maud-huy's forces still preparing for their own offensive. Rupprecht's objective is to fix Maud-huy's forces in front of Arras while outflanking them to the north.

LEIPZIG gets new orders

Naval Command at Berlin sends a message to Captain Johannes Haun of SMS LEIPZIG, ordering him to give up his patrol off Peru and join SMS DRESDEN at Easter Island.

Western Front:  Fort Wavre fall into German hands

Though his artillery is progressing as expected in the destruction of the Belgian forts south of Antwerp, General Bessler believes that the fall of Antwerp needs to be hastened - he does not want the British or French to either reinforce the city or, of greater concern, push forces from the west against his eastern flank. Thus at 4pm today assaults are ordered by German infantry on the southern forts, and by nightfall the ruins of Fort Wavre are in German hands, though resistance continues elsewhere. At midnight the British military representative at Antwerp sends a telegram to his government emphasizing the seriousness of the situation and stating that the arrival of even a small detachment of British forces would raise Belgian morale.

KARLSRUHE finds nothing to hunt

SMS KARLSRUHE is having no luck prowling the Brazilian coast, so Captain Köhler sends his supply ship CREFELD to search forty miles to the east.

EMDEN heads towards Diego Garcia

In the Indian Ocean SMS EMDEN will spend more than a week cruising slowly through the Maldives toward Diego Garcia. Her boilers and engines are in need of repair, and until they can find a safe shelter for a complete overhaul she will alternate her engines, running on one while what repairs can be made at sea are performed on the other. The gun crews are in constant training, and the boiler stokers are also trained in gunnery while half the boilers are down for servicing.

Eastern Front: Battle of Augustowo

The German 8th Army, so successful in August and September, advanced into Russian territory after the Battle of the Marsurian Lakes. Rennekampf of the Russian First Army retreated before the Germans to behind the Nieman River.

With the Russian forces reassembling after the first two months of war, Joffre aired his favourite idea to them, suggesting an atack into Silesia or Pomerania to divert German strength from France. Stavka, the Russian high command, its chief Yanushkevitch ordered “preparation of an offensive, of the greatest possible weight, with a view to deep invasion of Germany, proceeding from the middle Vistula to the upper Oder.”

The Southwest Russian armies under General Ivanov prepared for this assault. However, overall commander of the forces to the north General Ruzski felt annoyed. He thought such operations could only succeed if the northern flank in East Prussia was securely held. He too began planning an offensive, and neither front communicated with the other. In fact, as Ivanov’s troops moved north in preparation, Ruzski ignored their requests for supplies. Dysfunction ran deep within the Russian high command.

As the Russians abandoned the Vistula region, the Austro-Hungarians were granted a reprieve. About 30 Russian divisions had left the fight to maneuver elsewhere, a grace period for the Central Powers. Retreating since September 11th, now their Chief-of-Staff Conrad could turn back to the attack, heading towards the San, as well as hoping to relieve Przemysl.

The German Ninth Army advanced to the Vistula, bombarded any Russians they saw, and then for lack of anything better to do Ludendorff dispatched von Mackensen with three corps towards Warsaw. While this was going on the Russian troops were mired in mud trying to march northwards. In truth, October 1914 was a very confusing time on the Eastern Front. A minor battle did take place at Augustowo in north-east Poland (the Russians claiming victory) but both sides now had a brief period of calm.

Germany: in need of nitrogen

As Germany becomes increasingly isolated from the world market by the British naval blockade, perhaps the most important industrial shortage was fixed nitrogen, produced from saltpetre, vital not only for the production of explosives but also for agricultural fertilizers key to the maintenance of Germany's domestic food supply. Pre-war, saltpetre had been imported from Chile, but this supply was interrupted by the war, and there was no available alternative. Thus, if Germany wanted to be able to fight a war of any significant duration, it was essential to develop processes to produce artificial fixed nitrogen. Today, Emil Fischer, Germany's leading chemist, discusses the issue at the War Ministry, where he explains two recently developed methods for producing nitrogen - lime nitrogen, a byproduct of gasworks and coking plants, and synthesized ammonia. Both methods had evolved out of Germany's chemical industry, which was the most advanced in the world, and Fischer's meeting will jump-start the production of artifical nitrogen, illustrative of the vital links between the academic community, industry, and the military in the conduct of modern war. As a result of this relationship, Germany will produce two and a half times as much nitrogen in wartime as it had produced in peacetime - the war will not be lost for a lack of explosives.

Day 68 of the Great War, October 3rd 1914

Western Front: Antwerp’s Outer Defences Fall

The British had been right to fear a quick end to the siege of Antwerp. The five German reserve divisions with their 173 guns were making quick work of the Belgian defences. The Germans bombarded the southeast forts and redoubts guarding Antwerp, and by the second of October two had fallen to infantry attack.

Antwerp was surrounded by four defensive lines, the first being a line of forts 10 - 15 km outside of the city, followed by another 5km outside. A smaller group of coastal batteries menaced any attacker who made it past the first two lines of forts, and the area to the west of the city was flooded (the ancient defensive strategy of Lowlanders). Fortunately for the city’s defenders the Germans did not seem to realize that the water was not very deep.

On the third, even more Belgian forts and redoubts surrendered or fell back, running out of ammunition and pounded mercilessly by German artillery. Also on the third sees Churchill arriving in Antwerp, meets with King Albert and the Belgian Prime Minister, and at 635pm telegrams London that the Belgians have agreed to continue resistance at Antwerp for at least ten days, provided that within three days definitive assurances had been received from the British that substantial reinforcements were en route to support the Belgians. With the Royal Marine Brigade already en route, Churchill suggests the deployment of two naval brigades, which together with the Marines made up the Royal Naval Division. These two naval brigades were composed of those sailors of the Royal Fleet Reserve who were surplus to requirements when the Royal Navy was mobilized on the outbreak of war. The men of these two brigades had no practical experience as soldiers, and none had had more than two days of training with rifles. Among the officers were the poet Rupert Brooke and Arthur Asquith, son of the Prime Minister. To say the two naval brigades were unprepared for combat would be a colossal understatement, but in the moment of crisis were the only immediately-available units in Britain.

Meanwhile, south of the city the Germans have turned their guns on Fort Kessel, but the Belgian defenders continue to hold out through the day.

Western Front:British Expeditionary Force begins its redeployment northwards to Flanders

Along the Aisne River, II Corps and 1st and 2nd Cavalry Divisions of the British Expeditionary Force have left the front line and begin their redeployment northwards to Flanders, the first units of the BEF to do so. II Corps is marching to Compiègne where it will board trains heading north, while the two cavalry divisions will move by road.

South Africa: Smuts calls for Maritz of Force B to come to Pretoria

In South Africa, Defense Minister J. C. Smuts has requested Lieutenant-Colonel Maritz of Force B to come to Pretoria for consultations. Smuts is increasingly concerned about the loyalty of Maritz, while the latter, expecting arrest, refuses the summons of Smuts. Instead, Maritz moves Force B from Upington to Kakamas, which not coincidentally is closer to the border with German South East Africa.

Western Front: German pressure around Arras is beginning to tell

The German pressure around Arras is beginning to tell. North of the city the French are being pushed back as Rupprecht sends reinforcements to I Bavarian Corps as they attack towards Vimy, and IV Cavalry Corps is sent northwards in the direction of Lille. French lines south of Arras, manned by territorial divisions, are also buckling.

Day 70 of the Great War, October 5th 1914

Western Front: General Foch orders that Arras be held at all cost

General Maud-huy this morning plans to order the 31st Infantry Division to cover a withdrawal from Arras. At 930am, however, General Foch arrives at Maud-huy's headquarters at Aubigny, and orders that Arras be held at all cost. On both flanks French resistance is stiffening. To the north, heavy French artillery bombardment prevents the Bavarians from exploiting their seizure of Vimy Ridge, while to the south the Prussian Guards are held up short of Arras. Disappointed, the Kaiser departs Rupprecht's headquarters.

More cruisers join CHATHAM

Off the coast of German East Africa the new light cruisers DARTMOUTH and WEYMOUTH, along with the old protected cruiser FOX, join HMS CHATHAM in the search for SMS KONIGSBERG.

Admiralty convinced that Spee plans to round Cape Horn

Following the interception of a wireless transmission giving Graf Spee's destination as Easter Island the admiralty is finally convinced that Spee plans to round Cape Horn and move to the Atlantic. For more than a month Rear Admiral Christopher 'Kit' Cradock has been trying to get the ships together to move into the Pacific after Spee. He had been promised the use of the old battleship CANOPUS Canopus and the newer armored cruiser DEFENCE. At the last minute the decision was made to keep DEFENCE at Malta. Cradock is waiting on CANOPUS to make her slow way to Port Stanley in the Falklands.

Western Front: German I, II, and IV Cavalry Corps receive orders

North of the fighting of Arras General Marwitz issues orders for an offensive by I, II, and IV Cavalry Corps. They are to sweep through the open space around the northern flank of the French line at Arras-Lens, forcing their retreat.

Western Front: Germans secure a crossing of the Nethe River

Early this morning two German battalions secure a crossing of the Nethe River a mile southwest of the village of Lierre. They are supported by heavy artillery fire, and are reinforced by two further battalions by nightfall. German forces also occupy Lierre itself up to the river line and begin the bombardment of Fort Broechem, but elsewhere the Belgian defensive line remains intact. Meanwhile, the two British Naval Brigades land at Dunkirk during the night, and entrain for the journey to Antwerp.

KARLSRUHE catches the FARN

Off the Brazilian coast SS CREFELD sights a smoke column in the distance, and signals SMS KARLSRUHE, some forty miles to the west. Captain Köhler rushes his ship to investigate, and after a two-hour chase catches SS FARN, carrying 6,000 tons of 1st-class Welsh coal. Since he has plenty of coal already Köhler puts a prize crew aboard FARN and sends her to join his supply ship ASUNCION.

Day 72 of the Great War, October 7th 1914

Western Front: I and II Cavalry Corps advance is brought to a halt

The advance of the German I and II Cavalry Corps between Lens and Lille is brought to a halt by the French XXI Corps, which has detrained at Béthune.

KARLSHURE captures the LYNROWAN

In the mid-South Atlantic SMS KARLSHURE comes upon her second victim in as many days. This ship is the British ship SS LYNROWAN, 3,384 tons, carrying a mixed cargo consisting mainly of wheat and oats, bound from Buenos Aires to Liverpool. The ship's master, Arthur Jones, and his crew are put aboard CREFELD and LYNROWAN is sent to the bottom.

Sir Christopher Cradock receives a message from the Admiralty

At Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands Sir Christopher Cradock is still waiting for Canopus to arrive when he recieves a message from the Admiralty. The message intercepted on the 4th was in code and had to be decyphered. On the 5th the news was sent to Cradock, and only now arrived. The decoding was possible because of the Australian capture of SS Pfalz back on August 5th.

The Admiralty message includes these instructions: "It appears that SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU are working across to South America. You must be prepared to meet them in company, possibly with a 'DRESDEN' scouting for them. CANOPUS should accompany GLASGOW, MONMOUTH and OTRANTO, the ships to search and protect trade in combination. If you propose Good Hope to go, leave MONMOUTH on east coast."

Cradock replied: "Have ordered CANOPUS to Falklands where I intend to concentrate and avoid division of forces. Have ordered GLASGOW, MONMOUTH and OTRANTO not to go north of Valparaiso until German cruisers located. Does DEFENCE join my command?" It seems the Admiralty had not yet informed Cradock of their decision to keep DEFENCE on the east side of the Atlantic.

Western Front: Germans begin bombardment of the City of Antwerp

Early this morning, two German battalions of the 37th Landwehr Brigade succeed in crossing the Schelde River at Schoonaerde, nine miles west of Termonde. Despite counterattacks by the Belgian 6th Division during the day, the bridgehead hold, and during the evening the rest of the brigade crosses the Schelde. The distance between Schoonaerde and the Dutch border is a mere twelve miles, through which any forces that wish to escape Antwerp must pass. The Belgian army decides that it must now pass through the corridor before it closes, and plans on taking up position along the Terneuzen Canal, running from Ghent to the Dutch border. The Belgian 1st and 5th divisions are sent westwards first, while 3rd and 6th divisions act as a flank guard along the Schelde. King Albert also moves his headquarters today from Antwerp to Selzaete along the Terneuzen Canal.

The focus of the German effort against Antwerp today is bringing heavy artillery across the Nethe River. Though the movement is delayed by difficulties with bridging equipment, just before midnight 6-inch howitzers begin the bombardment of the city itself.

Photo: Men of the British Naval Brigades in trenches at Antwerp



Within Antwerp itself, proclamations are posted throughout the city announcing that German bombardment of the city is imminent, and advised those who wish to leave Antwerp must do so at once. Appropriate to the mood of the civilian population, Antwerp is covered by a dense cloud of black smoke, emanating from oil-tanks to the west of the city which had been set on fire to prevent their capture by the Germans. Thousands flock to the docks, attempting to crowd aboard every available ship in the hope of departing the city. Others flee to the nearby Dutch border at Bergen-op-Zoom. This town of 16 000 inhabitants finds itself in a matter of a few days hosting 200 000 refugees from Antwerp.

Western Front: British 7th Division arrives in Bruges

This morning the disembarkation of the British 7th Division is completed at Zeebrugge, and by 5pm, after travelling by train, has arrived in Bruges. Despite the pleadings of the Belgians, however, the division does not immediately march to Antwerp - prior to departing Britain, the divisional commander was given specific instructions by Kitchener not to allow his force to be shut in and captured at Antwerp. Further, reports reach 7th Division of large German cavalry concentrations north of Lille, which could potentially threaten the corridor to Antwerp. Meanwhile, a brigade of French marines is dispatched from Paris by rail towards Antwerp, the one significant French contribution to the defence of the city.

Western Front: III Corps of the British Expeditionary Force begins its march to Compiègne

III Corps of the British Expeditionary Force, having handed over its trenches to the French last night, today begins its march to Compiègne where it will entrain for Flanders.

South Africa: Lieutenant-Colonel Maritz makes contact with Germans

Lieutenant-Colonel Maritz makes contact with Germans along the border between South Africa and German South-West Africa. Such contacts may be vital if Maritz goes into rebellion.

Kamerun Campaign: British advance on Jabassi

In German Kamerun, the British advance on Jabassi to the northeast of Duala. Taking advantage of the heavy rains, they mount a 6-inch gun on a boat that could be floated up the river to support the attack. However, the West African units became disorganized as they moved through the bush adjacent to the river, and when they reached open ground at Jabassi they were cut down by German machine-gun fire. The attack defeated, the British are forced to retreat back in the direction of Duala.

Day 74 of the Great War, October 9th 1914

YouTube (Back For Christmas? - The Illusion Of A Short War)



Western Front: Fall of Antwerp

As the Royal Marine Brigade, the 2nd Naval Brigade, and the Drake Battalion march westwards, word reaches the British at 230am that the nearest trains are at Gilles Waes, six miles to the northwest. After an arduous overland journey undertaken in unfamiliar terrain in darkness, the first troops reach Gilles Waes at daybreak, and by 9am the last train leaves the village, with omnibuses picking up stragglers. Thus were the bulk of the British forces at Antwerp evacuated through the corridor north of the Schelde. The Belgian 2nd Division also manages to escape, reaching the rest of the Belgian army this evening after a thirty-mile march.

However, the three battalions of the 1st Naval Brigade who had not received the original orders to retreat would have a much more difficult time evacuating the city. By the early morning hours, finding that adjacent units had disappeared, realized that a retreat was under way. After marching through the nearly-abandoned city, they arrived at the Schelde to find that most of the bridges has been destroyed to prevent their usage by the Germans. Through the requisition of barges and steamers, the battalions are able to get across the Schelde by 4am and arrive at Zwyndrecht, the supposed rendezvous for British forces, to find it abandoned. Finally learning that the others had gone to Gilles Waes, the three battalions join the refugee columns streaming west, and arrive at the village between 1130 and 345. A train then arrived to take them west, but at 415 it was learned that the advancing Germans had cut the rail line at Moerbeke. At this point, the three battalions were exhausted, lacked both food and ammunition, and were in no condition to attempt to fight their way out. In consequence they took the only other option available to them - they marched north and crossed the Dutch frontier, where they were disarmed and interned for the remainder of the war. Thus of the three thousand men of the 1st Naval Brigade that arrived at Antwerp, only one thousand escaped.

Photo: The last military train to leave Gilles Waes




At Antwerp itself, the Germans discover this morning that the inner forts have been abandoned. General Beseler thus sends a representative into the city under a white flag to demand its surrender. Simultaneously, the Military Governor of Antwerp had concluded that further resistance was pointless. This evening, the Governor signs the surrender of the city and its remaining fortifications.



YouTube (the Fall of Antwerp (Anvers) 9th October 1914. Allies White. Germany Black')



Western Front: 7th Division send to Ghent

To cover the retreat of the British brigades at Antwerp, Rawlinson dispatches part of 7th Division to Ghent, while the remainder, plus 3rd Cavalry Division, concentrates at Bruges. The two divisions are also brought under Sir John French's direct command, integrating them into the BEF as IV Corps under General Rawlinson's command. This illustrates that in future the corps will join up and co-operate with the BEF, as opposed to remaining effectively an independent command along the Schelde.

South Africa: start of a rebellion

In South Africa S. G. Maritz goes into open rebellion today, declaring South Africa independent and announcing war with Britain (and coincidentally, promoting himself to general). Force B is personally loyal to him, and he threatens to attack Upington unless he is allowed to contact other Boer leaders from the abortive coup attempt of September 15th, including Christian De Wet, C. F. Beyers, and J. C. G. Kemp.

Eastern Front: Hindenburg reaches the Vistula

In Galicia the advancing Austro-Hungarian armies have reached the San River, and though further progress is inhibited by stiffening Russian resistance, they have reached the fortress at Przemysl, lifting the Russian siege. The Russians had lost forty thousand soldiers attempting to storm Przemysl before it could be relieved, and the Austro-Hungarian units that reached the city today have as their first responsibility the clearing of tens of thousands of Russian corpses from the fortress perimeter.

Further north, as the German 9th Army continues its advance, a detailed Russian order of battle is found on the body of a dead Russian officer. This reveals that the Russians are massing three entire armies east of the Vistula River around Warsaw. This intelligence coup comes as a complete surprise to Ludendorff - to this point he believed that most of the Russian armies were still in Galicia. Instead, he realizes that 9th Army is advancing directly into the main enemy concentration. The straightforward response would have been to simply call off the offensive; indeed, the ostensible aim of the operation - saving the Austro-Hungarian army - had already been achieved, though more from the Russian redeployment from Galicia to Poland than anything the Germans themselves had done. However, Ludendorff was hardly one for the straightforward, commonplace solution. Instead of retreating, he decides that the Germans will attempt to defeat the Russians south of Warsaw before the three Russian armies are fully assembled. To this end, Ludendorff requests Conrad to extend his line northwards to Ivangorod, to free 9th Army from having to cover southern Poland, and allow it to maneouvre freely.

SMS KARLSRUHE encounters her fourth victim in a row

In the Atlantic ocean, at 0100 hours, SMS KARLSRUHE encounters her fourth victim in a row. SS PRUTH is another British steamer, rated at 4,408 tons, bound from Argentina to St. Vincent with a cargo of 2,800 tons of barley and 8,800 tons of nitrate. At 0600 the crew are transfered to CREFELD, then at 0800 the prisoners aboard SS RIO NEGRO are also sent to CREFELD. Two separate scuttling charges are detonated at 1030 and 1045, and PRUTH sinks by the stern at 1120.

At 1500 Karlsruhe stops a Spanish cargo ship, examines her papers and cargo, an lets her go.

Western Front: General Falkenhayn issues orders

General Falkenhayn issues orders today for a major new deployment of German forces on the Western Front. The corps of the existing 4th Army are reassigned to the adjacent 3rd or 5th armies, and 4th Army headquarters, including is commander Duke Albrecht, are brought north to Flanders. General Beseler's XIII Reserve Corps is assigned to this army, but the main fighting strength of the new 4th Army are XXII, XXII, XXVI, and XXVII Reserve Corps, each of which consist of two Reserve Divisions. These four corps were among six whose formation was authorized on August 16th. They consisted in part of older men who had never been conscripted in their youth (in peacetime Germany had only needed to conscripted 50% of each age cohort to fill the army), in part of older men who had completed prior military service, and volunteers. It is the latter group who would come to dominant the popular perception of these corps - they are among the hundreds of thousands of young men, many coming straight from the classroom, who, fully imbued with patriotism and romantic notions of a quick and glorious war, had volunteered in the first weeks of the war. They had had no prior military training, and have had barely any time to learn over the past two month. It is hoped that what they lacked in martial ability would be compensated by enthusiasm, perhaps the ultimate expression of the pre-war belief that any enemy position could be taken, any task completed, if only the soldiers are sufficiently willing. The older men were added to give leadership and experience, but many of them are unfit for duty and had been trained in prior decades, before the rise of the machine gun and the other accouterments of twentieth-century warfare. They are also under-equipped, with fewer artillery batteries as compared to regular corps and lacking field telephones to direct the fire of those artillery pieces they do have.

Given the poor quality of these corps, why are they to be employed in battle two months after their formation? Indeed, Britain was also mobilizing hundreds of thousands of volunteers, but Kitchener has insisted that it would take a year's training before they were fit for combat. Their use speaks to the extent that, despite the dismissal of Moltke and the failure of the Schlieffen Plan, Falkenhayn and the General Staff remain enthralled by the vision of rapid victory in the west. Of these six reserve corps, only one is sent to the Eastern Front, at a time when Hindenburg and Ludendorff are screaming for thirty divisions. One is sent to help hold the line at Metz, while the remaining four all go to Flanders. Falkenhayn believes that the Western Front continues to be the place where a decisive, war-winning victory can be achieved, though instead of Schlieffen's sweep around Paris, he perceives that the opportunity exists to outflank the Entente line from the north, advancing to the Somme River and occupying the Channel ports. Such a success, Falkenhayn believed, would cripple France and ensure ultimate victory. Further, the only way to achieve the vital margin of superiority to ensure success is to use these four reserve corps - a force of equivalent size cannot be redeployed from the rest of the Western Front, and it would take too much time to send the reserve corps to relieve four more experienced corps and redeploy the latter to Flanders.

Thus 4th Army is to be the hammer behind Falkenhayn's major offensive on the Western Front - with the French line holding south of Arras, they are to punch through between Arras and the Channel coast, an area that for much of the war has been held only by a small number of French territorial and cavalry divisions. But even as Falkenhayn's orders go out, Entente forces are gathering, and in particular the British Expeditionary Force is redeploying into precisely the same stretch of the front that the Germany 4th Army is to storm through. Indeed, today also marks the first arrival of BEF units in Flanders: II Corps completes its detraining at Abbeville, while 2nd Cavalry Division arrives between St. Pol and Hesdin. Thus by coincidence, just as in August at Mons, the BEF is moving into the path of the most important German advance.

EMDEN at Diego Garcia

SMS EMDEN and SS BURESK enter the harbor at Diego Garcia at 0700 local time. EMDEN is badly in need of cleaning, but since there are no facilities for this activity she is careened in the harbor by the flooding of storage compartments on one side and then the other. Weeks of collected barnacles are scraped from her bottom, and a fresh coat of paint is applied to her upper works. This is done by 1400 hours, and from then until midnight coal is taken aboard from BURESK.

While all this is taking place a native boat rows out to EMDEN carrying the assistant manager of the local oil company. After some whiskey and soda the man informs them that this is the first he has heard that there is a war on. There is no wireless and the only regular shipping is a sailing vessel which brings them supplies from Mauritius once every three months. The have had no news of the outside world since July. The officers of EMDEN casually lie to the manager, telling him that they are part of a unified maneuver involving the navies of England, France and Germany, and that they will be on their way in two days.

At this point the manager himself comes aboard with the same questions. Captain von Müller tells him that they have just survived a severe storm, and the manager replies that he suspected as much from the cruiser's appearance. The oil company manager then asks von Müller if it would be possible for EMDEN'S mechanics to take a look at his motorboat. The captain obliges and Maschinistmaat Kluge and his crew quickly have the boat running. The manager then asks von Müller to have dinner ashore. When the captain politely refuses the manager sends EMDEN a gift of a large pig, a pile of fish and another load of fresh fruit. Not wishing to be indebted to someone who is technically an enemy, von Müller sends the oilmen some whiskey, wine and cigars in return.

Due to the tropical heat EMDEN is only able to take aboard 400 tons of coal, so the operation is scheduled to continue in the morning.

Day 76 of the Great War, October 11th 1914

Western Front: Albert orders the Belgian army to retire to the Yser River between Dixmude to the south and Nieuport and the Channel coast to the north

When General Pau reported to Joffre King Albert's thoughts on the Belgians retiring past Calais, the French Commander-in-Chief was appalled. He desperately wants the Belgians to take up position along the Entente front line, in order to cover part of the gap that remains north of Arras. Joffre's concerns, however, are for naught - the Belgian king has had a change of heart. He feels it is essential both for the Belgian war effort and the morale of the Belgian army for them to hold on to at least a small portion of Belgian territory, to emphasize that they are still an active participant, not only helping their allies but defending their homeland. Albert thus orders the Belgian army today to retire to the Yser River between Dixmude to the south and Nieuport and the Channel coast to the north.

Eastern Front: Austrian forces relieve besieged Przemysl

The crown jewel of Austrian fortresses had been enduring a Russian siege since early October. Originally intended as the key supply depot for the Austro-Hungarian armies, the fortress ended up on the front lines of the fight in August. Several divisions intended to guard the position had been transported to Serbia at the beginning of the war, then sent back by a very uncertain and indecisive General Staff.

The Dual Monarchy did not have competent logistics system. (Nor a very competent military. Indeed, German general Max Hoffman commented that: “They have saved money over their army for twenty years, and now they are paying for it.”) The troops were detrained far at Prsemysl and then forced to walk their way to the front. In an encounter battle along the way, the divisions were pushed back in the general Austrian rout beginning on September 11th.

Prezemysl had been cut off and besieged since then by Russian General Selivanov’s Eleventh Army. However, the diverse garrison of 120,000 men proved sterner stuff then some of their compatriots. The Russians could not take the fortress. In October the German Ninth Army was formed and sent to reinforce its Austrian allies. The Austrian Chief of the General Staff, Franz Conrad von Hotzendorf, marched on Przemysl immediately. Seliavanov lifted the siege and retreated for the time being.

Conrad immediately evacuated the civilian population of the town. But Przemysl’s woes were not over. Within weeks it would face a second, much more grueling siege.

Drawing: The Austro-Hungarian garrison sallies out to fight



U-26 sinks PALLADA

Kapitanleutnant Egewulf Freiherr von Berckheim, commanding U-26 out of Kiel, has been stalking a Russian Armored Cruiser squadron. The previous day he attempted an attack but the ships turned away and he was unable to give chase. On the 11th they were again in his vicinity and this time they came close enough for another try. Berckheim fired a single torpedo at PALLADA, 7,775 tons, which exploded under one of her magazines, destroying the ship completely in a matter of seconds.

Western Front: German units are approach Ghent

Aware now that the bulk of the Belgian army has escaped Antwerp, General Beseler's III Reserve Corps is ordered westward, advancing to Ostend via Ghent and Bruges. By this afternoon, advance German units are approaching Ghent, prompting the Entente forces defending the town to fall back. The British are the last to retire from Ghent at 10pm this evening. The British 3rd Cavalry Division, meanwhile, is in the vicinity of Thourout clearing the route for the Entente forces.

Map: The Entente retreat to the Yser, October 10th to 15th, 1914.



KARLSRUHE captures the CONDOR

Off the coast of Brazil the British freighter SS CONDOR, 3,053 tons, is making her way south. She departed Fernandina, Florida, on September 25th with 4,000 tons of mixed cargo, bound for several South American ports. At 1515 she is sighted by SS FARN, one of KARLSRUHE'S captured supply ships. FARN approaches CONDOR flying the Red Ensign of the British merchant service. About six miles away is KARLSRUHE'S other supply, ship, ASUNCION, flying no flag at all. CONDOR'S master, a mister S. Purdy, sends a signal to FARN asking if she has seen any British cruisers. The head of FARN'S prize crew responds that he didn't receive the signal properly, and asks CONDOR to come closer, as they are having engine troubles. Suddenly FARN lowers her British flag and raises the German naval ensign.

At this point KARLSRUHE appears in the distance. The prize crew aboard ASUNCION, thinking the cruiser is British, tries to flee. it takes a few minutes to realize their mistake and return to the scene. At 1545 KARLSRUHE is alongside CONDOR and a boarding party discovers that the freighter's cargo includes 800 barrels of engine oil, 2,000 cases of condensed milk, and a quantity of dynamite. There is some question as to whether the ship can be sunk, as the cargo is mostly neutral. It is finally decided that the bulk of the cargo is necessary to KARLSRUHE'S continued operation, and it will be offloaded and the ship scuttled the next day. By 2200 hours the crew of CONDOR are aboard the already crowded CREFELD and operations cease for the night.

Western Front: German 179th Infantry Division of XIX Corps approaches the city of Lille

Today the German 179th Infantry Division of XIX Corps approaches the city of Lille, one of the largest cities in France and a key industrial centre. It is garrisoned by a territorial brigade, and it had been hoped by Joffre that the ongoing effort to outflank the Germans at and north of Arras would link up with the city. However, the Germans have arrived in strength first. XIX Corps has been marching for a week, departing from the vicinity of Rheims with Lille as its objective. At 9pm, a note is sent to the garrison commander at Lille demanding the city's surrender. When no response is received, an artillery bombardment begins at 930pm.

HAMPSHIRE on the hunt for EMDEN

As SMS EMDEN proceeds northward along the west side of the Maldives the weather begins to pick up as monsoon season is beginning. HMS HAMPSHIRE is only a few hundred miles to the east heading toward Diego Garcia, as Captain Grant knows of the coaling station there and suspects that von Müller might make for there as a quiet, out-of-the-way place to replenish his supplies.

South Africa, Maritz rebellion: Defense Minister Smuts declares martial law

In response to Martiz's declaration of rebellion, Defense Minister Smuts today declares martial law. This forces the critical choice on the Boers of South Africa - do they rise with Maritz, or under the compulsion of martial law aid in his suppression.

Western Front: British II Corps has reaches Béthune

The British II Corps has reached Béthune, its first objective, and have deployed north-to-south. Tomorrow they are to relieve the French cavalry divisions screening them and advance northeast to a line running roughly between Estaires and la Bassée. The two British cavalry divisions of the Cavalry Corps are both operating to the north of II Corps, and, having swept aside advance patrols of the German IV Cavalry Corps, entered Hazebrouck. Further, since yesterday III Corps has been detraining at St. Omer, though delays on the railway result in part of 4th Division not having arrived today. Nevertheless, 19th Brigade is ordered forward to Hazebrouck thirteen miles to the east to cover the arrival of the rest of III Corps.

Day 78 of the Great War, October 13th 1914

CONDOR is scuttled

Having finally off-loaded all the supplies onto SMS KARLSRUHE, SS CONDOR is scuttled. At 1630 hours SS CREFELD, with 419 prisoners aboard, is dispatched to the Canary Islands, with orders not to put into Tenerife until the 22nd.

Western Front: Belgians continue their retreat to the Yser River

As the Belgians continue their retreat to the Yser River, tonight the British 7th Division is at Roulers, with the British 3rd Cavalry Division to the south covering its movement towards Ypres. Meanwhile, this morning the British III Corps completes its assembly at Hazebrouck, and begins its advance at 1030am. Though its objective is a line running north from Armentières, the corps encounters serious German opposition by elements of two cavalry divisions at the village of Meteren. It is not until nightfall that the village is captured, the Germans retreating in good order while inflicting 708 casualties on the British. Just to the north, the British Cavalry Corps clears German defenders off of Mont Noir.

On the German side, XIX Corps marches through Lille today on its way to the front, while the four reserve corps of 4th Army are detraining at Brussels.

Western Front: XVI Corps in the Argonne west of Verdun makes only painfully slow progress

The offensive by General Mudra's XVI Corps in the Argonne west of Verdun has made only painfully slow progress. Despite the use of new weaponry such as Minenwerfers and hand grenades, it is only today that the first line of French trenches has been taken. The inability of new technology to immediately transform the battlefield is a theme that will recur in the years to come.

Eastern Front: Grand Duke Nicholas reassigns 2nd and 5th armies to General Ruzski of North-West Front

In an effort to prod General Ivanov to attack, Grand Duke Nicholas reassigns 2nd and 5th armies to General Ruzski of North-West Front. All this accomplishes in practice is to divide command of the operation, and over the prior two months the Russians have shown themselves singularly incapable of co-ordinating the efforts of separate commanders.

South Africa, Maritz rebellion: 3 men discuss joining Maritz's revolt

In South Africa, in response to Maritz's declaration of rebellion, Christian de Wet, C. F. Beyers, and J. C. G. Kemp renew contact with each other, and discuss joining Maritz's revolt.

British Admiralty: Churchill and Prince Louis of Battenberg discuses the German East Asiatic Squadron

At the Admiralty, First Lord Churchill discusses the continued pursuit of the German East Asiatic Squadron with the First Sea Lord, Prince Louis of Battenberg. Their understanding is that Craddock will concentrate his ships at the Falklands Islands, and approve the formation of a second squadron. They also conclude that Craddock understands that if his squadron is not strong enough to engage the German East Asiatic Squadron by itself, he will endeavour to shadow them until reinforcements arrive. This is a crucial misunderstanding by the First Lord and First Sea Lord. Craddock had been given orders on September 14th to destroy the German cruisers, a directive that had never been countermanded and which Craddock felt bound to obey regardless of the strength of the warships under his command.

EMDEN still heading north for the Indian trade routes

Fighting monsoon winds and rain all the way, SMS EMDEN is still heading north for the Indian trade routes while HMS HAMSHIRE is still heading south for Diego Garcia.