lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 1, 2023 3:47:46 GMT
Day 1301 of the Great War, March 1st 1918
YouTube (Ludendorff's Window Of Opportunity)
Western Front
Germans recapture trenches south-west of Butte de Mesnil, but fail in local attacks elsewhere in Champagne and near Reims.
Big German raids at Haucourt (north-west of Verdun) and Seicheprey (Lorraine), the latter against Americans.
Eastern Front: Germans Continue Invasion of Russia Despite Peace Talks
Although the Russians had indicated their acceptance of the new, harsher German terms and sent a delegation to Brest-Litovsk to sign a final treaty, the German advance into Russia continued unabated. It seems likely, in fact, that Max Hoffmann tried to drag out talks for a few days until his troops could reach their planned objectives. On March 1, German forces took Mogilev, on the Dnepr in modern-day Belarus. Mogilev had been the home of Stavka, the army high command, since the summer of 1915, and it had remained there after the Bolshevik takeover. Stavka was taken by surprise at the speed of the German approach; they had only taken Minsk, 120 miles to the west, nine days earlier. Stavka only narrowly avoided capture and had to commandeer a train to escape in time.
Elsewhere, the Germans continued to advance on a broad front. On the same day in Belarus, they took Polotsk to the north and Gomel to the south, the latter 25 miles east of the Dnepr. In Estonia, Talinn had fallen on the 25th, and German forces were advancing on Narva. In Ukraine, forces loyal to the Rada entered Kiev once again, twenty days after losing the city to the Bolsheviks; their German allies would follow a day later.
Aerial operations: Some more Squadrons
As the war lengthened, and the work demanded of aircraft increased and diversified, the demand for new squadrons consequently increased too.
At the start of the war the RFC was just about able to muster five Squadrons. By June 1916 Douglas Haig was calling for 70 Service Squadrons by Spring 1917. By November 1916 this had increased to 106 and by June 1917 a figure of 200 was called for.
Six new RFC squadrons were formed today, numbers 129-134. All were set to be bombing squadrons but not a single one became operational. The main reason for this was simply the time it took to train the pilots. In most cases at least a year was required. This acted as one of the limiting factors on the expansion of the air services
In fact only two more service squadrons were formed during the war and Haig’s figure of 200 remained a fantasy. In the end the RFC transferred 140 Squadrons to the RAF.
The other limiting factor was the aircraft themselves, although more specifically engines. Airframes could be built using semi-skilled labour, and indeed at the end of the war large numbers were scrapped still awaiting engines. Engines took longer to design, needed specialist labour to build and were always in short supply. The British, like all air forces at the time made constant efforts to recover and refurbish engines where possible. Even when they were available they needed constant maintenance and an army of mechanics to service them.
Naval operations: ship losses
SMS A57 (Kaiserliche Marine) The A56-class torpedo boat struck a mine and sank in the North Sea with the loss of twelve of her crew.
BORGA (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 9 nautical miles (17 km) south east by south of Beer Head, Devon (50°32′N 2°56′W) by SM U-55 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 5 crew.
HMS CaLGARIAN (Royal Navy) The armed merchant cruiser was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea off Rathlin Island, County Antrim (55°25′N 6°15′W) by SM U-19 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 49 crew.
PENVEARN (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 15 nautical miles (28 km) north of South Stack, Anglesey (53°35′N 4°49′W) by SM U-105 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 21 crew.
HMT THOMAS COLLARD (Royal Navy) The naval trawler was sunk by the force of the explosions of the torpedoes that sunk HMS Calgarian ( Royal Navy), which was a victim of SM U-19 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 2, 2023 3:49:45 GMT
Day 1303 of the Great War, March 2nd 1918Western FrontMany German raids on British lines. Eastern FrontCapture of Kiev by Germans and continued advance of Austrians in the Ukraine. Photo: German troops in Kiev, March 1918 Sinai and Palestine campaignBritish advance on 12-mile front astride Jerusalem-Nablus road. Finnish Civil War: Germany To Invade the Åland IslandsThe Germans were strong backers of the White forces in the Finnish Civil War, wanting a friendly government there. This was both to secure Finland’s own substantial resources, and also to make sure that the Reds could not threaten friendly Sweden and that the Germans themselves could threaten Russia’s northern ports if necessary. The Whites were more ambivalent about asking for German aid, but felt they had little choice after the Swedes rejected any intervention beyond landing on the Åland Islands. Icy conditions in the northern Baltic would prevent a landing on the mainland for some time, however. One of the few places in Finland German ships were still able to reach (albeit with some difficulty) were the Åland Islands. Although the situation there was well in hand after the Swedish occupation, the Germans wanted to use the islands as a base against Turku on the mainland. The Germans requested that the White government officially request German intervention in the islands, which they promptly did. On March 2, the White government announced the imminent German landings on the islands. Mannerheim, who still wanted to avoid German intervention entirely, despite the Whites’ disadvantages, was furious and was narrowly talked out of resigning. The invasion itself did not occur for several days afterwards, due to delays caused by sea ice. On the 5th, a Jäger battalion of around 900 men began landing on the islands. The Germans began to round up the remaining disarmed Russian soldiers and sent them to the mainland; it is likely they were treated as prisoners of war despite the end of the war with Russia. The Swedes quickly came to an understanding with the Germans, and within two weeks pulled most of their troops off of the islands. Romania/Russia relationsRomania agrees to negotiate for peace on basis of enemy demands. Naval operations: ship lossesBESSY (Isle of Man) The coaster was shelled and sunk in the Irish Sea 12 nautical miles (22 km) north west of Peel by SM U-91 and SM U-105 (both Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived. CARMELITE (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 10 nautical miles (19 km) south west of the Calf of Man, Isle of Man (54°00′N 4°52′W) by SM U-105 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of two of her crew. EUXRINOS (Greece) The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (32°17′N 32°03′E) by SM UB-53 ( Kaiserliche Marine). HMS H5 (Royal Navy) The H-class submarine was rammed and sunk by Rutherglen ( United Kingdom), which mistook her for a U-boat. All 22 crew were killed. HAVNA (Norway) The cargo ship was sunk in the Irish Sea 20 nautical miles (37 km) east south east of the Tuskar Rock by SM UB-65 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of eleven of her eighteen crew. Kenmare (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 25 nautical miles (46 km) north west of The Skerries, Isle of Anglesey by SM U-104 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 29 crew. ROCKPOOL (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 12 nautical miles (22 km) north east by north of Eagle Island, County Mayo by SM U-94 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived, but her captain was taken as a prisoner of war. STINA (Sweden) The cargo ship was torpedoed, shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 8 nautical miles (15 km) north by east of the Cairns of Coll, Argyllshire, United Kingdom[16] (56°48′N 6°30′W) by SM U-22 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 3, 2023 7:36:17 GMT
Day 1304 of the Great War, March 3rd 1918
Western Front
Great raiding activity by British.
Eastern Front: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Bolsheviks had, after much internal debate, decided to accept the German diktat on February 24. Their legation arrived at Brest-Litovsk a few days later, ready to sign a treaty; they had no interest in further negotiating the terms of a treaty they viewed as illegitimate to begin with. They announced their opinion of the treaty to the world:
We have been delegated to sign these conditions, which have been forced upon us by violence….The peace which is being concluded here at Brest-Litovsk is not a peace based upon a free agreement of the peoples of Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey, but a peace dictated by force of arms. This is a peace which Russia, grinding its teeth, is compelled to accept. This is a peace which, whilst pretending to free Russian border provinces, really transforms them into German provinces and deprives them of the right of free self-determination….
We do not doubt for one moment that this triumph of the imperialist and militarist over the international proletarian Revolution is only a temporary and passing one.
The Germans were not quite done with their advances into territories they wanted to occupy, and dragged out talks for a week. On March 3, German forces entered Narva, 85 miles from Petrograd, after defeating a small force of Red Guards. In thirteen days, the Germans had advanced hundreds of miles and taken all of their objectives, suffering only 109 casualties in the process.
With German military objectives secure, the final treaty was signed on March 3. The war in the East was finally over. Russia renounced all rights to Finland, the Baltic states, Belarus, Ukraine, and Poland, and agreed to evacuate all remaining military forces from those countries. Germany and Austria-Hungary were essentially given free rein to dispose of those countries as they saw fit, though technically they were to do so “in agreement with their populations.” Turkey also directly annexed the provinces it had lost to Russia in the 1870s; this would prove the only provision of the treaty to survive the war.
With the treaty signed, Germany halted their invasion of Russia, and began to transfer large numbers of troops to the Western Front. However, the Central Powers would continue their advance into Ukraine, ostensibly in support of the Ukrainian Rada; Kiev had only been retaken from the Bolsheviks a day before. The Central Powers hoped that Ukraine and the other occupied territories would yield great economic and military benefits for their empires in the short term. However, the gains were far smaller than they hoped (as their experience in Ober Ost since the summer of 1915 should have shown), and large numbers of troops were still required to maintain the occupation. Of the 53 divisions that participated in the invasion of Russia, 20 remained until the end of the war.
Sinai and Palestine campaign
British advance in Palestine continued, reaching maximum of 3,000 yards.
Germany/Sweden relations
Germany notifies Sweden of forthcoming occupation of Naland Islands.
Aerial operations: 13
Low clouds and mist throughout the day prevented most flying on the Western Front. However, 13 Squadron RNAS were one of the few active. 13 Squadron had already served in a number of guises.
It had been formed as the Seaplane Defence Flight at Dunkirk in June 1917 with Sopwith Pups to safeguard the Navy’s seaplanes. Sopwith Camels had replaced the Pups in September 1917, and on 15 January 1918 the unit was re-organised as 13 Squadron RNAS at St. Pol.
It contnued to be involved in coastal defence, but also carried out fighter-bomber sorties against enemy airfields and seaplane bases at Zeebrugge and Ostende.
Unusually the squadron carried worked with 112lb bombs in their Camels rather than the more common 50, 20 and 16lb bombs.
It was on one of these missions that they embarked today, with eight Camels raiding Ostende Seaplane Base. The low cloud hid them from AA fire, and they burst through the clouds and dropped bombs at heights varying from 150 to 300 feet. On this occasion one 50lb and 24 16lb bombs were dropped. The large bomb hit the seaplane sheds and eleven of the others were seen to explode in the immediate vicinity. Three direct hits were also obtained on an anti-aircraft battery north of the Bassin de Chasse. All the machines returned. Apparently four seaplanes on the ground were damaged.
Naval operations: ship losses
ROMEO (United Kingdom) The refrigerated cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 11 nautical miles (20 km) north west of Peel, Isle of Man (52°22′N 4°52′W) by SM U-102 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 26 of her 29 crew. The survivors were rescued by ARDGAVEL ( United Kingdom) and HMS Kilgobnet ( Royal Navy).
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 4, 2023 7:06:15 GMT
Day 1305 of the Great War, March 4th 1918
Western Front
France conducts a large-scale raid against German trenches near Verdun, advancing on a 1200-metre line and taking 150 German prisoners.
Eastern Front
Despite the peace treaty signed at Brest-Litovsk, German troops take the city of Narva (Estonia) and Austro-Hungarian troops continue advancing in Ukraine.
Germans claim capture of 6,000 officers, 57,000 men, 2,600 guns, and 5,000 machine-guns in recent invasion.
Central Powers/Russia relations
Soviet Russia signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, renouncing its claims in Finland, Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic states to the Central Powers. Russia is out of the war.
Romania
Romania also declares it is ready to negotiate a formal peace with the Central Powers.
United States: Private Gitchell takes ill
The United States is trying to build up an army for the war in Europe. Across the country camps have sprung into being to receive and train newly drafted soldiers. One of these is Camp Funston in Kansas, now housing thousands of these new recruits. One of these is Private Albert Gitchell. This morning he reports to the infirmary as too ill to perform his duties, suffering from a headache, fever and a sore throat. Some class of influenza is diagnosed.
Private Gitchell had been working as one of Camp Funston’s mess cooks. His work brought him into contact with a great many other soldiers. By lunchtime more than a hundred of his comrades have reported sick with similar symptoms.
Naval operations: ship losses
ANTIOCO ACCAME (Italy) The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of Gibraltar (35°11′N 7°55′W) by SM U-155 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
CASTLE EDEN (United Kingdom) The collier was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) south south east of the Inishtrahull Lighthouse, County Donegal by SM U-110 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member.
CLAN MACPHERSON (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 24 nautical miles (44 km) north of Cape Serrat, Tunisia (37°47′N 9°05′E) by SM UC-27 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of eighteen of her crew.
NORTHFIELD (United Kingdom) The collier was torpedoed and sunk in the Bristol Channel 25 nautical miles (46 km) south west of Lundy Island, Devon (50°55′15″N 4°45′30″W) by SM U-60 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of fifteen crew.
POLKERRIS (France) The cargo ship was sunk in the English Channel 10 nautical miles (19 km) south east of Portland Bill, Dorset, United Kingdom by SM UB-80 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 5, 2023 7:04:35 GMT
Day 1306 of the Great War, March 5th 1918Western FrontPhoto: American soldiers with Hotchkiss Mle 14 or Mle 1900 MMG firing on a German observation plane. Original caption: Anti-aircraft Machine gun of 101st Field Artillery (formerly 1st Massachusetts F.A., New England Coast Artillery), firing on a German observation plane at Plateau Chemin des Dames, France. March 5, 1918 Finnish Civil WarGermans land on Aaland Islands at request of Finnish Government. Romania: Romania Signs Preliminary Peace With Russia now out of the war, the Central Powers turned their attention to the last belligerent on the Eastern Front–the Romanians. On February 27, Austrian Foreign Minister Czernin met directly with Romanian King Ferdinand, giving him a 48-hour ultimatum to accept the Central Powers’ terms; otherwise, “in six weeks the kingdom and dynasty would have ceased to exist.” The terms demanded were quite harsh, requiring the cession of the entirety of the Dobruja–that is, all Romanian territory south of the Danube. Although this would be made up for with land in Bessarabia, it would mean the loss of their major seaport in Constanța; King Ferdinand told Czernin that “Bessarabia was nothing to him, that it was steeped in Bolshevism.” Given that German forces had invaded Russia, advanced hundreds of miles, and enforced an extremely harsh peace of the Russians after a similar ultimatum given only eleven days earlier, the Romanians had every reason to panic. However, their negotiating position was far stronger than it appeared, or than they themselves realized. Emperor Charles was dissatisfied with the extremely harsh terms imposed on Russia, and did not want a repeat in Romania–especially since the sticking point was northern Dobruja, which had been a last minute demand of the Bulgarians. Charles did not want to resume the war just to “satisfy Bulgaria’s unrestrained desire for conquest.” He refused to let Austro-Hungarian troops participate in an invasion of Romania unless the latter refused an offer that let them keep northern Dobruja. His foreign minister, who had already issued an ultimatum to the Romanians, was not pleased, and neither were the Germans. The Romanian army, unlike the Russians, were prepared to resist an attack, and the Germans did not have enough troops in the area to guarantee success on their own (although they were willing to divert 5 divisions that were otherwise slated to head to the Western Front). Only after a personal appeal from Kaiser Wilhelm did Charles agree to cooperate, but even then under the proviso that if the Romanians put up serious resistance, that a new peace offer be sent under which the Romanians would be allowed to keep northern Dobruja. The Romanian army, meanwhile, prepared for a resumption of hostilities. They knew that their situation was likely hopeless if the Central Powers were determined to destroy them. They no longer had Russian help, and the Central Powers had effectively outflanked them by moving into Ukraine. French military advisor Berthelot wrote his government that “the Romanian Army will make them pay dearly but their success is not in doubt. It will only be a matter of weeks.” After much debate (and several attempted resignations by PM Averescu), the Romanian government and King agreed to accept the Central Powers’ demands in full. At 7PM on March 5, the Romanian foreign minister arrived at Buftea, and within hours signed the preliminary peace; the official peace treaty would be signed later after additional negotiations (largely among the Central Powers), but the Romanians would have already agreed to the most contentious articles, including: - The immediate demobilization of eight divisions (not all, as the Romanians were technically fighting Russia over Bessarabia). - The immediate dismissal of all Allied military missions (such as Berthelot’s) - The cession of the entirety of the Dobruja; the final peace would determine its ultimate disposition. The Central Powers would, nevertheless, be “concerned” to guarantee the Romanians access to Constanța. - The agreement, “in principle,” to minor border adjustments in Austria’s favor - The agreement, “in principle,” to major economic concessions (especially in oil and grain) to the Central Powers. - Active support of the Central Powers’ continuing operations in Ukraine by transporting German and Austrian troops across their territory to Odessa. United KingdomSir E. Geddes reviews shipping situation in House of Commons. RussiaThe Soviet Russian government moves its capital from Petrograd to the more defensible city of Moscow. Germany: Germany’s food crisisGermany remains in the grip of a food crisis. The British blockade has closed off international sources of food and the diversion of resources to the war effort has led to a decline in Germany’s own agricultural production. Some three million agricultural workers have been drafted into the army, as have large numbers of horses, with the loss of the latter depriving farmland of their fertilising manure. Since 1913 the area of cultivated land has fallen by some 15% while grain yields have collapsed, falling at least 30%. The result of this fall in food production has been spiralling prices and shortages. The authorities have responded by introducing price controls and rationing, but these have not been entirely effective and have fuelled a burgeoning black market. Those who have the money to do so are able to source what they need on the black market or by under the counter sales from food suppliers. Everyone else is going hungry, fuelling the country’s internal divisions. For all that many Germans are not getting as much food as they would like, the authorities’ counter-measures are at least keeping actual starvation at bay. However the shortages of food are weakening the German population, which is seeing a considerable increase in mortality over the normal peacetime rate. This affects particularly the old, the infirm and those who are not receiving extra rations thanks to their involvement in war work. Germany’s leaders fear that the food situation will eventually cause a social explosion. The peace treaty with Russia should mean that more food will be accessible from Ukraine, which should improve things, but the war cannot be allowed to go on indefinitely. Last year the Germans gambled on the U-boats as a means of bringing the war to a swift end. That failed and, worse, brought the USA into the Allied camp. Now Ludendorff is hoping that his imminent spring offensive will win the war for Germany before American troops arrive in strength and the food situation at home leads to revolution. Naval operations: ship lossesCOALGAS (United Kingdom) The cargo ship struck a mine laid by UC 4 (Ernst Berlin) and sank in the North Sea 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) south by west of the Shipwash Lightship ( United Kingdom). Her crew survived. EDOUARD MARIE (Belgium) The fishing vessel was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) south of the Wolf Rock, Cornwall, United Kingdom (49°52′N 5°52′W) by SM UC-75 ( Kaiserliche Marine). ESTRELLA (United Kingdom) The cargo ship struck a mine laid by UC 4 (Ernst Berlin) and sank in the North Sea 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) south by west of the Shipwash Lightship ( United Kingdom) with the loss of twenty of her crew. QUARNERO (Italy) The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) north of Portreath, Cornwall, United Kingdom (50°21′N 5°19′W) by SM U-60 ( Kaiserliche Marine). ROXBURGH (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 15 nautical miles (28 km) east by north of Cape St. John, Crete, Greece by SM UC-74 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of six of her crew. TUSNASTABB (Norway) The cargo ship struck a mine laid by UC 4 (Ernst Berlin) and sank in the North Sea south west of the Shipwash Lightship ( United Kingdom) (51°57′N 1°43′E). Her crew survived. USKMOOR (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) south west of Prawle Point, Devon by SM UB-80 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
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Post by lordroel on Mar 6, 2023 3:47:37 GMT
Day 1307 of the Great War, March 6th 1918
Western Front
Failure of German night attack on Belgians near Ramscapelle and Stuyvenskerke.
Unusual aerial activity on British front.
Russian Civil War: Allied Intervention in Russia Begins as Royal Marines Land at Murmansk
In the aftermath of the Russian Civil War, the Bolsheviks portrayed the Allied intervention in Russia as a concentrated effort by world capitalism to smash the Red revolution in the bud. This is still probably the dominant interpretation most people think of when they think of the Russian Civil War, however it is not what actually happened at all.
The first Allied troops to land in Russia landed at Murmasnk on March 6, 1918. They were Royal Marines, invited by the local soviet, an action approved by Vladimir Lenin. The idea was to support the Red Army against the Germans; unfortunately the support arrived too late. Russia had surrendered at Brest-Litvosk two days earlier. Yet it was the beginning of the Allied Intervention in Russia, which began on a small-scale to fight the Germans and eventually became a massive effort against the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War.
Naval operations: ship losses
DAITEN MARU (Japan) The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea west of Sicily, Italy by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
ELECTOR (Portugal) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Rio de Oro by SM U-152 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
KALGAN (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 33 nautical miles (61 km) south west of Jaffa, Occupied Enemy Territory Administration by SM UB-53 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 7, 2023 3:48:17 GMT
Day 1308 of the Great War, March 7th 1918
Sinai and Palestine campaign
British advance in Palestine, pressed continuously for some days, reaches maximum of three miles on front of 18.
Germany/Finland relations
Peace signed between Germany and Finland.
Netherlands
Entente Note to Holland demanding unconditional use of Dutch shipping in ports of Allies.
Aerial operations: It’s Official
Today the King issued a Royal Proclamation declaring the the new combined air service will be known as the Royal Air Force.
In a related development, the minister has been given the title Secretary of State for the Royal Air Force. This name remained in place until 10 January 1919 when the ministry took over responsibility for civilian aviation and was retitled Secretary of State for Air.
Aerial operations: First Moonless Bomber Raid on London
The skies over London had been quiet since 17 February, but overnight six Zeppelin-Staaken RVI ‘Giants’ set off to raid the capital. One turned back shortly afterwards with a seized engine.
Two of the raiders failed to reach London. One of these came inland in Essex at 11.10pm and flew around the edges of 5he city for nearly three hours venturing as far north as Luton. Bombs were dropped in various places but they only caused minor damage. The other also arrived over Essex shortly after and again spent about three hours flying around Essex and Kent. The only serious damage done was at Herne Bay, where a 100kg bomb damaged five houses, caused slight damage to four, smashed windows in 30 others and damaged the St. George’s Hotel.
The remaining three Giants reached London. The first of these (R39) carried a single 1,000kg bomb. R39 dropped its bomb about half a mile north-west of Paddington Station, on Warrington Crescent. The bomb exploded on the dividing wall between 63 and 65, destroying both buildings and those on either side. 20 other buildings in the vicinity were seriously damaged and another 400 suffered minor damage, 12 were killed and 33 injured.
The second ‘Giant’ (possibly R27) reached London just after midnight, Bombs fell on Belsize Park damaging many properties. The next group fell on St. John’s Wood. One of these fell on New Street and destroyed No. 11 killing six people and injuring two. Another fell outside Lord’s Cricket Ground, killing two men, More bombs fell on the route back to the coast but only buildings were damaged.
The third ‘Giant’ reached London around 0030 dropping its bombs on the north-western outskirts of the city damaging 259 houses but remarkably only one person was killed and 10 injured.
Some RFC aircraft wen5 up but none sighted the raiders who all got home without mishap.
Naval operations: ship losses
BeGONA NO.4 (Spain) The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 60 nautical miles (110 km) north west of Marettimo, Italy by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
BRAATT II (Norway) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 7 nautical miles (13 km) south west by south of St. Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom (50°29′N 1°21′W) by SM UB-30 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
BRISE (France) The sailing vessel was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 3.5 nautical miles (6.5 km) north of Trevose Head, Cornwall, United Kingdom (50°36′N 5°03′W) by SM U-55 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
LUIGI(Italy) The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Rio de Oro (25°35′N 14°38′W) by SM U-152 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
MARTHA(Belgium) The coaster was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) west by south of Portland Bill, Dorset, United Kingdom (50°30′N 2°36′W) by SM UB-80 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
SAINT GEORGES (France) The sailing vessel was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) north of Trevose Head (50°35′N 5°03′W) by SM U-55 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
SAINT JOSPH (France) The three-masted barquentine was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) north west of Trevose Head (50°36′N 5°08′W) by SM U-55 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
TARBETNESS (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 12 nautical miles (22 km) south west of the Caernarvon Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM U-110 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
RFA VITOL (Royal Fleet Auxiliary) The tanker was sunk in the Irish Sea (52°38′N 5°04′W) by SM U-110 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of four crew.
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Post by lordroel on Mar 8, 2023 3:52:48 GMT
Day 1309 of the Great War, March 8th 1918
YouTube (Peace In The East - The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk)
Western Front
Failure of heavy local attacks on British near Ypres.
Ukraine
At Bakhmach (Ukraine), Czechoslovak Legion clash with German forces who are preventing their evacuation towards Siberia.
United Kingdom
British House of Commons votes on a new war credit of £600 million, bringing the total spent since the start of the war to about £6.842 billion.
France
Patriotic speech by M. Clemenceau: Vote of confidence in Government.
Russia: Bolsheviks Reorganize After Brest-Litovsk
After the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the Bolsheviks held an extraordinary party congress in Petrograd (its first since their seizure of power) to consider its ratification. Bukharin, as usual, argued for an immediate revolutionary war against Germany, but the last two weeks had made it obvious such a choice would be suicidal. Lenin argued for and, with the help of Sverdlov’s political talents, secured approval of the treaty (which was formally ratified the next week at a Congress of Soviets), but emphasized that the setback at Brest-Litovsk was only temporary and forced by the fact that Russia had no effective army after the October revolution. He was therefore committed to rebuilding Russia’s fighting power so that they would never again be placed in a similar situation, and would be prepared to spread the revolution across the world. On March 8, the party passed Lenin’s Resolution on War and Peace:
The Congress recognizes the necessity to confirm the extremely harsh, humiliating peace treaty with Germany that has been concluded by Soviet power in view of our lack of an army, in view of the most unhealthy state of the demoralized army at the front, in view of the need to take advantage of any, even the slightest, possibility of obtaining a respite before imperialism launches its offensive against the Soviet Socialist Republic….
The Congress therefore declares that it recognizes the primary and fundamental task of our Party, of the entire vanguard of the class-conscious proletariat and of Soviet power, to be the adoption of the most energetic, ruthlessly determined and draconian measures to improve the self-discipline and discipline of the workers and peasants of Russia, to explain the inevitability of Russia’s historic advance towards a socialist, patriotic war of liberation, to create everywhere soundly coordinated mass organisations held together by a single iron will, organisations that are capable of concerted, valorous action in their day-to-day efforts and especially at critical moments in the life of the people, and, lastly, to train systematically and comprehensively in military matters and military operations the entire adult population of both sexes.
The Congress considers the only reliable guarantee of consolidation of the socialist revolution that has been victorious in Russia to be its conversion into a world working-class revolution.
The Congress is confident that the step taken by Soviet power in view of the present alignment of forces in the world arena was, from the standpoint of the interests of the world revolution, inevitable and necessary.
The resolution was deliberately not made public; angering other countries further with talk of the “full and inevitable defeat of imperialism” was not seen as a wise move. Already after Brest, the Allies had landed forces at the northern port of Murmansk, ostensibly to prevent any war materiel there from falling into German hands.
To carry out the resolution’s call for training and arming the Russian people with “ruthlessly determined and draconian measures,” Trotsky was made Defense Minister and effective head of the Red Army, now that his work at Brest-Litovsk was done. Russia’s capital was also to be moved from Petrograd, now dangerously close to the Finnish and Estonian (effectively German) frontiers, to the relative safety of Moscow. The Party Congress was the last major government meeting held in Petrograd before the capital was moved later in the week.
The party congress also renamed the party, which would henceforth be known as the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik).
Aerial operations: France
Big aeroplane raid by night on Paris; 13 killed, 50 injured.
Naval operations: ship losses
AYR (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 31 nautical miles (57 km) north of Linosa, Italy (36°23′N 13°45′E) by SM UC-27 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
CORSHAM (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 6 nautical miles (11 km) east south east of the mouth of the River Tees by SM UC-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of nine of her crew.
ERICA (United Kingdom) The schooner was shelled and sunk in the Irish Sea 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) south west of Bardsey Island, Pembrokeshire by SM U-110 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
INTENT (United Kingdom) The collier was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) east by north of Seaham, County Durham by SM UC-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member.
MADELINE (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 14 nautical miles (26 km) east north east of the Pendeen Lighthouse, Cornwall (50°02′N 5°25′W) by SM U-55 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of three crew.
UGANDA (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 32 nautical miles (59 km) north east by north of Linosa, Italy (36°18′N 13°15′E) by U-28 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy) with the loss of a crew member.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 9, 2023 3:57:19 GMT
Day 1310 of the Great War, March 9th 1918
Sinai and Palestine campaign
British cross Wadi Auja (Jordan valley) and advance 2-3 miles on front of 13, astride Jerusalem-Nablus road, taking height of Tel Asur.
Mesopotamian campaign
British occupy Hit (on Euphrates).
Austria-Hungary/United Kingdom relations: Austrians Reject British Peace Offer
Germany had decided to end the war on the battlefield, not the peace table. With Russia crushed German divisions moved by train from east to west, where they would join a last, mighty assault designed to throw the British back to the sea and reach Paris.
Austria-Hungary was weaker and much more stressed by years of war. They considered whether a peace might help their shattered empire survive and rebuild. Britian’s Prime Minister David Lloyd George stuck onto this hope, believing that a separate peace could be negotiated with Germany’s allies that would end the war. On March 9, the South African General Jan Smuts returned from meeting with an Austrian representative in Switzerland on Lloyd George’s order.
Unfortunately for Smuts and Lloyd George, the Austrians had not agreed to peace. Their representative Count Alexander Skyrnski was a Pole, but rejected the conditions that “justice must be done to all peoples” within the Hapsburg lands. The British set the bar for peace at giving autonomy to all Poles, Croats, Czechs, and other minorities within the Dual Monarchy.
After five days Skrynski walked away. Lloyd George’s friend pointed out that perhaps the terms had been almost too reasonable, and that the Austrian Foreign Minister, Count Czernin, “may have realised that once he had started negotiations it was rather the case of a separate peace or break up of Austria-Hungary.”
Aerial operations: Germany
Daylight air-raid by British on Mainz.
Aerial operations: It’s a long way to…
Today 55 Squadron mounted one of its longest raids yet with an attack on Mainz which was 116 miles behind the lines.
The Squadron were itching for some action as they had been stuck on their aerodrome by snow and rain for a fortnight,
The objectives were factories, barracks, and railways, which were attacked at 1225 p.m. from 13,000 feet, by ten DH4’s in two formations. Subsequent photographs taken by the bombers showed bursts and fires among warehouses near the river and in and near the central railway station.
A subsequent notice issued by the Cologne police, advising the inhabitants of the town to take cover when air raid alarms were given, referred to the attack on Mainz which, it was stated, had resulted in many deaths.
Aerial operations: Naples Bombed by Zeppelin
After the recall of L59′s mission to resupply Lettow-Vorbeck’s forces in East Africa by air, the Germans were unexpectedly left with a large long-range Zeppelin with no apparent purpose. Her captain, Ludwig Bockholt, initially wanted to make another attempt at the voyage to Africa, now that it was clear that Lettow-Vorbeck did not surrender (though now he was well-supplied in Mozambique). The Navy’s chief of Zeppelin operations wanted her to be used to attack targets in Great Britain. The Kaiser wanted her to bring supplies to Turkish forces in Yemen, perhaps letting them threaten the key port of Aden again.
Ultimately, however, another proposal of Bockholt’s won out–L59 would serve as a long-range bomber in the Mediterranean, striking targets in Italy, Malta, and Egypt. She carried out her first mission on March 9, leaving her base in Bulgaria to bomb Naples. Far removed from the front lines, Naples was unprepared for an attack by air, and L59 was able to cause around 50 casualties and widespread panic. She mostly missed her military targets, except for a steelworks north of the city, where she caused some minor damage.
Naval operations: ship losses
GRANE (Norway) The cargo ship was sunk in the English Channel 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) west south west of Portland Bill, Dorset, United Kingdom by SM UB-80 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of two of her crew.
HINDENBURG (Germany) The icebreaker struck a mine and sank in the Baltic Sea off Åland, Sweden with the loss of three of her crew.
JOLANDA (Italy) The brigantine was scuttled in the Mediterranean Sea north east of Sardinia (41°25′N 9°40′E) by SM UC-67 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
MARGUERITE (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was scuttled in the Irish Sea off Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire by SM UC-75 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
NANNY WIGNALL (United Kingdom) The schooner was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 14 nautical miles (26 km) south east by south of the Tuskar Rock, Ireland by SM U-110 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
PASQUALINA (Italy) The schooner was scuttled in the Mediterranean Sea north east of Sardinia by SM UC-67 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
RANDELSBORG (Denmark) The cargo ship was sunk in the Skagerrak 20 nautical miles (37 km) south east of Oscö by SM UB-34 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
SILVERDALE (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 28 nautical miles (52 km) east by north of the Cani Rocks, Tunisia by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 10, 2023 8:45:53 GMT
Day 1311 of the Great War, March 10th 1918
Western Front: Germans Begin Preliminary Phase of Spring Offensive
On March 9 nearly a million German soldiers began converging in the front-lines near the towns of St. Quentin and Cambrai, to the east of where the Somme fighting had been in 1916. They came from rest areas and training depots. Many of them were newly-arrived troops from the Eastern Front; the longtime “Westerners” grumbled that the Eastern Front men had never experienced the “real war,” and were probably a “little bit red,” too, from being by the Bolsheviks.
No one, however, neither old Western Front hogs nor new recruits from the depots, was certain what was in store. It was obvious, though, what was in mind - an offensive against the British soldiers opposite. Every German-held village was packed with men, while pioneers busily fixed roads, built airfields, and brought up thousands of wood bridges to be lain over trenches. More airplanes than anyone had ever seen patrolled overhead, keeping away the prying eyes of British recce planes. Lorries brought up tons of ammunition every day, storing it in camouflaged dumps.
The higher-ups in charge were Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria, and Crown Prince Wilhelm, the Kaiser’s son. Rupprecht commanded the Seventeenth and Second Armies in the north and center of the area. Wilhelm also commanded an army group, but only one of his armies, Oskar von Hutier’s Eighteenth, would be involved in the coming battle. Von Hutier was an Eastern Front veteran responsible for many of Germany’s final victories over Russia, he was also a pioneer of “storm-troop tactics,” (picked up from the Russians,) and there was a great deal of trust in him to break through the British on D-Day.
Sinai and Palestine campaign
British advance 3,000 yards on front of 12 miles astride Jerusalem-Nablus road.
France: Thousands of Civilians Leave Paris
The Germans had begun Gotha raids on Paris in late January, but had largely spared the city in most of February. They resumed at a larger scale on the night of March 8/9, when 60 Gothas attacked Paris, causing 59 casualties. With Paris now a regular target, many civilians decided it was best to leave the city; in the four weeks starting March 10, over 200,000 left by train for other parts of France. The first ones to leave were quickly justified in their decision by another 60-Gotha raid on Paris on the night of March 11. The War Ministry was hit, killing 101 there alone. Another 66 people were killed in stampedes as Parisians desperately sought cover in Metro stations. The pace of civilian evacuations only increased after that raid, and would pick up even more after the Germans began shelling Paris directly later in the month.
Aerial operations: Germany
British aircraft bomb the Daimler Motor Works in Stuttgart in a daylight raid, dropping 1.25 tons of bombs.
Aerial operations: Photo assist
The British are painfully aware that the Germans are preparing for a big offensive, and have been throwing resources into photo reconnaissance in an effort to determine where the attack will come.
Yesterday, 2,097 photographs were taken including by:
1st Brigade: 350 photographs.
2nd Brigade: 498 photographs.
3rd Brigade: 474 photographs.
5th Brigade: 648 photographs.
9th Wing: 127 photographs.
Today, a further 1,533 photographs were taken including by:
1st Brigade: 448 photographs.
2nd Brigade: 183 photographs.
3rd Brigade: 584 photographs.
5th Brigade: 126 photographs.
9th Wing: 192 photographs.
Naval operations: ship losses
CHAGRES(United Kingdom) The passenger ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 62 nautical miles (115 km) east north east of Cape Drepano, Crete, Greece by SM UC-74 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of one life.
HMT COLUMBA (Royal Navy) The naval trawler struck a mine laid by UC 40 (Hermann Menzel) and sank in the Firth of Forth 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) off the Isle of May, Fife (56°10′N 2°34′W) with the loss of five of her crew.
CRISTINA (Spain) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 15 nautical miles (28 km) south west of Trevose Head, Cornwall, United Kingdom (50°23′N 5°13′W) by SM U-55 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
HMT ENDEAVOUR (Royal Navy) The naval trawler was lost due to enemy action.
GERMAINE (France) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) off Pentire Head, Cornwall (50°37′N 4°58′W) by SM U-110 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
PRINCE CHARLES DE BELGIQUE (Belgium) The cargo ship collided with Firtree ( United Kingdom) in the English Channel, 3 to 4 nautical miles (5.6 to 7.4 km) east of Bull Point 51°20′N 4°06′W and sank. Her ten crew were rescued.
SKRYMER (Norway) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) off Pendeen, Cornwall (50°11′N 5°40′W) by SM UC-77 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of two of her crew.
SUNRISE (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was scuttled in the Irish Sea 10 nautical miles (19 km) south east of Maughold Head, Isle of Man by SM UC-75 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
SM UB-58 (Kaiserliche Marine) The Type UB III submarine struck a mine and sank in the English Channel (51°00′N 1°19′E) with the loss of all 35 crew.
WAVE (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was scuttled in the Irish Sea 10 nautical miles (19 km) south west by west of St Bees Head, Cumberland by SM UC-75 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 11, 2023 7:45:01 GMT
Day 1312 of the Great War, March 11th 1918
Western Front
Big German raids near Ypres and Armentieres repulsed.
Sinai and Palestine campaign
Further British progress astride Nablus road.
United kingdom
Mr. Lloyd George on connection between Government and Press.
National Expenditure Committee report on extravagance in munitions, etc.
United States
American Secretary of War Baker arrives in France to tour the frontlines and meet with other Allied officials.
Germany: Germany Creates Puppet States in the East
On March 8 the Kaiser refused an invitation to the throne of the Duchy of Kurland. The Baltic coast had recently fallen to German armies, and now was being re-organized into the German Empire. Rather than directly taking it, the Kaiser made Courland a German protectorate. In medieval times this region had been the domain of the Teutonic Knights. Now the Kaiser returned it to Baltic Germans, in preparation to form a United Baltic Duchy as a future vassal state of the German Empire.
Aerial operations: France
Big aeroplane raid by night on Paris; four Gothas downed.
Lieutenant Paul Frank Baer shoots down a German aircraft, becoming the first pilot of the US Army Air Service (forerunner of the US Air Force) to shoot down an enemy craft.
Aerial operations: Italy
Seaplane raid by night on Naples.
Naval operations: ship losses
STOLT NIELSEN (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 38 nautical miles (70 km) south of Dellimara Point, Malta (35°10′N 14°40′E) by SM U-28 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy). Her crew survived.
TRIPOLI (Italy) The barque was scuttled in the Mediterranean Sea off Toulon, Var, France by SM UC-67 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
SM UB-17 (Kaiserliche Marine) The Type UB I submarine departed Zeebrugge, West Flanders, Belgium on patrol. No further trace, lost with all eighteen crew.
W. A. MASSEY (United Kingdom) The trawler struck a mine and sank in the Atlantic Ocean 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) west by north of Handa Island, Sutherland with the loss of ten of her crew.
SM UB-54 (Kaiserliche Marine) The Type UB III submarine departed for a patrol in the English Channel. Sunk on 11 March 1918 at 53°15′N 0°45′E by British destroyers HMS Sturgeon, Thruster, and Retriever using depth charges, lost with all 29 crew.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 12, 2023 9:30:46 GMT
Day 1313 of the Great War, March 12th 1918
Western Front
Repulse of big German raid on Portuguese near Laventie.
Finnish Civil War
German troops land at Aabo (Finland), and advance inland.
Sinai and Palestine campaign
British advance three miles on 11-mile front in coastal sector of Palestine.
Turks report recapture and burning of Erzerum.
East Africa campaign
Enemy driven from Poluvu (Portuguese East Africa).
Macedonian front: French Fight Russians in Greece
Before the fall of the Czar, the Russians had sent four brigades overseas, via the Arctic or the Pacific, to help their allies on the other fronts. Two were sent to France; the other two were sent to Salonika. Many of the troops in France contributed to the French army’s mutinies in 1917 and then mutinied themselves, and had to be violently suppressed by French troops. The two brigades in Salonika, more out of touch with events in Russia than their comrades in France, continued to serve on the front lines throughout 1917, although there was a brief mutiny by troops returning from extended leave in Athens. The Provisional Government even sent a small amount of reinforcements, which arrived in October; these, however, spread revolutionary unrest throughout both Russian brigades, which became increasingly unreliable.
After the October Revolution and Brest-Litovsk armistice, the Russian forces were pulled off the front lines and disarmed in January. Some volunteered for continuing service with the Allies within the French Foreign Legion; many more were used in labor battalions, while the worst troublemakers were simply interned while the Allies figured out what to do with them. The Russians’ patience wore thin, especially after Russia had officially departed the war by signing the treaty at Brest-Litovsk. On March 12, three thousand Russians in an internment camp at Vertikop began to riot; the brief insurrection was quickly put down by a force of French cavalry.
Russia: Bolsheviks Move Russian Capital from Petrograd to Moscow
The peace made between the Bolsheviks and the Central Powers at Brest-Litovsk in March 1918 stripped Russia of most of its western European territory. Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Germany divided up Russian territory in the Baltic, Poland, Galicia, Ukraine, and the Caucasus between them or parceled it into client states. Russia had been reduced to the borders it had before Peter the Great.
This put the capital of Petrograd, founded by Peter, under threat. German forces were on its doorstep and any renewal of the war could easily see Petrograd fall to them, or to anti-Bolshevik forces sponsored by them or the British. Meanwhile the population of Petrograd blamed the Bolsheviks for leaving them at the mercy of enemies. Therefore on March 12 the seventh congress of the Bolshevik Party officially approved what had already been done: moving the seat of government to Moscow. A secret evacuation moved the government behind the walls of the Kremlin in Moscow. Ironically, the movement that had toppled any last connection to the Tsars now held court in Russia’s medieval capital.
Aerial operations: United Kingdom
Zeppelin raid on Yorkshire; Hull bombed, one woman killed.
Aerial operations: Morale buster
At around midday today, nine aircraft from 55 Squadron RFC made a first raid on Coblenz, some 130 miles over the lines, with the defined objective of hitting factories, barracks, and railway. ). They dropped one 230-lb, 10 112-lb, 28 25-lb, and 10 40-lb bombs from around 13,500 feet, but there was a haze and the impact was not clearly seen.
It was reported at the time that the bombs fell in the town and caused fires and casualties. Later German records show that one bomb exploded in the barracks among a company of soldiers lined up to receive their midday meal and that four of the soldiers were killed and twelve wounded. The total casualties, including civilians, were nine killed and sixty-one wounded, but the damage was not great.
The Official History further reports that a letter written by an eyewitness, and later found on the body of a dead soldier on the Western front, referred to the great havoc caused in the town and concluded:
‘We have lived through terrible hours in the last day. Oh, my God, if only this misery was at an end, this useless murder of men.’
Its difficult to judge how much of an impact the bombing had on morale but news of the attacks clearly reached the front and the message that the German air service was, apparently, powerless to prevent the war reaching Germany was unlikely to improve the spirit of the soldiers at the front.
The Official history further reports that attacks by five German fighters immediately after the raid were repulsed by the bombers.
Naval operations: ship losses
HMS D3 (Royal Navy) The D-class submarine was bombed and sunk in the English Channel by the French airship AT-0 with the loss of all 25 crew.
GAUPEN (United Kingdom) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the English Channel 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) south east by east of North Foreland, Kent.
NORDKYN (Norway) The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (34°12′N 10°17′W) by SM U-154 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
OSWIN(Sweden) The cargo ship was sunk in the North Sea 40 nautical miles (74 km) east north east of St Abb's Head, Berwickshire, United Kingdom[79] by SM UB-62 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 13, 2023 3:47:00 GMT
Day 1314 of the Great War, March 13th 1918Western Front: Gas Attacks on British LinesThe British high command was sure a German attack was coming on the Western Front, but the Germans were doing their best to conceal where. Beginning on March 9 and continuing through the week, the Germans dropped a half a millions mustard and phosgene gas shells on the British lines. These had a particulrlary heavy effect on an exposed part of the line called the Flesquières Salient, where the 2nd Division had to be taken out of the line and the 63rd (Naval) Division suffered 2,500 casualties to mustard gas. But they also attacked elsewhere, including further south where American troops had entered the line in the Salient du Feys. Colonel Douglas MacArthur, chief of staff of the 42nd “Rainbow” Division, was among the wounded. He had recently been awarded the first American Croix du Guerre of the war for aiding an audacious French trench raid. Now he added a Purple Heart to his collection, but his injury was classified as slight and he was back in the line within a week. The attacks succeeded, however, in deceiving the Allies. A heavy bombardment of Verdun convinced the French to shift troops south and away from the British, where they would be needed on March 21. The Germans could not afford to let their casualties recuperate for long periods of time earlier. Every man who could be spared was being sent to the front line. The least trusted divisions were sent to garrison Russia while the most elite were filled with new troops and given refresher courses on open warfare. The German army also began a rule that any “alleged case of gas poisoning” was to be challenged if a soldier had no definite symptoms within 48 hours. If not, they would not even be admitted to a gas clearing station, but kept with their units in readiness for the coming attack. Photo: A 13 pounder (13pdr), 9 Hundredweight (9cwt) anti-aircraft gun on a Mark IV Motor Lorry Mounting seen in action at St. Vaast, 13 March, 1918. Note man on right wearing headphones by which the range is received" Photo: Two 13 pounder (13pdr), 9 Hundredweight (9cwt) anti-aircraft guns on a Mark IV Motor Lorry Mounting and Peerless Lorries seen in action at Cambrin, 13 March, 1918" Ukrainian War of Independence: Germans Take Odessa Per the terms of the preliminary Peace of Buftea, the Romanians were to help the transit German forces across their territory towards Odessa. On March 8, a convoy of 100 trucks left Galați on the Danube, bound for Odessa. Romanian forces helped organize their route and provided needed supplies. In addition to being a stipulation of the treaty, a German capture of Odessa would be in Romania’s best interest; the only major resistance to Romania’s occupation of Bessarabia was from the Red forces in Odessa; the Romanians would only complete that occupation with the capture of Cetatea Albă [Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi] at the mouth of the Dniester on March 9. The one awkward point of the German transit was the simultaneous evacuation of Berthelot’s French military mission in Romania, whose departure was also a stipulation of the peace. They had rejected an offer from Mackensen to transit via Austria-Hungary (with significant delays and the risk of being treated as prisoners of war), and instead decided to risk travel via Ukraine and Russia. The Romanians did not want their faithful allies to be interfered with, and King Ferdinand told the Germans in no uncertain terms that their safe departure was “a point of honor.” Although the Germans had no intention of doing so, threats escalated from both sides until the French were able to slip out by train towards Odessa only five hours ahead of the Germans. German forces entered Odessa on March 13, quickly dispersing the Red resistance. The shortcut through Bessarabia meant they arrived ahead of the Austrian forces who had been advancing south through Ukraine east of the Dniester, much to the Austrians’ chagrin. Although technically all operations in the Ukraine were on behalf of the recognized Ukrainian government in Kiev, in practice it was a military occupation, and both the Austrians and Germans were eager to claim their share of the spoils first. Aerial operations: GermanyDaylight air-raid by British on Freiburg. Aerial operations: United KingdomZeppelin raid on Co. Durham, Hartlepool bombed; 8 killed, 39 injured. Naval operations: ship lossesSMS A56 (Kaiserliche Marine) The A56-class torpedo boat struck a mine and sank in the North Sea with the loss of sixteen of her crew. AADINE (Norway) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 8 nautical miles (15 km) off the Heugh Battery, Hartlepool, County Durham, United Kingdom (54°42′N 0°58′E) by SM UB-34 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived. A. E. WHYLAND (United States) The whaler was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 55 nautical miles (102 km) off Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain (27°02′N 16°26′W) by SM U-152 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived. ARNO MENDI (Spain) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 14 nautical miles (26 km) south of the Stack Lighthouse by SM UC-75 ( Kaiserliche Marine). CRAYFORD (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 110 nautical miles (200 km) west by south of Skudesnes, Rogaland, Norway by SM U-46 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member. LISETTE (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 8 nautical miles (15 km) north east by north of the Shipwash Lightship ( United Kingdom) by UB 16 (Rudolf Stier) with the loss of a crew member. LONDONIER (Belgium) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel south of the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom (50°31′N 1°19′W) by SM UC-71S ( Kaiserliche Marine). HMT NEXUS(Royal Navy) The naval trawler was lost on this date. SAN FRANCESCO DI PAOLA (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Tyrrhenian Sea 70 nautical miles (130 km) south of Naples (39°45′N 12°38′E) by SM UB-49 ( Kaiserliche Marine). TWEED (United Kingdom) The collier was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 10 nautical miles (19 km) south by west of St. Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight by SM UB-59 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of seven of her crew. WEGADESK (Norway) The cargo ship was scuttled in the Atlantic Ocean west of Gibraltar by SM U-155 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 14, 2023 3:48:29 GMT
Day 1315 of the Great War, March 14th 1918Western FrontFrench recover trenches near Butte de Mesnil lost on 1 March. Severe aerial fighting; 223 enemy machines disabled since 1 March. Photo: A general scene showing men of 1/7th Battalion, King's Liverpool Regiment (part of the 165th Brigade, 55th Division) in the line in the La Bassee Sector. One man is eating from a mess tin, and one soldier is holding a Lewis gun, whilst others chat in the background of the trench. In the foreground, a row of rifles can be seen, March 14 1918 Sinai and Palestine campaign British make small advance in Jordan valley. Russia: Soviet Congress Ratifies Treaty of Brest-LitovskThe Bolshevik government, now meeting in Moscow after moving the capital from Petrograd that week, accepted the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk on March 14, 1918. They had no choice. Failure to do so would have meant the continuation of Operation “Fist-Punch,” the Central Powers invasion of Russia. German, Turkish, and Austrian troops were anyway already occupying the land Russia had given up. Austrian troops entered Odessa on March 13. The terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litvosk are often forgotten, because they were overturned once Germany asked for peace in November 1918. But they serve as a reminder of how harsh Germany’s price for victory was. Russia was forced to give up almost all its western European territory and 30% of its population, and had to pay a massive indemnity. Any German peace with the Western Allies would have been similarly unendurable - Germany was not willing to negotiate except on its own terms. United KingdomMr. Balfour, speaking in House of Commons, defends proposed Japanese intervention in Asiatic Russia. Meeting of Supreme War Council in London, attended by Entente Premiers and Foreign Ministers. Naval operations: ship lossesA. A. RAVEN (United States) The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 15 nautical miles (28 km) south of the Wolf Rock, Cornwall, United Kingdom (49°41′N 5°50′W) by SM UB-55 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of seven crew. HMT AGATE (Royal Navy) The naval trawler struck a mine and sank in the English Channel off the Royal Sovereign Lightship ( United Kingdom) with the loss of four of her crew. by SM UC-71 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived. AMULET (United Kingdom) The cargo ship collided with a Norwegian merchant vessel and sank. Her crew were rescued. HMS ARDANDEARG (Royal Navy) The collier was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 86 nautical miles (159 km) east of Malta by SM UC-54 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of two of her crew. ARPILLAO (Spain) The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Las Palmas, Canary Islands (29°08′N 14°53′W) by SM U-157 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived. CARLA (Norway) The barque was shelled and sunk in the English Channel 56 nautical miles (104 km) north west by north of Le Havre, Seine-Maritime, France by SM UB-33 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived. CASTLEFORD (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) east by north of Robin Hood's Bay, Yorkshire by SM UC-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived. JEANNE (France) The schooner was scuttled in the Gulf of Lion (42°32′N 4°10′E) by SM UC-67 ( Kaiserliche Marine). JEANNE MARIE (France) The cargo ship struck a mine laid by UC 47 (Paul Hundius) and sank in the English Channel off Sark, Channel Islands (49°20′N 2°22′W). PRINCEIPESSA LEATITIA (Italy) The cargo ship was sunk in the Tyrrhenian Sea off Ponza by SM UB-49 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived. TWEED (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in St. George's Channel 15 nautical miles (28 km) south south east of the Tuskar Rock, Ireland (52°11′N 5°50′W) by SM UC-75 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived. VENEZUELA (France) The coaster was sunk in the English Channel off the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom by SM UB-59 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of all hands.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 15, 2023 3:47:16 GMT
Day 1316 of the Great War, March 15th 1918YouTube (Allied Unified Command On The Horizon)Western Front: Weather Brilliant in France but Rumors of German Attack LoomThe British Army in spring 1918 was composed of the veterans of Passchendaele. Although there were 600,000 men in England, the government kept them from joining the BEF in France. David Lloyd George believed Haig would would misuse reinforcements in more bloody and, in Lloyd George’s opinion, pointless offensives. But the British army also took over an additonal 25 miles of trenches from the French army that spring. To cover all the new ground without any reinforcements for the losses of 1917, Haig was forced to consolidate his divisions, eliminating the amount of battalions in each brigade. The BEF was stretched thin. But the men did not complain, at least too much. The weather that March was warm and dry, and to the veterans of the mud of Passchendaele not much more could be asked for. Life became almost sluggish: men dug new trenches for an in-depth defensive system, but they also planted vegetables. Some brasshat in HQ had decided that if the army as going to be stuck in France for another year, it may as well feed itself. And so life went on lackadaisically behind British lines. That is not to say British high command or its men were idiots. They knew Germany had won the war in Russia and had a one-time advantage in manpower over the Allies in France. Some prisoners taken that week had even told their interrogators that an offensive was coming on March 21, the first day of spring. Perhaps unwilling to believe them, the officers did not pass the news on. But though all men suspected something, they were sure they could handle it. “The knowledge of something big looming,” remembered Second Lieutenant Leighton of the 4th South Africans, “did not impair our morale in any way; in fact the coming event was perhaps thought of very lightly. The ‘toast’ over a social drink was, ‘They shall not pass’, taken from the French slogan at Verdun.” Photo: A soldier of the 1/7th Battalion, King's Liverpool Regiment, part of 165th Brigade, 55th Division, in a covered section of trench on the front line of a sector north of the La Bassee Cambrin Road, 15 March 1918 Ukrainian War of Independence Germans occupy Nicolaiev (Odessa). Finnish Civil War: Whites Go on the Offensive in FinlandIn the opening days and weeks of the civil war in Finland, the Reds had taken essentially the entire southern portion of the country, including the vast majority of its industrial base. However, a lack of training and organization soon slowed their progress, and any advance further north was soon halted by determined White resistance. Mannerheim, commanding the White forces, decided in early March to launch his own counteroffensive against the Reds, in large part to achieve a purely Finnish victory before any German forces could intervene beyond the Åland Islands. He chose as his target the industrial city of Tampere. It would be an ambitious operation, requiring an advance of over forty miles with little logistical support over terrain covered with (frozen) lakes and rivers impeding the advance. His force of around 12,000 men advanced in four groups, hoping to encircle the city, beginning on March 15. After a day’s worth of fighting, the Whites took the town of Kuru. Over the coming days, they would advance slowly south at no more than three miles a day; Red garrisons had ample opportunity to escape south and begin the defense of Tampere itself. Duchy of Courland and SemigalliaGerman Protectorate over independent Courland announced. Austria-HungaryStrikes in Austria-Hungary. Aerial operations: Some disarrayThe German Jagdgeschwaders have been preparing for the forthcoming offensive. Following the success of Jagdgeschwader 1 in the Autumn of 1917, the German High Command decided to form two additional groups to provide one Jagdgeschwader to support each Army involved in the attack. These were formed on 2 February 1918. Jagdgeschwader 1 will support the 2nd Army, Jagdgeschwader 2 the 18th Army and Jagdgeschwader 3 the 17th Army. Jagdgeschwader 1 us commanded by Manfred on Richthofen and have been flying as normal. Jagdgeschwader 3 under the command of Oberleutnant Bruno Loerzer has spent the last few days absent from air operations moving its aircraft near to the front. To avoid detection by British aircraft they have been hidden in farm buildings. Jagdgeschwader 2 has also continued to fly and the risk of this policy was laid bare when its commanding officer Adolf Ritter von Tutschek was shot down today in his Fokker Dr1 (404/17) and killed by Lieutenant Harold Bolton Redler from 24 Squadron RFC in an SE5a (B79). This has thrown their plans in to some disarray. He was hastily replaced by 28-victory ace Hauptmann Rudolf Berthold. Naval operations: ship lossesALESSANDRA (Italy) The full-rigged ship was scuttled in the Atlantic Ocean west of Madeira, Portugal (33°21′N 21°00′W) by SM U-153 ( Kaiserliche Marine). AMAZON (United Kingdom) The ocean liner was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Malin Head, County Donegal (55°49′N 8°06′W) by SM U-110 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived. ARMONIA (Canada) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 38 nautical miles (70 km) off Porquerolles, Var, France by SM UC-67 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of seven of her crew. cLAN MACDOUGAL (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 60 nautical miles (110 km) south of Cape Carbonara, Sardinia, Italy by SM UB-49 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 33 crew. SEVERN (United Kingdom) The coaster collided with the Widnes-Runcorn Transporter Bridge and sank in the River Mersey with the loss of all three crew. SPARKLING FOAM (United Kingdom) The three-masted sailing vessel was scuttled in the English Channel 9 nautical miles (17 km) south east of Beer Head, Devon by SM UB-33 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived. SM U-110 (Kaiserliche Marine) The Type U 93 submarine was depth charged and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Malin Head (54°49′N 8°06′W) by HMS MICHAEL and HMS MORESBY (both Royal Navy) with the loss of all 39 crew.
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