Ares Games
Page 16 of 77 FirstFirst ... 6789101112131415161718192021222324252666 ... LastLast
Results 751 to 800 of 3824

Thread: 100 Years Ago Today

  1. #751

    Default

    September 10th 1915

    According to RAF and RFC records: NO DEATHS ARE RECORDED FOR FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 10TH 1915

    Bizarre day today with Sweden despite being neutral featuring in a major way - twice !

    Western Front
    Flanders: German artillery shells Ramscapelle and Skenstraate.

    Southern Fronts
    Greece: Greek officers summoned to Athens.

    Middle East & Africa

    Aden: Indian 28th Brigade leaves for Mesopotamia; Brig*ade-General Price GOC, regains Waht on September 25.

    Skirmish south of Songwe River (border of German East Africa)


    Sea War


    HMS Lion with 1st and 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadrons and light forces covered mine-laying operations in the Blight.

    Name:  300px-LionSP_001672.jpg
Views: 825
Size:  11.7 KB
    HMS Lion was a battlecruiser of the Royal Navy, the lead ship of her class, which were nicknamed the "Splendid Cats".[1] They were significant improvements over their predecessors of the Indefatigable class in terms of speed, armament and armour. The Lion-class ships were 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph) faster, exchanged the 12-inch (305 mm) guns of the older ships for the same number of 13.5-inch (343 mm) guns, and had a waterline belt 9 inches (229 mm) thick versus the 6 inches (152 mm) of the Indefatigables. This was in response to the first German battlecruisers, the Moltke class, which were very much larger and more powerful than the first British battlecruisers, the Invincible class.

    Lion served as the flagship of the Grand Fleet's battlecruisers throughout World War I, except when she was being refitted or under repair. She sank the German light cruiser Cöln during the Battle of Heligoland Bight and served as Vice Admiral Beatty's flagship at the battles of Dogger Bank and Jutland. She was so badly damaged at the first of these battles that she had to be towed back to port by the battle cruiser Indomitable and was under repair for more than two months. During the Battle of Jutland she suffered a serious propellant fire that could have destroyed the ship had it not been for the bravery of Royal Marine Major Francis Harvey, the turret commander, who posthumously received the Victoria Cross for having ordered the magazine flooded. The fire destroyed one gun turret which had to be removed for rebuilding while she was under repair for several months. She spent the rest of the war on uneventful patrols in the North Sea, although she did provide distant cover during the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight in 1917. She was put into reserve in 1920 and sold for scrap in 1924 under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty.


    HMS Fearless at sea damaged by collision with a destroyer.

    SS Antilochus (9,039 tons) warded off U-boat by gunfire in Mediterranean.


    North Sea: Harwich and Rosyth forces escort 3 minelayers laying 3 fields west and northwest of Amrum Bank.

    Boy Ernie ( United Kingdom): World War I: The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 58 nautical miles (107 km) east of Cromer, Norfolk by SM UB-2 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
    Nimrod ( United Kingdom): World War I: The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 45 nautical miles (83 km) east by south of Lowestoft, Suffolk by SM UB-16 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
    Presto ( Norway): World War I: The sailing ship was sunk in the North Sea 55 nautical miles (102 km) off Lindesnes, Vest-Agder (56°48′N 6°18′E) by SM U-6 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
    Wallsend ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship collided with another ship and sank in the North Sea 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) off the Gull Lightship'' ( United Kingdom).

    Eastern Front
    Enemy attacks north of Vilna, serious fighting in centre.

    Russian success continued in southern Galicia.

    Occupied countries
    Poland: Germans suppress Polish law courts.

    Neutrals
    Sweden: *Disguised British Stockholm Telgrambyra Bureau set up. (Wish I could find an article on this - sounds fascinating and is linked to what was known in espionage parlance as the 'Swedish Roundabout' a convoluted 7,000 information and coding detour set up by the Germans to pass information through supposedly neutral Sweden to its embassies across the globe)

    Home Fronts
    Britain: Churchill asks Asquith if he can leave Government and command brigade on Western Front, Kitchener prevents it on September 13.

    Crime and punishment: At the Tower of London, at 6.00AM, Ernst Waldemar Melin, a Swedish national, is executed by firing squad for the crime of spying on behalf of the German government.

    Ernst Melin

    Name:  Mellin.JPG
Views: 825
Size:  22.4 KB

    Ernst Melin was a Swede, aged 49 in 1915. Melin's Father was Olaf Melin, who had been a member of the Swedish Parliament for 30 years and owned a shipping company business in Gothenburg. Ernst Melin always claimed that his brother was a Colonel in the Swedish Army.

    When the First World War started on 4 August 1914, Melin lost his job in a shipbroker's office located in the Russian town of Nikolaieff. He suggested to his Father that he was going to Hamburg, in Germany, as he had several long-standing friends living there.

    When he arrived in Hamburg, his friends proved of little assistance in find a job for Melin. However, Melin's Father suggested a friend who was a Swedish commission agent based in Hamburg, a man called Gerdes. One day Gerdes asked Melin to have lucnh with him, as he had a proposition to put to him. After lunch, Melin was introduced to several of Gerdes' German visitors. Later in a private meeting one of the Germans suggested that Melin should go to London and find out naval and military secrets. The next day, Melin accepted the German's offer.

    Melin then travelled to Antwerp, where he met Dierks. A meeting was held with a German Captain Lieutenant Larsson and another man called Schnitzner. They told Melin that he should go to various ports around England and Scotland. Melin left Rotterdam, later arriving in London and, on 12 January 1915, took lodgings in Hampstead near Belsize Park Underground Station.

    After a fortnight of reporting various interesting items he had seen around London, Melin returned to Rotterdam, and on to Antwerp where he met his German contacts including Dierks. It was eventually agreed that Melin would be paid £50 per month. Melin then returned to England on 26 February 1915.

    The British Security Services had been suspicious of Melin for sometime. Also Dierks was already known to to be one of the main people organising German spying activities.

    However, things became much more serious when the security services intercepted two parcels address to Melin's UK lodgings. One was posted in the Tilbury area, the other parcel had been posted in Gravesend. One of the parcels contain an envelope of unused stamps. Another envelope contained a letter, which when examined, had some hidden writing in both English and German. The Gravesend parcel contained another innocently worded letter in English, but under examination yet more invisible writing, in English, was discovered. This invisible letter was discussing the movements of certain Royal Navy ships, and whether Melin would be able to find out more definite information.

    At 10.15pm on 14 June 1915, Divisional Detective Inspector Thomas Duggan and Sergeant Askew went to Melin's lodgings and arrested him. One of the books in Melin's possession was a guide book with dots placed against the names of places like Glasgow, Norwich, Portsmouth and Plymouth. There was also a collection of writing nibs, and several dictionaries for working in German, Swedish and English. When examined, the nibs had been used to write invisible ink. One of the notebooks also contained notes about some of the soldiers, and their regiments, that Melin had seen on his journey in and around London.

    Melin's court-martial took place on 20-21 August 1915 at the Middlesex Guildhall, with the President being Major-General Lord Cheylesmore. The Prosecution case was presented by Captain Wedderburn and Mr. Bodkin. The defence team were Mr. George Elliott and Mr. H.D. Roome. Melin was found guilty and sentenced to death by shooting.

    It was observed that in the period between his trial and execution, Melin was a model prisoner who gave no trouble to his guards. At 6am on 10 September 1915, Ernst Waldemar Melin was executed by a firing squad composed of members of the Scots Guards. The execution took place in the Tower of London's Miniature Rifle Range.

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  2. #752

    Default

    September 11th 1915

    My grand daughter is 5 today and that is not relevant to this thread, but as she is the best thing in our world it certainly gets a mention. (I know - I'm not old enough etc...)

    Mind you my first three sources have all come back blank so am going to have to dig hard for some readable news today.... wonder what those dodgy Swedes are up to today?

    RAF and RFC records show that NO DEATHS ARE RECORDED FOR SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 11TH 1915.

    Western Front

    Zeppelin raid at night on east coast (England); no casualties. Interestingly here are two reports of the same raid - the British report then the German for the same raid...

    Name:  the_end_of_the_baby-killerwikimedia.png
Views: 795
Size:  451.1 KB
    My plane is just out of shot on the right !

    London - Raid, September 11th (September 12th).

    "A raid was attempted by Zeppelins last night on the East Coast. " Bombs were dropped, but there were no casualties and no damage was caused."

    German Version.
    Berlin, Sept. 12th. "During the night the docks of London and their environs were successfully bombarded."


    Italy

    Italy: Rear Admiral Millo removed from lower Adriatic Scouting Division to Naval Academy for opposing Pelagosa evacuation despite Abruzzi’s support.

    Born in Chiavari, Province of Genoa, in 1884 he was named guardiamarina in 1884. He participated as a navy officer in the campaigns of Italy in the Horn of Africa, and with the rank of Capitano di Vascello he led the raid of 5 Italian torpedo boats against the Turkish fleet on 18 July 1912 during the Italo-Turkish War. After the expedition, Millo was named a senator by king Victor Emanuel III; later he was minister for the navy in the fourth government cabinet headed by Giolitti and in the first headed by Antonio Salandra.

    During World War I he held a command post in the Italian navy. After World War I he was named governor of Dalmatia. From 1923 to 1925 he held a managerial position in the company that owned the harbour of Naples.

    He died in Rome in 1930

    Eastern Front

    Russians take offensive on Dvina, but withdraw north-west of Vilna.

    Enemy falls back towards line Strypa (southern Galicia).

    Naval action
    Wansbeck ( Norway): World War I: The sailing ship was sunk in the North Sea off Lindesnes, Vest-Agder by SM U-6 ( Kaiserliche Marine

    Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

    Ispahan evacuated by European residents.

    A bad day for Austria-Hungary on two continents today. Firstly, the row over the plot to foment strikes in the United States led to America asking for the Austrian Ambassador to be recalled as being no longer acceptable in the role, much to the pleasure of the local press, although the Telegraph’s leader on page 6 thought he was unfortunate in as much as his German counterpart was guilty of more extensive plotting.

    Then on the Eastern Front Russia was claiming “further fine successes” in Galicia although Germany was having none of this, claiming the Russian reports were pure invention. (well they would wouldn't they)

    Nice to know even then there were those that just didn't get it ....On September 11, 1915, at Zimmerwald in Switzerland, delegates to the First International Socialist Conference call for an immediate end to the First World War.

    Even as battle dragged on in the trenches of the Western Front and the war in the air intensified with increased German air strikes on London and its environs, a group of dedicated anti-war activists and committed socialists gathered in neutral Switzerland from September 5 to 11, 1915, as the First International Socialist Conference. Formally assembled by the Swiss and Italian Socialist parties, the conference included some 40 delegates from 11 countries, including Russia, Poland, France, Germany, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway. Among the more prominent attendees were Vladimir Lenin, exiled leader of the radical socialist Bolshevik Party; Leon Trotsky, Lenin’s former political rival and future second-in-command; and Karl Liebknecht, an elected representative to the German Reichstag government who would later break from the Social Democratic party to found the Bolshevik-inspired Spartacist movement with Rosa Luxemburg.

    According to the conference’s manifesto, “the war which has produced this chaos is the outcome of imperialism, of the attempt, on the part of the capitalist classes of each nation, to foster their greed for profit by the exploitation of human labor and of the natural treasures of the entire globe.” In order to force an immediate end to the war, the conference insisted, workers within each country should try by any means necessary to convert the current capitalist struggle into a more enlightened one: an international workers’ revolution or civil war “between the classes” that would spread throughout Europe, and eventually the world.

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  3. #753

    Default

    September 12th 1915

    Records show the deaths of three airmen on this day in 1915:

    Flt. Sub Lieutenant Alexander, J.M. (James Morrow) RNAS Eastchurch Naval Flying School.(aged 23)
    Flt. Sub Lieutenant Keith-Johnston, M. (Macfie) RNAS (aged just 17)

    Both pilots were victims of the same tragic mid air collision when the Caudron G.III flown by Flt. Sub Lt. Alexander collided at a height of several hundred feet, with Short S.38 No.65, flown by Flt. Sub Lieut. M. K. Johnson. In the collision it was stated that the wing-tips of the two machines met, and one of them collapsed at once. The other apparently made some attempt to get down with a broken extension, but caught fire at about 200 feet and fell. Both pilots were killed on the spot. Id was a bad few months for the family of Flt. Lt Johnston as his elder brother David Keith (also a Flt. Lieutenant) had been killed over ostend on August 10th 1915.

    Name:  3057500_4.jpg
Views: 874
Size:  32.2 KB

    Name:  IMG_23501140x760.jpg
Views: 829
Size:  95.4 KB

    The third man killed was Air Mechanic (2nd class) F.J. Allen of Royal Naval Air Service, H.M.S. 'President II' I can find no record of his death - only that he is buried at Deal cemetery, and that he served at/on HMS President 2.

    HMS President : HMS President was in fact a "stone ship" or shore establishment as such- was the London HQ & drill ship & also acted as an accounting base for Admiralty based personnel. President ll was infact the London/Chatham/Shrewsbury Accounting base. From time to time old RN ships were anchored in the Thames & renamed President to act as part & parcel of the shore establishment. President numbers infact went upto President Vl.

    There had been a drill ship moored in London since 1 April 1862. This was the 58-gun frigate HMS President, berthed at the West India Docks and training ship of the local Royal Naval Reserve. They were joined in 1872 by the Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers. This ship was named Old President on 25 March 1903, and was sold for scrapping on 7 July 1903.

    This ship had been constructed in 1829 on the exact lines of the American 'monster frigate' USS President which was captured by the Royal Navy at the close of the War of 1812, and the name was deliberately retained in memory both of this capture, and also the 1806 capture of the French frigate Président which had served as HMS President from 1806 to 1815. All the Old President's successors in the London RNR role have also been renamed HMS President, including HMS Gannet, HMS Buzzard, the Flower-class sloop HMS Saxifrage, and the present shore training establishment in St Katharine Docks.

    With the passing of the Naval Forces Act by Parliament on 30 June 1903, the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve was created. The London Division was established on 10 November 1903 and held its first drill night at the Fishmongers' Hall. It then moved to the Doterel-class sloop-of-war HMS Gannet then moored in the Thames. The Gannet had been renamed HMS President on 16 May 1903. She served for nine years as the centre's home, until being paid off on 31 March 1911, and is now preserved in Chatham Historic Dockyard. She was replaced by HMS Buzzard, which had been serving as a training ship at Blackfriars since 19 May 1904. She took the name HMS President on 1 April 1911. This President served until 23 January 1918, when she was lent to The Marine Society, finally being sold on 6 September 1921.

    It was intended to replace her with the Anchusa-class sloop sloop HMS Marjoram, but she was wrecked on her way to being fitted out. She was instead replaced by her sister HMS Saxifrage, which was renamed HMS President on 9 September 1921. She was moored at King's Reach on 19 June 1922. She was joined in 1938 by HMS Chrysanthemum, which served as a drill hall and gave extra space for activities. HMS President was taken over in 1939 for the training of DEMS gunners and sailors. The Reserve division had been closed by April 1940. The division was reformed in October 1946 and continued to serve as the London base. President took a number of roles and duties, one of which was to serve as the accounting base for Admiralty personnel. The Royal Navy section was transferred to a new section named HMS St Vincent on 15 September 1983. St Vincent was located in the a building that had been purchased in 1954 as accommodation for WRNS. It was commissioned as an independent command in 1985 and was paid off on 31 March 1992. In the mid 1980s the River-class minesweeper HMS Humber was attached to the base. In 1988 both HMS President and HMS Chrysanthemum were sold and the division moved ashore, into a purpose built training centre next to Tower Bridge overlooking St Katharine Docks. This had formerly been the site of the P&O London ferry terminal. HMS Humber was transferred away from the base in 1994.

    Name:  HMS_President_in_South_West_India_Dock,_London,_ca._1880_(5375139968).jpg
Views: 723
Size:  9.3 KB

    Western Front

    Heavy bombardments at points along the French front.

    Zeppelin raid on east coast; no casualties.

    On the night of the 11th September 1915, a single Zeppelin LZ .77 commanded by Hauptmann Alfred Horn – approached the Essex coast at about 11.10pm, just north of the mouth of the River Crouch. Horn had attempted to raid London four nights previously but ended up bombing rural areas in Suffolk. This time he fared no better. As she crossed the coast, LZ.77 attracted rifle fire from coastguard lookout posts at Tillingham and Holliwell Point. At 11.15pm, she passed south of Southminster from where the 1-pdr pom-pom fired eight rounds at her without effect. Horn then steered a course westward as though striking at London. He passed south of Maldon at 11.20pm, Ingatestone at 11.35pm and a couple of miles south of Chipping Ongar at 11.40pm. From there LZ.77 passed south of North Weald Bassett and, as he approached Epping, it appears something attracted Horn’s attention, because he turned north towards Thornwood, then back towards North Weald Bassett, from where he returned to Thornwood, less than a mile from Epping.

    Over Wintry Park, LZ.77 stopped her engines and dropped four flares to illuminate the foggy fields below. Bathed in the light, Horn saw the tents of 2/3rd (South Midland) Field Artillery Brigade laid out below him. The brigade had its entire ammunition supply in the camp. Having identified a target, Horn took LZ.77 around again and at 11.50pm dropped eight high explosive bombs and 52 incendiaries. Four of the HE bombs landed within the camp but fortunately all eight failed to explode. An official report concludes that this was due, ‘no doubt due to their safety appliances not having been withdrawn.’ There were no casualties in the camp. LZ.77 then departed, passing over Suffolk and Norfolk before reaching the North Sea coast around 2.00am. Although the raid caused no damage, the confusing reports that reached London of first two, then four and finally six Zeppelins approaching the coast, put the capital’s defences on the alert at 11.37pm. Troops stood to and the Special Constables mustered, while extinguishing the lights at Woolwich Arsenal stopped important work for over two hours. In addition, an order prevented the movement of trains in or out of London to prevent their lights guiding any raiders in. Only at 2.50am did the order come through for the troops and Specials to stand down. The foggy conditions restricted an aerial response. Only two aircraft were up, one from RNAS Chelmsford only took off at 1.25am long after LZ.77 had departed. The other, a RFC aircraft from Writtle, near Chelmsford, saw nothing.

    Some of the bombs dropped by LZ.77
    Name:  4616788576_363x221.jpg
Views: 741
Size:  28.4 KB

    LZ.77
    Name:  4616661828_434x181.jpg
Views: 737
Size:  20.2 KB

    Eastern Front

    Vilna-Dvinsk railway cut near Svyentsyani.

    Russians pressed back east of Grodno.

    Southern Front

    Active fighting along Italian fronts.

    Naval and Overseas Operations

    Belgian Relief ship "Pomona" sunk.

    Launched today: on the River Mersey – HMS Constance, a “C” class light cruiser for the (British) Royal Navy’s 4th light cruiser squadron of the Grand Fleet. She will take part in the Battle of Jutland (1916), and visit China in the late 1920s before being sold for scrap in 1936, aged 21.

    Name:  300px-HMS_Constance_(1916).jpg
Views: 712
Size:  9.5 KB

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  4. #754

    Default

    I have found out a little more about Air Mechanic 2nd class F.J. Allen. He died from an illness on Sunday 12th September 1915. http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1915-09Sep.htm

    According to this website http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/fo...howtopic=30418 sailors were assigned to one of the branches of HMS President if they were between assignments or on a ship or boat too small to have its own paymaster. Also, post #10 states that President II (Crystal Palace) was a Royal Navy initial training base. This included RNAS.

    It seems to me that Francis J. Allen may have died during initial training from an illness.

  5. #755

    Default

    Thanks for that David, its not always that easy to get as much detail as one would like. Really appreciate this gap being filled. Good work sir

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  6. #756

    Default

    Great stuff Chris.
    I will take over for the week to Friday from tomorrow morning.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  7. #757

    Default

    I do appreciate the way you people are tag-teaming this, so things still get covered when any one person gets busy.

  8. #758

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by zenlizard View Post
    I do appreciate the way you people are tag-teaming this, so things still get covered when any one person gets busy.
    That's what wingmen do Sam...

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  9. #759

    Default

    September 13th 1915

    2 AIRMEN HAVE FALLEN ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 13TH 1915:

    Air Mechanic 2nd. class Robert Livingstone - RFC recruits depot.

    Son of Jessie Livingstone, of Post Office, Knilochlaggan, Kingussie, Inverness-shire, and the late James Livingstone. Born at Lochlaggan, Kingussie. Buried at Laggan Parish Churchyard aged only 20.

    Petty Officer Mechanic Douglas Turner RNAS Armoured car division - killed in Greece.

    Alas I am unable to find any additional information on these two chaps.

    Western Front

    Numerous French air raids in the South.

    Sir Percy Scott placed in command of aerial defences of London.

    n September 1915, following a Zeppelin raid on London, Scott was tasked by the First Lord, Arthur Balfour to establish the London Air Defence Area to defend London from the increasing threat of air attack. Little thought had been given to the possibility of air attack and anti-air measures had been given no priority. Scott's first priority was to devise a high explosive shell, easy to manufacture and with a suitable fuse. With the help of the Navy's Anti-Aircraft department this was quickly achieved but then came the problem of getting the proposals through the Admiralty's administrative process into production. To avoid this Scott took the plans to France where he directly commissioned a car manufacturer which started production quickly and efficiently.[70]

    The second priority was to create a cadre of flyers capable of flying at night and intercepting Zeppelins and to devise ammunition for aeroplanes' guns suitable for attacking Zeppelins. Although workable proposals had been submitted in 1914, these had been rejected and once again in 1915 after successful trials. Fortunately for England the ammunition and flyers were available by 1916 when the Germans launched their air offensive. Scott worked tirelessly to get guns from the Navy and Army for conversion into anti-aircraft guns. By pulling strings with Jellicoe and Kitchener he managed to build his numbers from twelve to 118. Scott then managed to secure from the French two lorry-mounted examples of the highly effective 75mm gun. Using the French design as a guide and cutting red tape by pulling in help from a wide range of sources Scott had by late November assembled an Anti-Aircraft Corps of 152 guns manned by volunteers from a wide range of professions. In February 1916 responsibility for the air defence of London was transferred from the Admiralty to the War Office. After some confusion it was agreed that Scott's association with the Corps should end and he took a position as advisor to Field-Marshal John French on air defence questions.

    Name:  download.jpg
Views: 709
Size:  3.9 KB

    For the rest of the war Scott continued to suggest improvements on a wide range of subjects: his intervention with General Sir Henry Rawlinson led to changes being made to the mountings on the army's 9.2inch guns resulting in an increase in range from 13,000 to 17,000 yards while he also made important suggestions as to the handling of searchlights on the navy's ships to improve their ability to fight in the dark. By 1918, with his supporter Jellicoe gone from the Admiralty, Scott was underemployed: in his opinion he was being given too little information to provide good advice on gunnery while the advice he gave was ignored. He therefore wrote to the Admiralty and "...pointed out to the authorities that as they would not give me anything to do I would do what I could without robbing the country of £1200 a year." (the salary he was being paid).

    Admiral Sir Percy Scott

    Sometimes called “The Father of modern gunnery” in the Royal Navy, Percy Scott came to public notice in 1900 when Captain of HMS Terrible. Diverted to Durban to assist the hard pressed army in the Boer war, he designed makeshift gun carriages to move some of the guns from his ship overland, and crewed by men from Terrible to raise the siege of Ladysmith.

    Appointed Captain of HMS Excellent, the shore based gunnery school at Portsmouth, he devised a faster method of loading as well as improved sighting and the system of centralized gunnery control that soon became standard in warships of the world’s navies.

    A man with little patience for red tape and the fripperies of naval etiquette loved by some of his seniors, he inevitably clashed with authority. In 1907 he excelled himself. His Commander in Chief, Lord Charles Beresford, ordered the Channel Fleet to break off the annual gunnery exercise to “paint ship” in preparation for a visit from the German Kaiser. Sir Percy asked if one of his cruisers, HMS Roxburgh could complete her shoot, and when this request was refused by Beresford he signalled, “Since paintwork is more in demand than gunnery, you had better come in and make yourself pretty”. The ensuing row made headlines and reached all the way to Parliament.

    He retired in 1909 but was called back to re organize the London gun defences. He promptly advocated the aeroplane as the best means of defeating the Zeppelins. Despite Will Turner’s reservations, Percy Scott was an inspired choice for the job

    Two Zeppelin raids on Kentish and Essex coasts; 7 persons injured.

    Eastern Front

    Desperate fighting from the Dvina to the Vilia, and vigorous enemy offensive towards Dvinsk (battle of Meiszagola).

    Romania orders partial mobilisation.

    Southern Front

    Bulgarians and Macedonians called to the colours.

    Political, etc.

    Relations of Romania with Central Powers critical.

    Further revelations by New York World of German intrigues.

    Born on this day in 1915

    Air Marshal Sir Peter Guy Wykeham KCB, DSO & Bar, OBE, DFC & Bar, AFC, RAF (13 September 1915 – 23 February 1995), born Peter Guy Wykeham-Barnes was a Royal Air Force fighter pilot and squadron commander, and a flying ace of the Second World War.

    Name:  300px-Royal_Air_Force-_2nd_Tactical_Air_Force,_1943-1945._CH12658.jpg
Views: 692
Size:  10.4 KB

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  10. #760

    Default

    Belated Birthday wishes to your Granddaughter Chris.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  11. #761

    Default

    14th September 1915.


    Western front.


    German aeroplane raid on Belfort.

    Home Front.

    A vivid reminder of the war is the growing number of bodies washing up on Jersey’s beaches or recovered from local waters. These tragic victims are evidence of the present battle raging at sea between merchant ships and German submarines.
    This week another victim of this grim struggle was discovered off Corbière. Although not yet formally identified, reports are that the man was from the SS Anglo-Californian, the ship that fought a heroic one-sided battle a few months ago.
    On 4 July, the Anglo-Californian arrived off the south coast of Ireland carrying a consignment of horses from America. A U-Boat attacked the vessel, firing its gun rather than torpedoes, which had all been used. Deciding against surrender, the Anglo-Californian’s captain tried to escape believing that there were Royal Navy warships nearby. In the running battle that followed, Captain Parslow remained on the bridge, despite severe wounds. When finally killed, his son took over the helm and continued steering the ship until the submarine gave up the chase.
    The body recovered off Corbière may be one of the crew members who attempted to abandon ship following an order by the captain.



    London Zeppelin raid.


    Name:  HMathy.jpg
Views: 745
Size:  18.3 KB

    On the night of 13th/14th September, three navy Zeppelins set out for London but only one came inland and none reached the capital. There was some confusion at the time but it later became clear that the raider was L.13 commanded by Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Mathy. Thunderstorms and strong headwinds forced both L.11 and L.14 to turn back early.

    Mathy appeared off the coast near Orfordness at about 11.10pm. Keeping out over the sea as he approached Felixstowe, a 6-pdr anti-aircraft gun there opened fire at 11.37pm with 12 rounds. Mathy turned back northwards before coming inland near Bawdsey at about 11.48pm, then turned south over Trimley, heading towards Harwich. Low cloud over the town hindered observation, but a couple of minutes before midnight the drone of her engines sounded over the harbour. The official War Office report then states that the cloud prevented the Harwich searchlights and guns from opening on the raider, who, according to the same report, did not know ‘where he was, so he made no attempt to attack Harwich, and went away northwards.’ However, in other reports made at the time, there is evidence of the Harwich defences engaging, a fact confirmed by Mathy.

    Over Harwich, Mathy noted that six searchlights were probing the sky and a heavy bombardment followed. About five minutes later he reported L.13 hit when ‘a shell struck in the gangway almost vertically from below, pierced Cells 11 and 12, the fuel line and the radio power cable.’ In no position to attack Harwich now, Mathy steered away north-east along the Orwell before turning east. Seeing L.13 overhead, an RNAS mobile maxim gun on the Ipswich-Felixstowe road at Levington Heath then opened fire. Mathy, aware he was losing hydrogen, started releasing his bombs to lighten his ship - he dropped 17 high explosive (HE) and 29 incendiaries.

    The first five HE bombs and two incendiaries landed in fields at Bucklesham. A fragment from one broke some crockery and dislodged a few bricks from a chimney at one house. Next, at Newbourne, an HE bomb and three incendiaries fell in a meadow and another HE bomb landed in a marsh, all without causing damage. Two HE and two incendiary bombs destroyed some of the crop in a mangel-wurzel field on a farm at Hemley, while six HE and two incendiary bombs fell in fields or marsh by the River Deben at Hemley Hall, where the blast smashed some windows. L.13 then crossed the river before releasing her last bombs, two HE and 20 incendiaries, on marshes near Sutton, without damage. Mathy then took L.13 back out to sea near Orfordness at about 12.25am.

    With two emptying gas cells and a failed engine, L.13 had a testing return journey. Despite dumping much excess weight, she made a very heavy landing and underwent four days of repairs.

    No aircraft were ordered up to intercept L.13 while she was over Britain.

    Eastern Front.

    Continued pressure by enemy on northern sector; Russians successful in Rovno and Tarnopol (Gal.) districts.
    Further Russian offensive along River Sereth (Galicia). 40,000 prisoners to date.

    Southern Front.

    Various small successes on either side of Italian front.

    Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres.

    Persian Government begins to deal with dangerous situation in Ispahan.

    Naval and Overseas Operations.

    Small British success at Maktan (East Africa).

    Name:  RFC_in_East_Africa_1915.jpg
Views: 732
Size:  13.1 KB
    The RFC undertook aerial reconnaissance work.


    Image source. Colonial Film - East Africa 1915.
    - See more at: http://www.westernfrontassociation.c....9jMnOASG.dpuf

    Political, etc.

    Extensive contraband trade in Holland revealed.

    Entente Powers hand Note to Bulgaria.

    Parliament reassembles.

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  12. #762

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Flying Officer Kyte View Post
    Belated Birthday wishes to your Granddaughter Chris.
    Rob.
    Thanks Rob and likewise to Eileen

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  13. #763

    Default

    Welcome back to the editor's desk Rob - very jealous for you to get a well documented Zeppelin raid...

    As stated earlier if you look after Tues, Weds and Thurs - I will sort out the Doncaster weekend (just hope things not too blurry on Saturday night, lol)

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  14. #764

    Default

    15th September 1915.

    R.F.C. No deaths are recorded for Wednesday September 15th 1915


    Western Front.


    Name:  Kitchener.jpg
Views: 746
Size:  20.2 KB


    Lord Kitchener states eleven new Army divisions sent to France; 17 miles more French front taken over.
    15th September 1915 F.E.2b First Action.

    Home Front.

    The Royal Flying Corps Machine-Gun School is formed at Hythe to instruct students in air fighting.


    Name:  HMS_Aphis_AWM_302297.jpg
Views: 835
Size:  52.7 KB

    HMSAphis was a Royal NavyInsect-classgunboat. She was built by Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, launched on 15 September 1915 and completed in November 1915. She was based in Port Said at the beginning of World War I,. All of her fighting service was in the Mediterranean,

    Eastern Front.

    Fighting west and south of Dvinsk.
    Germans aim at dividing Russian Vilna and Dvinsk groups; Germans across Villia, North East of Vilna.
    The enemy advances on Pinks; Austro-Germans occupied Pinsk.

    Russians driven back across Strypa in the south.

    In Galicia German offensive towards Rovno developing.


    - See more at: http://www.westernfrontassociation.c....flBc27Ie.dpuf

    Southern Front.

    Removal of Turkish heavy artillery from fortresses to Gallipoli.

    At war with the Anzacz.

    Name:  P02321_038 - Quartermaster, Allah Gully.JPG
Views: 802
Size:  84.5 KB
    An Australian soldier emerges from the narrow entrance to Lady Galway tunnel, which
    leads from Artillery Road in Victoria Gully to Allah Gully. Stacks of sandbags protect
    the tunnel entrance, while two rough wooden signs (left) read: 'Adjutant office' and
    'Quartermaster', September 1915.
    [Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - P02321.038]


    Name:  1654 William Percival Sparkes.jpg
Views: 729
Size:  5.2 KB
    William Percival Sparkes

    15th Sept Wednesday

    It rained. Had to get up to catch the drops through my roof etc. Mud everywhere – sticks like glue much worse than our black earth etc. Fairly cold etc. Fine big mail arrived.

    [Courtesy of State Library of New South Wales - William Sparkes diary]



    Name:  Sydney Francis Hodgens.jpg
Views: 725
Size:  9.2 KB

    (Lieutenant Sydney Francis Hodgens, temporary O/C 7th Battery)

    Sept. 15

    09.00 Large party of Turks observed digging new earthworks at Sq. 55-K-5. Reported to 9th Battery.

    16.30 What appeared to be muzzle of small gun or trench mortar seen in embrasure of light overhead cover on PINE RIDGE – Sq. 68-M-4. Spot is being kept under close observation.


    [Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 7th Battery]


    Naval and overseas.

    HM Submarine E16 off Norwegian Coast torpedoed by U6.

    British Steamer SS Patagonia (6,011 tons) sunk by U-boat U7 captained by Willelm Werner off Odessa.


    Political, etc.

    Agitation in Bulgaria against Germanophile policy.

    Lord Kitchener anxious about falling off of recruiting.

    Mr. Asquith on Vote of Credit.

    In the Senate tempers become short. Questions Are Now Up To Germany: U.S. can only wait until fresh explanation comes regarding the submarine warfare controversy.

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  15. #765

    Default

    16th September 1915.


    R.F.C. No deaths are recorded for Thursday September 16th 1915.


    Home Front.


    Name:  First-meeting.jpg
Views: 776
Size:  147.0 KB

    The first Women’s Institute meeting is held in Llanfairpwll on Anglesey in Wales. The Institute was formed to encourage British countrywomen to grow and preserve food to help to increase the supply of food to the war-torn nation.

    Eastern Front.

    Situation Vilna-Dvinsk critical, but Russians stubborn.
    Pinsk occupied by Germans.
    Vilna almost encircled. In an attempt to cut off Russian retreat German cavalry reached Vilna-Minsk railway between Molodechna and Polotsk.


    Name:  Germans_near_Warsaw_1915.jpg
Views: 763
Size:  28.7 KB

    - See more at: http://www.westernfrontassociation.c....dJwrWoPo.dpuf


    Southern Front.

    193 Cpl R.D. Doughty
    2nd Battery
    1st F.A. Brigade
    1st Australian Division
    Cape Helles
    Gallipoli Pen.
    Turkey in Europe

    Still at Cape Helles

    16th September 1915
    Heavy shelling of the French Reserve lines in rear of our position by a new Turkish 6 gun battery. Not to much damage done however. After last nights rain the French had put out their blankets & waterproofs today on the sunward slopes of the hill and our friends had possibly taken these for tents. Saw one shell lob into a dug-out. Immediately after a Frenchie came out, dusted himself off and went back in again. Big beano during afternoon & night. Beautiful.


    Naval and Overseas.

    Two ships were sunk on this day.

    The Russian Auxiliary Minesweeper Linnea off Worms Island, by UC 4 captain Karl Vesper
    and the British Steamer Africa by Mattias Graf von Schmettow. It was Mined 1.5 miles off Kingstown. Beached at Deal but a total loss. There were two casualties.


    Name:  schmettow_matthias_graf_von.jpg
Views: 707
Size:  10.7 KB
    Mattias Graf von Schmettow.

    Name:  76.jpg
Views: 697
Size:  45.7 KB
    British Steamer Africa.


    Political, etc.

    Taff Vale Railway dispute ended.

    Prorogation of Russian Duma till 14 November.

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  16. #766

    Default

    Lol, never thought I would see the W.I. get a mention in this thread

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  17. #767

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Hedeby View Post
    Lol, never thought I would see the W.I. get a mention in this thread
    Unless they had an armoured division, lol

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  18. #768

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Hedeby View Post
    Lol, never thought I would see the W.I. get a mention in this thread
    Well make the most of it chief, you may never see it again.
    To answer your other question, only armoured knickers.

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  19. #769

    Default

    17th September 1915.


    Eastern Front.


    Vilna and Dvinsk dangerously threatened; Russians retire between Vilia and Pripet Rivers, but check enemy about Rovno.

    Naval and Overseas Operations.
    Name:  kophamel_waldemar.jpg
Views: 687
Size:  15.3 KB
    U35 commanded by Waldemar Kophamel sank the French Steamer Ravitailleur about 20 m S of Ierapetra (Crete).
    Loss of submarine E-7 in Dardanelles announced.

    Political, etc.


    Debate in House of Commons on National Service.Austria, much annoyed, recalls Dr. Dumba "for consultation".

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  20. #770

    Default

    September 18th 1915

    R.F.C. No deaths are recorded for Saturday September 18th 1915

    Bit of a light update today given the start of the Doncaster weekend - and the complete lack of anything in most of my go to sources,

    Western Front

    Lively actions along French front.

    Belgian coast bombarded by French artillery and British fleet.

    HMT Lydian ( Royal Navy): World War I: The naval trawler struck a mine and sank in the English Channel off South Foreland, Kent with the loss of eight of her crew.

    Eastern Front

    Fall of Vilna; Russians retreat towards Minsk; Germans retire in Rovno region.

    Southern Front

    Slight Italian successes along their whole front.

    Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

    Swedish gendarmerie in the Persia disbanded. OK so hands up if anyone knew the Swedes even had a gendarmerie - especially in Persia ! long way from home boys ...

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  21. #771

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Hedeby View Post
    September 18th 1915

    Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

    Swedish gendarmerie in the Persia disbanded. OK so hands up if anyone knew the Swedes even had a gendarmerie - especially in Persia ! long way from home boys ...
    For further reading:
    http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/sweden-ii
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus

  22. #772

    Default

    http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/sweden-ii

    A very interesting article Karl. Thanks for sharing.

  23. #773

    Default

    Thanks Karl - time has been a bit tight what with the Doncaster event this weekend - really appreciate the extra details

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  24. #774

    Default

    September 19th 1915

    Eastern Front

    Germans reach Smorgon and Molodechna (between Vilna and Minsk).

    Fine Russian stand on Upper Vilia.

    Southern Front

    Artillery engagement near Orsova and Tekia (Danube).

    Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

    Turks fortifying Mesina, deporting Armenians and recruiting at Adana (S. Asia Minor) in view of coming Egyptian campaign.

    Naval and Overseas Operations

    British transport "Ramazan" sunk by submarine in Aegean: 300 Indian troops lost.

    RAMAZAN, Indian troopship/transport, cargo steamship, 3,477/1905, Liverpool Shipping Co (H Fernie & Sons), 29 crew, sailing for Salonica with government war stores and carrying 7 military officers and 382 other ranks. (me – 9th) - Captured by U.35 (Waldermar Kophamel) (other sources - U.34 ) out of Cattaro, sunk by gunfire 55 miles SW of Cerigotto Is/Antikythira, off NW Crete; 312 lives lost – 3 military officers, 308 other ranks and one crew lost (Mn – 315 lives, including 314 Indians) (+L/Mn/ge/me/te/un)
    Some reports here state Indian troops lost, whilst others indicate it was actually the Gurkha's - apologies around the confusing sources as obviously The Gurka's are not from India but from Nepal...

    Athinai ( Greece): The passenger ship caught fire and sank in the Atlantic Ocean (40°54′N 58°47′W) with the loss of one of the 508 people on board. Survivors were rescued by Roumanian Prince and Tuscania (both United Kingdom).



    Political, etc.


    Statement by Herr von Jagow re: Germany's submarine policy.

    Name:  Gottlieb_von_Jagow_circa_1915.jpg
Views: 658
Size:  12.5 KBName:  ODT19150923.2.38-a4-373w-c32-3258-4083-746-1374.gif
Views: 734
Size:  28.7 KB

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  25. #775

    Default

    September 20th 1915

    We died 100 years ago in the War to end all War
    Monday 20 September 1915 – We Lost 215 good men


    Today’s losses include:

    The son of a General
    The father of two sons lost in service of King and Country
    The heir presumptive of the Baronies of Walpole
    The son of a Justice of the Peace
    Two men who will have a brother killed

    Today’s highlighted casualties are:

    Colonel Henry Townsend Butcher (Royal Field Artillery) is killed at age 58. He is the son of the late Major General Arthur Butcher (RM). He has two sons who will be killed in the service of King and Country the first Second Lieutenant Arthur James Basil Butcher (King’s Royal Rifle Corps) will be killed in September 1916 at age 32 and his other son will be killed as Lieutenant Colonel Trevor Aveling Butcher (Royal Army Medical Corps) who will be killed in December 1942 in Tunisia.
    Lieutenant Thomas Henry Bourke Vade-Walpole (Gordon Highlanders) is killed in action at age 36. He was the heir presumptive to the Baronies of Walpole and his brother will be killed in April 1918.
    Lieutenant Noel Henry Cragg (Royal Navy Naval Siege Siege Guns) is killed by shell fire at Nieuport at age 22. His brother will be killed in July 1916 and they are sons of Captain William Alfred Cragg JP.

    Western Front

    Lively artillery actions on French front.

    British plans are well advanced for the forthcoming Battle of Loos:
    The key lesson from the Spring offensive was that it was weight of shell, particularly of high explosive fired by the heaviest artillery, that destroyed enemy defences and gave the attacking infantry gaps through which they could break into the lines. The assaults were to be made across ground that was quite open, but observed from heights. It would be important for the infantry to be hidden by smoke from machine-guns that would in some cases escape even the most violent bombardment. The preliminary bombardment gave away all elements of surprise regards location of the battle, but steps were to be taken to keep some surprise with regard to the timing of the attack.

    The divisions of the General Reserve were to be held north and south of Lillers, under orders of the Commander-in-Chief. They were: (Cavalry Corps) 1st, 2nd and 3rd Cavalry Divisions and (XI Corps) the Guards, 21st and 24th Divisions. The latter two formations had very recently arrived in France and had not yet seen the trenches. The infantry units began moving from St. Omer on 20 September, with marches of over 20 miles throughout successive nights.

    Sir John French instructed Sir Douglas Haig to prepare the attack plan on the basis that two divisions of the reserve would be placed at his disposal when required. Haig planned to use 21st and 24th Divisions as an immediately-available reserve, which enabled him to use all six of his existing Divisions in the front-line assault. He assured his Corps commanders that ample reserves would be available to reinforce or exploit successes.

    But by 18 September Haig had learned of French's intentions to keep the reserves at Lillers, some 16 miles from the battle front. He protested, citing the experiences of Neuve Chapelle and Festubert, where it was clear that reinforcements were needed within perhaps three hours of start. General Foch advised that 2000 yards would be a more suitable distance. French, since Neuve Chapelle acutely conscious of the threadbare supply of men, munitions and equipment, would not agree. He did, however, give orders that by dawn on the day of assault, the heads of the 21st and 24th Divisions should be at Noeux-les-Mines and Beuvry respectively, with the Guards Division following up.

    Name:  Loos_schematic.GIF
Views: 695
Size:  15.2 KB

    Horden ( United Kingdom): World War I: The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Her crew survived.
    Linkmoor ( United Kingdom): World War I: The collier was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 50 nautical miles (93 km) off Cape Matapan, Greece (36°16′N 21°18′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
    Thorvaldsen ( Denmark): World War I: The cargo ship was sunk in the Skagerrak 34 nautical miles (63 km) west of Hanstholm (56°47′N 7°09′E) by SM U-16 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived


    Eastern Front

    Heavy fighting in Northern sector and near Riga.

    Southern Front

    Sir Ian Hamilton's despatch of 28 August covering operations in Gallipoli 5 May to 30 June, published.

    Artillery engagements on Drina and Danube fronts.

    Heavy fighting, Plezzo and Carso fronts.

    Serbian positions re-attacked at Orsovo and Tekia.

    Political, etc.

    Compulsory Service League formed in N.S. Wales.

    Bulgaro-Turkish Convention for "maintenance of armed neutrality" by former.

    Stimulating open letter from Mr. Lloyd George.

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  26. #776

    Default

    Thanks for stepping up to the plate and covering this weekend despite the other many duties which called upon your time Chris.
    After successfully delivering Squadron Leader Nightbomber to EMA at 4.30 this morning(now I understand why he is called Nightbomber) Mrs K and I returned for a couple more hours kip.
    I am now back in the saddle and will post today's bulletin as soon as I catch up with all the other mail.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  27. #777

    Default

    Thanks Rob - worth checking out the airmen lost today link - Lieutenant SW Caws 10 Squadron RFC - shot down in aerial combat with none other than Max Immelmann - look like we have finally reached a point when the Aces begin to feature.

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  28. #778

    Default

    21st September 1915.

    Western Front.

    1 airman has fallen on Tuesday September 21st 1915.


    Name:  caws_s_w_de_ruvigny_2.jpg
Views: 626
Size:  29.5 KB
    He is 2nd Lt. Stanley Winther Caws of 1st Canadian Contigent and10 Sq. R.F.C. shot down in combat with Max Immelmann for the German's third victory. It was Immelmann's 25th birthday.


    Name:  Immelmann_5thvictoryhelmet2.jpg
Views: 630
Size:  80.6 KB

    French success on Aisne-Marne Canal and at Hartmannsweilerkopf (Vosges).

    21st September 1915. Unit Move and Inspection of 6th London Brigade RFA left Place au Bruay and bivouacked at Haillicourt near the 6th London Brigade Ammunition Column. The six remaining guns of this Brigade and four guns of the 7th London Field Artillery Battery form the 47th Reserve Divisional Artillery (Chambers Group) under the command of Col Chambers. OC. 7th London FAB. Lt Bruce proceeded to 141st Infantry Brigade as Liaison Officer. 1st day of bombardment prior to Battle of Loos.

    - See more at: http://www.wartimememoriesproject.co....e09oBfVE.dpuf

    Home Front.
    Name:  untitled.png
Views: 638
Size:  205.1 KB
    21st September 1915 – Cecil Chubb buys Stonehenge.

    In the hands of Messrs Knight, Franck and Rutley, on the 21st September 1915, the historic site went under the hammer.
    And Lot 15: Stonehenge with 30 acres of adjoining down land was sold at the Palace Theatre in Salisbury to the highest bidder.
    Sir Cecil Chubb, who’d had no intention of bidding at the sale, bought it ‘on a whim’ as a gift for his wife who, it’s claimed, was none too pleased.
    However, it seems that the purchase might not have been entirely ‘on a whim’. Sir Cecil had engaged an agent, a John Turton Woolley of Woolley & Wallis, to act on his behalf at the sale[2] – this perhaps implies that he had thought it through beforehand!


    Eastern Front.

    Tough fighting in northern sector round Dvinsk, etc.; Russians re-occupying Smorgon.

    Germans repulsed, driven out of Smorgon. Russian success at Lennewaden (Dvina).

    See more at: http://www.westernfrontassociation.c....rRnG8uQQ.dpuf


    Austrians driven back in Rovno region.

    Southern Front.

    Mobilisation of Bulgarian army ordered.


    Galipoli.

    Name:  A02599 - Turkish soldiers, Plateau 400.JPG
Views: 671
Size:  56.4 KB

    Turkish soldiers in a covered shelter at Kanle Sirt (Plateau 400), on which the 7th Battery
    continued to fire throughout September 195, in retaliation for the bombardment of
    Australian trenches at Lone Pine (below).
    [Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - A02599]


    Tuesday 21st September.

    Name:  1654 William Percival Sparkes.jpg
Views: 630
Size:  5.2 KB

    William Percival Sparkes.

    The same. We had a lot of shelling to-day.


    Sept. 21.

    Name:  Sydney Francis Hodgens.jpg
Views: 632
Size:  9.2 KB

    (Lieutenant Sydney Francis Hodgens, temporary O/C 7th Battery)

    07.30 No. 3 gun fired 4 rds. P.S. (at range of 950x) at enemy’s parapets on crest of PLATEAU 400, N. end of SURPRISE GULLY Sq. 68-B-6, in retaliation to enemy’s gun firing at LONESOME PINE. Effect – Parapets damaged.

    1120 Party digging earthworks at 55-K-5. Engaged by 9th Battery.

    1750 No. 3 gun fired 3 rds. P.S. at same target as engaged at 0730 causing further damage to parapets. Retaliation for gun firing one LONESOME PINE.

    15.50 Party engaged on earthworks on GUN RIDGE, Sq. 68-S-2.

    [Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 7th Battery]



    Political, etc.




    Name:  German_Uniform_1915-16.jpg
Views: 648
Size:  30.8 KB

    Kaiser issued Army Order prescribing “field-grey” (which is a green-grey of the field) for German uniforms.


    Budget introduced by Mr. McKenna.

    Greek Premier (M. Venizelos) asks for guarantee of 150,000 British and French troops as condition for Greek intervention.

    Opening of Dutch Chambers; determination to preserve neutrality.

    Viscount Ishii succeeds Marquis Okuma as Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs.

    Rob.
    Last edited by Flying Officer Kyte; 09-21-2015 at 12:41.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  29. #779

    Default

    22nd September 1915.


    R.F.C. No deaths are recorded for Wednesday September 22nd 1915.

    Western Front.

    Fierce fighting Neuville sector (Arras) and Forest of Apremont (Vosges).

    Stuttgart bombed.

    Eastern Front.

    Successful Russian operations along whole line except in centre.

    Southern Front.

    Australian casualties at Dardanelles to date, 19,183, including 4,604 killed.

    193 Cpl R.D. Doughty
    2nd Battery
    1st F.A. Brigade
    1st Australian Division

    Cape Helles
    Gallipoli Pen.

    Turkey in Europe

    Still at Cape Helles.

    Glorious day again. Early visit from a Taube. One of our planes engaged him with his machine gun, whereupon the Taube found he had business elsewhere and turned tail letting rip from his own gun as he went. Heavy naval gunfire out towards Embros. Got marching orders at 11am. Packed up and left our position at 8pm. Bivouacked at our Waggon Line. Don't know where we're bound for. Camping with Heydon. Miss my little dug out some. Sat up and yarned half the night.


    Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres.

    Extensive preparations in Syria for renewed Turkish attack on Egypt reported.

    Naval and Overseas Operations.

    UC7 commanded by Franz Wagner damaged the Dutch liner "Koningin Emma" which was mined; towed up Thames, 250 passengers were saved.

    Name:  3379.jpg
Views: 622
Size:  39.9 KB



    Second Advance on Yaunde (Cameroons) begins.

    Political, etc.

    "Dede Agatch Agreement" concluded between Turkey and Bulgaria rectifying Turkish frontier in favour of Bulgaria.
    Bulgarian Government order general mobilisation for 25th.

    Third German War Loan closed; reported amount £ 601,500,000.

    White paper (Cd. 8012) issued concerning the "Archibald" papers.

    The Press Bureau issues a remarkable collection of thirty-four documents found in possession of Mr. Archibald, the American war correspondent.
    They include a memorandum from Captain von Papen (German Military Attaché in Washington) to the American Government denouncing the newspaper campaign alleging a. German plot as a deliberate effort to embroil Germany with the United States, and influencing public opinion by alleging a German threat, ne denies that Germany is seeking to purchase arms factories in the United States. 'German pur- chases of arms in the United States could only be, for the purpose of preventing them reaching Germany's enemies. Such purchases not shipped would be resold to the United States at the end of the war.
    Captain von Papen describes Albert's (Dumb) documents as unbalanced and ir- responsible, and denies that Germany secretly attempted a press campaign. Ile deplores his disclosure in Albert's document of German efforts to purchase liquid chlorine and phenol, and declares the latter is intended for medical purposes.
    Captain von Papen reports an alleged conversation at the British Consulate in Philadelphia of a scheme to convey military information and faked photographs, in- dicating the dispositions of the German army. These were frequently used by Germany's enemies. Captain von Papen asked General Falkenhayne for permission to dump upon Holland and Norway quantities of tool oil l lying useless for the Ameri- cans provided it was guaranteed not to be resold.
    In a letter to his wife he said: "How splendidly we are doing on the eastern front. I always say to these idiotic Yankees that they had better hold their tongues."
    In the letter to General Falkenhayne, he reports: "No encouraging news from India or Australia. Though anti-Jap. feeling is unabated, as we expected, in Australia."
    Duinba's letter to the Austrian Foreign Minister recommends a scheme of strikes for stopping work in munitions factories, and points out that newspapers require financial support to commence the agitation.
    Archibald also carried letters of introduction, warmly commending him to high officials. Many diplomatic letters were in cypher, which the Bureau does not re- produce for obvious reasons.
    It is reported from New York that Archibald denies ho carried other documents hidden in ii hollow gold-headed cane.

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  30. #780

    Default

    23rd September 1915.


    R.F.C. No deaths are recorded for Thursday September 23rd 1915.


    Western Front.

    No.2 and No.3 Wings of the Royal Flying Corps begin the first concentrated interdiction campaign aimed at disrupting German communications, in support of the Allied offensive at Loos. The attacks continued until 16 October. Rail lines were damaged in 16 places, 5 trains were destroyed and a signal box and railways sheds at Valenciennes were wrecked.

    Prelude to the battle of Loos.

    A violent thunderstorm with torrential rain floods communication trenches and makes artillery observation difficult. Bombardment continues.
    Numerous artillery engagements along whole line; successful French air-raids.

    Name:  loos_towerbridge.jpg
Views: 605
Size:  132.0 KB

    The mining town of Loos (pronounced "Loss"), dominated then by the ironwork of a pit winding gear known to the British as "Tower Bridge". Behind it, the heights of the long Loos Crassier (slag heap) and the railway running up to the pit head. Loos today bears scant resemblance to this.

    Eastern Front.

    Russians recapture Vileika (Minsk).
    Germans driven back across Oginski Canal (Pinsk).
    Russians take Lutsk and capture nearly 12,000 prisoners.

    Southern Front.

    On 23 September 1915 a new 11th Army was created for the Serbian Campaign under command of Max von Gallwitz. It was composed of the III Corps, the IV Reserve Corps and the X Reserve Corps.

    Name:  448516.jpg
Views: 642
Size:  158.6 KB

    General mobilisation of Hellenic forces as "measure of elementary prudence" in view of Bulgaria's attitude.
    Bulgaria issues decree of mobilisation; Premier repeats declaration of "armed neutrality".


    Gallipoli.

    193 Cpl R.D. Doughty
    2nd Battery
    1st F.A. Brigade
    1st Australian Division


    Got leave today and Delaney & myself walked to the beach. En route had a screw at the new 10 inch howitzers which the French have just got into position. They had to be brought up on a specially built railway and are enormous guns. Got into some Haven down at the beach bought some Grapes & apples also 4 bottles of Black & White. Don't half need it nowadays. Just before we arrived a shell from Asia landed square into the canteen and blew things about a bit. No word of our leaving as yet. Very chilly night.

    Naval and Overseas.

    U41 captained by Claus Hansen accounted for three British ships today.


    Name:  hansen_klaus.jpg
Views: 609
Size:  9.6 KB



    They were the Steamers Anglo-colombian, captured and then sunk by gunfire 79 miles SE of Fastnet Rock.
    Name:  313.jpg
Views: 630
Size:  34.7 KB



    Chancellor sunk 86 miles SxE Fastnet
    Name:  chancellor.jpg
Views: 590
Size:  40.1 KB



    and Hesione also 86 miles SxE of Fastnet.

    Name:  hesione.jpg
Views: 603
Size:  40.1 KB


    UB 17 Ralph Wenninger torpedoed and sank French Navy Trawler Saint Pierre, near the Dyck LV. with 17 casualties.
    Name:  wenninger_ralph.jpg
Views: 586
Size:  28.4 KB


    UC 6 Matthias Graf von Schmettow sank the British Steamer Groningen which was mined 1.5 miles NxE of the Sunk Head Buoy in the Thames estuary with one casualty.
    Name:  schmettow_matthias_graf_von.jpg
Views: 585
Size:  10.7 KB


    Political, etc.

    Conciliatory German Note to U.S.A. in the "William P. Frye" case.
    U.S. refuse safe conduct to Dr. Dumba unless officially recalled.

    Meeting of South African Party at Johannesburg, organized attack on General Smuts.

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  31. #781

    Default

    24th September 1915.


    Western Front.

    No R.F.C. casualties are reported on this day.

    The Eve of the Battle of Loos.


    Name:  1915strategy.gif
Views: 590
Size:  3.1 KB
    General strategic position 1915.

    On 24 September the reserve divisions were warned to carry extra rations as it may be some time before their cookers caught up with them. They also carried greatcoats on the march to the battle area, which began at 7pm that night.

    Medical facilities on the First Army front at Loos included 16 Advanced Dressing Stations, 15 Main Dressing Stations and 13 Casualty Clearing Stations (the latter at Lapugnoy, Lozinghem, Chocques, Bethune, Lillers (3), Aire (2), Merville (3) and St. Venant). In all, these units could accommodate just over 11,500 casualties at any time. 17 ambulance trains were also provided, as were barges and road transport to evacuate wounded men towards the coast. In all, arrangements were made to cope with 40,000 casualties.
    Squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps would fly missions to bomb German railway and other communications, in addition to their vital artillery reconnaissance missions.

    Intelligence as to the enemy.

    Air observation had revealed that the German defences had been massively strengthened in the area to be attacked. Not only had the front line been deepened, reinforced and equipped with many machine-gun redoubts and wide barbed wire belts, but an equally strong second and third line of defence had also been prepared behind it. In particular, the enemy had taken time to carefully survey the area and had chosen the position of the second line such that it was on a reverse slope (out of the line of sight of the British). The 15-yard deep wire in front of the second line was stronger than that in no man's land, and was made of a new design of wire that could not be cut by the equipment carried by the British infantry. This wire was also beyond the range of the British field artillery, so unless the first line fell and the artillery could be advanced, it would remain intact. It was obvious that the British would need time to bring their artillery up, and the Germans would probably have time to bring reinforcements into the area. The task of breaking through in accordance with Joffre's grand plan looked formidable indeed.

    Intelligence reports showed that the area to be attacked was occupied by 117th Division ( a 3-Regiment unit, reformed after serious losses at Vimy in the Spring attacks); and 14th Division (old opponents from Neuve Chapelle, with two of their four Regiments south of the canal). The 2nd Guard Division and 8th Division were reserves within 12 miles of the front. British intelligence had correctly identified all enemy units.

    Name:  Loos_schematic.gif
Views: 560
Size:  15.2 KB


    No surprise
    whatever.

    All England was buzzing with rumours of this 'Big Push' some weeks before the attack. There was little by way of strategic deception and preparations near the battle front were all too obvious. Only the date and time of attack were unknown to the enemy and oince the opening bombardment began, it could not be too far away.


    Eastern Front.

    Varying encounters all along Russian front.


    Southern Front.

    Austrian aeroplanes bomb Pozharevats; enemy attempts to cross the Drina frustrated.


    Naval and overseas.


    Name:  Olympic.jpg
Views: 574
Size:  24.1 KB

    On 24th September 1915, RMS Olympic departed Liverpool for Mudros, on her first voyage as a troop transport, onboard were around 6,000 troops. During that voyage, on 1st October, Olympic rescued 34 survivors from Provincia, a French steamer that had been hit by an Austrian submarine. After the rescue, a submarine was spotted and evaded by Olympic.

    There were two losses to U boat action today. Both British.
    U 41 captained by Claus Hansen sank the Steamer Urbino 67 miles SWxW of Bishop Rock. There were no casualties.
    UC 6 captained by Matthias Graf von Schmettow sank the Navy Drifter Great Heart which was mined east of the South Goodwin LV with the loss of eight crew members.

    Political, etc.

    Liquor Control Regulations applied to the area of "Greater London".

    MM. Take Jonescu and Filipescu demand mobilisation of Romanian Army.

    National Registration Bill passed in New Zealand.

    Bulgarian Premier states mobilisation not directed against Serbia.

    French and British Governments inform Greek Government that they are prepared to send troops requested.

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  32. #782

    Default

    25th September 1915.


    5 airmen have fallen on Saturday September 25th 1915.

    Name:  VCAnketellMoutrayRead.jpg
Views: 546
Size:  9.3 KB
    Cpt. A.M. Read, VC. RFC.

    2nd Lt.Patterson, A.F.A. (Aubrey Frederick Albert) 12 sq. RFC. Died 25 September 1915 of wounds received nr Cambrai on 17th aged 20.

    Cpt. Read, A.M. (Anketell Moutray) VC. RFC. Died of Wounds received while rallying troops during an attack on Hulluch 25 September 1915 aged 31.

    Scott, E.R. (Ernest Robert) PO Mech. Royal Naval Air Service Armoured Car Division. Died of Wounds 25 September 1915 aged 32.

    Wakeley, T. (Thomas) Royal Naval Air Service attached 3rd Heavy Armoured Car Battery.
    Wilson, W.C. (William Clement) RFC. Killed in Action 25 September 1915.

    Western Front.


    Name:  loosmapsml01.jpg
Views: 576
Size:  72.0 KB


    Great Allied offensive begins (Battle of Loos and in Champagne). The British fleet co-operating on Belgian coast. British attack south of La Bassee Canal, five miles of enemy trenches captured, including Hohenzollern Redoubt stormed with partial success.
    French attack north of Arras gains footing.

    The Battle of Loos in September and October 1915 was the British Army's contribution to the major Allied offensive launched simultaneously with the main French offensive in Champagne. The French commander-in-chief General Joffre considered that the numerical superiority of his army, however temporary, would be sufficient to bring about the decisive breakthrough.

    While the French were once again focusing their efforts on the heights of Vimy Ridge, the British were expected to advance into the coal basin below, in the sector of Loos-Hulluch on Gohelle Plain. Seemingly without consideration for the mass slaughter of his men, General Haig fielded six divisions despite the fact that his troops were exhausted by the fighting in the spring and that his artillery continued to suffer from an insufficient supply of shells. On the other hand, he was sure to enjoy a considerable numerical superiority of seven to one over the Germans in the limited section of the front chosen for the attack. It was the "Big Push".

    Name:  wpf8fa0941_05_06.jpg
Views: 548
Size:  19.6 KB

    A continuous preliminary bombardment, which showered 250,000 shells on to the German defences over four days, had little real effect. Before sending in the infantry on the morning of 25 September 1915, the British released 140 tons of chlorine gas from 5,000 cylinders placed on the front line to make up for the ineffective artillery barrage. This was the first time the Allies had used the weapon, coming after the Germans employed gas to terrible effect at Ypres in April earlier in the year, and it was hoped it would annihilate the Germans at Loos who were equipped with only rudimentary gas masks. However a change in the direction of the wind at several points along the front blew the gas back into the British trenches, causing seven deaths and injuring 2,600 soldiers who had to be withdrawn from the front line. Initially the gas attack created panic among the Germans and close to 600 men were gassed. Despite the setbacks caused by the wind 75,000 British infantrymen still flowed out from the trenches when the order came.

    Name:  4740650-large.jpg
Views: 562
Size:  59.1 KB

    The southern end of the attack was a spectacular success on the first day. The British soldiers, under cover of smokescreens, took the village of Loos, Hill 70 and advanced towards Lens; however their progress was halted through a lack of munitions and the late arrival of reinforcements, and this delay allowed the Germans to retake Hill 70. Further to the north the British advance was slowed by the formidable defences of the Hohenzollern Redoubt, a vast complex of trenches, underground shelters and machine gun nests, but they nevertheless managed to take part of the German front line in front of the redoubt.




    The German machine guns were particularly deadly for the British, killing 8,500 men in a single day, the greatest single loss of life recorded since the beginning of the war. The next day, on 26 September, German reinforcements arrived in great numbers to fill the breaches.

    Name:  HU_63277B.jpg
Views: 526
Size:  43.4 KB

    The British then launched another attack without a preliminary bombardment and this resulted in the slaughter of thousands of infantrymen, mown down by German machine guns. Subsequently the British Army began to the abandon the positions it had taken the previous day. The fighting continued sporadically for several days, especially around the Hohenzollern Redoubt, until the British general staff, coming to terms with the seriousness of the reverse, gave the order to retreat. Another offensive on 13 October, opened once again with a gas attack, came to a similarly disastrous end: in ten minutes the 46th Division lost 180 officers and 3,583 men in an attempt to take the Hohenzollern Redoubt !

    British losses at Loos were exceptionally high with 50,000 casualties (including at least 20,000 deaths). Among those lost in action was the only son of Rudyard Kipling, the famous British writer and fervent supporter of Britain's participation in the Great War. Inconsolable, Kipling spent many years after the end of the war searching the Gohelle Plain for his son's body, without success. Finally identified in 1991, the remains of John Kipling are today buried in Saint-Mary’s Advanced Dressing Station Cemetery in Haisnes.

    Many new units, fighting in the Great War for the first time, were completely dislocated and losses were particularly high among Scottish troops and officers. The German's suffered approximately half the losses of the Allies.
    At the same time the French offensives in Artois and Champagne were coming to a close amid great disappointment. The assault between Suippe and Aisne, driving enemy from front positions. Other positions won include ground at Souchez.


    Major FREDERICK HENRY JOHNSON V.C.

    Name:  johnson-vc.jpg
Views: 559
Size:  11.7 KB


    Citation:-“For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in the attack on Hill 70 on 25th Sept., 1915. Second Lieutenant Johnson was with a section of his company of the Royal Engineers. Although wounded in the leg, he stuck to his duty throughout the attack, led several charges on the German redoubt, and at a very critical time, under very heavy fire, repeatedly rallied the men who were near him. By his splendid example and cool courage he was mainly instrumental in saving the situation and in establishing firmly his part of the position which had been taken. He remained at his post until relieved in the evening.”
    He later achieved the rank of Major and was killed in action in Bourlon Wood, France, on 26 November 1917.

    Eastern Front.

    Germans attacking Dvinsk from the south are driven back with severe losses.
    Varying fortunes on rest of front.

    Naval and Overseas Operations.

    No ships were lost to U boats on this day.

    Name:  Russian Battleship in Gulf of Riga..jpg
Views: 566
Size:  165.6 KB

    Russian Fleet bombards enemy positions on Gulf of Riga; enemy batteries silenced.

    Political, etc.

    Turco-Bulgarian Agreement signed.

    King Constantine and M. Venizelos reported in perfect agreement.

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  33. #783

    Default

    26th September 1915.

    2 airmen have fallen on Sunday September 26th 1915.

    Lt. James, B.G. (Burnet George) RFC. Killed in aerial combat 26 September 1915 aged 28.
    and 2Lt Louis William Yule, 7 Squadron RFC. Killed in Action aged 18.

    Army.




    Major General GEORGE HANDCOCK THESIGER.

    Name:  Internet Image 1.jpg
Views: 533
Size:  205.7 KB

    Killed in action on 26 September 1915 in command of the 9th (Scottish) Division at the Hohenzollern Redoubt.
    George Hancock Thesiger was the eldest son of Lieutenant-General Hon. Charles Wemyss Thesiger and Elizabeth, daughter of Hon. George Handcock, and grandson of the first Baron Chelmsford, and was born 6 October 1868. He was educated at Eton and The Royal Military College, Sandhurst and was gazetted to The Rifle Brigade 19 March 1890 and joined the 2nd Battalion. He became Lieutenant 10 February 1892 and was appointed Adjutant on 20 February 1895, a post he held for four years.
    On 26 July he was promoted Captain. He served with the 2nd Rifle Brigade in the Nile Expedition of 1898 receiving the medal and the Egytian medal and clasp. He was mentioned in Despatches of 30 September 1898 and on 16 November received a Brevet-Majority.
    He subsequently served in Crete and went to South Africa with the 2nd Rifle Brigade in October 1899 and was throughout the siege of Ladysmith. He took part in the sortie of 10 December and in the action of 6 January on Wagon Hill (where he was severely wounded) and subsequent operations in Natal and fight at Bergendal. He received the Queen’s Medal and four clasps and the King’s Medal and was mentioned in Despatches of 8 February 1901 and given a Brevet-Lieutenant-Coloncy on 29 November 1900, when with only ten years service.
    He went to the Staff College during the years 1901-02 and from 7 May 1902 to 6 May 1906 was a D.A.A.G. for Musketry at Salisbury Plain. On 15 October 1905 he became a substantive Major and he was Assistant Military Secretary to the G.O.C. in Ireland from May 1908 to 31 May 1909.
    On 29 November 1906 he was promoted to Brevet-Colonel. From 1 December 1909 to 30 April 1913 he was Inspector-General of the Kings African Rifles and made various expeditions in British East Africa. On 1 Decemeber 1913 he was appointed to command the 4th Battalion Rifle Brigade in India, returning with it to England in the autumn of 1914 and taking it to France in December. He was present with it in various actions up to May 5, 1915 when he was selected for the command of the 2nd Infantry Brigade in France with the rank of Brigadier-General. On 31 May he was mentioned in Despatches by Sir J. French and on 24 June 1915 he was made A.D.C. to the King. On 27 August 1915 he was promoted to Major-General and given command of the 33rd Division and on 8 September he was transferred to the command of the 9th (Scottish) Division. In the heavy fighting at Loos on 26 September 1915 he was killed in action when in command of his Division.

    Western Front.

    Stubborn British defence against counter-attacks round Loos; French progress in Champagne, taking 16,000 prisoners. British bag 2,600 prisoners, nine guns, etc.

    "2nd Battle of Champagne."

    Anglo-French gains consolidated; counter-attacks repulsed. French captured Souchez; reached La Follie. In Champagne French reached Vedegrange and Maisons de Champagne farm.
    Twenty divisions of the Second and Fourth armies of Groupe d'armées du Centre (GAC: Central Army Group), attacked at 9:15 a.m. with each division covering a 1,500–2,000 yards (1,400–1,800 m) front. A second line of seven divisions followed, with one infantry division and six cavalry divisions in reserve. Six German divisions held the line opposite, in a front position and a reserve position the R-Stellung (R Position) further back. French artillery observers benefitted from good weather but on the night of 24/25 September, heavy rain began and fell until midday.
    The German front position was broken in four places and two of the penetrations reached as far as the R-Stellung, where uncut barbed wire prevented the French from advancing further. The French took 14,000 prisoners and several guns but French casualties were also high; the Germans had anticipated the French attack, having been able to watch the French preparations from their high ground and outposts. The main defensive effort was made at the R-Stellung, behind which the bulk of the German field artillery had been withdrawn. A supporting attack by the French Third Army on the Aisne took no ground.
    Joffre allotted two reserve divisions to the GAC and ordered the Groupe d'armées de l'Est (GAE: Eastern Army Group) to send all 75mm field gun ammunition, except for 500 rounds per gun, to the Second and Fourth armies. On 26 September, the French attacked again, closed up to the R-Stellung on a 7.5-mile (12.1 km) front and gained a foothold in one place. Another 2,000 German troops were captured but attacks against the R-Stellung from 27–29 September, broke through on 28 September. A German counter-attack next day, recaptured the ground most of which was on a reverse slope, which had deprived the French artillery of ground observation; Joffre suspended the offensive until more ammunition could be supplied and ordered that the captured ground be consolidated and cavalry units be withdrawn. Smaller French attacks against German salients continued from 30 September – 5 October.[


    German Crown Prince’s Army Group on Western Front formed.

    Eastern Front.

    Fighting round Dvinsk continues; Russian success round Vileika (Vilna). Germans again repulsed near Pinsk. Russians straightened line north west of Dubno.

    Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres.

    Reported expulsion of all Greeks from Smyrna.

    Naval and overseas.

    Three ships were lost to U Boats today.

    U16 captain Leo Hillebrand sank the Danish Sailing vessel Ellen Benzon. 56° 51'N, 3° 53'E
    UC7 captain Franz Wagner sank the British pilot cutter Vigilant, mined off Harwich 3 cables SE of the South Shipwash Buoy14 lost.


    UC6 captain Matthias Graf von Schmettow again damaged the British Steamer Nigretta. She was mined near the South Goodwin LV. Beach but refloated.

    Name:  4396.jpg
Views: 530
Size:  44.4 KB


    Monitors again shelled Belgian Coast.


    - See more at: http://www.westernfrontassociation.c....SBKClFBf.dpuf


    Political, etc.

    Bulgarian Premier assures no intention of attacking Greece.

    Romania desires understanding with Bulgaria.

    Signor Barzilai's speech on German premeditation.

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  34. #784

    Default

    27th September 1915.


    RFC. No deaths are recorded for Monday September 27th 1915.

    On this day in 1915, Second Lieutenant John Kipling of the British army, the only son of Nobel Prize-winning author Rudyard Kipling, is killed at the Battle of Loos, in the Artois region of France.

    Western Front.



    Brilliant attack by Guards on Hill 70 (Loos); severe fighting continue there and in Champagne; German offensive in Argonne (Fille Morte, etc.) driven back.


    Name:  Loos_midnight26.gif
Views: 543
Size:  16.4 KB


    Loos area: At around 4.00pm, 3rd Guards Brigade is caught by a heavy artillery barrage while moving in column of fours along the Vermelles-Loos road near the original front line trenches. They were on their way to attack Hill 70 through Loos. Many casualties are incurred.
    6.00pm: An attack on Hill 70 is made by the Welsh Guards, but it is destroyed by machine-gun fire from the Redoubt at the summit.
    6.00pm: Units of 47th Division attack and capture Chalk Pit Copse.
    Hulluch area: At 4.40pm, under cover of a thick smoke screen, 2nd Guards Brigade advanced to Chalk Pit Wood and the Chalk Pit. A further advance to the buildings at Puits 14 bis was halted by machine-gun fire from Bois Hugo.
    Auchy area: Heavy enemy shelling of Fosse 8, tracks to the North (Trois Cabarets) and communication trenches leading up to the Hohenzollern Redoubt continues throughout the night.
    2.30am: An attack against Fosse 8 by the 1/Royal Berkshires, detached from Carter's Force, is halted 70 yards from their objective, after crossing half a moonlit mile under fire.
    Dawn: German infantry attacks 21st Brigade in Stone Alley, adjacent to Vermelles-Hulluch road, but is beaten off by 2/Wiltshires. Shortly afterwards, an enemy attack in battalion strength hits 73rd Brigade in Fosse and Slag Alleys. (The men of this Brigade holding the positions east of Fosse 8 are in an exhausted condition, having had no food, water or sleep for 48 hours.) 7/Northamptonshires are forced back to cottages at Corons de Pekin, North of the Fosse 8 Dump. The enemy places a heavy machine-gun on the slopes of the Dump, and brings the area between the Dump and the Hohenzollern Redoubt under fire.
    12.00 noon: Further German troops push against the 12/Royal Fusiliers and Brigade decides to withdraw, to establish a new line along the Eastern face of the Redoubt and a good field of fire against the Dump. At this time Major-General Thesiger, OC 9th Division, is killed while investigating the situation.
    2.00pm: The loss of Fosse 8 is now known at First Army HQ. A proposed attack by Guards Division on Hill 70 was abandoned at the last minute.
    3.00pm: Major-General Bulfin, OC 28th Division which is on the way to the battle area from Bailleul, arrives to take command of the sector. He receives an order to counter-attack to retake the lost positions, using 26th Brigade. After the heavy fighting of the last days, this Brigade now musters only some 600 men. They suffer further casualties in moving up, but succeed in joining the hard-pressed 73rd Brigade in the Redoubt. At the same time, German grenadiers attack along Fosse Alley, forcing the remnants of the 10/Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders and the 9/Scottish Rifles to withdraw. The move to Quarry Trench and Big Willie Trench.
    Canal area: 2nd Division plans to make an attack are cancelled after the commencement of a release of gas, which once again hangs in British positions.

    27 September 1915: overall situation at nightfall

    The forward British positions across the battlefield are by now thinly held. The units that had attacked on the 25th are exhausted and the reserves scattered. The vital positions at Fosse 8, the Quarries and Hill 70 have all been lost. German strength was increasing as the failure of French Tenth Army fails to occupy their reserves. It was time to regroup and rethink. The Big Push had broken into the enemy positions, but not through them.

    Name:  loos_typical.jpg
Views: 514
Size:  86.5 KB
    The Battlefield as it looks today.


    Eastern Front.

    Name:  312020.jpg
Views: 506
Size:  87.1 KB



    German attacks at Eckau (Riga), Dvinsk and on Vilia and Niemen repulsed.
    Grodno.

    Name:  ILN0-1919-1018-0013-001-010.jpg
Views: 528
Size:  132.4 KB

    Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres.

    Reports received describing exterminating massacre of Armenians at instigation of Talaat Bey, abetted by Germans (e.g. Baron Oppenheim).


    Naval, and Overseas.

    British Steamer Nigretia reported damaged yesterday, was successfully refloated.

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  35. #785

    Default

    28th September 1915.


    1 airman has fallen on Tuesday September 28th 1915.

    William Henry 'Tiny' William Henry 'Tiny' Burns, 3 Squadron Royal Flying Corps,Went with advancing infantry on the second day of the Batttle of Loos, armed with an Aldis lamp. He signalled position of troops by lamp to R.F.C. observers (Sergeant Watts and Corporal Roberts) flying above the action but was hit in the head by shrapnel


    Western Front.

    Name:  Loos_midnight26.gif
Views: 495
Size:  16.4 KB

    Severe fighting round and north of Loos; ground recaptured north of Hill 70.
    British capture altogether 3,000 men and 21 guns.

    Discussions between the British GHQ and French Tenth Army HQ on the morning of 28th September concluded that the French should relieve the 47th (2nd London) Division to enable the British First Army to create a reserve; that First Army would secure Hill 70, following which the French would extend their left to this position; the BEF would then push on to Pont a Vendin, some 3 miles East of Hulluch. Sir John French informed Sir Douglas Haig that he would supply the 12th (Eastern) and 46th (North Midland) Divisions to replace the shattered 21st and 24th. Both Divisions are ordered to move to the Loos area from Ypres. Units of French Tenth Army reach Hill 140, the crest of Vimy Ridge. German reserves are moved from the area facing the British to stem this attack.

    Loos area:

    9.30am: 85th Brigade of 28th Division, supported by 83rd Brigade, attacked at the Dump and Fosse 8. Many casualties were suffered by both sides in desperate fighting in the confined trenches around the Hohenzollern Redoubt. At around 4.00pm, 2nd Guards Brigade attacks Puits 14 bis, but after suffering very heavy casualties from machine-guns firing from in front of Bois Hugo they are ordered to halt.


    Name:  German_Trenches_at_Loos.jpg
Views: 518
Size:  15.9 KB
    German trench line.

    French continue to gain ground east of Souchez and progress in Champagne.

    Eastern Front.



    Enemy presses Russians back in Pripet district, north and south, but loses heavily in marshes.
    Russians again evacuated Lutsk (Volhynia).


    Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres.

    British victory at Kut-el-Amara (Tigris). British lose under 500; Turkish prisoners, 1,650.
    Enemy bolts towards Baghdad.

    A British victory occurs at the Battle of Kut al-Amara in Mesopotamia as they defeat the Turks. The resounding victory spurs an ambitious move by the British to venture onward to quickly capture Baghdad. However, that attempt fails and the troops return to Kut-al-Amara and dig in.

    http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/kutalamara.htm

    Naval and Overseas Operations.

    U39. captainWalter Forstmann sank HM Canadian oiler HC Henry (4,219 tons) 59 miles south-east of Cape Matapan.



    Name:  Brin.jpg
Views: 504
Size:  169.8 KB
    Fire and explosion on Italian battleship "Benedetto Brin".

    Name:  Benedetto brin..jpg
Views: 499
Size:  54.4 KB

    Political, etc.

    Allied victory in Champagne confirms Greece in her antagonistic attitude towards Central Powers.

    Dr. Dumba recalled unconditionally from U.S.A.

    Trades Union and Labour bodies debate Compulsory service.

    Plan settled for Anglo-French loan.
    £100,000,000 Anglo-French Five Per Cents to be issued at 98 in The US.

    Sir Edward Grey defines policy as regards Balkan States.

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  36. #786

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Flying Officer Kyte View Post
    28th September 1915.


    1 airman has fallen on Tuesday September 28th 1915.

    William Henry 'Tiny' William Henry 'Tiny' Burns, 3 Squadron Royal Flying Corps,Went with advancing infantry on the second day of the Batttle of Loos, armed with an Aldis lamp. He signalled position of troops by lamp to R.F.C. observers (Sergeant Watts and Corporal Roberts) flying above the action but was hit in the head by shrapnel

    Rob.
    An early realization of the need to use aircraft to figure out where the h**l your advancing troops are. Earlier than I thought occurred.
    This would lead to the Contact Patrols.
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus

  37. #787

    Default

    29th September 1915.

    1 airman has fallen on Wednesday September 29th 1915.

    Capt Bindon Blood Royal Flying Corps Home Defence, Hounslow Died 29 September 1915 aged 33, from the effects of burns received when S.E. 4a spun into the ground near Hounslow.


    Western Front.


    Name:  Loos_midnight26.gif
Views: 490
Size:  16.4 KB


    French capture Vimy crest; progress towards Tahure (Champagne); total French captures 23,000 prisoners and 79 guns.

    Heavy fighting Hohenzollern Redoubt and Hulloch.

    British lose ground near Hooge (Ypres).

    Desperate fighting continues in the Hohenzollern Redoubt. Units of 22nd Brigade of 7th Division are finally relieved in front of the Quarries. A night attack by the enemy causes a loss of parts of Gun Trench from this Division. Formations in the Loos area consolidate their positions; 21st and 24th Divisions prepare to withdraw. 142nd Brigade of 47th Division relieves 3rd Guards Brigade in Loos and on Hill 70. Germans shell the village with 8-inch gun.

    Eastern Front.

    Severe fighting south-east of Dvinsk and on Strypa (Galicia); Russians driven back in Pripet region.


    Gallipoli.


    193 Cpl R.D. Doughty
    2nd Battery
    1st F.A. Brigade
    1st Australian Division


    Consistent shelling by Asia & our heavies. Went up and had a good view of Asia's vain attempt to silence the 10 inch howitzers. Taube over at night. Marching orders came to HQ this evening. Soon be at it again. Anzac, I believe our rendezvous is. Great excitement. Seems there is a war on somewhere.


    Naval and overseas.

    Three ships were attacked by U boats today.
    U16 captain Leo Hillebrand was responsible for two Norwegian ships, the sailing vessels Actie, sunk 20 miles SW of Lindesnaes, and Flora, stopped and scuttled 35 miles WSW of Lindesnaes.



    Name:  fortsmann.jpg
Views: 482
Size:  5.8 KB

    U 39 Captained by Walter Forstmann stopped the British steamer Haydn, then captured and scuttled her 80 miles SxE1/2E of Gavdo Island, Crete.

    Political, etc.

    M. Venizelos speaks on relations between Greece and Bulgaria.

    "Unionist Federation" party formed in Romania under M. Filipescu.

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  38. #788

    Default

    Here is a picture of an S.E.4a. Name:  royal-aircraft-factory-se4a-1914-300px.png
Views: 512
Size:  12.3 KB
    and a link to the article where I found it. http://wwiaviation.blogspot.co.uk/20...tory-se4a.html

  39. #789

    Default

    30th September 1915.


    No RFC.deaths are recorded for Thursday September 30th 1915.


    The Western Front.

    Loos.

    British regained most of Hooge trenches.

    The French offensive in the Champagne is halted. Detailed instructions are issued for the renewal of the Loos offensive towards the Haute Deule Canal, which would now take place on 4th October. A new jumping-off trench is dug through solid chalk during the night, parallel with the Lens road, near the Chalk Pit. French units finally begin to relieve British ones - two days late due to bad weather and the mass of traffic on roads to the rear.

    No.2 and No.3 Wings of the Royal Flying Corps begin the first concentrated interdiction campaign aimed at disrupting German communications, in support of the Allied offensive at Loos. The attacks continued until 16 October. Rail lines were damaged in 16 places, 5 trains were destroyed and a signal box and railways sheds at Valenciennes were wrecked.

    Eastern Front.

    German advance in Russia stayed.

    SouthernTheatre.

    Mackensen massed 250,000 men and 2,000 guns on Serbian frontier.

    General von Gallwitz in command of new German Eleventh Army against Serbia.

    Naval and overseas.

    Three ships were attacked by U boats today.

    U16 captained by Leo Hillebrand sank Norwegian Barge Florida, 40 miles off Lindesnaes.

    U33 captained by Konrad Gansser, stopped and scuttled off Ithaka the Italian sailing vessel Tobia.

    U39 captained by Walter Forstmann sank the Italian Steamer Cirene 85 miles south of Koufonisi Island (Crete)

    At Sea The second Phase of U-Boat War ended inconclusively during September.

    Political.

    Lord Derby assumes control of recruiting in Great Britain.

    In Politics King George’s message to Sir John French.

    Sir John French’s 'Order of the Day.’

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  40. #790

    Default

    1st October 1915.


    1 airman has fallen on Friday October 1st 1915.

    He was PO. Mech Harold Wareham RNAS.Armoured Car Division.(Dardenelles)


    Western Front.


    Name:  Buller Turner VC.jpg
Views: 512
Size:  95.8 KB
    Second Lieutenant ALEXANDER BULLER TURNER, VC – dow 1 October 1915.


    Citation:- “For most conspicuous bravery on 28th Sept., 1915, at “Fosse 8,” near Vermelles. When the regimental bombers could make no headway in Slag Alley, Second Lieutenant Turner volunteered to lead a new bombing attack. He pressed down the communication trench practically alone, throwing bombs incessantly with such dash and determination that he drove back the Germans about 150 yards without a check. His action enabled the reserves to advance with very little loss, and subsequently covered the flank of his regiment in its retirement, thus probably averting a loss of some hundreds of men. This most gallant Officer has since died of wounds received in this action.”
    He was shot in the abdomen at close range during the action for which he was awarded the VC. He was reported to have died at No. 1 Casualty Clearing Station, Chocques on 1 October. His brother was Lieutenant Colonel Victor Buller Turner VC, who won his in WW2, and had a family connection with General Sir Redvers Buller VC who won his VC at the Battle of Hlobane in the Zulu Wars in 1879.

    Name:  Loos_midnight26.gif
Views: 462
Size:  16.4 KB




    Close fighting is renewed in the Hohenzollern Redoubt, and all but Big Willie Trench is lost to the enemy. 12th (Eastern) Division relieves 1st and 2nd Guards Brigades in area of the Chalk Pit. They are put to work on completing preparations of new trenches, roads and positions in preparation for the assault. Heavy enemy shelling causes many casualties among the working parties. Major-General Wing, OC 12th Division, is among those killed. The renewal of the offensive is delayed until 6th October, to enable preparatory attacks on Fosse 8 and Hill 70 to take place. Following the days loss of the trenches of Hohenzollern Redoubt, this area takes priority. The 12th and Guards Divisions are ordered to capture the Quarries and the Fosse 8 / Hohenzollern respectively, on 9th October.

    Minor actions, Souchez and Lorraine.


    Home Front.


    Name:  Sir Aurther Harris.jpg
Views: 461
Size:  5.7 KB


    Future Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris started his pilot training at Brooklands.

    Eastern Front.

    German attacks on Dvinsk and Smorgon; Linsingen gains ground 25 miles east of Lutsk.


    Southern Front.

    Unsuccessful Italian attacks on Tolmino; Concentration of Austro-German forces along Serbian frontier.

    Naval and Overseas Operations.


    Name:  LordClive1918.jpg
Views: 484
Size:  8.6 KB

    The Monitor Lord Clive.

    British monitors bombard Lombaertzyde and Middelkerke.

    Two British ships were lost to U boats on this day.
    U33 captained by Konrad Gansser sank the Steamer Whitfield 95 miles NxW Cape Wrath, and UC7 Franz Wagner sank HM Trawler Malta, Mined off the North Shipwash Buoy with 7 casualties.

    Political.

    Beware the wrath of the British Raj! That message went unheeded when 18 Indian cavalrymen serving in Britain’s Indian army conspired to overthrow British rule. They cut telegraph wires, stockpiled weapons and held secret meetings. When they were caught, retribution was Draconian. On Friday, October 1st, 1915, 12 of them were hanged in Umballa Prison in the Punjab. One was sentenced to 10 years and the other five had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment.
    Rob..
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  41. #791

    Default

    2nd October 1915.


    1 airman has fallen on Saturday October 2nd 1915.

    2Lt./ Jonathan Noel Clulow Washington,8 Squadron Royal Flying Corps. Died of Wounds.


    Name:  Schedule%20Disrupted.jpg
Views: 483
Size:  49.7 KB

    This depicts the aircraft of 2Lt./ Jonathan Noel Clulow Washington and his observer 2 Lt. Maurice Wyvil Grennhow BE2c, 4301,of 8 Sqn. RFC.




    Western Front.

    British fleet and Belgian artillery bombard Westeinde.




    Name:  portrait-of-major-general-frederick-drummond-vincent-wing-cb-1860-1915.jpg
Views: 490
Size:  75.3 KB

    Major-General Frederick Drummond Vincent Wing, CB (29 November 1860 – 2 October 1915) was a senior officer of the British Army during the First World War and was one of three British divisional commanders killed in action in the space of a week in the aftermath of the Battle of Loos. Wing had served in the army for over thirty years at the time of his death, having been commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1880. on 2 October 1915, a shell exploded in the road outside the 12th Division's forward report centre at Mazingarbe and killed Wing and his aide-de-camp Lieutenant Tower outright at 3:45pm.[
    He had served with distinction in the
    Second Boer War and been an aide de camp to Lord Roberts in 1903.

    Eastern Front.

    Battle of Vilna ends (see September 9th).

    Gallipoli.

    During a lull in the fighting at the start of October on this Day this aerial photograph was taken by the RNAS.


    Name:  Battle hill.jpg
Views: 478
Size:  225.3 KB
    Trenches around Battleship Hill and Gunner's Hill, towards Baby 700.

    Naval and overseas.


    Three vessels suffered from the attentions of U Boats today.
    U33 captained by Konrad Gannser sank the British Steamer Arabian, 15 miles W1/2S of Cerigo Island, Greece, and French Steamer Sainte Marguerite about 20 miles SW of Cerigo Island.



    Name:  fortsmann.jpg
Views: 451
Size:  5.8 KB
    U39 captained by Walter Forstmann sank the British Steamer Sailor Prince 56 miles SExS of Cape Sidero, Crete. There were two casualties.

    Name:  5301.jpg
Views: 480
Size:  35.8 KB


    Political, etc.

    Balkans: "Situation one of utmost gravity" (Sir Edward Grey).
    Agreement between Bulgaria and Central Powers to enter war on 15th.
    Greek Premier (M. Venizelos) asks British and French Governments to land troops at Salonika as soon as possible (see 3rd and 5th, and September 28th).

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  42. #792

    Default

    3rd October 1915.


    RFC. No deaths are recorded for Sunday October 3rd 1915.


    Western Front.

    Enemy capture part of Hohenzollern Redoubt (Loos).
    French bomb Metz.

    Eastern Front.

    Desperate fighting in Lake region south of Dvinsk; Russian offensive Postavi-Smorgon collapses.

    Southern Front.

    Germans checked on Serbian frontier. Concentration of Bulgarian forces.
    Allied troops arrive at Salonika: Greek Government protest against a landing.

    Naval and Overseas Operations.

    First German merchant vessel (S.S. "Livonia") sunk by British submarine in the Baltic.
    U33 captained by Konrad Gansser sank the French Steamer Antonie in the Cerigo Strait southern Greece.


    Zeebrugge bombarded from sea.

    Political, etc.

    Russian ultimatum to Bulgaria.
    On 3 October 1915 Russia issued an ultimatum to Bulgaria (followed by a similar ultimatum by Russia's allies the following day). Tsar Nicholas II formally declared a state of war three days later, on 6 October 1915.

    By the Grace of God
    We, Nicholas the Second,
    Emperor and Autocrat
    Of All the Russias,
    Tsar of Poland, Grand Duke of Finland,
    etc., etc., etc.
    Declare to all Our loyal subjects:
    Impossible as it seemed, but treacherously preparing from the very beginning of the war, Bulgaria has betrayed the Slav cause: The Bulgarian army has attacked Our faithful ally Serbia, bleeding profusely in a struggle with a strong enemy.
    Russia and Our allied Great Powers tried to warn Ferdinand of Coburg against this fatal step. The fulfilment of an age-old aspiration of the Bulgar people - union with Macedonia - has been guaranteed to Bulgaria by a means more in accord with the interests of the Slav world.
    But appeals by the Germans to secret ambitions and fratricidal enmity against the Serbs prevailed.
    Bulgaria, whose faith is the same as Ours, who so recently has been liberated from Turkish slavery by the brotherly love and the blood of the Russian people, openly took the side of the enemies of the Christian faith, the Slav world and of Russia.
    The Russian people react with bitterness to the treachery of a Bulgaria which was so close to them until recently, and draw their swords against her with heavy hearts, leaving the fate of these traitors to the Slav world to God's just retribution.
    Given at the Tsar's Headquarters the 5th day of October, in the year from the Nativity of Christ the 1,915th, and of Our reign the twenty-first.
    On the true authority of His Imperial Majesty,
    NICHOLAS

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  43. #793

    Default

    Rob - would you like me to pick up the thread again for the next fortnight?

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  44. #794

    Default

    One hundred years ago today... my grandfather (on my mother's side) enlisted in the Royal Marines, having lied about about his age to pass himself off as two years older than he actually was. It is very likely that his tales of the war are no small part of why I developed my interest in matters military (and indirectly why I'm here).

    Fortunately for him he wasn't a front line trooper but was posted to artillery (RMA), rising to the heady height of Bombardier on the colossal 15" howitzer batteries, which was probably the reason his hearing was never up to much in his later years! He was fortunate enough to avoid serious injury, although was gassed twice and suffered from trench fever on another occasion.

    Below are his dogtags, which I still have (along with his medals).

    Name:  tags.jpg
Views: 426
Size:  54.7 KB


  45. #795

    Default

    A fitting 100 years entry.
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus

  46. #796

    Default

    Hi Chris.
    As I am entertaining overseas members for most of this week, it would be a relief to have the esteemed Chief Editor take my place. Thanks for the offer. I will complete this evening and then hand the reins back to you.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  47. #797

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Prodromoi View Post
    One hundred years ago today... my grandfather (on my mother's side) enlisted in the Royal Marines...
    Couldn't imagine a more appropriate subject of recognition.

    Thank you for sharing a bit of your family's stake in the Great War, Alex.

  48. #798

    Default

    May I also echo Karl's sentiment here Alex.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  49. #799

    Default

    4th October 1915.


    2 airmen have fallen on Monday October 4th 1915.

    Flt Sub-Lt Henry Barnes Royal Naval Air Service. Accidentally Killed near London.

    PO Mech Donald Gordon Thomas Royal Naval Air Service. Armoured Car Division, Royal Naval Division. No details given.

    Western front.

    Excerpt from the diary of the 3rd Grenadier Guards for this day.
    Took over first line Trenches from 5 K.O.L.W. ***KOYLI – Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry*** regt. Very wet dark night. Took 10 hours to get into our places. Very complicated plan of ½ finished Trenches: In some places within 30 yards of enemy and our left in a long finger actually resting on the HOHENZOLLERN redoubt. dug day and night – but difficult to make position even reasonably secure.

    Eastern Front.

    Russians take offensive between Drisviati Lake and Smorgon (north-east of Vilna).

    Southern Front.

    Artillery action along Belgrade-Save front.


    Gallipoli.

    The 28th Battalion (Western Australia) is relieved after 24 days duty in the front line trenches. During that relatively quiet period on Gallipoli the battalion suffered the following casualties: 13 killed, 9 died of wounds, 46 wounded, 35 evacuated sick.
    Gallipoli diary.

    Enemy opened up a heavy artillery bombardment on our right flank this morning and to all appearances were preparing the ground for an attack. After about an hour the bombardment suddenly ceased and a heavy rifle fire was opened from our trenches. Our artillery then opened up slowly but the fire soon died away and all was quiet again. This afternoon at 3.30 I proceeded to 4th Battery observing station to observe fire on wire entanglements on Hill 60. Returned to Battery at 7 p.m.

    Lemnos Island.

    Very hot day. Awaiting orders to shift into position somewhere. Edwards, Gilligan & Glover old members convalesced joined us today. Chas & self went for a stroll this afternoon. Couldn't see anything to shoot so came back before 8pm. Have just got orders to shift. Awaiting teams. Mail arrived. Caught a few. Don't know where we're off to but believe it's Anzac way. Anywhere for trouble suits us.

    NAISH
    Private Ernest, 1383, 17th Battalion, AIF.
    Killed in action 4 October 1915.
    Shrapnel Valley Cemetery I.D.14.
    Epitaph:
    None.

    Naval and overseas.

    Two Russian squadrons off Varna.

    Three ships were lost today.

    U33 captained by Konrad Gansser sank the British Steamer Craigston, 35 miles W of Ovo Island and damaged the French Passenger Steamer Yunnan, Torpedoed 21 miles SW of Cape Matapan. Beached in Milos roads. One casualty.



    Name:  pustkuchen_herbert.jpg
Views: 450
Size:  11.9 KB

    UC 5 captained by Herbert Pustkuchen damaged the British Steamer Enfield. Mined 2.5 miles WxS of Folkstone.
    Name:  6609.jpg
Views: 428
Size:  15.4 KB


    Political, etc.

    Protests in Greek Chamber against Allies landing at Salonika.
    Allies' ultimatum to Bulgaria.

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  50. #800

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Prodromoi View Post
    One hundred years ago today... my grandfather (on my mother's side) enlisted in the Royal Marines, having lied about about his age to pass himself off as two years older than he actually was. It is very likely that his tales of the war are no small part of why I developed my interest in matters military (and indirectly why I'm here).

    Fortunately for him he wasn't a front line trooper but was posted to artillery (RMA), rising to the heady height of Bombardier on the colossal 15" howitzer batteries, which was probably the reason his hearing was never up to much in his later years! He was fortunate enough to avoid serious injury, although was gassed twice and suffered from trench fever on another occasion.

    Below are his dogtags, which I still have (along with his medals).

    Name:  tags.jpg
Views: 426
Size:  54.7 KB

    That post just sums up why we started this in the first place - real memories of real people. Thanks so much for sharing this Alex.

    My grandfather (on my dad's side) also lied about his age to join the Royal Navy and he served through both wars, as a present to my dad on his 80th I 'acquired' all his medals, had them polished and re-ribboned, then framed with a photo of my grand father in his dress uniform (Chief Petty Officer by now) with a brass plaque with name rank and serial number - its the only time I have ever seen my dad cry.
    Unfortunately my grand father died before I was born so never got to meet him, but your post put a smile on my face - thanks Alex.

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

Page 16 of 77 FirstFirst ... 6789101112131415161718192021222324252666 ... LastLast


Similar Missions

  1. 100 up today.
    By Flying Officer Kyte in forum UK Wing
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 02-23-2018, 01:05
  2. 68 years ago today - A Warning to New York
    By Naharaht in forum Officer's Club
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 05-07-2015, 09:54
  3. 100 years ago today.
    By Flying Officer Kyte in forum Officer's Club
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 07-29-2014, 00:05
  4. 71 Years Ago Today
    By ptownhiker in forum Officer's Club
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 12-10-2012, 13:13
  5. (Werner Voss) 95 years ago today ...
    By MoonSylver in forum WGF: Historical Discussions
    Replies: 19
    Last Post: 09-27-2012, 06:21

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may edit your posts
  •