12th May 1915
Western Front
French capture Carency.
Eastern Front
Germans occupy Kyeltsi (Poland).
Austro-German advance in Galicia and north of Uzsok Pass.
Austrian retreat south of Pruth.
Southern Front
Dardanelles: Cape Tekeh ("Gurka Bluff") captured by Gurkas.
Naval and Overseas Operations
The HMS Goliath is sunk by a Ottoman torpedo boat, resulting in 570 deaths.
GOLIATH, battleship, Canopus-class, 14,300t, 1898, 4-12in/12-6in/12-12pdr/4-18in tt, 18 kts, c750 crew, Pennant No.N.54, 8th BS Channel Fleet 8/14, later to Mediterranean, Capt Thomas Shelford. French forces under heavy attack inland of S-Beach, night of 12th/13th, Goliath and Cornwallis providing gunfire support, both anchored in exposed position in Morto Bay off Seddul Bahr village, Cornwallis astern of Goliath, destroyers Beagle, Bulldog, Pincher, Scorpion, Wolverine on patrol, night very dark, foggy around midnight, attacks were suspected. Turkish destroyer Muavenet-i-Miliet, partly German-manned and commanded by Lt-Cdr Rudoph Firle came down the Dardanelles, avoided Bulldog and Beagle around 0100, spotted the battleships and came round Eski Hissarlik Point under De Totts battery, challenged by Goliath at 0115 but steamed ahead and fired all three torpedo tubes as Goliath opened fire, one torpedo hit abreast fore turret, a second by the foremost funnel, and the third near after turret, ship immediately began listing badly to port and soon on beam ends, turned turtle, floated for a few minutes, then went down bow first; 505 lives lost - 20 officers including her Captain, 479 ratings and 4 canteen staff, 2 ratings DOW (Cn/He/ke - 570 men lost, 180 survivors). Wolverine and Scorpion tried to cut off the torpedo boat as it headed back up the Straits but failed.
Union forces occupy Windhoek (German south-west Africa).
Political, etc.
Report of Bryce Committee published.
Anti-Germans riots in England.
Sir Edward Grey reports that typhus fever is spreading among British POWs in several German camps.
Britain’s national guard is dubbed “Methusaliers” due to it being composed of men above fighting age.
Austria-Hungary orders all of its ships in Italian waters to leave for Austrian ports.
Ship Losses:
HMS Goliath ( Royal Navy): Naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign: The Canopus-class battleship was torpedoed and sunk by Muâvenet-i Millîye ( Ottoman Navy) in the Dardanelles with the loss of 570 of her 700 crew.