100 Years Ago Today

[Sailor Steve]

February 24, 1916:

"Many thanks for letter received yesterday.

Risk is still in town. I would far sooner get out East somewhere than any home station or Dunkirk. I understad shortly there will be great alterations in the R.N.A.S. Rumour has it again that we are to give up land machines entirely and stick to seaplanes.

Drove over to Eastchurch yesterday on business, roads in places 18" deep in snow. Coming back I had a priceless skid and finised up in a ditch. No one hurt or even shaken. Returned here by train, and care came on to-day. It was very little damaged, steering arm bent, and one wheel slightly out of truth. It was really rather comic.

Did you hear how Usborn and Ireland were killed? If not, will tell you later. T______ was burnt to death.

Love to all"
-Harold Rosher, letter to his father from Hotel Burlington, Dover, February 24, 1916



North Sea:
British freighter SS Tummel, 531 tons, carrying a load of cola from Grimsby to Tréport, hits a mine laid by Ulrich Mohrbutter in UC-5. Mohrbutter's score is now 4 ships and 6,027 tons.

French freighter SS Trignac, 2,375 tons, travelling in ballast from Nantes to Newcastle, hits a mine laid by Matthias von Schmettow in UC-6. Von Schmettow's score is now 24 ships and 19,907 tons.

Norwegian barque SV Charlotte Padbury, 642 tons, carrying a load of pit props from Arendal to Middlesbrough, is wrecked off Tees Bay.



Russian barquentine SV Robertsfors, 718 tons, en route from Drammen to West Hartlepool with a load of pit props, is wrecked on Middleton Sands.



Mediterranean Sea:
Max Valentiner, commanding U-38, sinks British freighters SS Denaby, 2,987 tons, bound from Huelva to St. Louis du Rhône with a load of ore; SS Fastnet, 2,227 tons, travelling in ballast from Savona to Cartagena; and Swedish freighter SS Torborg, 1,266 tons, carrying a load of coal from West Hartlepool to Marseille. His score is now 76 ships and 165,648 tons.



United States:
British freighter SS Trecarrell, 3,875 tons, travelling from Huelva to Philadelphia with a load of pyrites, is wrecked on Blackfish Shoal, near Assateague, Virginia.



Japan:
Japenese freighter Seiun Maru runs aground near Ishinomaki.

[Jimbuna]

25th February 1916

Western Front

Battle of Verdun: Germans claim 10,000 prisoners: Germans take heights of Louvemont: French organise line of Champneuville-Ornes and evacuate civil population of Verdun: General Petain arrives.

Fort Douaumont at Verdun is captured by the German 24th Brandenburg Regiment without a single shot. Fort Douaumont was once considered one of the strongest forts in the world.


Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Russians occupy Sakhne and Bideswikh Passes, Kashan and Ispir (Persia).

Political etc.

President Wilson writes to Senator Stone that he will not abrogate rights of American citizens in the matter of travel by sea.

German military governor of Belgium ends a special tax, ten times the usual personal tax, which was imposed on Belgians who left the country.

Prussian Diet adopts resolutions demanding that censorship be limited only to matters necessary for military operations.

Russia negotiates with Japan to buy back Russian warships captured in 1905 during the Russo-Japanese War.

Ship Losses:

Saxon Prince (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was scuttled in the Atlantic Ocean 620 nautical miles (1,150 km) west of the Fastnet Rock by SMS Möwe ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew were taken as prisoners of war.
Southford (United Kingdom) The coaster struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) east south east of Southwold, Suffolk (52°17′N 1°47′E) with the loss of four of her crew.

[Sailor Steve]

February 25, 1916:

North Sea:
British freighter SS Southford, 963 tons, bound from Tyne to Boulogne with a load of coke, hits a mine laid by Alfred Nitzsche in UC-10. This brings Nitzsche's score to 5 ships and 10,491 tons.



British freighter Hans Jost, 954 tons, is damaged by a mine layed by an unknown ship.

Danish freighter SS Bogatyr, 1,360 tons, runs aground off The Wash. Refloated and returned to service.



Atlantic Ocean:
German raider SMS Möwe ends her first raiding voyage with the capture and sinking of British freighter SS Saxon Prince, 3,471 tons, carrying a mixed cargo from Manchester, UK to Norfolk, Virginia. Möwe now has 18 ships and 67,110 tons.



German East Africa:
Monitor HMS Severn opens fire on a newly-discovered German fort near the entrance to Moa bay. The fort is reported as completely destroyed.

[Jimbuna]

26th February 1916

Western Front

Battle of Verdun: Germans capture Fort Douaumont: French save the situation by a counter-attack and repulse Germans at Poivre Hill.

Southern Front

Activity on Italian front: indecisive results.

Italians leave Durazzo.

Serbians, Montenegrins and Albanians withdraw from Albania.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Russians occupy Ashkala (Armenia).

Senussi attacked and defeated by Brigadier-General Lukin near Agagia (Barani, Egypt).

Charge of Dorset Yeomanry; Gaafer Pasha, prisoner.

Naval and Overseas Operations

French transport, "Provence II" torpedoed in Mediterranean (930 lost).


Political etc.

Taxation of war profits in Germany ordered.

Ship Losses:

Arbonne (United Kingdom) The coaster was torpedoed and sunk in the Thames Estuary 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) off the Kentish Knock Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-2 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of all fourteen crew.
Au Revoir (French Navy) The auxiliary minesweeper was sunk in the English Channel off Le Havre, Seine-Maritime (49°33′N 0°04′E) by SM UB-18 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Bogatyr (Denmark) The cargo ship was driven ashore at Chapel Point, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom with the loss of nine of her 23 crew.
Brigit (Sweden) The cargo ship struck a mine laid by UC 10 (Alfred Nitzsche) and sank in the Thames Estuary 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) off the Kentish Knock Lightship ( United Kingdom) (51°39′N 1°39′E) with the loss of a crew member.
Dido (United Kingdom) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea with the loss of all 26 crew.
HMT Lily Reaich (Royal Navy) The naval trawler struck a mine and sank in the Adriatic Sea off Durrës, Albania with the loss of ten of her crew.
Provence II (French Navy) The armed merchant cruiser was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Cerigo, Greece by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 990 of the 1,732 people on board.
Suevier (United Kingdom) The cargo ship caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean and was abandoned by her crew.

[Sailor Steve]

February 26, 1916:

Air War:
German pilot Ernst von Althaus, flying a Fokker E.III, shoots down a BE.2c for victory number 3.

French pilot Jean Navarre, flying a Nieuport 11 with blue, white and red stripes on the fuselage, shoots down a Fokker E.III and a German two-seater for victories number 4 and 5.



North Sea:
Werner Fürbinger, commanding UB-2, sinks British freighter SS Arbonne, 672 tons, travelling in ballast from Le Have to Newcastle-on-Tyne. Fürbinger's score is now 11 ships and 1,354 tons. This is the last sinking for UB-2, which will serve out the war as a training ship. Fürbinger will take command of UB-17.

French freighter SS Hebe, 1,494 tons, travelling in ballast from Caen to Newcastle, hits a mine laid by Ulrich Mohrbutter in UC-5.
British fishing vessel Khartoum, 303 tons, also hits a mine laid by Mohrbutter, bringing his score to 6 ships and 7,824 tons.

British freighter SS Dido, 4,769 tons, carring a general cargo from Hull to Bombay, hits a mine laid by Georg Haag in UC-7. Haag's score is now 16 ships and 14,018 tons.

Swedish freighter SS Birgit, 1,117 tons, bound from Stockholm to London with a load of timber, hits a mine laid by Alfred Nitzsche in UC-10. Nitzsche's score is now 6 ships and 11,608 tons.



English Channel:
Otto Steinbrinck, in UB-18, sinks French auxiliary minesweeper Au Revoir, 1,058 tons, off Le Havre. Steinbrinck's score is now 28 ships and 14,420 tons.



Mediterranean Sea:
Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière, in U-35, sinks French armed merchant cruiser La Provence (aka Provence II), 13,753 tons, carrying troops from Toulon to Saloniki, off Cerigo Island (modern Kythira) at the southern tip of Greece. Von Arnauld's score is now 4 ships and 27,936 tons.



Adriatic Sea:
His Majesty's Drifter Lily Reaich, 88 tons, hits a mine laid by Eberhard Fröhner in UC-12 off Durazzo (modern Durrës, Albania), Fröhner's score to 4 ships and 3,131 tons.



Canada:
Canadian schooner SV Advent, 256 tons, founders off Cape Sambro, Nova Scotia.



United States:
American motor vessel MV Corona, 76 tons, on a fishing trip out of Boston, runs aground at Green Island, Massachussettes.

American schooner SV Metinic, 172 tons, sets sail from New York for Stonington, Maine, and is not heard from again.

[excel4004]

Awesome thread! Thanks for all the infos!

[Jimbuna]

27th February 1916

Western Front

Spring thaw turns the ground of Verdun into mud, which slows the German advance. The frontline stabilizes.

Battle of Verdun: Germans take Talou Hill, and repulse five attacks on Fort Douaumont.

French repulse attack on Eix station.

Southern Front

Austrians occupy Durazzo.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Russians occupy Kermanshah (Persia).

Farafra and Dakhla Oases occupied by Arabs.

Naval and Overseas Operations

P. & O. liner "Maloja" mined off Dover (155 lost).

Political etc.

German government announces new taxes on war profits made by individuals and corporations.

Ship Losses:

Empress of Fort William (Canada) The cargo ship struck a mine laid by UC 6 (Matthias Graf von Schmettowand) and sank in the English Channel 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) south of Dover, Kent (51°05′00″N 1°19′30″E). Her crew survived.
Giava (Italy) The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea south west of Cape Matapan, Greece by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Holar (Denmark) The cargo ship was driven ashore 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) north of Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom. Her crew were rescued.
Ruth (Sweden) The schooner was driven ashore at Spittal, Northumberland, United Kingdom and was wrecked. Her crew were rescued.
Maloja (United Kingdom) The ocean liner struck a mine laid by UC 6 (Matthias Graf von Schmettow) and sank in the English Channel 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) south west of Dover (51°05′N 1°19′E) with the loss of 155 lives.
Margaret Haskell (United States) The schooner was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. She was reported to be floating in a capsized condition off Cat Island, Bahamas on 6 May.
Mecklenburgh (Netherlands) The cargo liner struck a mine laid by UC 7 (Georg Haagand) and sank in the North Sea off the Galloper Lightship ( United Kingdom). All on board were rescued by Westerdijk ( Netherlands and two other vessels.

[Sailor Steve]

February 27, 1916:

Great Britain:
Flight-Lieutenant Harold Rosher, author of the letters quoted here over the past year, is killed in a flying accident at the Dover Aeroplane Station.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...&postcount=123



North Sea:
Danish freighter SS Harriet, 1,272 tons, bound from Oran to Leith with a cargo of esparto, hits a mine laid by Ulrich Mohrbutter in UC-5. Mohrbutter's score is now 7 ships and 9,196 tons.

Dutch liner SS Mecklenburg, 2,885 tons, carrying passengers from Tilbury to Vlissingen, hits a mine laid by Georg Haag in UC-7. Haag's score is now 8 ships and 17,903 tons. (Back in July 1915, the only German POW to escape from Britain during the war, Kptl Gunther Pluschow crossed the Channel in SS Mecklenburg.)

Russian freighter SS Petschenga, 1,647 tons, heading from Hartlepool to Rouen with a load of coal, is sunk by a mine laid by an unknown ship.

Norwegian coaster SS Fotlandsvaag, 23 tons, travelling in ballast from Bergen to Bæøvågen in ballast, is wrecked off Ganglosefluen.



English Channel:
Canadian Freighter SS Empress of Fort William, 2,181 tons, carrying a load of coal from South Shields to Dunkirk, hits a mine laid by Matthias von Schmettow in UC-6. British freighter SS Majola, 12,431 tons, carrying passengers from London to Bombay, also hits a mine laid by von Schmettow, bringing his score to 26 ships and 34,519 tons.



Mediterranean Sea:
Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière, in U-35, sinks Italian Freighter SS Glava, 2,755 tons, travelling from Syracuse to Alexandria. His score is now 5 ships and 30,691 tons.



German East Africa:
Aboard monitor HMS Mersey medals are awarded for the Konigsberg action. Her captain recieves the Distinguished Service Order and several crewmembers recieve the Distinguished Service Medal.



Indian Ocean:
British freighter SS Bathampton, 3,090 tons, carrying a load of salt from Torrevieja to Calcutta, is wrecked off Hambantota, Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka).



United States:
Old Great Lakes Ship SS Crescent, 591 tons, is operating off the Atlantic coast when she founders of Cape Hatteras.

American schooner SV Helen G. King, 129 tons, is wrecked in the Cape Cod Canal.



Cuba:
Schooner Wandrian, 311 tons, travelling in Ballast from Havana to Mobile, Alabama, is wrecked off Cojimar, near Havana.

[Jimbuna]

28th February 1916

Western Front

Battle of Verdun: German attacks west of Douaumont repulsed.

Germans carry Navarin Farm (Champagne).

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Barani (western Egypt) occupied.

Political etc.

French Premier Briand: “We have regained the advantage. Installed upon formidable positions our heroic soldiers remained masters…”

German Crown Prince states there was still a high chance of “considerable moral and material victory” for Germany at Verdun.

Investigator from the Rockefeller Institute states 3 million of Belgium’s 7 million inhabitants are destitute and in danger of starvation.

Food prices in Paris has increased by 75% the last 8 months, or about 250% more than before the war.

Ship Losses:

Ander (Norway) The barque was driven ashore at Blyth, Northumberland, United Kingdom and was wrecked with the loss of four of her crew.
HMT Angelus (Royal Navy) The naval trawler struck a mine and sank in the English Channel off Dover, Kent (51°03′50″N 1°18′20″E) with the loss of two of her crew.
Masunda (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 106 nautical miles (196 km) south west by south of Cape Matapan, Greece (34°54′N 21°20′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Thornaby (United Kingdom) The cargo ship struck a mine laid by UC 3 (Erwin Waßnerand) sank in the North Sea off the Shipwash Lightship ( United Kingdom) (52°03′30″N 1°43′00″E) with the loss of nineteen of her crew.
HMT Weigelia (Royal Navy) The naval trawler struck a mine and sank in the English Channel off Dover (51°08′30″N 1°27′30″E) with the loss of a crew member.

[Sailor Steve]

February 28, 1916:

North Sea:
British freighter SS Thornaby, 1,782 tons, carrying a load of iron ore from Marbella to West Hartlepool, hits a mine laid by Erwin Waßner in UC-3. Waßner's score is now 15 ships and 19,307 tons.

Norwegian barque SV Auder, 491 tons, carrying a load of pit props from Porsgrund to West Hartlepool, runs aground of Blyth.



Kattegat:
Swedish freighter SS Knippla, 521 tons, carrying 630 tons of raw sugar from Trelleborg to Gothenburg, hits a mine south of Falsterbo.



English Channel:
His Majesty's Trawler Angelus, 304 tons, and HMT Weigelia, 262 tons, hit mines laid by Matthias von Schmettow in UC-3, bringing von Schmettow's score to 27 ships and 35,127 tons.



Mediterranean Sea:
Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière, commanding U-35, sinks British freighter SS Masunda, 4,952 tons, bound from Bangkok to London with a load of rice. His score is now 6 ships and 35,643 tons.

British freighter SS Rosslyn, 3,679 tons, has been anchored off the South Mole, outside Gibraltar Harbour for a week awaiting her next cargo. On Monday, February 28th, gale-force winds strike, forcing Rosslyn to drag her anchor and smash into the breakwater. Two tugboats try to drag Rosslyn off the Mole, but are forced to give up. They take the crew off and the ship sinks.



German East Africa:
It is now the turn of HMS Severn to receive a visit from Rear Admiral Edward Charlton, who awards the Distinguished Service Medal to five seamen for their part in the Königsberg action.

[Jimbuna]

29th February 1916

Naval and Overseas Operations

German raider, "Grief", and British auxiliary cruiser "Alcantara" sink each other in North Sea.
German Commerce Raider SMS Greif is sunk by a Royal Navy squadron, with 187 killed and 125 captured.
Armed merchant cruiser HMS Alcantara is also sunk in the engagement, with 68 lives lost.


Blockade of Cameroons raised.

Political etc.

Germany formally announces to U.S.A. that she will not postpone her "unlimited" submarine campaign, which is to begin at midnight of 29 February.

German Note to Portugal.

Government recognises National Volunteer Force for Home Defence.

U.S. War Department sends 1,050 rifles and 40,000 rounds to Harvard for use by the newly formed regiment of undergraduates.

Italian government interns and seizes 34 German ships that were in Italian waters.

Casualty lists show that the British suffered 18,586 men killed, wounded, or captured in February.

Ship Losses:

HMS Alcantara (Royal Navy) The auxiliary cruiser was shelled and sunk in the North Sea by SMS Greif ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Alexander Wentzel (Russia) The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off the Cap de Fer, Algeria (37°21′N 7°34′E) by SM U-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
HMT Chester II (Royal Navy) The naval trawler was lost on this date.
Eliza S. (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea west of Bizerta, Tunisia (37°24′N 7°42′E) by SM U-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
SMS Greif (Kaiserliche Marine) The auxiliary cruiser was shelled and sunk in the North Sea by HMS Alcantara, HMS Comus and HMS Munster (all Royal Navy) with the loss of 97 of her 310 crew.
Lakmé (France) The cargo ship sank in the Bay of Biscay south west of the Île d'Yeu, Vendée with the loss of six of her crew.
Mercia (Sweden) The ship ran aground at Pennard, Glamorgan, United Kingdom. She subsequently broke in two. Mercia was on a voyage from Bilbao, Spain to Briton Ferry, Glamorgan.
HMS Primula (Royal Navy) The Arabis-class sloop was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Cerigo, Greece (34°39′N 22°17′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of four crew.

MERCHANT SHIPPING
British, Allied and Neutral ships lost to enemy submarines, mines and cruisers etc in the month - 61 ships of 134,000 tons gross. (Lloyd's War Losses).

[Sailor Steve]

February 29, 1916:

Air War:
Idflieg bi-monthly report on fighters at the front.

Fokker:
E.I - 12
E.II - 20
E.III - 67
E.IV - 6

Pfalz:
E.I - 26
E.II - 11

1035 Australian RFC observer Clive Alexander Brewster-Joske, riding with pilot R.A. Saunders in Morane 'LA' 5119, and Frederick Powell in his FE.8 7457, shoot down an Aviatik two-seater. It is victory number 1 for Brewster-Joske and number 5 for Powell.

Silesian-born German pilot Kurt Haber, flying a two-seater with a Lt. Kühl as observer, shoots down a Voisin two-seater for victory number 1.

British crew of 2nd Lts E.W. Leggatt and T.S. Howe, in BE.2c 1737, win a duel with an Albatros C-Type. Records are unclear but this is probably their only victory.

British Sub-Lt H.R. Simms, in Nieuport 11 3891, brings down an unnamed "Enemy Aircraft".



North Sea:
British armed merchant cruiser HMS Alcantara, 15,831, a former passenger liner, on her way to rendezous with fellow AMC HMS Andes near the Shetland Islands when she encounters German merchant raider SMS Greif, 9,900 tons, herself a converted freighter, flying the Norwegian flag and bearing the name Rena. Captain Wardle orders the unknown ship to heave to. Wardle sends a boarding party in a boat to investigate. When the boat is near Greif changes flags and opens fire, hitting the boat. She then fires on Alcantara, damaging her stearing gear. Alcantara returns fire. Greif hits Alcantara with a torpedo. Within fifteen minutes both ships are on fire and sinking. Captain Wardle orders Abandon Ship and at 1100 Alcantara goes down. Light cruiser HMS Comus and destroyer HMS Munster find SMS Greif stationary and abandoned, and sink the crippled raider. Estimates of British losses vary between 69 and 72, with 190 to 230 Germans lost.

This will lead to Germany suspending surface raiding and recommitting to submarine attacks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action..._February_1916

British trawler Baltic, 154 tons, is forced ashore at Bempton in a storm. The crew are rescued by the local lifeboat company.

His Majesty's Trawler Chester is lost in the Firth of Forth following a collision.



English Channel:
British freighter SS Den Of Ogil, 5,689 tons, bound from New York to London with a general cargo, is damaged by a mine laid by Friedrich Moecke in UC-4.

British freighter SS Malvina, 1,244 tons, carrying a general cargo from London to Leith, is damaged by a mine laid by Alfred Nitzsche in UC-10.



Bay of Biscay:
French freighter SS Lakmé, 3,117 tons, carrying a load of bitumen from La Rochelle to Dunkirk, hits a mine near Ile d'Yeu.



Mediterranean Sea:
Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière, in U-35, torpedoes British sloop HMS Primula near Cerigo Island (modern Kythira). He ends his first war patrol with 7 ships and 36,893 tons.



Max Valentiner, in U-38, sinks Russian freighter SS Alexander Wentzel, 2,832 tons, bound from La Goulette to West Hartlepool with a load of iron ore; and Italian sailing ship SV Elisa S, 209 tons, route and cargo unlisted. Valentiner's score is now 78 ships and 168,689 tons.



German East Africa:
Based on information obtained from a captured native, monitor HMS Severn anchors off Vanga and opens fire with her 6" and 4.7" guns on a hidden German camp. A week later a party of scouts will report that Severn's fire was excellent, the camp being destroyed and the inhabitants having fled in haste.



Atlantic Ocean:
Greek freighter SS Georgios, 3,260 tons, departs New York with a load of wheat for Piraeus and is not heard from again.

Portuguese barque SV Pero d'Alemquer, 1,528 tons, departs New York with a load of petroleum for Lisboa and is not heard from again.

[Jimbuna]

1st March 1916

Western Front

Artillery activity round Ypres.

German ground attacks at Verdun have subsided, but artillery exchanges between the two sides continue.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Russian advance west of Kermanshah (Persia).

Aviation

Aeroplane raid on Broadstairs and Margate, one killed.


Naval and Overseas Operations

"Unlimited" submarine campaign begins.

White Star Lines announces it will not carry passengers until April 12th due to an increase of freight necessary for the war effort.

Political etc.

Sir Edward Grey denies German allegations that all British merchantmen are armed and criticizes German submarine warfare.

Order in Council on Government of Ireland Act (1914).

Indian budget presented to Supreme Legislature.

Mr. Bonar Law addresses the Associated Chambers of Commerce.

Prohibition has led the Russian government to lose $346 million the past year due to the loss of alcohol tax revenue.

King Haakon of Norway breaks his wrist while skiing today. It is expected the fracture will heal in three weeks.

Ship Losses:

Harold (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 18 nautical miles (33 km) east of Lowestoft, Suffolk by SM UB-13 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Kilbride (United Kingdom) The collier was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (30 nautical miles (56 km) east of Galeta Island, Tunisia (37°40′N 9°31′E) by SM U-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
HMT Manx Queen (Royal Navy) The naval trawler was driven ashore and wrecked at Filey, Yorkshire.
Reliance (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 25 nautical miles (46 km) east by south of Lowestoft by SM UB-13 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Trevose (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 18 nautical miles (33 km) east by north of Lowestoft by SM UB-13 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Try On (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 26 nautical miles (48 km) east by south of Lowestoft by SM UB-13 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

March 1, 1916:

February/March: Fokker begins tests on second versions of M 17 (w/n 499)


and M 18 (w/n 501).




Air War:
RFC No. 27 Squadron flies the first Martinsyde G.100s to France.

French pilot André Julien Chainat, flying a Nieuport 11, shoots down an "Enemy Aircraft" for victory number 1.

German pilot Kurt Haber and observer Lt Kühl shoot down another two-seater for victory number 2.



North Sea:
Karl Neumann, in UB-13, hits a British fishing fleet, sinking fishing smacks Harold, 56 tons, Reliance, 54 tons, Trevose, 46 tons, and Try On, 46 tons. Neumann's score is now 5 vessels and 229 tons.

Swedish barque SV Hyram, 514 tons, bound from Drammen to Blyth with a load of pit props, is wrecked three miles west of Dunbar.

Norwegian freighter SS Lyderhorn, 232 tons, carrying a general cargo from Bergen to Ålvik, sinks following a collision with SS Leander off Lerøyosen, Norway.



Mediterranean Sea:
Max Valentiner, commanding U-38, captures and then uses his deck gun to sink British freighter SS Kilbride, 3,712 tons, carrying a load of coal from Barry to Malta. His score is now 79 ships and 172,401 tons.



United States:
American schooner Ella L. Davenport, 470 tons, carrying a load of coal from Norfolk, Virginia to Providence, Rhode Island, is abandoned in the North Atlantic.

[Jimbuna]

2nd March 1916

Western Front

Battle of Verdun: Germans repulsed at Douaumont.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Russian army advances to within 7 miles of Bitlis in eastern Turkey and captures four artillery guns abandoned by the Ottomans.

Political etc.

Death of "Carmen Sylva", Dowager Queen of Romania.

In the House of Lords, the Earl of Derby urges the government to act quickly and strongly to end unnecessary exemptions for military service.

Ship Losses:

Bathampton (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was wrecked at Hambantota, Ceylon. Her crew were rescued.