100 Years Ago Today

[Jimbuna]

3rd July 1915

Eastern Front

Russians leave Gnila Lipa for Zlota Lipa (Galicia).

Southern Front

Dardanelles: Turks lose 5,159 k. and 15,000 prisoners in last five days.

Naval and Overseas Operations

South Africa's offer of volunteer contingent announced by General Smuts.

Political etc.

Russia authorizes a $500,000,000 issue of treasury obligations in order to finance the war and other expenditures.

President Wilson receives extra guards at the White House. Increased security is seen at the State, War, and Navy Buildings.

Ship Losses:

Fiery Cross ( Norway): The barque was scuttled in the Atlantic Ocean 70 nautical miles (130 km) west south west of the Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom (48°55′N 7°25′W) by SM U-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Larchmore ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 70 nautical miles (130 km) south west of the Wolf Rock, Cornwall (48°54′N 6°28′W) by SM U-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member.
Renfrew ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 85 nautical miles (157 km) south west by west of the Wolf Rock by SM U-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

July 3:

New York: "Thomas P. Lester" (Frank Holt, aka Eric Muenter) knocks on the front door of millionair industrialist J.P. Morgan. Morgan's butler, Stanley Physick, answers the door. When Physick refuses to let Muenster in, he pulls a pair of pistols and demands entrance. The butler takes Muenster to the library, while Morgan and family are in another room. Muenster searches the house until he finds them in the dining room with the British ambassador. Muenster fires four shots, wounding Morgan in the leg and stomach. Morgan still manages to grab Muenster and Physick hits him on the head with a lump of coal. Another servant takes the pistols and a stick of dynamite from Muenster's pocket, which is placed in a bucket of water. Police arrive and arrest the perpetrator. "Holt" makes a confession, which leads police to suspect him of the Senate bombing the night before. Morgan's wounds turn out to be minor. Muenster also claims that he has placed bombs on several ships, all timed to go off on July 7.
http://drvitelli.typepad.com/provide...rt-2-of-2.html



Celtic Sea: Walter Forstmann, commanding U-39, sinks three more ships - Norwegian sailing barque SV Fiery Cross, 1,448 tons, bound from Philadelphia to Le Havre with a load of oil; British freighter SS Larchmore, 4,355 tons, carrying a load of coal from Cardiff to Bombay; and SS Renfrew, 3,488 tons, travelling in ballast from Marseille to Barry. This brings his score to 22 ships and 38,510 tons.



German East Africa: at 0910 HMS Mersey holds firing practice for the machine gun crews. The rest of the crew are busy organizing and placing sandbags around the ship.

The crew of HMS Severn spend the day stowing 2,000 new petrol tins and placing sandbags.

[Jimbuna]

4th July 1915

Western Front

Battle of the Argonne dies down; Crown Prince fails to break the French lines.

Eastern Front

Austro-Germans reach the Zlota Lipa.

Southern Front

Heavy attack by Turks against Naval and 29th Divisions repulsed (Gallipoli).

Serbians enter Durazzo (Albania).

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Lahej (near Aden) attacked by Turks.

Naval and Overseas Operations

French liner "Carthage" torpedoed and sunk off Cape Hellas.


Atlantic off S Ireland
Anglo-Californian, cargo ship, nitrate carrier converted to horse transport, 7,333/1912, Lawther Latta & Co/Nitrate Producers SS, not armed, Montreal for Avonmouth with 927 horses for Western Front, 150 crew, master, Lt Frederick Parslow RNR aged 60. U.39 (Walter Forstmann) (dx - U.38; ge - U.20 or U.39) surfaced about 0800 a mile or more away on port beam 90 miles SW of Queenstown (L - in 50.15N, 9W; dx - 50.10N, 09W), ship turned stern on and went to full speed, reached 14kts, submarine opened a steady fire about 0900 frequently hitting, Anglo-Californian continued to manoeuvre in an attempt to escape while transmitting SOS’s. Ordered at 1030 by the U-boat to stop and abandon ship, the master decided to do so, then in response to his signals, destroyers Mentor and Miranda requested him to delay as long as possible. He got under way again, but now U.39 opened a heavy fire wrecking the bridge, all the port-side lifeboats and hitting the superstructure. By the time the U-boat had closed to 50yds, the master was dead and the Germans fired on anything that moved. Throughout the action, the master's eldest son, Fred Parslow was at the wheel or what remained of it. When the destroyers arrived, U.39 dived away and Anglo-Californian was brought into Queenstown on the 5th; 21 lives lost including Lt Frederick Daniel Parslow RNR who was awarded the Victoria Cross. His son and the chief engineer received the DSC and others MID. Sunk 9 June 1918.

Frederick Daniel Parslow


Political etc.

Negotiations to exchange incapacitated wounded German and French soldiers succeed, and it will take place in Switzerland.

Gunther Plüschow escapes the POW camp in Donington Hall in Leicestershire (he is the only German POW in both world wars to escape Britain).

PM Asquith’s daughter Violet announces engagement to Sir Maurice Bonham Carter (grandparents to Helena Bonham Carter).


Ship Losses:

Carthage ( France): The passenger ship was sunk off Cape Helles, Turkey by SM U-21 ( Kaiserliche Marine). There were no casualties.
Oscar II ( Sweden): The cargo ship collided with another vessel in the Atlantic Ocean 80 nautical miles (150 km) west of the Butt of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, United Kingdom and was abandoned by her crew.
Sunbeam ( United Kingdom): The three-masted schooner was shelled and sunk in the North Sea 16 nautical miles (30 km) east of Wick, Caithness by SM U-25 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

July 4:

New York City: A bomb explodes at the New York Police Headquarters building. Police suspect this is related to Holt/Muenter, and that he has accomplices.



Air War: Oswald Boelcke, flying a two-seater for FFA 62 (probably an LVG C.II) with Heinz von Wühlisch as observer, engages in a running battle with a Morane 'L' parasol two-seater. Von Wühlisch shoots down the enemy plane, killing both air crew. He is awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class and Boelcke is promised the unit's first Eindecker.

Kurt Wintgens claims another Morane, but this is also listed as "Unconfirmed."



Celtic Sea: Otto Wunsche, commanding U-25, starts his career stopping and sinking the British schooner SV Sunbeam, 132 tons, travelling from Leith to Kirkwall with a load of coal.

Walter Forstmann ends his second war patrol with an unsuccessful attack on British freighter SS Anglo-Californian, bound from Quebec to Avonmouth with a cargo of horses.
(see Jim's post above for details).



Aegean Sea: Otto Hersing begins his 5th war patrol in U-21 by sinking the French freighter SS Carthage, 5,601 tons, off Cape Helles, Gallipoli. While watching the ship sink U-21's periscope is spotted by the crew of a trawler. The trawler attempts to ram, but Hersing takes his boat deep - right into a mine. The damage is extensive but minor, and temporary repairs are made. Hersing takes U-21 up the Dardanelles to Constantinople, where she will be out of the war for the next seven months.



German East Africa: The crews of the two monitors spend the day stowing more petrol tins. All their personal effects are collected and taken to HMFM Trent.

[Jimbuna]

5th July 1915

Western Front

Fierce fighting at Souchez, Arras, and on Meuse.

German forces recapture of mile of trench along the Moselle River. Germany claims to have taken 1000 French prisoners.

Eastern Front

Severe enemy defeat between Vistula and Bug, and their offensive between Veprj and Bug repulsed.

Northern movement of Austro-Germans from Galicia towards Kholm-Lyublin line suspended.

Austrian defenders at Fort Hensel celebrate the 1000th Italian shell that hit the fort by singing songs such as the “God Save the Kaiser.”

Southern Front

Sir Ian Hamilton's despatch issued describing Turkish counter-attacks beaten off 30 June to 2 July.

Turkish attempt to dislodge British from Gallipoli Peninsula defeated.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

British evacuate Lahej and retire to Bir Nasr, then to Aden, after attack by Turks.

Naval

Mesopotamian Campaign
Sumana, armed launch-tug, 2-3pdr, Lt W Harris, supporting advance along River Euphrates towards Nasiriya. Turkish shell cut main steam pipe during the day, out of action, back next day.

Political, etc.

Statement concerning German violation of neutral mails on Swedish mail steamers.

Lord Fisher appointed Chairman, Inventions Board.

Ship Losses:

Peik ( Norway): The cargo ship struck a mine possibly laid by UC 3 (Erwin Weisbach) and sank in the North Sea 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km) off the Longsand Lightship ( United Kingdom). Her crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

July 5:

The New York Tribune publishes a letter from "Frank Holt" (Erich Muenter) describing his attack on the Morgan household and giving his reasons.

Mineola, NY, July 5 - Following is the text of a letter mailed Sunday from the Minola jail by Holt. It was addressed to his father in law, Rev O F Sensabaugh of Dallas, Texas, and explains the scope of Holt's plans:

"Mineola, July 4, 1915, --Dear Father Sensabaugh; I heard last night that you had telegraphed for particulars, but as I had already written and telegraphed Leona and as the papers gave your interview I did not think you needed any more particulars. The papers must have had plenty of them. How terrible it all looks and how different from my plans. What can I say to console you and the family?

It is too much all at once. My heart and brain are in such agony that words cannot express. I fear you wish to come here, but I hope you will not do that. I am well taken care of and the grand jury cannot meet until September. I am held without bail on plea without guilt and so I just wait, though I wish death might come to end it at once. Life under these conditions is unspeakable horrible.

Yet I think I did right. Only my plans did not come out as I intended. I went to the Morgan home in order to force him to use his great influence to stop the shipment of explosives. That's why I took some explosives with me in order to be able to demonstrate to him what the use of machines of murder mean, but I did not wish to hurt anyone. I wanted him to be in the same danger (him and his family) that we are imposing on Europe. I wanted to send him out to the manufacturers and men of influence to plead with them for real American neutrality while I held his wife and dear childre in some upper room of the house.

I found the three children in the parlor and asked them to come upstairs with me. They came. No objection. I walked ahead. That was my mistake. If I had been behind them all might have been different now.

When I reached the top of the stairs Mrs Morgan came screaming toward me and Mr Morgan behind her. Now, instad of stopping and giving me a chance all went off in an explosion of excitement. No chance for explanation, Mr Morgan jumped at me, althought I held a revolver in each hand. This physical courage overruled my moral courage. I rolled on the hall floor. I tried to shoot in the air, but some one grabbed my hand and pressed it down; at least that is the only reason for Mr Morgan's being touched.

Of course, all was over in a few moments and I was unconscious for a while. Soon I was in their hands and learned to my sorrow that Mr Morgan was hurt, for he was to go out and do the work I could not do.

The slaughter must be stopped and we must stop helping it on. The people must rise to the realization of their best interests and demand an embargo on arms. Let us hope it will come soon. If not our children will suffer the consequences, if not our own generation.

I have tried to do my duty, now the rest of the country must do theirs.

God bless you all. I am in His hands, so don't worry about me.
Affectionately,
FRANK"

An article from the same day claiming that "Frank Holt" is the same Erich Muenter suspected in the death of his wife nine years earlier.

July 5, 1915 The Daily Herald newspaper
THINKS HOLT IS ERICH MUENTER
MORGAN ASSAILANT AND FORMER HARVARD PROFESSOR BELIEVED ONE

Chicago, July 5

Information pointing to Frank Holt, the would be assassin of J P Morgan, as Erich Muenter, a former University of Chicago, student, who disappeared from Harvard following the death of his wife in 1906, was given to a newspaper here yesterday by a college associate in Muenter's Chicago days, who says he knew of Muenter rehabilitating himself as Holt. The informant added that he had known him as Holt in Vanderbilt University and Cornell.

The informer, who anonymity was pledged by the newspaper, was quoted as saying:

"Frank Holt, who shot J P Morgan, is the Erich Muenter who took his degree A. B. at the University of Chiago in 1899, and later fled from Cambridge, Mass following the death of his wife, and has since been a fugitive."

SAYS HE IS NATIVE GERMAN

"There is no doubt about Muenter and Holt being the same man. He has been hidden all those years through a remarkable rehabilitation under the name of Holt.

Muenter was born in Germany but since his rehabilitation has claimed to have been born in Texas of German parentage. For a time he taught German in Chicago private preparatory institution. He also taught German in Radcliffe College for Women.

His wife was a German-American woman as I remember her. She was about to give birth to her third child when her death occurred. Muenter ran away from Cambridge with the two children and brought them to Chicago, where he turned them over to Mrs Muenter's parents. Then, still undetected by the authorities he went to Mexico.

He worked for a while in Mexico City as a stenographer. He shaved his full beard and wore a soft hat instead of the derby he had affected as Muenter. A reward of $1,000 for his arrest has never been claimed. While a fugitive he issued a review of his case suched? in sarcastic terms and mailed it to some of his acquaintances."

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg...&GRid=61457565



German East Africa: HMS Laconia hoists the two Short seaplanes #121 and 122 overboard, where they are towed to shore at Mafia Island.

HMS Mersey's crew spend the day stowing ammunition and petrol tins, and rigging up voice pipes. In the afternoon all the mess tables and stools are handed off to HMFM Trent.

The crew of HMS Severn are likewise engaged in rigging up more armour plate, plus hammocks and awnings for extra protection.

At 1840 HMS Severn casts off from Trent. Mersey follows at 1905. At 2227 the two monitors anchor 7 1/2 miles offshore from the mouth of the Kikunya River.

[Jimbuna]

6th July 1915

Western Front

German success at Vaux Fery (Meuse).

French recapture position on heights of the Meuse.

British capture trenches near Pilkem.

Eastern Front

Archduke Josef Ferdinand beaten near Krasnik.

Russians take 15,000 prisoners between Krasnik and Lyublin.

Marshy lands between the Vistula and Bug rivers slow down the German and AH advance in Poland, but Russia continues to retreat.

Southern Front

Battle for Carso plateau developing.

Naval and Overseas Operations

South Africa's offer of Imperial Contingent gratefully accepted by Government.

Barents Sea
AFRICAN MONARCH, Admiralty collier, 4,003/1898, Monarch SS Co, Glasgow-reg, Cardiff for Archangel with coal, general cargo. Mined, laid by Meteor, sank at entrance to White Sea around 1½m E of Toryaneff Is and 9 miles S of Cape Orloff; two crew killed.

Orkneys
STRATHGARRY, Admiralty trawler, 202/1906, Aberdeen Steam Trawling & Fishing, Aberdeen-reg A97, hired 6/15 (D/He - as boom defence vessel; wi - armed patrol trawler), Admiralty No.5, based at Scapa Flow, Skipper Isaac McFarlane RNR. Ships of 2nd Battle Squadron returning to Scapa Flow anchorage at 0330, passing through boom, battleship Monarch collided with and sank her (wi - in 58.45N, 03.05W); no lives lost (He – one man drowned).

Off NW Scotland
EDISON, Admiralty trawler, 196/c1896, Hull-reg H430, F & T Ross, hired 1915 as minesweeper (D - 12/14; wi - as armed patrol trawler), Admiralty No.395, Sub‑Lt Frederick Townend RNR who had only joined ship that day, now night-time, heading along NW shore of Isle of Lewis, bound for Carloway. Ran aground on Port Arnol, Lewis, may have steered wrong course or compass affected by new gun installation, but apparently not keeping sufficient look-out. Trawler wrecked (wi - exact position unknown, “somewhere on the Isle of Lewis”, around 58N, 06W); no lives lost.

German East Africa and Rufigi Delta
Mersey (Cdr R Wilson) and Severn, river monitors, Humber-class, 1,520t, 2-6in/2-4.7in/4-3pdr, 140 crew, after operations off Belgian coast, both ships were due for service in the Dardanelles in March 1915. Sailed 28 April from Malta with fleet messenger Trent, four tugs and a collier, reached Aden 15 May and Mafia Island 3 June, made good defects, fitted with extra protection and exercised with spotting aircraft. German light cruiser Königsberg moored down the Kikunja channel, northernmost tributary of Rufuji delta and 10 miles from the sea. Mersey and Severn entered the channel at 0520 on 6th, immediately came under 3pdr, pom-pom and machine gun fire from shore defences, both hit, but undamaged, whalers Echo, Fly, Childers swept and sounded ahead, light cruisers Weymouth and Pyramus followed in support. By 0630, 6 miles or 11,000yds from Königsberg, anchored, waited for spotting aircraft and opened fire, Königsberg also had spotting station nearby and replied with salvoes. Neither monitor hit for an hour until at 0740, shell struck Mersey's foremost 6in gun shield and put gun out of action, shortly holed near the waterline and pulled back 1,000yds. Severn continued for half an hour, then both ships waited until a second spotting aircraft arrived at 1330, returned to original position and fired until 1530, Königsberg hit around 6 times. Withdrew to prepare for next attempt five days later; Mersey’s casualties were 4 ratings killed, 2 DOW and 2 wounded.

Political, etc.

Anglo-French Conference at Calais.

Eric Muenter, German-American who bombed the U.S. Capitol and attempted to assassinate JP Morgan, commits suicide in jail.

President Wilson warns Germany that the U.S. will not back down on its demands concerning the Lusitania sinking.

Explosion at the Canadian Explosives Company, which produces munitions for Britain, at Beloeil, Quebec results in 6 deaths and 8 injuries.

Lawrence Hargrave, English engineer known for his aeronautical work, has passed away (on left).


Ship Losses:

HMS African Monarch ( Royal Navy): The collier struck a mine and sank in the White Sea with the loss of two of her crew.
HMT Edison ( Royal Navy): The naval trawler was wrecked in the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides.
Ellen ( Denmark): The three-masted schooner was scuttled in the North Sea 60 nautical miles (110 km) south west of Lindesnes, Vest-Agder, Norway (57°18′N 6°25′E) by SM U-24 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
HMT Strathgarry ( Royal Navy): The naval trawler was lost on this date, lost in collision with battleship Monarch.

[Sailor Steve]

July 6:

New York: Frank Holt (Eric Muenter) commits suicide by climbing the railing of the second floor outside his jail cell and diving head-first to the concrete floor below.



North Sea: Rudolf Schneider, commanding U-24, stops and sinks the Danish schooner Ellen, 169 tons, Heading from Tønsberg to Liverpool with a load of timber. Schneider now has 16 ships and 48,890 tons.



German East Africa:

0410 HMS Mersey and Severn weigh anchor and head toward Rufiji Delta.

0500 General Quarters sounded aboard Mersey and Severn.

05?? About this time Kapitanleutnant Paul M. Koohl, in charge of German shore forces at Kikmiguni, sees the British force approaching and calls Captain Looff on the shore telephone.

0516 HMS Laconia weighs anchor.

0525 Aeroplane flown by F/C Harold E.M. Watkins takes off from Mafia Island with six bombs.

0530 German shore forces at Kikmiguni Point open fire on monitors with field guns.

0532 HMS Hyacinth weighs anchor and proceeds to the mouth of the Rufiji Delta.

0535 Admiral King-Hall transfers his flag to HMS Weymouth, which has a shallower draft than Hyacinth.

0540 Severn returns fire with light weapons. Second aeroplane, F/C John T. Cull and Sub-Lieutenant Harwood J. Arnold, takes off to act as spotter for monitors.

0545 Mersey returns fire with smaller weapons, silencing rifle and machine gun fire.

0550 Mersey and Severn enter Rufiji River.

0600 F/C Watkins drops his six bombs on Königsberg. No serious damage.

0614 Mersey sinks a German cutter seen in a nearby creek.

0617 S/L Arnold signals Severn that he is ready to begin spotting.

0620 Severn anchors in position for firing.

0624 Laconia takes up station off Rufiji River mouth.

0625 Mersey anchors in position for firing. HMS Pioneer sinks a boat at the mouth of the Simba Uranga channel.

0630 Weymouth runs aground crossing the bar into the Rufiji Delta.

0635 Weymouth is free and proceeds into mouth of Rufiji River to lend fire support to the monitors, in company with whalers Echo, Fly, Childers, and Pyramus.

0648 Severn opens fire on Königsberg, directed by spotting aeroplane.

0657 Königsberg opens fire with five of her 10.5cm guns.

0705 S/L Arnold reports Severn's first hit on Königsberg. This shell penetrates the officers' galley, killing one.

0710 Hyacinth records hearing the monitors open fire.

0735 Königsberg salvoes falling dangerously close to Mersey.

0737 Near miss by Königsberg destroys one of Mersey's motor boats.

0740 Mersey hit by 10.5cm shell on forward 6" gunshield. Four killed and five wounded. Mersey weighs anchor and moves position.

0745 Lt. Blackburn and Assistant Paymaster Badger show up in second aeroplane to take over spotting duties.

0755 Mersey drops anchor in new position.

0800 Weymouth, Pyramus and smaller craft proceed to the mouth of the Kikunja channel.

0815 Weymouth opens fire on shore positions.

0820 Severn records Königsberg's fire very accurate.

0840 Lt. Cull takes his spotting aeroplane back to Mafia Island to refuel.

0843 Severn ceases fire.

0850 Mersey opens fire again. Severn weighs anchor and moves position.

0930 S/L Arnold rides with Major Robert Gordon in a third aeroplane to take over spotting again.

0946 Severn anchors in new position. At this time a German spotting party is seen up a tree on a small island half a mile away. Apparently they are signalling the telephone station on Pemba, which in turn calls Königsberg with the information. Severn's 3pdr guns open fire.

0957 Severn opens fire again.

1000 Severn records Königsberg's fire diminishing. This is likely because the lookouts at Pemba cannot see the monitors in their new location.

1017 Blackburn and Badger take their aeroplane home to refuel.

1100 Königsberg ceases firing. This coincides with a hit from Severn which penetrates the German cruiser's hull below the waterline, starting a fire which lasts seven hours.

1117 Blackburn and Badger again take over spotting duties.

1130 Mersey shifts positions again to reduce range, notes spotting plane wireless signals not being recieved. Weymouth records seeing Caudron aeroplane passing overhead. All support ships move out to sea and anchor.

1134 Severn weighs anchor and shifts positions again.

1205 Gordon and Arnold return home to refuel.

1213 Severn opens fire again.

1235 Blackburn's aeroplane suffers engine troubles and heads for home.

1300 Severn ceases fire again.

1330 Lts. Cull and Arnold return in their Caudron to resume spotting duties.

1339 Severn shifts positions again.

1345 Severn delays re-mooring due to sighting floating object, at first thougt to be a possible mine.

1430 Severn opens fire again.

1445 Königsberg opens fire again. Admiral King-Hall transfers back to Hyacinth.

1525 Mersey ceases fire.

1527 Severn ceases fire.

1530 Mersey and Severn weigh anchor and head down-river.

1545 Severn loses one of her anchors overboard.

1550 Cull and Arnold head for home.

1605 Mersey hit by field-gun fire from Kikmiguni Point.

1650 Monitors come out of Kikunja into open sea.

1706 Laconia weighs anchor and proceeds to sea.

1750 Severn and Mersey tie up alongside Trent.

1759 Laconia anchors off Mafia Island.

1815 Duplex and whalers move to night stations.

1830 Mersey proceeds to deep water for funeral services.

Captain Loof has lost four men killed and thirty-five wounded.

[Jimbuna]

7th July 1915

Eastern Front
Von Mackensen held up near Krasnostav.

Southern Front

Italians attack bridgehead at Gorizia and are repulsed.

Naval

The Italian cruiser Amalfi is sunk by the Austro-Hungarian submarine U-27 off the coast of Venice.


Political etc.

1st Chantilly Conference takes place between military leaders of Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, Serbia, and Russia.

Captain Henry Pedris is executed by the British on charges (later proven false) for inciting racial riots in Ceylon.


Ship Losses:

Amalfi ( Regia Marina): The Pisa-class armored cruiser was torpedoed and sunk at Pola, Austria-Hungary by SM UB-14 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 67 of her 684 crew.
Cheshire ( United Kingdom): The trawler struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 508 nautical miles (941 km) east by south of Spurn Point, Yorkshire with the loss of eight of her crew.

[Sailor Steve]

July 7:

New York: A bomb explodes aboard ocean liner SS Minnehaha, being used as a munitions transport. The device was nowhere near the weapons and ammunition, and damage is minimal. Eric Muenter (aka Frank Holt) is suspected, as in his confession he claimed he planted a bomb on either SS Philadelphia or Saxonia.



Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: There is an explosion at the Harrison Brothers benzol plant. Sabotage is suspected.

Pompton Lakes, New Jersey: Another explosion takes place at the Du Pont Chemical plant. Again suspected to be the work of saboteurs.



Adriatic Sea: Heino von Heimburg, commanding UB-14, torpedoes and sinks Italian armored cruiser Amalfi, 10,118 tons.



German East Africa: The monitors spend the day repairing damage, beginning at 0400 when the crew of HMS Mersey hoist aboard the boat which had been sunk by a shell from SMS Königsberg. Mersey had towed the sunken boat all the way back to Mafia Island. Meanwhile HMS Severn has divers overboard clearing her fouled starboard propeller.

An aeroplane sent to reconnoiter Königsberg brings back information that the German cruiser appears to be heavily damaged, but is still very much afloat.

[Jimbuna]

8th July 1915

Western Front

French success at Fontenelle (Vosges).

British repulse German attack south-west of Pilkem.

Eastern Front

Austrian troops withdraw to heights north of Krasnik after defeat on Urzedowka.

Southern Front

Monticello taken by Italians (Trentino).

Naval and Overseas Operations

Union troops reach Tsumeb (German south-west Africa), releasing all prisoners captured by enemy.

Political, etc.

Order in Council passed to increase Canadian Expeditionary Force to 150,000 men.

Germany sends an official reply to the US concerning the protest over the Lusitania sinking.


Snead Iron Works in Jersey City receives an order for 50,000 lances to be produced for the Russian cavalry.

French Chamber of Deputies debate on how to deal with pensions for Senegalese soldiers who have multiple wives.

France & Germany agree to swap certain non-combatant prisoners, which includes doctors, chaplains, apothecaries, nurses, & stretcher bearers.

Ship Losses:

Anna ( Russia): The cargo ship was sunk in the North Sea 35 nautical miles (65 km) north east by east of Kinnaird Head, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom by SM U-25 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Guido ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 27 nautical miles (50 km) north east of Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire (58°03′N 1°28′W) by SM U-25 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Marion Lightbody ( Russia): The four-masted full-rigged ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (50°53′N 8°43′W by SM U-20 ( Kaiserliche Marine).

[Sailor Steve]

July 8:

Air War: French pilot Jean Pie Hyacinthe Paul Jerome Casale, Marquis de Montferato, flying a Morane 'L' parasol, shoots down an Enemy Aircraft for his first kill.



Celtic Sea: Walther Schwieger and U-20 begin their fourth war patrol with the sinking of Russian sailing ship SV Marion Lightbody, 2,176 tons, bound from Valparaiso to Queenstown with a load of barley. His score is now 11 ships and 64,571 tons.



North Sea: Otto Wünsche, in U-25, sinks Russian cargo ship SS Anna, 2,000 tons, heading from Arkhangelsk to Hull with a cargo of deals and battens. He then sinks British freighter SS Guido, 2,093 tons, carrying a general cargo from London and Hull to Achangelsk. This brings his score to 12 ships and 6,433 tons.



German East Africa: At 0545 the tug Blackcock pulls alongside HMS Mersey to take off the officers and a burial party for a fifth crewman who died from his wounds while undergoing treatment aboard HMFM Trent. Meanwhile parties of carpenters and shipwrights come aboard to repair the damage.

Aboard HMS Severn the day is spent removing empty cartridges and bringing aboard fresh ammunition, while a diver is busy clearing the fouled starboard propeller.

[Jimbuna]

9th July 1915

Eastern Front

Austrian offensive on Zlota Lipa repulsed.

Southern Front

Italians capture Malga Sarta and Costa Bella (Trentino).

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Bomb thrown at Sultan of Egypt.

Naval and Overseas Operations

South-west Africa conquered; German troops surrender unconditionally to General Botha. The colony is annexed to the Union of South Africa.


Attempted torpedo attack on Cunarder "Orduna".
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstrac...619C946496D6CF


Political, etc.

Anglo-Portuguese Treaty of Commerce ratified at Lisbon.

Lord Kitchener appeals for more recruits at Guildhall.

Mr. Walter Long makes statement on conscription.

French government issues an order prohibiting the export of gold except by the Bank of France.

A bomb is thrown at the Sultan of Egypt while he was going to prayer, but the bomb fails to explode.

Carl Walther, German gunsmith and founder of Walther Arms, has passed away.

Ship Losses:

Ellesmere ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in St. George's Channel 48 nautical miles (89 km) south west of the Smalls Lighthouse by SM U-20 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of one of her 22 crew. Survivors were rescued by the trawler Osprey ( United Kingdom).
Leo ( Russia): The tanker was sunk in St. George's Channel 48 nautical miles (89 km) south west of the Smalls Lighthouse (51°07′N 7°10′W) by SM U-20 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of seven of her twenty crew.
Meadowfield ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in St. George's Channel 50 nautical miles (93 km) south west of the Tuskar Rock by SM U-20 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member.
Noordas ( Norway): The cargo ship was sunk in the North Sea 30 nautical miles (56 km) east of Aberdeen, United Kingdom (56°58′N 1°07′W) by SM U-25 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her sixteen crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

July 9:

Celtic Sea: Walther Schwieger, commanding U-20, sinks three ships: British freighters SS Ellesmere, 1,170 tons, bound from Valencia to Manchester with a load of fruit, and SS Meadowfield, 2,750 tons, carrying copper ore from Huelva to Clyde; and Russian freighter Leo, 2,224 tons, travelling from Philadelphia to Manchester with a general cargo. Schwieger's score is now 14 ships and 70,715 tons.



North Sea: Otto Wünsche, in U-25, sinks Norwegian freighter SS Nordass, 1,111 tons, en route from Blyth to Petschora with a cargo of coal, bringing his score to 13 ships and 7,544 tons.



German East Africa: The monitors spend the day taking on coal. HMS Severn still has divers trying to clear the fouled propeller.

[Jimbuna]

10th July 1915

Eastern Front

Austrians counter-attack on Bistritza (Krasnik).

General Russki, Commander in Chief, Northern front.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Turks attack Russians near Karaderbent (Transcaucasia).

The Battle of Manzikert begins as Russian forces push west from the city against Ottoman forces.

Naval and Overseas Operations

General Botha makes known terms of surrender in south-west Africa. Lord Kitchener cables congratulations and invites him to England.


Political, etc.

Lord Kitchener speaks at the Guildhall in London, asking for recruits. He warns that the war will last a long time.

U.S. exports Germany fell from $20 million in May 1914 to just $400 in May 1915, largely due to the Allied blockade.

The Vatican has implemented blackouts and moved art treasures due to the possibility of air raids on Rome.