100 Years Ago Today

[Jimbuna]

30th July 1915

Western Front

British line pierced at Hooge by enemy using "flame-throwers".

45 French aeroplanes bomb Freiburg (Baden), Pfalzburg (Lorraine), and petrol factories at Pechelbroon, etc.

Eastern Front

Russians fall back along entire line, only resisting north of Grusbieszow (lower Bug).

Evacuation of Warsaw continues.

Austrians occupy Lyublin.

Southern Front

Italian offensive in Trentino resumed.

Italians bombard forts in and around the Cadore valley and Sexten (Carn.).

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Turkish success reported in Grsbudo Hills (Armenia).

Cholera among Turkish troops at Constantinople.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Leyland liner "Iberian" torpedoed.


Political, etc.

Political crisis and resignation of Japanese cabinet.

Pope addresses letter to heads of belligerent States.

Australian Federal Government proposes War Tax.

Dutch government passes a new Landsturm bill that increases the size of the army from 330,000 men to 550,000.

Beer production in Germany has been reduced by 60% since the start of the war due to the shortage of barley.

Charles Becker is executed for the murder of Herman Rosenthal. He is the 1st U.S. police officer to be executed.


Ship Losses:

Achieve ( United Kingdom): The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 35 nautical miles (65 km) east by north of Lowestoft, Suffolk by SM UB-10 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Athena ( United Kingdom): The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 35 nautical miles (65 km) east by north of Lowestoft by SM UB-10 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Coriander ( United Kingdom): The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 20 nautical miles (37 km) east south east of Lowestoft by SM UB-10 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Fitzgerald ( United Kingdom): The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 30 nautical miles (56 km) east south east of Lowestoft by SM UB-10 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Iberian ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 9 nautical miles (17 km) south west of the Fastnet Rock (51°15′N 9°36′W) by SM U-28 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of seven crew.
Prospector ( United Kingdom): The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 28 nautical miles (52 km) east north east of Lowestoft by SM UB-10 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Quest ( United Kingdom): The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 35 nautical miles (65 km) east north east of Lowestoft by SM UB-10 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Strive ( United Kingdom): The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 35 nautical miles (65 km) east by north of Lowestoft by SM UB-10 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Tors ( United Kingdom): The trawler struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 43 nautical miles (80 km) east of Spurn Point, Yorkshire with the loss of eight of her crew.
Venture ( United Kingdom): The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 27 nautical miles (50 km) east north east of Lowestoft by SM UB-10 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

"Liquid Fire" (German flamethrower attack at Hooge).

[Aktungbby]

JULY 30 1915: U28 sinks the the British Steamer Iberian. The cargo ship was shelled, torpedoed and sunk off the coast in the Atlantic Ocean 9 nautical miles (17 km) south west of the Fastnet Rock with the loss of seven crew. Kapitan Freiherr Georg-Günther von Forstner, described the encounter thusly:
“On July 30, 1915, our U-28 torpedoed the British steamer Iberian, which was carrying a rich cargo (trucks and jeeps primarily) across the North Atlantic. The steamer sank so swiftly that its bow stuck up almost vertically into the air. Moments later the hull of the Iberian disappeared.”
“The wreckage remained beneath the water for approximately twenty-five seconds, at a depth that was clearly impossible to assess, when suddenly there was a violent explosion, which shot pieces of debris — among them a gigantic aquatic animal — out of the water to a height of approximately 80-feet.”
“At that moment I had with me in the conning tower six of my officers of the watch, including the chief engineer, the navigator, and the helmsman. Simultaneously we all drew one another’s attention to this wonder of the seas, which was writhing and struggling among the debris.”
“We were unable to identify the creature, but all of us agreed that it resembled an aquatic crocodile, which was about 60-feet long, with four limbs resembling large webbed feet, a long, pointed tail and a head which also tapered to a point. Unfortunately we were not able to take a photograph, for the animal sank out of sight after ten or fifteen seconds.” “…the description of an animal estimated at 20 metres in length, seen by me and some of the crew of the submarine U28 on 30 July 1915 in the Atlantic Ocean; [it] was sighted on the starboard side, about 60 nautical miles south of Fastnet Rock, off the southwest corner of Ireland, after the sinking of the British steamer Iberian.”
“This animal was hurled some 20 or 30m into the air by an underwater explosion about 25 seconds after the sinking of that vessel, thrown full length from the water. It is possible that this was caused by the detonation of an explosive device on board, the existence of which we assumed was concealed in the ship’s papers, or from a small boiler explosion… This explosion certainly could have been the result of a detonation, but in my opinion only the bursting of the spaces deep inside the ship could have produced such air pressure.The animal was about 20 meters long and crocodile-like in shape, with pairs of strong front and hind legs adapted for swimming, and a long head that tapered towards the nose...
Our senior engineering officer, marine engineer Romheis, watched the animal for 10 to 15 seconds at a distance of about 150 to 100m in bright sunshine with the aid of powerful glasses." http://www.americanmonsters.com/site/2010/11/u-28-abomination-atlantic-ocean/ Some skepticism is in order: U-28's logbook makes no mention of the monster sighting...61 surviving British crewmen saw no monster and the U-28's only other survivor, cook Robert Maas, never said a word about it. http://blogs.forteana.org/node/93

[Sailor Steve]

July 30:

Air War: At FFA 62, Douai, Oswald Boelke takes Max Immelmann for a check-ride in the squadron's two-seat Fokker A.II (M.5L) trainer.



Celtic Sea: Georg-Günther von Forstner, commanding U-28, begins his second war patrol with the sinkings of British freighter SS Iberian, 5,223 tons, bound from Manchester to Boston with a general cargo. This brings his score to 10 ships and 30,731 tons.



North Sea: Otto Steinbrink, in UB-10, begins his third war patrol with an attack on a British fishing fleet, scuttling fishing smacks Achieve, 43 tons, Athena, 45 tons, Coriander, 46 tons, Fitzgerald, 51 tons, Prospector, 59 tons, Quest, 46 tons, Strive, 63 tons, and Venture, 44 tons. His score is now 10 ships and 4,303 tons.



German East Africa: Admiral King-Hall's attack force returns from Lindi to Tirene Bay, at Mafia Island.

[Jimbuna]

31st July 1915

Western Front

End of big movement lasting ten days, of German troops from Eastern to Western front.

Eastern Front

Germans cross the Aa (Riga), after tow days' fighting.

Desperate fighting and German advance on Kamienka front (Vistula).

Russians ejected from positions near Kurow (Lyublin).

Kholm occupied by Germans.

Southern Front

Riva (and Garda) bombarded by seaplanes, Austrian positions there taken.

Aviation

John Aidan Liddell, English pilot & Victoria Cross recipient, is mortally wounded, but manages to fly back to base.


Naval

Atlantic off SW England
Two Admiralty fleet messengers sailing in company from Glasgow under sealed orders, bound for Dardanelles, heavy seas with SW force 8 gale blowing, sunk by U.28 (Georg-Günther Freiherr von Forstner) off the Scillies.
TURQUOISE, ex-coaster, 486/c1892, Glasgow-reg, W Robertson, hired 2/7/15, Pennant No.Y4.30, 15 crew, Lt John McNicol RNR, sailing for Bizerta in ballast. In the afternoon sighted surfaced submarine on starboard bow which rapidly approached, ordered to stop but attempted to ram, U.28 opened fire around 1600 making several hits, ship immediately abandoned and sank at 1615, 60 miles SW of Scillies (wi - attacked in 49N, 07.08W, sank 40 miles SW of, in 49.00N 07.00W); one life lost, probably Merchant Navy (He/wi - chief engineer killed by gunfire, two crew wounded), survivors picked up by patrol trawler, landed at St Mary’s next day.
NUGGET, ex-coaster, 405/1889, Glasgow-reg, W Robertson, hired around 23/7/15, Pennant No.Y4.38, 15 crew, Lt Charles Amburger RNR. U.28 approached at speed and ordered crew to abandon ship in spite of conditions, when close enough Nugget went to full-speed and tried to ram, U-boat opened fire hitting the hull with 14 shells, sank at 2100, 45 miles SW of (wi - in 49.05N 06.58W); no lives lost, all crew picked up by Dutch sailing vessel Annetta at 2200, transferred next morning at 0545 to patrol boat, landed at St. Mary's next day at 1030.

Political, etc.

French Note on German outrages at Roubaix published.

M. Radoslavov declares Bulgaria has no intention of joining Central Powers or of attacking Serbia.

US Department of Labor announces that any immigrants who fight in Europe will lose their progress in the naturalization process.

German Province of Brandenburg expropriates all supplies of copper, brass, and nickel. Pots and pans can still be kept, but cannot be sold.

Ship Losses:

Galicia ( United Kingdom): The passenger ship struck a mine and was damaged in English Channel 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) off the North Goodwin Lightship ( United Kingdom). She was beached but was later refloated, repaired and returned to service.
Gypsum Queen ( United Kingdom): The schooner was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean (approximately 48°N 23°W). Her crew were rescued.
HMS Nugget ( Royal Navy): The fleet messenger was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 45 nautical miles (83 km) south west of the Isles of Scilly (49°05′N 6°58′W) by SM U-28 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
HMS Turquoise ( Royal Navy): The fleet messenger was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 60 nautical miles (110 km) south west of the Isles of Scilly (49°00′N 7°08′W) by SM U-28 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member.
Prince Albert ( Belgium): The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the English Channel off the Shipwash Lightvessel ( United Kingdom).

MERCHANT SHIPPING
British, Allied and Neutral ships lost to enemy submarines, mines and cruisers etc in the month - 101 ships of 112,000 tons gross (Lloyd's War Losses).

[Sailor Steve]

July 31:

"More excitement. I was due for an anti-aircraft patrol this morning, and just as I was ready, a little before 4.0 a.m., a Hun machine came over and bombed us. Three bombs fell within a hundred yards of me. I went up after him at once, but lost sight of him in the air, so continued the usual patrol. When I got back, I found that six other machines had followed the first. arriving about fifteen minutes after. None of their bombs did any damage at all. They seem determined to strafe this place. A regular cloud of machines goes up after them whenever they appear, but we haven't had much luck as yet.

Expect to be stationed at Dover again in about ten days, for a little while anyhow. The Commander seems to think I don't look fit enough to go out to the Dardanelles. Apparently they are being bowled over with dysentery."
-Harold Rosher, letter to his father, July 31 1915

Air War: At FFA 62, Douai, Max Immelmann makes five solo landings in the trainer, then practices aerial gunnery against ground targets in one of the unit's armed eindeckers.

While on a reconnaissance patrol flying out of St. Omer in an RE.5 over Ostend, John Aidan Liddell is wounded in the thigh, his leg being broken. Liddell passes out, but regains consciousness and manages to get his crippled aircraft back to base, saving the life of his observer. Liddell's leg is amputated, but the wound becomes infected. He is awarded the Victoria Cross on August 23, while still in the hospital. Liddell dies one month to the day later, on August 31.

French pilot Charles Eugene Jules Marie Nungesser and observer Roger Pochon take of in their Voisin III and attack a formation of Albatros two-seaters. After shooting one down, scoring their first victory, Nungesser is placed under house arrest for insubordination, due to his being assigned to non-flying duties at the time. After eight days Nungesser is released and given a medal.



Celtic Sea: Georg-Günther von Forstner, commanding U-28, captures and sinks two small British messengers headed from Glasgow to the Mediterranean - Nugget, 405 tons, and Turquoise, 486 tons. His score is now 12 ships and 31,622 tons.

[Jimbuna]

1st August 1915

Western Front

Artillery duels in Artois, valley of the Aisne, north-west of Reims, and in western Argonne; enemy attacks repulsed here.

British retake some trenches at Hooge.

Eastern Front

Mitau (Riga) evacuated, and captured by Germans. Latter held on Blonie line, west of Warsaw; they progress on the Narev.

Austrians capture Novo Alexandria station (Ivangorod).

Southern Front

Enemy counter-attacks on Mr. Medetta (Carn.) and is repulsed.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Galata bridge (Constantinople) blown up by British submarines.

Orkneys
AORANGI, Admiralty blockship, 4,268/1883, 389ft, Union SS Co, Dunedin (NZ)-reg, chartered as non-commissioned RAN supply ship 8/14, purchased by Admiralty 1915 for use at Scapa Flow. August - Scuttled as part of No.1 Barrier, Kirk Sound, between island of Lamb Holm & Mainland (wi - in 58.53.26N, 02.51.42W).

Aviation

Western Front – ‘FOKKER SCOURGE’ BEGINS: Im­melmann scores first Fokker EI victory, over Douai, with his first MG burst in anger, wounds British BE2c pilot (1 of 9 raiding airfield) forcing him to land. Im­melmann awarded Iron Cross 1st class.

Political, etc.

Kaiser and Tsar each issue manifesto on first anniversary of war. Former swears that his conscience is clear.

Great Britain orders motor-boats in U.S.A.

Karl Helfferich, German economist, estimates that the cost of the war exceeds the total sum of all gold mined in the last 500 years by 50%.

More than half the world’s population lives under nations currently at war, and around 21 million men are under arms.

Ship Losses:

Alert ( United Kingdom): The fishing smack was set afire and sunk in the North Sea 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) south east of the Newarp Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-10 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Benvorlich ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay 50 nautical miles (93 km) west of Ouessant, Finistère, France by SM U-28 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Clintonia ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay 30 nautical miles (56 km) south west by west of Ouessant by SM U-28 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of ten crew.
Fulgens ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) off Sea Palling, Norfolk by SM UB-10 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Koophandel ( Belgium): The cargo ship was torpedoed, shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (48°41′N 8°25′W) by SM U-28 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Lark ( United Kingdom): The fishing vessel was sunk in the North Sea off Lowestoft, Suffolk by a Kaiserliche Marine submarine.
Ranza ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay 50 nautical miles (93 km) south west of Ouessant by SM U-28 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of three of her crew.

Max Immelmann

[Sailor Steve]

August 1:

United States: Wolf von Igel, undersecretary to the German Embassy in New York, leases office space at 60 Wall Street. From here all German espionage in the United States will be directed.



Air War: A flight of British BE.2cs bomb the German aerodrome at Douai. Oswald Boelke, in Fokker M5K/MG E.3/15, and Max Immelmann, in production E.I E.13/15, take off in pursuit. When they attack Boelke's Parabellum gun jams after a handful of rounds are fired, and, unable to clear it, he is forced to abandon his attack. Immelmann's Spandau gun also jams, but holding the stick between his knees and using both hands he manages to clear the stoppage. Again on the attack, Immelmann singles out BE.2c no. 2003, Lt. William Reid, flying without an observer due to the extra weight of the bombs. Reid attempts to defend himself with his pistol, but is wounded twice in the left arm. He dives to the ground with Immelmann on his tail and firing the whole time. Reid's engine fails and he lands behind German lines. Immelmann lands and takes Reid prisoner. In his report Immelmann notes that the British aircraft was hit three times in the propellor, twice in the gravity tank, once in the main fuel tank, and that the fuel gauge, rpm gauge, wind speed indicator, clock, oil pressure gauge, wireless equipment and windscreen are all destroyed. The plane was hit eight times in the fuselage, four times in the wings, and the undercarriage and bomb racks are also hit, as well as the aileron control cable and left wheel.

In a later letter to Anthony Fokker Immelmann will write "You also have a part in this success, for without you we would not have had the aircraft, therefore I wish you the heartiest of luck. I would rather have a 100-hp machine. Would this not be possible?"

For a long time it was believed that this was the very first eindecker victory. It was not until the 1980s that historian Alex Imrie turned up the evidence showing that Kurt Wintgens was almost certainly the first to score a kill in the Fokker eindecker.



Celtic Sea: Georg-Günther von Fortsner, commanding U-28, sinks British freighters SS Benvorlich, 3,381 tons, at the end of a long voyage from Manila to London in ballast; Clintonia, 3,830 tons, bound from Marseille to Tyne in ballast; Ranza, 2320 tons, outbound from Tyne to Gibraltar with a load of coal; and Belgian freighter SS Koophandel, 1,763 tons, travelling from Swansea to Savona with a cargo of coal. Von Forstner's score is now 16 ships and 42,403 tons.



North Sea: Otto Steinbrinck, in UB-10, stops and sinks fishing smack Alert, 59 tons. He then torpedoes British freighter SS Fulgens, 2,512 tons, carrying a load of coal from Hartlepool to London.

[Aktungbby]

Lt. William Reid, flying without an observer due to the extra weight of the bombs. Reid attempts to defend himself with his pistol, but is wounded twice in the left arm. He dives to the ground with Immelmann on his tail and firing the whole time. Reid's engine fails and he lands behind German lines. Immelmann lands and takes Reid prisoner

.http://www.switzerland1914-1918.net/blog/researching-individual-prisoners-of-war-and-internees-using-newly-release-records The story did not end there for Lt Reid :" Reid "was interned both in POW camps and Switzerland, having been deemed by the Germans to be unfit to be of any use in further active service." He add “He married his Swiss-Italian nurse whilst in Switzerland and on his return to England he taught the Queen’s father to fly, at RAF Cranwell."

[Sailor Steve]

I had to do a quick edit of yesterday's events, as I inadvertently left out the first victory for Charles Nungesser.

[Oberon]

After spending half of last month on the fire trenches at Cape Helles, the 5th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment are tired and dirty. Whilst they had not seen any direct combat, they had received semi-frequent shell fire from the Turks, and the effects of the climate had started kicking in with dysentry, dirt and lack of sleep being reported factors in the batallion war diary.
On the 28th July, the men were relieved by the Lancashire Fusiliers and the Royal Fusiliers, making their way back to Gully beach to bivouac and enjoy a clean up and wash. The weather was hot, and the men received orders to move within 24 hours which were soon countermanded that the move was delayed another 24 hours, giving the men ample time to wash clothes and themselves during the cooler day of the 29th.
The day after that at 8:30pm the men paraded on V beach and then embarked onto crowded destroyers and minesweepers to their new destination of Mudros bay where the HQ and a hundred men arrived at 5am the next day, the rest of the battalion arriving in half hour intervals after and bivouacking in a nearby stubble field.

Which brings us to today:

1915-08-01

Regiment. 5th Wiltshire
Location Lemnos, Mudros Bay
Entry

The Battalion is still resting at EAST MUDROS;
After the Church Parade at which the whole of the 40th Bde were present, Gen Travers addressed the troops and expressed his satisfaction at their conduct at CAPE HELLES and his confidence for the future.


(all information from - http://www.thewardrobe.org.uk/resear...diaries/search )

[Jimbuna]

2nd August 1915

Western Front

Fighting in the St. Hubert region (Argonne).

Les Eparges (Verdun) bombarded.

Enemy attacks position on the Linge and Barrenkopf ridge (Vosges).

German success at Hill 213 (Argonne). Germany again deploys flamethrowers.

Eastern Front

Russians retreat east of Ponevyej (Dvinsk).

Germans claim 9,000 prisoners taken near Lomja (east bank of Vistula), and at Ivangorod.

The Leczna-Kholm line, Russians lose 2,000 prisoners and evacuate their positions.

Southern Front

Italian offensive near Mt. Sei Busi (Carso) progresses: beaten back on Polazzo plateau.

Aviation

Building upon 1913 flying-off experiments aboard HMS Hermes, an aircraft takes off from a platform aboard a fully operational British aviation ship for the first time, when a Sopwith Baby equipped with wheeled floats takes off from HMS Campania.


Naval and Overseas Operations

Atlantic off SW England
PORTIA, Admiralty fleet messenger, ex-coaster, 494/1906, Liverpool-reg, South Wales & Liverpool SS, hired c23/7/15, Pennant No.Y4.36, Lt-Cdr Langton Bromwell (Rtd). Captured by U.28 (Georg-Günther Freiherr von Forstner), sunk by gunfire 70 miles S of Scillies (He – SW of); no lives lost. The third fleet messenger sunk in three days by U.28

The new German Derfflinger class battlecruiser is named the SMS Hindenburg after the Field Marshal.


Political, etc.

At Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa’s funeral, Patrick Pearse, an Irish Nationalist, declares, “Ireland unfree shall never be at peace.”

German War Ministry announces they occupy 29,000 square km in Belgium, 21,000 in France, 130,000 in Russia, and 10,000 in French Alsace.

Ship Losses:

Bencore Head ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship collided with Batiscan ( United Kingdom) off Cape Salmon, Quebec, Canada and was consequently beached.
HMS Portia ( Royal Navy): The fleet messenger was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 70 nautical miles (130 km) south of the Isles of Scilly by SM U-28 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

August 2:

Air War: British pilot Lanoe Hawker is now flying a two-seater - FE.2b 2864. He and his gunner, a Lt. Payze, shoot down an unidentifed German two-seater. This is Hawkers 4th victory.



Celtic Sea: Georg-Günther von Forstner, commanding U-28, sinks British fleet messenger HMS Portia, 494 tons. His score is now 17 ships and 42,879 tons.

[Oberon]

There was no entry for the 2nd August 1915, so we move to the 3rd...

At 11a.m the Battalion moved to the Egyptian Pier and embarked on H.M.T 'Sania' Lt H.B.L. Braund and 2Lt J.P.M Carpenter left at E. MUDROS in charge of details, composed chiefly of men suffering from dysentery, of which there was a very considerable outbreak during their stay at Lemnos.

[Jimbuna]

3rd August 1915

Western Front

German night attacks in Argonne repulsed.

Eastern Front

Russians retire north of Lomja; Germans cross Narev.

Mackensen victorious near Kholm.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Turks claim Alashgerd (Armenia) retaken from Russians.

Naval and Overseas Operations

French battleships bombard Sighadjik (Smyrna).

Russians sink number small vessels in raid on Anatolian coast.

Political, etc.

Britain denies US demands to stop the blockade of neutral ports, citing the US blockade of the South during the Civil War.

Britain announces that after August 30th, no coal may be shipped anywhere except to British possessions and protectorates.

Reply of Entente Powers to Bulgarian Note of June 14 (text secret).

Parliamentary control for French army established.

Russian Duma unanimously adopts a resolution declaring it will not conclude peace before victory was complete.

Ship Losses:

Costello ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 95 nautical miles (176 km) south of the Bishop Rock, Isles of Scilly (49°02′N 8°30′W) by SM U-28 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member.


John Cook, American Civil War veteran who received the Medal of Honor at age 15, has passed away.

[Sailor Steve]

August 3:

Celtic Sea: Georg-Günther von Forstner, commanding U-28, sinks British freighter SS Costello, 1,591 tons, bound from Liverpool to Genoa with a general cargo. His score is now 18 ships and 44,470 tons.