100 Years Ago Today

[Sailor Steve]

December 7, 1916

Celtic Sea:
Erich Platsch, commanding UB-29, is credited with two attacks on Allied ships off the Scilly Isles:
Belgian freighter SS Keltier, 2,360 tons, bound from Newcastle, New Brunswick, Canada for Calais with a load of timber. The damaged ship manages to make port safely.
Norwegian freighter SS Meteor, 4,217 tons, carrying a general cargo from Philadelphia to London. The ship is captured and then sunk with a torpedo after the crew are allowed to take to the lifeboats.
Platsch's final score is 7 ships and 12,137 tons. Uboat.net has 8 ships and 13,222 tons, but they include SS Batavier VI, taken as a prize on November 12th but released by the prize court.

Heinrich Küstner, in UB-39, sinks Spanish freighter SS Bravo, 1,214 tons, out of Cardiff for Bayonne with a load of coal, off Ushant. His score is now 15 ships and 22,536 tons.



English Channel:
Paul Günther, in UB-37, stops and scuttles French barque Marguerite Dollfus, 1,948 tons, travelling in ballast from Le Havre to Fort de France. Crew allowe to abandon ship, sunk with scuttling charges. Crew rescued the same day by Norwegian freighter SS Baltic.



North Sea:
Wilhelm von Fircks, in U-59, sinks Swedish barquentine August, 341 tons, carrying a load of wood from Uddevalla to Tyne. This is von Fircks's first sinking.



Bay of Biscay:
Reinhold Saltzwedel, in UC-21, sinks British freighter SS Avristan, 3,818 tons, en route from Portland, Maine, USA to London with a load of wheat. His score is now 19 ships and 20,398 tons.



Black Sea:
German submarine UB-46, commanded by Cäsar Bauer, hits a mine and sinks with the loss of all 20 crew.



Canary Islands:
Heinrich Metzger, in U-47, sinks Greek freighter SS Spyros, 3,357 tons, carrying a load of maize from Buenos Aires to Hull, south of Fuerteventura. His score is now 5 ships and 8,974 tons.



Ivory Coast, Africa:
British freighter SS Bato, 503 tons, catches fire and is beached at the village of Addah.

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Allies associate themselves with Belgian protest against German slave raids in Belgium.

For those not overly familiar with this little known aspect of WWI...some insight: http://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/Forced_Labour

Forced labor was not a new phenomenon in the Second World War. Rather, it already existed during the First World War. In general, civilian forced labor has to be distinguished from the work of prisoners of war which is – within limits – covered by international law. During the First World War, The Hague and Geneva Conventions provided only vague provisions for civilians forced to labor. ....Moreover, military and right-wing circles were gradually convinced that German conduct in the First World War had not been brutal but rather too considerate. Well-known authors, especially Ludendorff, concluded from the lost war that a future “total war” must entail a more complete and more ruthless mobilization of the entire labor force. The exploitation of future occupied territories, particularly in Eastern Europe, was considered crucial. The experiences of the First World War confirmed the opinion in these circles that the peoples of Eastern Europe had to be treated ruthlessly – and that this was possible because international public opinion cared much more about events in Western Europe. The Nazis, especially, adopted Ludendorff’s “lessons” drawn from the First World War with eagerness, albeit with some modifications. At his trial in 1924,Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) declared that he had read Ludendorff’s Kriegführung und Politik (War and Politics) with enthusiasm..

In short: WWI's brief stab at largely deemed unsuccessful slave labor, both economically and morally, would set up the horrors of efficient NAZI slave labor.

[Jimbuna]

8th December 1916

Eastern Front

Heavy fighting in Galicia, in south of Bukovina, and on Moldavian frontier.

Romanian force retiring on Bucharest from Sinaia captured at Ploeshti.

Murman railway opened.

Southern Front

Allied Colonies leaving Athens.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Greek Blockade effective from 8 a.m. Allied countries impose a blockade on Greece, as King Constantine remains friendly with Germany.

Portuguese retire from Nangadi (East Africa); Germans occupy it.

Political, etc.

Asquith and members of the Liberal Party agree to support David Lloyd George as the new Prime Minister of Great Britain.

Allies demand explanation of Greek troops concentrated round Athens.

Russian military warns that if Germany conquers Romania, then the Central Powers would be free to concentrate on Russia.

Ship Losses:

Brask (Norway) The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of Gibraltar (37°46′N 9°26′W) by SM U-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Britannia (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 70 nautical miles (130 km) west of Cape Sines, Portugal (37°18′N 10°29′W) by SM U-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of two of her 40 crew. Her captain was taken as a prisoner of war.
Carmelina Dominici (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Tyrrhenian Sea by SM U-32 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Conch (United Kingdom) The tanker was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 10 nautical miles (19 km) south of Poole, Dorset (50°23′N 2°02′W) by SM UB-23 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 28 of her 31 crew.
HMT Dagon (Royal Navy) The naval trawler struck a mine laid by UC 21 (Reinhold Saltzwedel) and sank in the English Channel off the Royal Sovereign Lightship ( United Kingdom) with the loss of twelve of her crew.
Falk (Norway) The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 15 nautical miles (28 km) south west of Penmarc'h, Finistère, France by SM UC-21 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Harry (Sweden) The sailing vessel was sunk in the North Sea[90] (56°10′N 2°18′E) by SM U-59 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
HMS Kent County (Royal Navy) The Q-ship was lost on this date.
King George (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 700 nautical miles (1,300 km) east of Cape Race, Newfoundland by SMS Möwe ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew were taken as prisoners of war.
Marjolaine (France) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 10 nautical miles (19 km) west of Penmarc'h by SM UC-21 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Modum (Norway) The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south south west of Penmarc'h (47°38′N 4°19′W) by SM UC-21 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Rakiura (Norway) The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 60 nautical miles (110 km) west south west of the Casquets, Channel Islands by SM UB-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Rollo (Denmark) The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 35 nautical miles (65 km) north of the Île de Batz, Finistère (49°12′N 3°40′W) by SM UB-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Saga (Norway) The coaster was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 50 nautical miles (93 km) west north west of Guernsey, Channel Islands by SM UB-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

December 8, 1916

English Channel:
Heinz Ziemer, commanding UB-23, sinks British tanker SS Conch, 5,620 tons, bound from Rangoon for the Thames with a load of benzine. His score is now 5 ships and 9,281 tons.

Heinrich Küstner, in UB-39, sinks 3 Allied vessels:
Norwegian freighter SS Rakiura, 3,569 tons, carrying a load of coal from South Shields to Algiers.
Danish freighter SS Rollo, 2,290 tons, en route from Tyne to Oran with a load of coal. Sunk by gunfire.
Norwegian coaster SS Saga, 433 tons, travelling in ballast from St. Malo to Swansea.
Küstner's score is now 18 ships and 28,828 tons.

His Majesty's Trawler Dagon, 250 tons, hits a mine laid by Reinhold Saltzwedel in UC-21 off the Royal Sovereign light vessel. See 'Bay of Biscay' below.



North Sea:
His Majesty's Drifter Kent County goes missing with all hands. It is presumed to have hit a mine near the Cross Sand Light Vessel.

Wilhelm von Fircks, in U-59, stops and scuttles Swedish sailing vessel Harry, 81 tons, carrying 136 tons of wood from Barberg to Blyth. His score is now 2 ships and 422 tons.



Skagerrak:
Norwegian schooner Sjøploven, travelling from Larvik to Sandnes with a load of timber, is wrecked off Ryvingen.



Bay of Biscay:
Reinhold Saltzwedel, in UC-21, sinks 3 ships off Penmarch:
Norwegian freighter SS Falk, 1,379 tons, bound from Swansea for Saint Nazaire with a load of coal.
French sailing vessel Marjolaine, 163 tons.
Norwegian freighter SS Modum, 2,937 tons, carrying a load of coal from Sunderland to Bordeaux.
With the trawler Dagon listed above, Saltzwedel's score is now 23 ships and 27,127 tons.



Portugal:
Max Valentiner, in U-38, sinks two ships off Cape St. Vincent:
Norwegian freighter SS Brask, 1,464 tons, travelling from Glasgow to Gibraltar with a load of coal.
British freighter SS Britannia, 1,814 tons, carrying a general cargo from London to Malaga.
Valentiner's score is now 117 ships and 253,854 tons.



Tyrrhenian Sea:
Kurt Hartwig, in U-32, sinks Italian sailing vessel Carmalina Dominici, 94 tons, raising his score to 11 ships and 29,571 tons.

Atlantic Ocean:
German raider SMS Möwe sinks three ships in the North Atlantic:
British freighter SS Cambrian Range, 4,234 tons.
Canadian schooner Duchess of Cornwall, 152 tons, sailing from Saint Johns, Newfoundland to Gibraltar with 224 tons of dried fish.
British freighter SS King George, 3,852 tons, carrying 4,500 tons of pig iron, steel oil, nails and 685 tons of explosives from Philadelphia to Manchester.
The crews of all three ships are transferred to the captured freighter SS Yarrowdale and the vessels sunk with scuttling charges.

[Jimbuna]

9th December 1916

Eastern Front

Continuous fighting throughout Russian southern front.

In the past week, German forces in Romania have captured 70,000 prisoners, 184 artillery guns, and 120 machine guns.

Southern Front

Bulgarians cross Danube near Silistria and Tutrakan, capturing towns on left bank.

Fighting near Monastir.

Turks posts taken south of Seres.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Distress caused in Canary Islands by German blockade.

Political, etc.

Germany defends its deportations of Belgian civilians, stating that they “volunteered” to work in Germany.

British and U.S.A. Ministers have audience of King Constantine.

French government bans paper imports to help raise the exchange and to encourage the French paper industry.

Italian Chamber of Deputies votes 376 to 45 in confidence of their government’s conduct of the war.

Ship Losses:

Brizella (Portugal) The brigantine was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of Gibraltar (38°05′N 10°02′W) by SM U-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Cambrian Prince (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was scuttled in the Atlantic Ocean 610 nautical miles (1,130 km) east of Cape Race, Newfoundland by SMS Möwe ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew were taken as prisoners of war.
Forth (United Kingdom) The cargo ship struck a mine laid by UC 11 (Benno von Ditfurth) and sank in the North Sea 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) south west of the Shipwash Lightship ( United Kingdom). Her crew survived.
Harlington (United Kingdom) The cargo ship struck a mine laid by UC 11 (Benno von Ditfurth) and sank in the North Sea 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) south west of the Shipwash Lightship ( United Kingdom) with the loss of seven of her crew.
Harlyn (United Kingdom) The cargo ship struck a mine laid by UC 11 (Benno von Ditfurth) and sank in the North Sea 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) south west of the Shipwash Lightship ( United Kingdom) with the loss of two of her crew.
Louise B. (France) The schooner was wrecked at Port-de-Bouc, Bouches-du-Rhône. Her crew were rescued.

[Sailor Steve]

December 9, 1916

Irish Sea:
British coaster Sea Fisher, 297 tons, departs Waterford, Ireland with a load of pitwood for Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and is not heard from again.



North Sea:
Benno von Ditfurth began his career in UC-11 laying a minefield off the Shipwash light vessel. Today three British freighters are lost to mines in that field.
SS Forth, 1,159 tons, bound from London for Leith with a general cargo.
SS Harlington, 1,089 tons, carrying a load of coal from Sunderland to an unnamed destination.
SS Harlyn, 1,794 tons, travelling from Newcastle to London with a load of coal.
Von Ditfurth's opening score is 3 ships and 4,042 tons.



Portugal:
Max Valentiner, in U-38, sinks Portuguese brigantine Brizella, 282 tons, travelling from Lisbon to Madeira with an unspecified cargo. His score is now 118 ships and 254,136 tons.



Golfe du Lion:
French schooner Louise B, 122 tons, is wrecked near Port de Bouc, north of Marseilles.



Australia:
Australian wooden coaster SS Belmore, 189 tons, is wrecked on the bar at the entrance to the Macleay River, near Port Macquarie, New South Wales.

[Jimbuna]

10th December 1916

Eastern Front

Stubborn fighting in Carpathians, south Bukovina and Trotus Valley.

Fighting north of Ploeshti.

Southern Front

Bulgarian forces cross the Danube from the Dobruja, in an effort to cut off the retreating Romanian army’s retreat.

Bulgars capture bridgehead opposite Cerna-Voda.

Fighting north of Monastir.

Naval and Overseas Operations

German merchant submarine "Deutschland" returns to mouth of Weser.

British soldiers heading towards the wreck of the German cruiser SMS Königsberg in German East Africa.


Political, etc.

Allied Note to Greece demands demobilisation.

British govt agrees to send railroad freight cars to France, as 20,000 freight cars are used to supply the British Expeditionary Force.

Kirk Douglas (the future actor, producer, director & author), is born to an impoverished Jewish immigrant family in Amsterdam, NY.

Ship Losses:

Agder (Norway) The coaster was sunk in the North Sea 84 nautical miles (156 km) west of Utsire, Rogaland by SM U-24 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Emma Laurans (France) The barque was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off the Canary Islands, Spain (27°48′N 23°16′W) by SM U-52 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived, they were rescued by U-52 and landed in the Canary Isles on 12 December.
Esemplare (Italy) The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of Gibraltar (36°38′N 8°22′W) by SM U-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Georgic (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 590 nautical miles (1,090 km) east south east of Cape Race, Newfoundland by SMS Möwe with the loss of a crew member. The survivors were taken as prisoners of war.
Gerda (Norway) The barque was set afire and sunk in the North Sea by SM U-82 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Strathalbyn (United Kingdom) The cargo ship struck a mine laid by UC 26 (Matthias Graf von Schmettow) and sank in the English Channel off Cherbourg, Seine-Maritime, France. Her crew survived.

"A Foretoken" (Western Mail cartoon).

[Sailor Steve]

December 10, 1916

Air War:
French pilot Jean Casale, flying a Nieuport, shoots down an "Enemy Aircraft" for victory number 5.

French pilot Georges Madon shoots down an LVG two-seater for victory number 4.



English Channel:
British freighter SS Strathalbyn, 4,331 tons, bound from New York for Le Havre with a general cargo, hits a mine laid off Cherbourg by Matthias von Schmettow in UC-26. His score is now 62 ships and 92,361 tons.



North Sea:
Walter Remy, commanding U-24, sinks Norwegian coaster SS Agder, 305 tons, carrying a load of canned fish from Stavanger to Newcastle, west of Utsira. His score is now 3 ships and 671 tons.

Hans Adam, in U-82, sinks Danish barque Gerda, 287 tons, travelling from Gothenburg to Tyne with a load of pit props. His score is now 5 ships and 1,962 tons.



Canary Islands:
Heinrich Metzger, in U-47, captures Greek freighter SS Salamis, 3,638 tons, en route from Cardiff to Montevideo with an unspecified cargo. Metzger keeps the ship for three days before finally sinking her.

Hans Walther, in U-52, stops French barque Emma Laurans, 2,153 tons, travelling in ballast from Bordeaux to New York. After taking 4 tons of food and water Walther scuttles the sailing vessel. Her 21 crew are all taken aboard U-52 and remain there until dropped off two days later at Mas Palomas, Gran Canaria Island. According to Emma Laurans' captain Louis Garnier, Walther treated him and his men well and asked them to report that the Germans are not all barbarians. His score is now 18 ships and 39,857 tons.



Gulf of Cadiz:
Max Valentiner, in U-38, sinks Italian freighter SS Esemplare, 2,595 tons, bringing his score to 119 ships and 256,731 tons.



German East Africa:
British monitor HMS Severn makes a trip up the Rufiji River looking for possible German activity. Anchoring a mile above the wreck of SS Somali, sunk two years earlier by HMS Chatham, Severn sends two armed motorboats upriver to investigate. Finding nothing the boats return and Severn heads back down-river.



Canada:
Canadian schooner Altona, 28 tons, travelling from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Ingramport, NS, runs aground at Prospect, NS.

German raider SMS Möwe captures and scuttles British freighter SS Georgic, 10,077 tons, travelling from Philadelphia to Brest with a cargo consisting of 1,200 horses, 10,000 barrels of lubricating oil, 98,000 bushels of wheat, 4,040 bales of cotton, 130 cases of rifles and 36 armored cars.



United States:
American freighter SS Powhatan, 2,898 tons, sinks following a collision at the entrance to Chesapeake Bay. Powhattan will be raised and rebuild in 1919.

[Jimbuna]

11th December 1916

Western Front

Violent artillery action on Somme front.

Preparatory French bombardment on Verdun front.

Eastern Front

Enemy forces over the Jalomitsa River, north-east of Bucharest.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Allied air-raids on Zeebrugge.

Political, etc.

Members of Britain’s new War Cabinet are announced: Lloyd George, Earl Curzon, Andrew Bonar Law, Arthur Henderson, & Lord Milner.

President Wilson announces that he will retain his current Cabinet members for his second term.

Heavy shakeup of the French government and military is in the works in response to the Allied failure in Romania and stalemate in the West.

King Ferdinand of Romania arrives in Reni, Bessarabia (Ukraine) to meet with Tsar Nicholas II.

Italian government announces it will take complete control of meat supplies after January 1st and will ban sales on Thursdays & Fridays.

Ship Losses:

Bjor (Norway) The cargo ship was sunk in the North Sea 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) off the Ryvingen Lighthouse, Vest-Agder by SM U-66 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her fifteen crew survived.
Inger (Denmark) The coaster was sunk in the English Channel 15 nautical miles (28 km) south south west of St Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom by SM UC-18 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Jeanne (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sardinia by SM U-72 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Magellan (France) The passenger ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 10 nautical miles (19 km) south of Pantellaria, Italy (36°36′N 12°10′E) by SM U-63 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Nora (Denmark) The coaster struck a mine laid by UC 10 (Werner Albrecht) and sank in the North Sea 7 nautical miles (13 km) south of Withernsea, Yorkshire, United Kingdom (54°05′N 0°55′E) with the loss of four of her crew.
Palander (Sweden) The three-masted schooner was sunk in the North Sea off Oxø by SM U-66 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Sinai (France) The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) south of Pantellaria (36°35′N 12°12′E) by SM U-63 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
USAT Sumner (United States Army) United States Army transport, ex USS Cassius, ex Rhaetia (1882 Germany). Wrecked on Barnegat Shoals, New Jersey with hulk broken in two and still visible March 1917.

[Sailor Steve]

December 11, 1916

Air War:
1000 Canadian RFC pilot Chester Duffus and observer G.O. McEntee, in FE.2b 7697, Selden Long in DH.2 A305, and Eric Pashley in DH.2 7930 team up to bring down a German two-seater. Victory number 5 for Duffus and Pashley, number 3 for Long and unknown for McEntee.
This is Duffus' last victory. He will later take command of No. 25 Squadron and will survive the war, living until 1981.

1010 Australian RNAS ace Stanley Goble, in Sopwith Pup N5194, shoots down a German two-seater for victory number 8.

1030 A flight of six RFC Nieuport 17s force down an Albatros C.III with disastrous results. English Ace Eustace Grenfell, future aces Keith Caldwell, henry Meintjes and Lewis Ewart Whithead, along with pilots A.P.V. Daly and L.S. Weedon, attack Albatros C.III 174/16. The crew, listed as either Uffz Hartel or Flg H. Ruwe (pilot) and Oblnt H. Baldamus (observer - not to be confused with German ace Hartthmus Baldamus), manage to land the plane behind British lines. In an effort to capture the Albatros intact all six British pilots land, four of them crashing in the process. The Germans still manage to burn their aeroplane, but the fuel tank explodes. The pilot is listed as killed, the observer severely injured and taken prisoner. This is victory number 2 for Caldwell and Meintjes, number 1 for Whitehead, and number 8 for Grenfell. It is also his last, as when he landed his Nieuport crashed so badly that his ankle was shattered, ending his combat flying career. After his recovery he will become commander of the base at Biggin Hill. He will stay in the RAF until retirement in 1942, and live until 1964.

1155 German ace Manfred von Richthofen, in Albatros D.II 491/16, shoots down DH.2 5986 for victory number 12. Lt Benedict Philip Hunt is taken prisoner.

1245 German pilot Adolf Schulte, in an Albatros D.II, shoots down a BE.2c for victory number 1. Lt G.W. Dampier and 2nd Lt H.C. Barr are both killed.



English channel:
Danish freighter SS Inger, 786 tons, carrying a load of fruit from Gandia to London, hits a mine laid of Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight, by Wilhelm Kiel in UC-18. His score is now 15 ships and 11,566 tons.



North Sea:
Danish freighter SS Nora, 772 tons, bound from Hernösand for Gijon with a load of timber, hits a mine laid off Withernsea by Werner Albrecht in UC-10. UC-10 was torpedoed by HMS E-54 last August 21st, so this sinking is posthumous. Albrecht's final score is 3 ships and 1,196 tons.



Skagerrak:
Thorwald von Bothmer, in U-66, sinks two Allied ships:
Norwegian freighter SS Bjor, 1,090 tons, carrying a general cargo from Göteborg to Hull.
Swedish schooner Palander, 311 tons, en route from Holmestrand to West Hartlepool with a load of pit props.
Von Bothmer's score is now 12 ships and 24,862 tons.



Mediterranean Sea:
Otto Schultze, in U-63, sinks two ships near Pantellaria:
French passenger ship SS Magellan, 6,027 tons, en route from Shanghai to Marseille.
French freighter SS Sinai, 4,624 tons, route and cargo unknown.
Schultze's score is now 19 ships and 50,530 tons.

Ernst Kraft, in U-72, sinks Italian sailing vessel Jeanne, 534 tons, south of Sardinia. His score is now 11 ships and 19,794 tons.



United States:
American freighter US Army Transport Sumner, 3,553 tons, is wrecked at Barnegat Shoals, New Jersey.



Caribbean Sea:
American schooner Fleetwing, 111 tons, travelling from Faial Island in the Azores to Bermuda, is wrecked on the east coast of Cuba. If the locations are accurate then the westbound vessel must have been caught in a storm and blown almost 900 miles off course. (Wrecksite.eu)

[Jimbuna]

12th December 1916


Western Front

General Nivelle succeeds General Joffre as Commander-in-Chief north and north-east French Armies. General Joffre becomes Technical War adviser to War Cabinet.

Eastern Front

Fighting continues round Tarnopol and Stanislau (Galicia) and in south Bukovina.

With help of Russians, Romanians rally on the Jalomitsa and south-west of Buzeu.

Southern Front

Fighting near Monsatir (Cherna bend).

Venizelist troops land at Syra which with other Cyclades comes under National Government.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

British feint on Sanna-i-yat, and move on Shatt-el-Hai.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Vice-Admiral Gauchet succeeds Admiral Dartige du Fournet at Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet.

Netherland orders grain ships to only carry grain and to not mix cargo, in order to prevent them from being targeted by German submarines.

Political, etc.

Greek Minister in Paris coveys King Constantine's regrets for recent events at Athens.

German Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg offers the Allied nations to start peace negotiations.


Ship Losses:

Coath (United Kingdom) The coaster was sunk in the English Channel 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) south west of Eastbourne, East Sussex by SM UB-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of sixteen of her crew.
Conrad (United Kingdom) The schooner was scuttled in the English Channel 45 nautical miles (83 km) south south east of St. Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight (50°05′N 0°40′W) by SM UB-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
St. Ursula (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 45 nautical miles (83 km) south east by south of Malta by SM U-32 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of four crew.
Regina Margherita (Regia Marina) The Regina Margherita-class battleship struck a mine laid by UC 14 (Franz Becker) and sank in the Adriatic Sea off Vlorë, Albania with the loss of 675 of her 945 crew.


Editorial Cartoon: If there were such a thing as cousinly love ─ Chicago Tribune.

[Sailor Steve]

December 12, 1916

English Channel:
Wilhelm Amberger, commanding UB-38, begins his career with the sinking of two British ships:
Freighter SS Coath, 975 tons, route and cargo unknown, near Eastbourne.
Schooner Conrad, 164 tons, bound from Dieppe for Runcorn with a load of flint stone. Scuttled off St. Catherine's Point.
Amberger's opening score is 2 ships and 1,139 tons.



Norway:
Norwegian trawler Ørnen, 107 tons, on a fishing trip out of Sulenhavet, hits a mine laid by an unknown ship. All 19 crew are lost with their ship.



Golfe du Lion:
Italian barquentine Amodea, 295 tons, carrying a load of staves from Vecchia to Seville, is wrecked off Toulon.



Ligurian Sea:
Italian barque Astrea, 814 tons, travelling in ballast from Marseille to Genoa, is wrecked near Camogli, on the Golfo Paradiso.



Mediterranean Sea:
Kurt Hartwig, in U-32, torpedoes British freighter SS Saint Ursula, 5,011 tons, travelling in ballast from Salonika to Newport News, south of Malta. His score is now 12 ships and 34,582 tons.



Adriatic Sea:
Italian battleship Regina Margherita, 13,427 tons, hits a mine laid by Franz Becker in UC-14, and sinks with loss of 675 lives. Becker's score is now 4 ships and 15,080 tons.



Canada:
Canadian schooner Pansy, 76 tons, founders off Parrsboro Roads, Nova Scotia.

[Jimbuna]

13th December 1916

Western Front

Heavy bombardments on Somme front continue.

Eastern Front

Romanians again forced back from the Jalomitsa and the Ploeshti-Buzeu road.

Enemy advances towards Braila and Galatz.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

British offensive on the Tigris; Sanna-i-Yat bombarded; British cross the Shatt-el-Hai and secure both banks.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Russians ships shell Balchik, to destroy mills supplying Bulgar army.

USS Pennsylvania, the lead ship of her class commissioned at Hampton Roads.


German submarine SM UB-29, which sunk 31 ships during the war, is sunk by the HMS Landrail south of Goodwin Sands.

Political, etc.

Allied nations reject German proposal to enter into peace negotiations, as they do not believe the offer is serious.

Austrian Premier (Dr. Korber) resigns. Dr V. Spitzmuller forms new Ministry.

M. Briand sums up German "Peace" Note as "Heads I win, tails you lose".

Total German losses in killed, wounded, and missing now numbers 3,921,869 men, excluding naval and colonial losses.

General Joseph Joffre is removed from command as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front.


Ship Losses:

Angelo Parodi (Italy) The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 6 nautical miles (11 km) off Cabo Tinoso, Spain (37°18′N 1°25′W) by SM U-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Bretwalda (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 220 nautical miles (410 km) east by south of Malta (35°30′N 19°05′E) by SM UB-43 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Kaupanger (Norway) The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 20 nautical miles (37 km) off Cartagena, Murcia, Spain (37°23′N 0°48′W) by SM U-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Salamis (Greece )WThe cargo ship was scuttled in the Atlantic Ocean off Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain by SM U-47 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Solon (Denmark) The schooner was sunk in the North Sea 25 nautical miles (46 km) west of Hanstholm, Nordjylland by SM U-71 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
SM UB-29 (Kaiserliche Marine) The Type UB II submarine was depth charged and sunk in the English Channel south of the Goodwin Sands, Kent, United Kingdom (51°09′N 1°46′E) by HMS Landrail ( Royal Navy) with the loss of all 22 crew.
Vala (Sweden) The cargo ship, en route from Malmö to Blyth, Northumberland, struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Hanstholm. Her crew survived.

Editorial Cartoon: The star in the East ─ Chicago Tribune

[Sailor Steve]

December 13, 1916

Air War:
Hungarian pilot Károly Kaszala, flying a Hansa-Brandenburg C.I with observer Lt N. Faher, shoots down an "Enemy Aircraft" for victory number 1.



Scotland:
Russian passenger ship Kursk, 7,869 tons, bound from Archangelsk for New York with a general cargo, hits a mine laid by Otto Dröscher in U-78, west of Skerryvore Rock. The damaged ship makes it safely to port.



North Sea:
British destroyer HMS Landrail drops two depth charges and sinks UB-29 (Erich Platsch) with all hands; east of Dover.



Skagerrak:
Hugo Schmidt, commanding U-71, sinks Danish schooner Solon, 137 tons, carrying a load of wood from Göteborg to Tyne.



Kattegat:
Swedish freighter SS Vala, 2,129 tons, travelling in ballast from Malmö to Blyth, hits a mine laid by an unknown ship.



Alboran Sea:
Max Valentiner, in U-38, sinks two ships off the east coast of Spain:
Italian freighter SS Angelo Parodi, 3,825 tons, course and cargo unknown; off Cabo Tinoso.
Norwegian freighter SS Kaupanger, 3,354 tons, carrying a load of coal from Cardiff to La Spezia; off Cartagena.
Valentiner's score is now 121 ships and 263,910 tons.



Mediterranean Sea:
Hans von Mellenthin, in UB-43, sinks British freighter SS Bretwalda, 4,037 tons, carrying a load of jute from Calcutta to Boulogne; 220 miles east of Malta. His score is now 11 ships and 50,046 tons.



Canary Islands:
Heinrich Metzger, in U-47, sinks SS Salamis, which he had captured three days earlier.



Canada:
American schooner Jessie Costa, tonnage unknown, sets sail from Boston to be taken over by new owners at Newfoundland, and is not heard from again. Loss attributed to heavy gales in the region.



United States:
American motor vessel Aliceil, 709 tons, is wrecked at Point Loma, near San Diego, California.



American schooner Carrie E. Look, 457 tons, departs Carteret, New Jersey for San Juan, Puerto Rico with a load of bagged fertilizer, and is not heard from again.

[Jimbuna]

14th December 1916

Western Front

Heavy reciprocal raiding near Ypres.

Eastern Front

Russians again in Carpathian struggle, and along Moldavian frontier.

Falkenhayn's forces enter Buzeu; Danube army over the Jalomitsa.

All Wallachia cleared of Allied troops south of Bucharest-Cerna Voda line.

Southern Front

Fighting near Monastir.

Strong artillery action in Lake Doiran zone.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

British advance up the Shatt-el-Hai to within 2.5 miles of Kut, and destroy (aeroplanes) Tigris pontoon bridges.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Naval aeroplanes bomb Kuleli-Burgas bridge (20 miles south of Adrianpole).

S.S. "Westminster" and empty horse-transport "Russian" torpedoed in Mediterranean.

Political, etc.

Allies present 24-hours Ultimatum to Greece.

House of Commons votes on a £400 million in credit to fund the war and add 1 million men to the Army.

Berlin fixes the upper price limit for horse meat at 39 cents a pound for the best cuts.

British government threatens to punish strikers at the Port of Liverpool, as they are impacting Royal Navy operations.

Denmark holds a referendum on whether or not to sell the Danish West Indian Islands to the US. Yes for the sale wins with 64.2% of the vote.

Ship Losses:

Burnhope (United Kingdom) The cargo ship struck a mine laid by UC 32 (Herbert Breyer) and sank at Hartlepool, County Durham with the loss of a crew member.
Glencoe (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay 14 nautical miles (26 km) north north west of the Île d'Yeu, Vendée, France (46°54′N 2°38′W) by SM UC-18 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Leca (Portugal) The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Bay of Biscay west of the Île de Noirmoutier, Vendée (46°57′N 2°41′W) by SM UC-18 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Marcus L. Crann (United States) The schooner was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. Three of her crew were rescued by Mar Del Norte ( Spain).
B]Westminster[/B] (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 196 nautical miles (363 km) east by south of Malta (35°35′N 18°23′E) by SM UB-43 ( Kaiserliche Marine with the loss of fifteen of her crew.
Russian (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 210 nautical miles (390 km) east by south of Malta (35°30′N 18°52′E) by SM UB-43 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 28 crew.