100 Years Ago Today

[Sailor Steve]

August 31:

Air War:

Welsh pilot Lionel Rees and Scots observer James Hargreaves, in FB.5 1649, shoot down an LVG C.I for their second victory.

German pilot Walter Kandulski and observer Julius Bielitz are attacked by a Morane-Saulnier 'N'. Bielitz successfully defends the aircraft, forcing the Morane down. Adolphe Pègoud, the world's first ace, has died in combat.

Idflieg reports 22 Fokker eindeckers at the front:
17 E.I
2 E.II
3 E.III

[Jimbuna]

1st September 1915

Western Front

Despite the use of poison gas, two German attacks on French lines at Vosges are repulsed. Artillery bombardment on both sides continue.

Eastern Front

Germans storm Grodno.

Austrians enter Brody.

Russians concentrate round Vilna.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Island of Ruad (between Latakia and Tripoli, Syria) occupied by French.

Naval

Auxiliary Patrol - First 6 Elco-built ML's reached Portsmouth, overhauled and carried out trials, ML's 1, 2, 3 commissioned at Portsmouth on 14 October

North Sea
Two Admiralty trawlers, both Grimsby-reg and Harwich-based (and one steamship), mined and sunk in field laid by UC.7 (Franz Wäger) the day before off the Shipwash, off Orford Ness:

NADINE, Admiralty trawler, 150/1898, Orient Steam Fishing, GY138, hired 11/14 as auxiliary patrol vessel, Pennant No.693, tender to HMS Ganges, shore training establishment at Shotley, Suffollk, Skipper Percy Michael Saunders RNR. Sank off North Shipwash Buoy (wi - 52.01.18N, 01.37.35E); Skipper and 8 ratings lost (He – 3 survivors).

MALTA, Admiralty trawler, 138/1897, W Grant, GY325, hired 11/14 as auxiliary patrol vessel, Pennant No.700, had operated with submarine C.33 as trawler-submarine decoy, Skipper Frank McPherson RNR. Sank 2 cables NW of North Shipwash Buoy (wi - in 52.01.18N, 01.37.35E); 7 ratings lost.

Political etc.

President Wilson urges Senators and Representatives to ruthlessly cut pork barrel projects in order to increase the defense budget.

Serbia replies to communication of Entente Powers, re: settlement of Balkan question.

German acceptance of American demands re: submarine warfare communicated by Count Bernstorff. German Ambassador Bernstorff’s statement defuses tensions between the US and Germany, but public opinion in the US remains negative.

Germany promises the United States that civilian liners will not be attacked.


Kaiser Wilhelm congratulates Hindenburg on the 1 year anniversary of Tannenberg, “a feat of arms unparalleled in history.”

Ship Losses:

HMT Malta ( Royal Navy): The naval trawler struck a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary with the loss of seven of her crew.
HMT Nadine ( Royal Navy): The naval trawler struck a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary with the loss of nine of her crew.
Savona ( United Kingdom}): The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 0.5 nautical miles (930 m) off the Shipwash Lightship ( United Kingdom) with the loss of three of her crew.
Whitefield ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 95 nautical miles (176 km) north by west of Cape Wrath, Sutherland (59°45′N 6°00′W) by SM U-33 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

Ottoman shell hitting stores of Australian troops at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli.

[Sailor Steve]

September 1:

Air War:

Austro-Hungarian team of Gottried von Banfield and Heribert von Ravelsberg, in a Lohner flying boat, file two more claims this day, a Curtiss flying boat and an Italian of unnamed make. Both are listed as unconfirmed and their score remains at 1.



North of Scotland, east of the Shetland Islands: Konrad Gansser, commanding U-33, begins his third war patrol with the sinking of British freighter SS Whitefield, 2,422 tons, bound from Archangelsk to Clyde and then Nice with a load of wheat. His score is now 8 ships and 12,607 tons.



North Sea: Three ships, His Majesty's Trawlers Malta, 138 tons, and Nadine, 150 tons; and SS Savona, 1,180 tons, carrying a cargo of esparto grass and lead from Oran to Leith; all are lost to a minefield laid in the Thames Estuary by UC-7, commanded by Franz Wäger. Wäger's score is now 3 ships and 1,588 tons.

[Jimbuna]

2nd September 1915

Western Front

Artillery duels continue between Germany and France across the front. At Linge, Germany fires an estimated 40,000 shells in 2 days.

Eastern Front

Fall of Grodno; Boehm-Ermolli advances east of Brody; Russians retreat to the Sereth; fierce fighting near Vilna.

Southern Front

Unsuccessful assault by Italians on bridgehead of Tolmino.

British submarines sink four Turkish transports off Akbachi Sliman and Nagara (Gallipoli).

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

German intrigues in Persia; Mr T.G. Graham, British Counsul-General at Ispahan, attacked and wounded.

Final scattering of Bunerwals on N.W. Frontier (India).

Naval and Overseas Operations

HMT Southland, a troop transport, is torpedoed by the German submarine UB-14 near Lemnos, resulting in 40 deaths.


William T. Lewis a British sailing ship of 2,166 tons enroute from Everett - Sheerness with a cargo of timber, was stopped at location 50° 55'N, 11° 47'W by U 39 (Walter Forstmann). All attempts to sink her by gunnery were unsuccesful. She was damaged again by U 20 two days later whilst being towed and still did not sink.


Political etc.

Germany offers the US to let The Hague settle claims over the sinking of the Lusitania and Arabic.

General Polivanov appointed Prime Minister in Russia.

Switzerland and Sweden agree to work together to bring other neutral nations closer together through diplomatic exchange.

American press publishes peace terms now being propagated by Germany.

Scandinavian groups of Inter-parliamentary Union meet at Copenhagen.

Ship Losses:

Marie ( Norway): The coaster caught fire and sank in the Bay of Biscay. Her sixteen crew were rescued by Marcella ( Greece).
Roumanie ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was scuttled in the Atlantic Ocean 40 nautical miles (74 km) west of St. Kilda, Inverness-shire by SM U-20 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

September 2:

"Many alterations are taking place here and we are being sadly split up. Andreae and I are very soon going to Dover to join a mythical "C" group. At present Andreae and I are its sole components - even a Squadron Commander is not yet appointed. I am to be 1st Lieut., good for me, but fear they may yet put in a Flight Commander. In all probablility we shall be in England over two months. Shall know a heap more in a few days."
-Harold Rosher, letter to his father, September 2, 1915
(sorry it's a day late)



North Atlantic: Off the northwest coast of Scotland Walther Schwieger, commanding U-20, opens his fifth war patrol with the sinking of British freighter SS Roumanie, 2,599 tons, bound from Archangelsk to Clyde with a load of wood. Schwieger's score is now 16 ships and 74,456 tons.

Northwest of Ireland Heino von Heimburg, in UB-14, damages passenger liner SS Southland, 11,899 tons, heading from Alexandria to Mudros.

Southwest of Ireland Walter Forstmann, in U-39, starts his fourth war patrol with a deck-gun attack on British sailing ship SV William T. Lewis, 2,166 tons, carrying a load of timber from Everett to Sheerness. The full-rigged ship is only damaged.



German East Africa: While patrolling the coastline, HMS Severn records that the beach at Kilwa Kivinje appears to be entrenched.

[BossMark]

September 3 1916


The German Somme front is broken by an Allied offensive.


Battle of Guillemont, 3–6 September

The Battle of Guillemont was an attack on the village which was captured by the Fourth Army on the first day. Guillemont was on the right flank of the British sector, near the boundary with the French Sixth Army. German defences ringed the British salient at Delville Wood to the north and had observation over the French Sixth Army area to the south towards the Somme river. The German defence in the area was based on the second line and numerous fortified villages and farms north from Maurepas at Combles, Guillemont, Falfemont Farm, Delville Wood and High Wood, which were mutually supporting. The battle for Guillemont was considered by some observers to be the supreme effort of the German army during the battle. Numerous meetings were held by Joffre, Haig, Foch, Rawlinson and Fayolle to co-ordinate joint attacks by the four armies, all of which broke down. A pause in Anglo-French attacks at the end of August, coincided with the largest counter-attack by the German army in the Battle of the Somme

[Jimbuna]

3rd September 1915

Eastern Front

Germans force Russians at Friedrichstadt to east bank of Dvina; Russians re-enter Grodno and hold line between Dniester and Pripet marshes.

Austrians reach right bank of Sereth.

Grand Duke Nicholas appointed Viceroy of Caucasus.

General von Beseler appointed Governor General of Russian Poland.

Naval and Overseas Operations

North Sea
CHURSTON, Admiralty collier, 2,470/1914, Wilton SS Co, Dartmouth-reg, Mr W Martin, from Cardiff with 2,310t Welsh coal. Mined at 0850, laid by UC.7 (Franz Wäger), tugs attempted to take her in tow but weather too bad, finally sank at 1300, 2½m S of Orford Ness (W/te - in 52.01N, 01.38E); four crew lost, survivors picked up by naval patrol vessel.

British mounted infantry cause severe loss to enemy near Maktan (German East Africa).

Political etc.

French Ministry of the Interior takes steps to provide jobs in the public sector for crippled war veterans.

Allies continue to negotiate with Bulgaria to ensure its neutrality, but Bulgaria demands all of Macedonia.

Field Marshal von Hindenburg takes a break to go deer hunting at Schippenbeil, East Prussia.

Romania forbids export of cereals.

Aviation

September 3rd- 4th, 1915 (overnight)] Four Imperial German Navy airships attempt to bomb England. One of them, L 10, is struck by lightning and crashes in flames in the North Sea near Neuwerk, Germany, with the loss of her entire 20-man crew.


Ship Losses:

Churston ( United Kingdom): The collier struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) south of Orfordness, Suffolk (52°01′N 1°38′E) with the loss of four of her crew.
Frode ( Denmark): The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 60 nautical miles (110 km) west of Shannon, County Clare, United Kingdom (50°12′N 12°06′W) by SM U-20 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of two crew.

A 32-year-old Benito Mussolini leaves Italy for the front.

[Sailor Steve]

September 3:

North Atlantic: Off the west coast of Ireland Walther Schweiger, commanding U-20, sinks Danish freighter SS Frode, 1,875 tons, bound from Buenos Aires to Malmö with a cargo of maize. His score is now 17 ships and 76,331 tons.



North Sea: British freighter SS Churston, 2,470 tons, carrying a load of coal from Cardiff to an unregistered destination, becomes the fourth victim of the minefield laid by UC-7. Franz Wäger's score is now 4,058 tons.

[Jimbuna]

4th September 1915

Western Front

Artillery actions round Arras, and north of Chalons.

Eastern Front

Enemy offensive on Dubno-Kovna road developing; Russians retire slowly in centre.

Southern Front

Successful Italian actions in Trentino and in Plezzo basin (Julian).

Naval and Overseas Operations

Allan liner "Hesperian" torpedoed off Irish coast, west of Queenstown; sinks later with loss of 32 lives.

U-boat Warfare - SS Natal Transport was the first recorded British merchant ship lost in the Mediterranean to a U-boat

North Sea
Dahlia, fleet sweeping sloop, Acacia-class, 1,200t, 2-12pdr/2-3pdr, Grand Fleet minesweeping flotilla, Lt G Parsons, sweeping Meteor-laid field in Cromarty Firth. (Rn - 2nd) - Mined and very badly damaged, bows blown off but ship saved and repaired; 3 ratings killed, one missing and one died of wounds, Lt Parsons severely injured.

Atlantic off SW Ireland
Mimosa, Admiralty chartered red-ensign oiler (and a British steamship) captured off Fastnet Rock and sunk by U.33 (Konrad Gansser), then on passage for the Dardanelles:

CYMBELINE, 4,505/1902, Bear Creek Oil & Shipping Co (C T Bowring & Co), Liverpool-reg, Port Arthur for Dartmouth with oil. Sunk by torpedo by U.33 (Konrad Gansser), 96 miles W by S of (H/te/un - also 29 miles W by S of; un – in 51.16N, 12.04W); six crew lost.

Dardanelles
E.7, submarine, E-class, 655/796t, 1913, 1-12pdr/4-18in tt with 8 torpedoes, 15/9kts, 30 crew, Pennant No.I.87, fitted with 6pdr in 1915, Lt-Cdr Archibald Cochrane, attempting to break through Dardanelles defences to Sea of Marmara to relieve E.11 and partner E.7, set out from Kephalo Bay at 0200 on 4th. Reached Nagara Point at 0700, starboard propeller fouled anti-submarine net, struggled for 12 hours to get free, blowing and flooding tanks and manouevring, which only alerted the defences. Lt Heino von Hemburg, commander of UB.14 (ke - U.14) was rowed out to the approximate position, reportedly by the boat's cook, with one or more small mines which were lowered and detonated near the trapped submarine. According to Hepper, the first mine exploded at 1030 shaking the boat, and a second at 1840 which broke lights and other equipment. Lt Cochrane accepted E.7 would be destroyed, burnt the confidential papers, prepared for scuttling, came to the surface and blew her up (C/Cn - on 5th); no lives lost, all 38 crew saved, taken to Constantinople as POW's.

Ship Losses:

Cymbeline ( United Kingdom): The tanker was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 29 nautical miles (54 km) west by south of the Fastnet Rock (51°16′N 12°04′W) by SM U-33 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of six crew.
HMS E7 ( Royal Navy): The E-class submarine was caught in an anti-submarine net in the Dardanelles and was scuttled.
Glimt ( Norway): The sailing vessel was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 90 nautical miles (170 km) west by south of the Fastnet Rock (51°37′N 12°05′W) by SM U-33 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Hesperian ( United Kingdom): The passenger ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 85 nautical miles (157 km) south west by south of the Fastnet Rock by SM U-20 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 32 lives.
Mimosa ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 137 nautical miles (254 km) south west by south of the Fastnet Rock (49°26′N 12°00′W) by SM U-33 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Natal Transport ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 40 nautical miles (74 km) west of Gavdos, Greece by SM U-34 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Storesand ( Norway): The barque was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off the Fastnet Rock by SM U-33 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

September 4:

Celtic Sea: Walther Schweiger, commanding U-20, torpedoes British passenger liner SS Hesperian, 10,920 tons, bound from Liverpool to Montreal with a general cargo plus passengers. The ship survives the attack temporarily, but sinks two days later while under tow, giving Schweiger a score of 18 ships and 87,251 tons.

Konrad Gansser, in U-33, sinks British tanker Cymbeline, 4,505 tons, heading from Port Arthur to Dartmouth with a load of oil; Freighter Mimosa, 3,466 tons, carrying oil in drums from New York to Belfast and Liverpool; and Norwegian freighters Glimt, 955 tons, travelling in ballast from Ellesmere to Gaspé; and sailing ship Storesand, bound from Iquique to Liverpool with a load of nitrate. His score is now 12 ships and 23,172 tons.



Mediterranean Sea: Claus Rücker, in U-34, has moved from the Atlantic to warmer waters, and starts his third war patrol with the sinking of British freighter SS Natal Transport, 4,107 tons, bound from Bombay to Liverpool with a general cargo, off the coast of Crete. His score is now 9 ships and 23,187 tons.



German East Africa: At 0945 hours HMS Severn is patrolling off the mouth of the Simba Uranga when a boat is seen crossing the mouth of the river and men landng and entering a hut where they shouldn't be. General Quarters is sounded. Severn fires five shrapnel rounds at the hut, then departs.

[Jimbuna]

5th September 1915

Western Front

Heavy bombardments continue along Belgium and French fronts, especially in Arras region.

This completes 13th day of incessant artillery duel on Western Front.

French aircraft bomb barracks at Dieuze and Morchingen.

Eastern Front

Tsar takes supreme command, with General Alexeiev as Chief of Staff, General Russki succeeding latter as General Officer Commander-in-Chief Northern Army; fighting on Styr and Sereth.

German advance towards Riga slows due to stretched supply lines, stiffening Russian resistance, and the coming winter months.

Southern Front

Night attack at Dardanelles by Turks repulsed by Australians.

Sesis Pass, one of the few passes in the Carnic Alps held by the Austro-Hungarians, is captured by the Italians.

Asiatic and Egyptians Theatres

Defeat of Mohmands on Indian frontier by General Campbell at Hafiz Khor (Gundao Valley).

Naval and Overseas Operations

Mine explosions on Uganda railway. Trains derailed, no casualties.

Political etc.

White House asks Congress to decrease funding for pork barrel projects by $50 million, and instead allocate funds to defense.

Zimmerwald Conference, an international conference of socialists (attended by Lenin and Trotsky), begins.

Ship Losses:

Dictator ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 135 nautical miles (250 km) south by west of the Fastnet Rock (49°09′N 8°58′W) by SM U-20 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Douro ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 79 nautical miles (146 km) south west by west of the Bishop's Rock (48°55′N 7°48′W) by SM U-20 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Rhea ( Russia): The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of the Fastnet Rock (48°24′N 7°24′W by SM U-20 ( Kaiserliche Marine).[19] Nineteen crew were rescued by Velasquez ( Spain).

[Sailor Steve]

September 5:

South Celtic Sea, off the English Channel: Walther Schwieger, commanding U-20, sinks three more ships - British freighters Dictator, 4,116 tons, bound from Pernambuco to Liverpool with a general cargo; Duoro, 1,604 tons, carrying a general cargo from Oporto to Liverpool; and Russian freighter SS Rhea, 1,145 tons, heading from Valencia to Glasgow with a load of fruit. Schwieger's score is now 21 ships and 94,116 tons.

[Jimbuna]

6th September 1915

Western Front

French squadron of 40 aeroplanes bombs Saarbrucken.

Eastern Front

Russians pressed back in centre by Germans and over east Galician border by Austrians; heavy fighting near Brody.

Southern Front

Austrians active on Italian fronts.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Reports received of appalling condition of Armenians in Asia Minor; Germany and Austria refuse to interfere.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Turkish destroyer "Yar Hissar" sunk by submarine in Sea of Marmora.

Renwed activity in German East Africa.

Fighting on Rhodesian frontier near Saisa, between Germans and Belgians.

Russian destroyers in Black Sea damage Turkish cruiser "Hamidiya" and sink four coal transports.

Political etc.

A German shell sent by mail from the front explodes at the headquarters of the parcel post in London, resulting in two injuries.

German Crown Prince congratulates Enver Pasha, the Ottoman War Minister, for successfully defending against the Allied attacks at Gallipoli.

Turco-Bulgarian frontier convention signed at Dimotika. Bulgaria signs treaties with Germany and the Ottoman Empire, aligning the country with the Central Powers.

"Archibald" documents discovered in U.S.A., compromising Austrian Ambassador, Dr. Dumba.

Ship Losses:

Guatemala ( France): The cargo ship was torpedoed, shelled and sunk in the Bay of Biscay 50 nautical miles (93 km) south west of Belle Île, Morbihan (46°50′N 4°02′W by SM U-20 ( Kaiserliche Marine).[21] Some of her crew were rescued by Iceland ( United Kingdom), the rest made land in their lifeboat.
John Hardie ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 98 nautical miles (181 km) west by south of Cape Finisterre, Spain (42°10′N 11°15′W) by SM U-33 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member.

Little Willie, the prototype military tank developed by William Foster & Co. of Lincoln, is first tested by the British Army.

[Sailor Steve]

September 6:

Bay of Biscay: Walther Schwieger, commanding U-20, has moved south. Southwest of Belle-Île-en-Mer he torpedoes French freighter SS Guatamala, 5,913 tons, bound from St. Nazaire to Philadelphia. His score is now 22 ships and 100,029 tons - the first submarine captain to break the one hundred thousand mark.



Atlantic Ocean: Off the coast of Spain Konrad Gansser, in U-33, ends his third war patrol with the capture of SS John Hardie, 4,372 tons, carrying a load of sugar from Java to Glasgow, and sinks her with his deck gun. His score is nnow 13 ships and 27,544 tons.

[Jimbuna]

7th September 1915

Eastern Front

Austrians enter Dubno; successful Russian-counter-offensive on Sereth at Tarnpol and Trembovia.

Southern Front

Serbians drive enemy from works on Danube and Drina fronts.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Russians repulse Turks at River Arkhave and annhilate Turkish corps at Olti (Armenia).

Aviation

French aeroplane squadron bombs Freiburg, Lens, Saarburg, etc.;

Zeppelin raid on east coast of England, 50 casualties, 7 killed.


Naval and Overseas Operations

Belgian Coast
Attentive, scout cruiser, Adventure-class, 2,670t, c9-4in/2-14in tt, 6th DF leader, Capt Johnson, in support of Dover Patrol bombardment force preparing to carry out Ostend shoot, forced to wait for haze to clear. Bombed by aircraft, Attentive hit on deck, one 4in gun disabled; two men killed and seven wounded.

Belgian coast (Westeinde and Ostend) bombarded by British and French fleets.

Account of British war crimes against German submarines (Baralong Incident) is published in newspapers.

Political etc.

Ex-President Roosevelt praises Canadian patriotism, lauding the fact that English and French speaking Canadians are fighting together.

Gold shipment worth $64.4 million arrives in New York from London to extend British credit in the U.S.

Exchange of cordial messages between Tsar and President Poincare.

Italy declares cotton absolute contraband of war.

Unrest among railway workers in South Wales.

Ship Losses:

Bordeaux ( France): The cargo ship was torpedoed, shelled and sunk in the Bay of Biscay 12 nautical miles (22 km) south west of the La Coubre Lighthouse by SM U-20 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Caroni ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay 15 nautical miles (28 km) south west of the Chassiron Lighthouse, Charente-Maritime, France by SM U-20 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Constance ( United Kingdom): The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 44 nautical miles (81 km) east south east of Lowestoft, Suffolk by SM UB-2 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew were rescued by the trawler Vorano ( United Kingdom).
Emanuel ( United Kingdom): The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 44 nautical miles (81 km) south east of Lowestoft by SM UB-2 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew were rescued by the trawler Vorano ( United Kingdom).
Emblem ( United Kingdom): The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 44 nautical miles (81 km) east south east of Lowestoft by SM UB-16 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Victorious ( United Kingdom): The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 44 nautical miles (81 km) off Lowestoft by SM UB-16 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew were rescued by the trawler Vorano ( United Kingdom).