100 Years Ago Today

[Sailor Steve]

December 3, 1915:

Air War:
German pilot Ernst Freiherr von Althaus, flying a Fokker E.I, shoots down a BE.2c for victory number 1.



North Sea:
His Majesty's Trawler Etoile Polaire, 278 tons, runs onto a mine laid by Egon von Werner in UC-1, bringing his score to 10 ships and 8,958 tons.



Baltic Sea:
Swedish brigantine SV Nancy, travelling from Oscarshamn to Aarhus with a load of wood, sinks after a collision with another ship off Borgholm, in the Kalmar Strait.



Mediterranean Sea:
Walter Forstmann, commanding U-39, sinks Italian freighter SS Dante, 889 tons, bound from Port Said to Genoa with an unlisted cargo; British freighter SS Helmsmuir, 4,111 tons, carrying a load of sugar from Maritius to an unnamed destination. His score is now 36 ships and 79,302 tons.



Sea of Marmara:
Martin Dunbar-Naismith, commanding British submarine E-11, has penetrated Turkish defenses in the Hellespont and is patrolling inside the enemy-held Sea of Marmara. On December 3rd, 1915, he torpedoes Turkish destroyer Yarhisar, commanded by Lt. Cmdr. Ahmet Hulusi. The destroyer, originally built in France, breaks in two and sinks with the loss of 42 of her crew.
(Sources vary as to the spelling of the name, some having it as Yarhisar and some as Yar Hissar.)



Canada:
French schooner SV Elisabeth, carrying a load of salt from Lisbon to Gaspé, runs aground at Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

[Jimbuna]

4th December 1915

Western Front

Severe weather conditions on the Western Front hamper military operations, with only intermittent artillery exchanges taking place.

Southern Front

British land fresh forces at Salonika and quantities of war material.

Naval

Ottoman forces use two captured British gunboats against the retreating British troops in Iraq.

Political etc.

War Conference at Calais, Lord Kitchener present.

Canada announces it will increase its domestic war loan from $50 million to $100 million due to high numbers of subscribers.

Mr. Ford's peace expedition starts from U.S.A. in the "Oscar II".

Italian Chamber of Deputies voted confidence in the present government despite failures to breakthrough against Austria-Hungary.

Ship Losses:

Re Umberto ( Italy): The passenger ship struck a mine and sank in the Adriatic Sea off Cape Linguetta, Albania.
Intrepido ( Regia Marina): The Indomito-class destroyer struck a mine and sank in the Adriatic Sea off Vlorë, Albania.

[Sailor Steve]

December 4, 1915:

Baltic Sea:
British submarine E-19 torpedoes German freighter SS Freisenberg 1,553 tons, northwest of Cap Arkona.



Adriatic Sea:
Italian destroyer Intrepido, 680 tons, and freighter Re Umberto, 2,952 tons, both are sunk by mines laid by Cäsar Bauer in UC-14.



Canada:
Canadian schooner SV Original, 97 tons, on a fishing trip out of Luneneburg, Nova Scotia, runs aground off Ingonish, Cape Breton Island.



Atlantic Ocean:
American schooner SV Grace Seymour, 493 tons, carrying barrels of oil from New York to Rouen, is abandoned in a storm 180 miles west of Ireland.

[Jimbuna]

5th December 1915

Eastern Front

Russian front at Dvinsk bombarded.

Germans report collapse Russian attack near Lake Babit, west of Riga.

Southern Front

Monastir evacuated by General Vassich.

Bulgar attack on French bridgehead at Demir Kapu (Vardar river) repulsed.

German and Bulgarian troops capture more than 100 cannons and 200 automobiles from the retreating Serbians near Prizren.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Siege of Kut begins; four Turk divisions, under Nur-ed-Din, surround town.

Naval and Overseas Operations

French submarine "Fresnel" sunk by Austrian mineship off Albania.

U.S. ship "Petrolite" attacked by U 39 (Walter Forstmann), lightly damaged by 1 shell hit, one crewman injured.


Chinese cruiser Chao-Ho is captured by rebels in Shanghai. An hour long battle takes place before being recaptured.


Political etc.

Paris Prefect of Police warns about collecting battlefield “trophies,” as unknown curiosities could be explosives.

Greek Premier Skouloudis meets with King Constantine on the eve of tomorrow’s general election as the political situation grows worse.

10,000 Mohammedans in India protest against demanding political concessions in hour of Empire's danger.

Henry Ford launches a peace mission to Europe on the Oscar II, known as the “Peace Ship” or the “Ship of Fools”.


Ship Losses:

Fresnel ( French Navy): The Pluviose-class submarine ran aground in the Adriatic Sea off Shëngjin, Albania. She subsequently was sunk by SMS Warsdiner ( Austro-Hungarian Navy) Her 28 crew were taken as prisoners of war.
Pietro Lofaro ( Italy): The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Sollum, Egypt (32°52′N 26°53′E) by SM U-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine).

[Sailor Steve]

December 5, 1915:

Air War:
1500 German pilot Gustav Leffers, flying Fokker E.III 84.15, shoots down BE.2c 2049. British pilot Arthur Howe Browne is killed during the fight, and observer William Henry Cox dies in the crash.

French pilot Georges Guynemer, flying a single-seat Nieuport 10, shoots down an Aviatik two-seater for kill number 2.

French pilot Charles Nungesser, also in an N.10, shoots down an Albatros two-seater, also his second victory.



North Sea:
Norwegian freighter SS Inger Johanne, 1,609 tons, bound from Newcastle to Rochefort with a load of coal, is wrecked off the South Scorby Bank.



Mediterranean Sea:
Walter Forstmann, commanding U-39, sinks Italian barquentine SV Pietro Lofaro, 517 tons, bringing his score to 37 ships and 79,819 tons.

He also attacks American tanker SS Petrolite, 3,710 tons, with his deck gun. Realizing his mistake the ceases fire after one shell hits the neutral ship. This will lead to American protests the following June against Austria-Hungary, either assuming an Austrian attack or because U-39 was flying the Austrian flag.


Martin Naismith, commanding British submarine E-11, sinks Turkish paddle-wheel steamer SS Rehber off the Island of Yumertalik. Four crew are lost.


Adriatic Sea:
French submarine Fresnel (Q-65) runs aground in the mouth of the Bojana river in Montenegro and is destroyed by gunfire from Austrian destroyer Waraskiner.



United States:
American schooner SV Linah C. Kaminski, sailing out of Newport News, Virginia sinks after a collision off Hatteras Island, North Carolina.

[Jimbuna]

6th December 1915

Western Front

First Meeting of Allied War Council in Paris.

Southern Front

British force, Strumitsa, bombarded by the Bulgarians; infantry attack repulsed.

Essad Pasha declares himself pro-Ally.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Capture of Captain Stanley Wilson by Austrian submarine when carrying despatches in Greek steamer.

Durazzo bombarded by Austrian squadron.

Romania seizes all Danube shipping and closes the river to all foreign commerce.

Political etc.

France states it will not sue for peace until Alsace and Lorraine return, Belgium and Serbia are freed, and German militarism is crushed.

2nd Chantilly Conference takes place as French, British, Italian, and Russia military representatives meet to coordinate strategy.

Theodore Roosevelt advocate universal military service and a standing army of 250,000 to maintain U.S. security.

Greek legislative election takes place. Due to the Liberal Party boycott, the Nationalist Party gains the majority of seats.

Prime Minister Dato of Spain announces his resignation due to disagreements over the military budget.

Ship Losses:

L. G. Goulandris ( Greece): The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 150 nautical miles (280 km) north west of Alexandria, Egypt (32°15′N 27°25′E) by SM U-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

December 6, 1915:

Air War:
German pilot Hans-Joachim Buddecke claims a Farman, but it is listed as "unconfirmed".



Bristol Channel:
British fishing smack Annie, 24 tons, is lost off Oxwich Point, Wales.



North Sea:
Dutch schooner SV Geziena, 102 tons, carrying pit props to West Hartlepool, is wrecked off Roker.

Norwegian barque SV Marco Polo, 1,619 tons, tavelling from Sweden to Australia with a load of timber, is wrecked off Papa Stronsay in the Orkney Islands.

British trawler Philworth, 148 tons, is wrecked near Peterhead on the northeast coast of Scotland, with the loss of 6 of her 10 crew.



Mediterranean Sea:
Walter Forstmann, commanding U-39, captures and sinks Greek freighter SS L.G. Goulandris, 2,123 tons, bound from Alexandria to Hull with an unspecified cargo. His score is now 38 ships and 81,942 tons.



United States:
American schooner SV William L. Elkins, 229 tons, heading from St. John, New Brunswick to New York with a load of salt fish, is wrecked off Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

[Jimbuna]

7th December 1915

Western Front

Yser inundations compel Germans to abandon advanced trenches.

Southern Front

French evacuate Krivolak and retire to strong position in Demir Kapu Pass, 20 miles northern Greek frontier.

Ipek taken by Austrians.

British pressed back to valley of Vardar from Lake Doiran; 1,300 casualties.

Austria-Hungary sinks 6 steamers in the Adriatic that were carrying supplies to the beleaguered Serbian army.

Mesopotamian Front

Siege of Kut begins as Ottoman troops begin surrounding 31,000 British soldiers under Townshend in Iraq.

Aviation

30 Allied aircraft bomb the railway between Constantinople to Adrianople, but cause limited damage.

Naval

Austria-Hungary sinks 6 steamers in the Adriatic that were carrying supplies to the beleaguered Serbian army.

Japan sends its warships to Shanghai due to unrest caused by Chinese rebels.

Political etc.

Resolution passed in favour of re-nomination and election of President Wilson.

Photo from the 1915 State of the Union Address.

During the speech, President Wilson advocates a stronger defense policy and to stamp out men disloyal to the United States.

Ship Losses:

Fiore Albania (Albania): the 62 ton sailing vessel was taken as a prize off the Albanian coast ( 41° 45'N, 19° 31'E) by k.u.k. U16 (Orest Ritter von Zopa).
Veria ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was scuttled in the Mediterranean Sea 24 nautical miles (44 km) north west by north of Alexandria, Egypt (31°30′N 29°28′E) by SM U-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

December 7, 1915:

Air War:
English pilot Eustace Grenfell, flying a Morane-Saulnier 'N', shoots down an Albatros two-seater for victory number 2.



North Sea:
British trawler Viceroy, 217 tons, goes missing while on a fishing trip.



Mediterranean Sea:
Walter Forstmann, commanding U-39, captures and sinks British freighter SS Veria, 3,229 tons, travelling in ballast from Patras to Alexandria. His score is now 39 ships and 85,171 tons.



Adriatic Sea:
Orest von Zopa, in Austrian U-16, captures Albanian sailing craft Fiore Albania, 62 tons, as a prize. He now has 2 ships and 87 tons.



Gulf of Mexico:
American barquentine SV J.B. Rabel, 389 tons, sailing from Gulfport, Mississippi to Mobile, Alabama, is wrecked at Plitbois Island, Mississippi.

American schooner SV John W. Dana, 478 tons, carrying a load of asphalt from Trinidad to Gulfport, Mississippi, is wrecked on Chandeleur Island, Louisiana.

[Jimbuna]

8th December 1915

Southern Front

Evacuation of Gallipoli begins.

French and British troops fall back towards Greek frontier.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Heavy Turkish bombardment Kut, attacks repulsed, heavy losses enemy, lasting till 11th.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Publication Admiralty despatch re: destruction German cruiser "Konigsberg" last July, German East Africa.

HMS Chester, Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, is launched.


Political etc.

Marriages in England and Wales during the quarter reached 21.8 per thousand people, a record, as bachelors attempt to escape conscription.

Jacob H. Gallinger, Republican floor leader, promises President Wilson that he will support a bi-partisan defense bill.

Kaiser Wilhelm and Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg meet at army headquarters to discuss the Chancellor’s speech tomorrow.

Ship Losses:

Ignis ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship struck a mine laid by UC 7 (Georg Haag) and sank in the North Sea 5.5 nautical miles (10.2 km) north east of Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Her crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

December 8, 1915:

Air War:
1035 French pilot Georges Guynemer, flying a Nieuport 10, shoots down an LVG two-searter for kill number 3.



North Sea:
British freighter SS Ignis, 2,042 tons, bound from Tyne to London with a cargo of coal gas, runs on a mine laid by Georg Haag, new commander of UC-7.

Swedish freighter SS Rosmer, 666 tons, travelling in ballast from Stavanger to Thamshaven, is wrecked at Hindoen, north of Bergen.

[Jimbuna]

9th December 1915

Western Front

Fighting in Champagne, initiative with Allies.

General Castelnau appointed Chief of Staff and Commander French front.

Eastern Front

Artillery activity on Riga front, gas attack by Germans.

Southern Front

Retreat of Allies from Vardar. British lose eight miles of ground, 1,500 casualties. British troops are forced to retreat from the line protecting Strumica (modern day Macednoia) by Bulgarian troops.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Russians occupy Sultan Bulak Pass (Persia); Turco-German mercenaries routed.

Persian rebels and mercenaries defeated by Russians in Hamadan.

Political etc.

Herr Scheidemann declares in Reichstag Socialists refuse to discuss cession Alsace Lorraine.

German Chancellor: “The war can be terminated only by a peace which will give the certitude that war will not return.”

France conducts experiments with a tank prototype at Souain.


Ship Losses:

Klara ( Sweden): The schooner suffered a damaged rudder in the North Sea and was abandoned at 56°23′N 3°34′E). Her crew were rescued by Vesta ( Denmark).
Orteric ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 140 nautical miles (260 km) south by east of Gavdos, Greece (32°02′N 25°03′E) by SM U-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of two crew.
Papagello (Albania Albania): The sailing vessel was sunk in the Adriatic Sea (41°40′N 19°25′E) by SM U-4 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy)
Gjovadje (Albania): Taken as a prize off the Albanian coast at location
41° 40'N, 19° 25'E by k.u.k. U4 (Rudolf Singule).
Busiris ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 190 nautical miles (350 km) west north west of Alexandria, Egypt (32°50′N 26°20′E) by SM U-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

December 9, 1915:

Mediterranean Sea:
Walter Forstmann, commanding U-39, sinks British freighters SS Busiris, 2,705 tons, bound from Alexandria to Liverpool with a general cargo; and Orteric, 6,535 tons, carrying a load of nitrate from Antofagasta to Alexandria. This brings his score to 41 ships and 94,411 tons.



Adriatic Sea:
Rudolf Singule, in Austrian U-4, sinks Albanian sailboat SV Papagallo, 10 tons, and takes Albanian vessel Gjovadje, tonnage unknown, as a prize. His score is now 3 ships and 7,244 tons.



Canada:
British freighter SS Saint Kilda, 3,947 tons, carrying a load of coal from Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia to St. John's, Newfoundland, is wrecked on Little Miquelon Island.



Atlantic Ocean:
Russian barque SV Asia, 1,016 tons, sets out from Pensacola, Florida, USA, for Britain and is not heard from again.

[Jimbuna]

10th December 1915

Western Front

Germany activity Ypres salient; 3,000 shells on British position, little damage.

Southern Front

Italians carry strong position above Bezzecca basin (Carn.).

Austrian aeroplanes bombard Ancona.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Half million bushels Canadian wheat for Allies burnt at Erie (Penn.).

Naval action in Black Sea; Russians sink two Turkish gun-boats.

Political etc.

Sir Edward Grey and Lord Kitchener visit Paris to discuss the continued occupation of Thessalonica, Greece.

War Council Allies, Paris, decides hold Salonika.

Germany recalls diplomats Boy-Ed and von Papen from the United States due to charges that they were involved in espionage.

Norwegian Parliament announces they will again not award the Nobel Peace Prize this year due to the war.

Ship Losses:

Ingstad ( Norway): The coaster struck a mine laid by UC 7 (Georg Haag) and sank in the North Sea 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) east of Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Her crew survived.
Nereus ( Norway): The coaster struck a mine laid by UC 3 (Erwin Waßner) and sank in the North Sea with the loss of a crew member.
Porto Said ( Italy): The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 50 nautical miles (93 km) north east of Derna, Libya (32°38′N 23°35′E) by SM U-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

December 10, 1915:

North Sea:
Norwegian freighter SS Nereus, 742 tons, bound from Blythe to Cowes with a load of coal, hits a mine laid by Eriwn Waßner in UC-3. His score is now 8 ships and 9,451 tons.

Norwegian freighter SS Ingstad, 780 tons, carrying a cargo of coal from Sunderland to Rouen, hits a mine laid by Georg Haag in UC-7, bringing his score to 2 ships and 2,822 tons.

Norwegian barque SV Gaa Paa, 659 tons, travelling from Liverpool to Kristiania, runs aground off Stornoway.

British trawler FV Naval Prince, 130 tons, runs aground at Blyth.



Mediterranean Sea:
Walter Forstmann, commanding U-39, sinks Italian freighter SS Porto Said, 5,301 tons. Cargo and route unlisted. His score is now 42 ships and 99,712 tons.



Canada:
British freighter SS Frankier, 2,443 tons, en route from Portland, Maine, USA to Dunston, Tyne & Wear, UK, runs aground off Canso, Nova Scotia.