100 Years Ago Today

[Jimbuna]

18th January 1916

Eastern Front

Austrians claim complete victory in Galicia and Bukovina.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Turks repulse British column west of Kurna (Mesopotamia).

Russians take Hasan-Kala (Armenia).

Southern Front

Allied troops stage further landings on Greek territory at Phalerum and Corinth to use as military bases.

Italian troops renew their offensive towards the town of Gorizia and capture Austro-Hungarian trenches at Oslavia.

Aviation

The world's first practical all-metal aircraft, the Junkers J.1, flies for the first time.


Naval and Overseas Operations

Allied warships bombard Dedeagach (Bulgaria).

Germans evacuate southern Cameroons (retiring into Spanish territory).

Political etc.

Lord Derby is confident about British recruitment, stating men are being turned away due to demand and is sure Germany will get a “licking.”

Russia orders judicial and other administrative authorities to return to Dvinsk (Daugavpils, Latvia) after driving away the Germans.

Vice Admiral Reinhard Scheer becomes the new Commander in chief of the German High Seas Fleet.


Ship Losses:

Auvergne ( French Navy): The auxiliary minesweeper struck a mine and was damaged at Boulogne, Pas-de-Calais. She was declared a constructive total loss and was scrapped in 1919.
Evelyn ( United Kingdom): The fishing smack was scuttled in the North sea 35 nautical miles (65 km) south east by east of Lowestoft, Suffolk by a Kaiserliche Marine submarine, UB 16 (Hans Valentiner).
Foam Crest ( United Kingdom): The fishing smack was scuttled in the North sea 25 nautical miles (46 km) south east by east of Lowestoft by a Kaiserlich Marine submarine, UB 16 (Hans Valentiner).
Marere ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 236 nautical miles (437 km) east of Malta (35°51′N 19°07′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
HMS H6 ( Royal Navy): The H-class submarine ran aground on Schiermonnikoog, Friesland, Netherlands. She was subsequently interned and later sold to the Dutch, entering service in 1917 as O-8.
Rijndam ( Netherlands): The ocean liner struck a mine laid by UC 1 (Egon von Werner) and was damaged in the Thames Estuary.
Scotia ( United Kingdom): The barque caught fire in the Bristol Channel off Sully Island, Glamorgan and was burnt out.
Sunshine ( United Kingdom): The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 28 nautical miles (52 km) south east of Lowestoft by a Kaiserliche Marine submarine, UB 16 (Hans Valentiner).

[Sailor Steve]

January 18, 1916:

Döberitz, Germany:
Gefreiter Paul Arnold takes the Junkers J.1, the first all-metal monoplane, for its second test flight and first "real" flight. The previous test was a short hop on December 12 that ended with minor damage. This flight reaches a height of 80 meters. Later a second test is conducted, and reaches 900 meters.



Air War:
German pilot Leopold Anslinger, flying a Fokker E.III on the Russian front, shoots down an unidentified "Enemy Aircraft" for victory number 1.



English Channel:
French auxiliary minesweeper Auvergne, 523 tons, hits a mine laid by Irwin Waßner and UC-3. His score is now 13 ships and 15,805.



North Sea:
Hans Valentiner, commanding UB-16, stops and scuttles British fishing smacks Evelyn, 55 tons, Foam Crest, 46 tons, and Sunshine, 52 tons. His score is now 13 vessels and 10,057 tons.

British schooner Gleaner, 144 tons, carrying coal from Sunderland to Wick, runs aground at Sandhaven.

Dutch freighter SS Rijndam, 12,527 tons, travelling from New York to Rotterdam, is damaged by a mine laid by Egon von Werner and UC-1.



Mediterranean Sea:
Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière, in U-35, sinks British freighter SS Marere, 6,443 tons, carrying a general cargo from Fremantle to London. His score is now 2 ships and 9,985 tons.



Atlantic Ocean:
British freighter SS Chasehill, 4,538 tons, carrying a general cargo from New York to Le Havre, founders and sinks.

American freighter SS Frederick, 1,873 tons, departs Louisburg, Cape Breton Island, for Kirkwall, UK, and is not heard from again.

Norwegian freighter SS Graziella, 1,593 tons, departs Risør, Norway for Bilbao, Spain, and is not heard from again.



United States:
Canadian trawler Onward Ho, 323 tons, departed Vancouver, BC on January 6th. The vessel is sighted on the 18th following a gale near Cape Spencer by two other ships, and is not seen again.

[Jimbuna]

19th January 1916

Eastern Front

Renewed activity north-east of Czernowitz.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

General Aylmer resumes his advance up the Tigris.

General Sir P. Lake succeeds Sir J. Nixon in Mesopotamia command.

Southern Front

Russia declares victory over the Ottomans at the Battle of Koprukoy near the strategic city of Erzurum.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Allied warships bombard Porto Lagos (Bulgaria).

Anglo-French occupy Ebolowa (Cameroons).

Political etc.

According to published lists in Germany, German casualties are now 2,535,768 total, with 588,986 men killed in action.

Lord Derby meets with the Central Recruiting Committee to organize another drive for enlistment.

Major General Leonard Wood tells the U.S. Senate there is a need for 210,000 soldiers and 2 million in reserves to defend the U.S.

General von Bissing, Governor General of Belgium, threatens the death penalty to any Belgians who attack or resist German authorities.

Ship Losses:

Leoville ( France): The coaster struck a mine laid by UC 1 (Egon von Werner) and sank in the English Channel 9 nautical miles (17 km) south of the Kentish Knock Lightship ( United Kingdom).

[Sailor Steve]

January 19, 1916:

Rear Admiral Sir Frederick Charles Doveton Sturdee is made 1st Baronet Sturdee in honor of his victory at the Falkland Islands in December 1914.



Air War:
1205 Gilbert Ware Murlis Green riding as observer in Vickers FB.5 5465 with Lt. A.W.H. James as pilot, shoots down an "Enemy Aircraft" for his first victory.

German pilot Wilhelm Frankl, flying a Fokker E.III, shoots down a Voisin two-seater for victory number 3.



Irish Sea:
American schooner SV Henry J. Smith, travelling in ballast from Liverpool to Cardiff, runs aground off the Mersey River.



North Sea:
French coaster SS Leoville, 775 tons, carrying a load of coal from Grimsby to Dieppe, hits a mine laid by Egon von Werner in UC-1. Von Werner's score is now 13 ships and 11,031 tons.



Australia:
Australian steam paddle boat Sapphire, 22 tons catches fire and sinks in the Murray River, in the State of South Australia.

[Jimbuna]

20th January 1916

Southern Front

Negotiations between Austria and Montenegro broken off.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Russians take Sultanabad (Persia).

Russian progress in Armenia.

Aviation

Air combat on the Western Front increases, with 14 fights between British and German planes today.

Political etc.

British Government buys 800,000 tons of wheat in Romania.

King Constantine of Greece denounces the Allies as blunderers, with Gallipoli, the loss of Serbia, and the occupation of parts of Greece.

Sweden bans the export of wood pulp as reprisal against British seizure of parcel post packages destined for Sweden.

Four young men are arrested in Japan for attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Count Okuma with bombs.

Ship Losses:

Edinburgh ( United Kingdom): The sailing vessel was scuttled in the Atlantic Ocean 700 nautical miles (1,300 km) west south west of São Vicente, Cape Verde Islands, Portugal by SMS Möwe ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Trematon ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 180 nautical miles (330 km) east by south of Malta (35°24′N 18°09′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

January 20, 1916:

North Sea:
American freighter SS Sibiria, 3,535 tons, carrying a load of wheat and benzol from Montreal to London, runs aground off Goodwin Sands.



Mediterranean Sea:
Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière, commanding U-35, sinks British freighter SS Trematon, 4,198 tons, bound from Karachi to London with a load of grain. His score is now 3 ships and 14,183 tons.



Adriatic Sea:
Robert Teufl von Fernalnd, in Austrian submarine U-11, takes Italian passenger liner/hospital ship König Albert, 10,484 tons, as a prize. A prize court will later release the ship back to her owners.

[Jimbuna]

21st January 1916

Eastern Front

Renewed Russian attack in East Poland.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Failure of attack on Turkish position at Um-el-Hanna, 23 miles from Kut; mud awful.

Political etc.

The Central Powers have captured 3 million prisoners, 10,000 guns, 40,000 machine guns, and 470,000 square km since the war’s start.

Austria-Hungary raises the age of conscription to 55. However, those aged between 50 and 55 will not be posted at war zones.

Ottoman Empire, with the help of German advisers, reopens coal mines in Syria due to shortages.

U.S. Brigadier General Louis H. Carpenter, veteran of several wars and recipient of the Medal of Honor, has died.


Ship Losses:

Apollo ( Netherlands): The coaster struck a mine laid by UC 10 (Alfred Nitzsche) and sank in the North Sea 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) south south west of the Galloper Lightship ( United Kingdom) (51°42′N 1°57′E).

[Sailor Steve]

January 21, 1916:


North Sea:
Dutch freighter SS Apollo, 799 tons, bound from Valencia to Amsterdam with a general cargo, runs on a mine laid by Alfred Nitzsche in UC-10. Nitzsche's score is now 4 ships and 9,528 tons.

British trawler Earl, 169 tons, sets out from Hull and is not heard from again.

[Jimbuna]

22nd January 1916

Western Front

Aeroplane raid on Dover, 1 killed, 6 injured.

Southern Front

Austrians occupy Antivari and Dulcigno (Montenegro).

Austro-Bulgarians take Berat (Albania).

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Armistice for six hours on Tigris; relief force hampered by floods.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Russian torpedo boats sink a further 40 sailing vessels in Black Sea.

Political etc.

U.S. House Immigration Committee introduces a provision in a bill that will bar Japanese, Indians, and Chinese from entering the U.S.

Austria-Hungary continues to disarm Montenegrin troops after the country’s surrender, but difficulty in communication slows progress.

Queen Milena of Montenegro, now in exile, meets her daughter Queen Elena of Italy in Rome.

Ship Losses:

Norseman ( United Kingdom): The cargo liner was torpedoed and damaged in the Mediterranean Sea off Salonika, Greece by SM U-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine). She was beached at Mudros but was declared a constructive total loss. Scrapped in situ in 1920.

[Sailor Steve]

January 22, 1916:

North Sea:
British freighter SS Falls City, 4,729 tons, carrying a load of coal from South Shields to Genoa, Italy, runs on a mine laid by Alfred Nitzsche in UC-10. The damaged steamer makes port safely.

French cargo boat SS Saint Pol, 34 tons, travelliing in ballast from Le Havre to Flushing, is sunk in a collision off Folkestone.

Norwegian freighter SS Smaragd, 472 tons, travelling in ballast from St Peter Port, Guernsey, to Barry, runs aground and is wrecked entering Barry Port.



Aegean Sea:
Walter Forstmann, commanding U-39, torpedoes British freighter SS Norseman, 9,542 tons, bound from Plymouth to Thessaloniki with a load of mules and munitions. The ship is beached at Tuzla Point and crew and cargo are safely landed. The ship ends up being a total loss. Forstmann's score is now 44 ships and 109,348 tons.



Atlantic Ocean:
German raider SMS Möwe captures and scuttles British barque SV Edinburgh, 1,473 tons, travelling from Rangoon to Liverpool with a load of rice flour. Möwe's score is now 10 ships and 42,910 tons.

[Jimbuna]

23rd January 1916

Western Front

German forces, aided by mines and heavy bombardment, win 200 yards of position between Lens and Arras, France.

Southern Front

Austrians take Nikshich and Skutari (Montenegro).

Austria-Hungary continues is offensive southwards in the Balkans and captures the Adriatic port cities of Bar and Ulcinj.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Dispersal of Senussi Camp at Halazin, 25 miles south-west of Mersa Matruh (West Egypt). Deep mud.

Aviation

24 French aeroplanes bombard railway stations and barracks at Metz, dropping over 130 bombs.

German aircraft conduct two raids on the east coast of Kent, but results in only one death and six injuries.

Political etc.

King Nicholas of Montenegro arrives at Rome.

Ship Losses:

Pollentia ( United Kingdom): The passenger ship foundered in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew were rescued by Giuseppe Verdi ( United Kingdom).

[Sailor Steve]

January 23, 1916:

North Sea:
Norwegian coaster SS Prima, 619 tons, carrying a load of wood pulp from Risor to Erith, sinks after colliding with SS Hild off Yarmouth.

Atlantic Ocean:
British freighter SS Pollentia, 2,229 tons, springs a leak in a storm and sinks north of the Azores.

[Jimbuna]

24th January 1916

Western Front

German offensive near Nieuport (Yser).

Southern Front

Italians lose ground near Gorizia.

Austria-Hungary occupies the Albanian port city of Shkodër. Serbs and Montenegrins evacuate the city without a fight.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Russians advance on forts of Erzerum.

Political etc.

Military Service Bill passed by House of Commons.

A proposal is made in the House of Commons that will allow Members of Parliament to visit the front.

Due to paper shortages in Britain, Walter Runciman, President of the Board of Trade, suggests newspapers should cut down their page size.

Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria is confined to his bed due to acute bronchitis.

Germany and Afghanistan establish diplomatic ties in an attempt to threaten British India.

[Sailor Steve]

January 24, 1916:

North Sea:
Dutch trawler Plejaden departs Ijmuiden for a fishing trip and is not heard from again.

[Jimbuna]

25th January 1916

Western Front

Severe fighting near Arras.

Southern Front

Montenegro accepts Austrian terms.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

General Aylmer encamped at El Owasa (Orah).

Naval and Overseas Operations

General Smuts appointed to command in East Africa.

Political etc.

House of Lords pass the conscription law on its second reading without division.

Montenegrin officials sign a treaty of capitulation with the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Members of the U.S. Socialist Party meets with President Wilson to urge him to organize a peace conference to end the war.

U.S. Secretary of State Lansing meets with German ambassador Bernstorff to discuss settling the Lusitania sinking.

U.S. War Department is studying the large 42-centimetre howitzers used by the Germans in their offensives that crushed French forts.