March 22, 1914
In the Dardanelles, a naval battle group led by a new superdreadnought battleship, the Queen Elizabeth, moves up the strait and begins shelling Turkish gun emplacements on shore. While this is successful, secretly laid mines that had escaped detection result in heavy losses to the Allied force and the British commander, Admiral De Roebuck, is brought to the conclusion that a large ground force will be needed there. Winston Churchill, with his unshakable faith in the navy, dissents, but seaborn operations come to a standstill. German and Turkish defenders are surprised that the Allies don't follow up and force the strait. It is yet another missed opportunity for shortening the war.
In North Central Europe, with the failure of the Austrian offensive at the end of 1914 and attempts to relieve them in January, the Austrian base of operations in in Przemysl is behind enemy lines and surrenders. 120,000 Austrians fall into Russian hands.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Spring Offensives
March 10, 1915
The war is heating up on two fronts today. In the Dardanelles, Kitchner of the British command orders the 29th division, one of the last remaining unengaged forces to the Dardanelles, thus angering Sir John French who is preparing for opening spring offensives at the western end of the European line. He orders an artillery attack near Neuve Chapelle to be followed by a mass infantry attack, with or without help from the French He is motivated by the diversion of the 29th as well as moves that seem to make the BEF into an auxilary of the French Army.
The attack is an unbounded success. The infantry pours into German held territory and doesn't find any opposition. Because of inadequate communications and deficient leadership, the attack achieved little of lasting benefit to the Allies. Only the destroyed town of Neuve Chapelle remained in their hands a few days later when the Germans had had time to react.
The war is heating up on two fronts today. In the Dardanelles, Kitchner of the British command orders the 29th division, one of the last remaining unengaged forces to the Dardanelles, thus angering Sir John French who is preparing for opening spring offensives at the western end of the European line. He orders an artillery attack near Neuve Chapelle to be followed by a mass infantry attack, with or without help from the French He is motivated by the diversion of the 29th as well as moves that seem to make the BEF into an auxilary of the French Army.
The attack is an unbounded success. The infantry pours into German held territory and doesn't find any opposition. Because of inadequate communications and deficient leadership, the attack achieved little of lasting benefit to the Allies. Only the destroyed town of Neuve Chapelle remained in their hands a few days later when the Germans had had time to react.
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