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.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
The Dardanelles
February 19, 1915
The 29th Infantry Division was the only division left to the British Army to deploy and the command had been looking around for a likely place to deploy it. Sir John French took it for granted that it would be added to the BEF in Belgium but the war was also heating up in the middle east, where many British shipping interests (like the Suez Canal) were located. At first it was imagined that the 29th would be sent there in support of a combined land and sea effort to maintain control of the eastern Mediterranean. Such a fuss is kicked up by French that the 29th is held back in England and untrained provincial troops from Australia and New Zealand are sent to a base on a Greek island instead.
Simultaneously, a large combined fleet is engaged in clearing the water passage between the Mediterranean Sea and Constantinople on the Black Sea, known as the Dardanelles. Turkey, and ally of Germany had been salting those waters with mines to disrupt British shipping and close a key supply line to the Russians. Today, that fleet begins shelling forts on both sides of the Dardanelles. By the 25th, allied shock troops are being unloaded and the land forts have been neutralized . But Turkish mines remain a problem for the British Navy to deal with.
The 29th Infantry Division was the only division left to the British Army to deploy and the command had been looking around for a likely place to deploy it. Sir John French took it for granted that it would be added to the BEF in Belgium but the war was also heating up in the middle east, where many British shipping interests (like the Suez Canal) were located. At first it was imagined that the 29th would be sent there in support of a combined land and sea effort to maintain control of the eastern Mediterranean. Such a fuss is kicked up by French that the 29th is held back in England and untrained provincial troops from Australia and New Zealand are sent to a base on a Greek island instead.
Simultaneously, a large combined fleet is engaged in clearing the water passage between the Mediterranean Sea and Constantinople on the Black Sea, known as the Dardanelles. Turkey, and ally of Germany had been salting those waters with mines to disrupt British shipping and close a key supply line to the Russians. Today, that fleet begins shelling forts on both sides of the Dardanelles. By the 25th, allied shock troops are being unloaded and the land forts have been neutralized . But Turkish mines remain a problem for the British Navy to deal with.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Winter Against Russia
February 18, 1915
Some tactical success has been achieved by Hindenburg in the north. In the battle of Augustow an entire Russian corp is forced to surrender en mass. Russia, of course, has a relatively inexhaustible supply of men. On the other hand, almost nothing comes from the campaign in the south by Conrad. And the German Army is forced to admit that their winter campaign against the vast Russian Empire is a strategic failure. The southern push has resulted in 800,000 Austrian casualties, which she can ill afford.
Some tactical success has been achieved by Hindenburg in the north. In the battle of Augustow an entire Russian corp is forced to surrender en mass. Russia, of course, has a relatively inexhaustible supply of men. On the other hand, almost nothing comes from the campaign in the south by Conrad. And the German Army is forced to admit that their winter campaign against the vast Russian Empire is a strategic failure. The southern push has resulted in 800,000 Austrian casualties, which she can ill afford.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Dissention in the German Army
January 23, 1914
Trouble has been brewing between the upstart and successful team of Hindenburg and Ludendorf, who had achieved important successes in Prussia and the German Commander in Chief, Falkenkayn. The latest bone of contention concerned whether to send an army to the Austrian Conrad to push the successful Russian Army back across the frontier of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Falkenhayn, in order to dissolve the team, has ordered Ludendorf south away from Prussia ad Hindenburg and is refusing to commit an army to the assistance of Austria. After a political power struggle with the over matched Kaiser at its center, Falkenhayn is left in charge but is ordered to support Conrad's move against Russia. Ludendorf, after a decent interval, is to be returned to his mentor Hindenburg to help coordinate a northern push. The ill-conceived and ill-led Austrian expedition immediately meets with problems common to winter campaigns.
Trouble has been brewing between the upstart and successful team of Hindenburg and Ludendorf, who had achieved important successes in Prussia and the German Commander in Chief, Falkenkayn. The latest bone of contention concerned whether to send an army to the Austrian Conrad to push the successful Russian Army back across the frontier of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Falkenhayn, in order to dissolve the team, has ordered Ludendorf south away from Prussia ad Hindenburg and is refusing to commit an army to the assistance of Austria. After a political power struggle with the over matched Kaiser at its center, Falkenhayn is left in charge but is ordered to support Conrad's move against Russia. Ludendorf, after a decent interval, is to be returned to his mentor Hindenburg to help coordinate a northern push. The ill-conceived and ill-led Austrian expedition immediately meets with problems common to winter campaigns.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Sinking of the Formidable
January 1, 1914
A German U-boat sends a torpedo toward a British battleship, called the HMS Formidable and sends her to the bottom of the English Channel with 546 seamen. It sounds the wake up call that the British Navy may not be counted on to rule the waves indefinitely.
A German U-boat sends a torpedo toward a British battleship, called the HMS Formidable and sends her to the bottom of the English Channel with 546 seamen. It sounds the wake up call that the British Navy may not be counted on to rule the waves indefinitely.
Christmas Truce
December, 25, 1914
The common soldiers in the trenches of Flanders demonstrate a better understanding of war than their commanders when they send Christmas carols in their respective languages across no-mans-land and cautiously begin to show themselves above the tops of the trenches. Soon a gathering of soldiers occurs and soccer games and spontaneous gift exchanges break out. When the indignant generals get wind of this scandalous behavior, they take steps to ensure that it never happens again.
The common soldiers in the trenches of Flanders demonstrate a better understanding of war than their commanders when they send Christmas carols in their respective languages across no-mans-land and cautiously begin to show themselves above the tops of the trenches. Soon a gathering of soldiers occurs and soccer games and spontaneous gift exchanges break out. When the indignant generals get wind of this scandalous behavior, they take steps to ensure that it never happens again.
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