Year 1915

Diary for Monday, June 14, 1915: African Fronts Southwest Africa: Botha’s final advance to the north begins, occupies Omaruru on June 20 and detaches 2 mounted brigades to cut off […]

Diary for Sunday, June 13, 1915: Western Front Flanders­: Canadians discard unreliable Ross rifles for standard SM Lee-Enfield, enter Messines sector on June 28. Artois: French checked at Souchez. Petain

Diary for Saturday, June 12, 1915: Southern Fronts Carnic Alps: Italians occupy two passes and repel Austrian attacks on June 25. Isonzo: Italians attack Hill 383 seven times. Eastern Front

Diary for Friday, June 11, 1915: Air War North Sea – First-ever use of reconnaissance seaplanes with battle fleet at sea: Sopwith Baby seaplanes from HMS Campania observe movements of

Diary for Thursday, June 10, 1915: Sea War Adriatic: Austrian U11 alias German coastal submarine UB15 (Heimburg) surprises and sinks Italian submarine Medusa. Middle East Armenia: Turks win Second Battle

Diary for Wednesday, June 9, 1915: Eastern Front Baltic Provinces: German attacks repulsed in Shavli district (more attacks on June 12). General Plehve arrives at Riga to lead new Fifth

Diary for Tuesday, June 8, 1915: Sea War Dardanelles: HMS Humber first RN monitor to arrive, these shallow-draught heavy-gunned vessels reduce need for more vulnerable battleships. Western Front Artois: Further

Diary for Monday, June 7, 1915: Eastern Front Galicia: Lechitski evacuates Kalusz and Nadworna in east and all of Bukovina on June 12. Austrians retake Stanislau next day and Kolomea

Diary for Sunday, June 6, 1915: Air War Britain: Zeppelin L9 drops 52 bombs on Hull for 20 minutes around midnight (62 civilian and 2 military casualties), 3 German Army

Diary for Saturday, June 5, 1915: Southern Fronts Isonzo: 4 Italian corps vainly attack Doberdo plateau, Gorizia and Monte Kuk until June 8 with poor artillery support. Western Front Artois:

Diary for Friday, June 4, 1915: Southern Fronts Italian front: Falling river Isonzo (after sudden floods) finally lets Italian Third Army (Duke of Aosta) cross in strength. Eastern Front Galicia:

Diary for Thursday, June 3, 1915: Eastern Front Galicia: Austro-Germans retake Przemysl. High Commands including Kaiser meet at Pless; Mackensen to get 4 1/2 more divisions and to control two

Diary for Wednesday, June 2, 1915: Southern Fronts Isonzo: Italians fail to break through at Krn until June 4. Austrian XV Corps counter-attack between Tolmin and Karfreit until June 4,

Diary for Tuesday, June 1, 1915: Middle East Gallipoli: Kemal promoted Colonel, also given Iron Cross and St Alexander (Bulgar) decoration. Mesopotamia: 3 Royal Navy sloops lead Tigris pursuit, capture

Diary for Monday, May 31, 1915: Politics USA: Government dissatisfied with German Lusitania reply. British Ambassador says Lusitania never carried guns (untrue). Germany: Baron Wangenheim cables Berlin on need to

Diary for Sunday, May 30, 1915: Eastern Front Galicia: Austro-Germans shell Przemysl forts; American cameraman John A Everets films it. Western Front Flanders: German attack at Hooge. Artois: French gains

Diary for Saturday, May 29, 1915: Sea War Channel: First UC-type minelaying boat patrol from Zeebrugge UC11 (Schmidt) lays 12 mines off South Foreland, Downs, first of 420 mines in

Diary for Friday, May 28, 1915: Politics Germany: Bethmann denounces Italy in Reichstag. German reply puts all Lusitania responsibility on Britain. Home Fronts Germany: First Reichstag annexation debate. Ceylon: Riots

Diary for Thursday, May 27, 1915: Southern Fronts Italian Front: General Boroevic (from Third Army outside Przemysl, Eastern Front) takes over new Austrian Fifth Army, orders that ‘the troops should

Diary for Wednesday, May 26, 1915: Western Front Flanders: ‘Two Years’ position warfare (i.e. completely stalemated, trench warfare) on Yser begun. Death of Captain Grenfell, British war poet (poem ‘Into