Year 1916

Diary for Friday, June 16, 1916: Secret War France: Mata Hari books into Grand Hotel, Paris, takes many military lovers but falls in love with Russian Captain Maslov during August. […]

Diary for Thursday, June 15, 1916: Western Front Verdun: Germans carry trench on Mort Homme southern slope and contain French 65th Division attack on Caillette Wood. Southern Fronts Trentino: Last

Diary for Wednesday, June 14, 1916: Southern Fronts Isonzo: Italians retake Adria shipyard and hills at Monfalcone, repel Austrian counter-attacks on June 17. Trentino: Italian counter-offensive ordered. Last Archduke Charles

Diary for Tuesday, June 13, 1916: African Fronts East Africa: Pegasus gun slightly wounds Lettow at South Hill HQ against Kondoa Irangi. Lake Nyasa: ­British land and occupy Alt Langenburg.

Diary for Monday, June 12, 1916: Air War Britain: Royal Flying Corps has taken 2,568 aircraft into service and struck off 1,427 in past year or 47.7% wastage. 8,403 aircraft

Diary for Sunday, June 11, 1916: Eastern Front Brusilov Offensive – Galicia: Südarmee’s Battle of the Strypa (until June 30). By now General Tersztyanszki replaces sacked Archduke Joseph Ferdinand in

Diary for Saturday, June 10, 1916: Southern Fronts Trentino: Eritrea veteran and volunteer General Prestinari killed in command of a militia brigade. Greece: French occupy Thasos island, northern Aegean, as

Diary for Friday, June 9, 1916: Eastern Front Brusilov offensive – Bukovina: Lechitski transfers 2 divisions to south bank of Dniester, fierce struggle for Hill 458 (until June 10) before

Diary for Thursday, June 8, 1916: Southern Fronts Italian Front: Austrian Intelligence find Italian First Army cipher key changed, correctly predict attack on river Isonzo. Trentino: 2 Austrian divisions withdraw

Diary for Wednesday, June 7, 1916: Western Front Verdun – FALL OF FORT VAUX for 2,678 German casualties to 50th Division after heroic 5-day defence by Major Raynal’s 600 men.

Diary for Tuesday, June 6, 1916: Eastern Front Brusilov offensive – Galicia: Shcherbachev’s Seventh Army attacks, widens frontage and taking Buczacz on June 8; by June 10 has made 30-mile

Diary for Monday, June 5, 1916: Sea War Atlantic: Russia-bound cruiser HMS Hampshire sunk by mine from U75 (Beitzen) northwest of Scapa Flow. Careless minesweeping, stormy seas and inexplicable failure

Diary for Sunday, June 4, 1916: Eastern Front BRUSILOV OFFENSIVE (until October 17) begins on 200-mile front with 1,938-gun shelling at 0400 hours. Russian Eleventh and Ninth Armies take 26,000

Diary for Saturday, June 3, 1916: Western Front Verdun: ­Unsuccessful German outflanking move at Fort Vaux. Ypres: Canadian counter-attack recovers lost trenches from previous day. Somme: British repulse German attack

Diary for Friday, June 2, 1916: Sea War North Sea: Grand Fleet again ready for action after the battle of Jutland, German High Seas Fleet repairs take longer (because hit

Diary for Thursday, June 1, 1916: Sea War North Sea: German old battleship Pommern sunk in last battle of Jutland torpedo attack, another, battleship Ostfriesland, mined at 0720 hours and

Diary for Wednesday, May 31, 1916: Sea War North Sea – BATTLE OF JUTLAND (until June 1, German Battle of the Skaggerak): Scheer orders northward sweep to raid Allied shipping

Diary for Tuesday, May 30, 1916: Sea War North Sea: Royal Navy’s Room 40 gives early warning of German Fleet sortie and that 16 U-boats on sea. Main body of

Diary for Monday, May 29, 1916: Western Front Verdun: German attacks on Hill 304 (unsuccessful) and northwest of Cumieres (trenches carried). Eastern Front Kaiser and Falkenhayn visit Hindenburg and Ludendorff

Diary for Sunday, May 28, 1916: Western Front Verdun: German Alpenkorps (from Champagne) again in action. Flanders: Haig warns Second Army (Plumer) to hasten preparations for offensive as it might