Year 1916

Diary for Tuesday, March 28, 1916: Western Front Flanders: Haig writes ‘all reports agree as to the efficiency of the 3-in Stokes mortar’. Eastern Front Galicia: Russian success north of […]

Diary for Monday, March 27, 1916: Russian Front Western Russia: Front line totally waterlogged, Russian north wing ceases attacks (West Front losses 70,000 men). Western Front Flanders: British 3rd Division

Diary for Sunday, March 26, 1916: Western Front Flanders: British success at Hohenzollern Redoubt Southern Fronts Carnia: Austrians surprise capture Pal Piccolo, but Italians retake it after four attempts with

Diary for Saturday, March 25, 1916: Air War Western Front: First British aircraft (Bristol Scout) with MG interrupter gear arrives in France. Eastern Front Western Russia: Baluyev’s first vain attack

Diary for Friday, March 24, 1916: Sea War Channel: British Folkestone­-Dieppe ferry Sussex torpedoed by coastal submarine UB29 (Flanders Flotilla) as suspected troopship, 50 dead, including 3 Americans and Spanish

Diary for Thursday, March 23, 1916: Sea War Mediterranean: U35 sinks 13,543t British Transport Minneapolis (12 lives lost) 195 miles east of Malta. First Pola-built U-boat in service; coastal submarine

Diary for Wenesday, March 22, 1916: Sea War First depth charge submarine kill: Q-ship Farnborough (Campbell) sinks U68 off Southwest Ireland. Germans aware of new weapon after vain attacks on

Diary for Tuesday, March 21, 1916: Western Front Verdun: German shell Hill 304. French now have 1,294 guns (570 medium and heavy), the 155mm heavy guns alone fire 278,000 rounds

Diary for Monday, March 20, 1916: Western Front Verdun, West bank: 11th Bavarian Division captures Avocourt Wood and 2,825 French PoWs, with flame­throwers, but Germans are repulsed on Poivre Heights

Diary for Sunday, March 19, 1916: Eastern Front Galicia: Russian success northwest of Uscieczko bridgehead on river Dniester (until March 21). Middle East Egypt: Murray succeeds Maxwell as C-in-C after

Diary for Saturday, March 18, 1916: Eastern Front Western Russia – First Battle of Lake Naroch (until April 14): Record of 1,271 Russian guns fire blind for 8 hours before

Diary for Friday, March 17, 1916: Eastern Front Spring thaw begins unexpect­edly early, but Russian offensive not postponed.

Diary for Thursday, March 16, 1916: Western Front Verdun: Renewed German assaults on Mort Homme and Vaux, latter repels five attacks. German III (Brandenburg) Corps withdrawn to regain strength (1916

Diary for Wednesday, March 15, 1916: Southern Fronts Italian Front – Italian Third Army losses in the Fifth Battle of the Isonzo: 1,882 men, Austrians 1,985 men. Middle East Mesopotamia:

Diary for Tuesday, March 14, 1916: African Fronts Western Desert – Major-General Peyton reoccupies Sollum: 10 armoured cars storm Senussi camp 20 miles in the west, take 3 guns, 9

Diary for Monday, March 13, 1916: Southern Fronts Italian Front: Italian 21st Division gains one hump of Mount San Michele. Salonika: French 243rd Brigade (122nd Division) begin skirmishing advance up

Diary for Sunday, March 12, 1916: Sea War Germany: TIRPITZ RESIGNS. Adriatic: Admiral Haus memo to Conrad prevents Austrian Fleet making a ‘ruthless undertaking’ with Army’s planned Tyrol offensive, cites

Diary for Saturday, March 11, 1916: Neutrals USA: 14-inch-gun battleship Nevada completed, she and her sister ship Oklahoma (finished May 2) have heavy deck armour and centralized fire control. Larger

Diary for Friday, March 10, 1916: Western Front Aisne: After 10-hour barrage Germans attack between Troyon and Berry-au-Bac captures valuable ground from French 55th Division; fighting persists (until March 18).

Diary for Thursday, March 9, 1916: Western Front Verdun – German attacks on both banks of the Meuse: small gains at Vaux village and on the Mort Homme. Petain demands