Year 1916

Diary for Tuesday, May 23, 1916: Western Front Artois, Vimy: BEF IV Corps counter-attack with 2 brigades ruined by German counter-barrage; British losses 2,500 to 1,344 German. Verdun: German counter­-attack […]

Diary for Monday, May 22, 1916: Air War Verdun: French Nieuport 11s of Esc N65 destroy 6 kite-balloons using very short-range firework­-type rocket projectiles devised by French Navy Lieutenant Le

Diary for Sunday, May 21, 1916: Southern Fronts Italian Front: Cadorna forms reserve Fifth Army (whose 5 Corps and 2 cavalry divisions concentrate in Vicenza-Padua­-Citadella triangle by June 5); puts

Diary for Saturday, May 20, 1916: Western Front Verdun: Gallwitz’s 5 German divisions assault Mort Homme, seize the top summit of Hill 295. Eastern Front Russia: Italy appeals to STAVKA

Diary for Friday, May 19, 1916: Southern Fronts Trentino: Italians abandon Mt Toraro-Mt Melignone line, destroying their forts, but after 5-mile advance Austrian XX Corps waits for artillery to come

Diary for Thursday, May 18, 1916: Western Front Verdun: Unsuccessful German attack on Avocourt Wood and Hill 304 (repeated following day); 300 French guns (including 4 x 14.5-in mortars) begin

Diary for Wednesday, May 17, 1916: Southern Fronts Trentino: Austrians claim 6,300 PoWs. Tyrol Kaiserjager capture Mts Maggio and Sima di Campulozzo. Salonika: British War Committee rejects Macedonian offensive. Western

Diary for Tuesday, May 16, 1916: Southern Fronts Italian Front: Cadorna arrives at Thiene from Udine to conduct Trentino defence. Middle East Armenia: 15,000 Russians (new 127th Division) sail from

Diary for Monday, May 15, 1916: Southern Fronts AUSTRIAN TRENTINO OFFENSIVE begins on 21-mile front with 4 hours intensive barrage from 0600 hours. Elite XX Edelweiss Corps (Archduke Charles) has

Diary for Sunday, May 14, 1916: Southern Front Salonika: Joffre forwards 1916 Macedonian offensive plan to British, asks for 2 more divisions. Isonzo: Austrians recapture Adria shipyard with Hills 12

Diary for Saturday, May 13, 1916: Sea War Adriatic: Royal Navy Otranto Barrage drifter sinks Austrian sub U6 and forces her to scuttle, the only definite Otranto Barrage U­-boat kill

Diary for Friday, May 12, 1916: Western Front Verdun: German attacks on French centre. Middle East Mesopotamia: Captured British general Townshend leaves Baghdad, reaches Mosul on May 19. African Fronts

Diary for Thursday, May 11, 1916: Air War Western Front: Cmdt de Rose, creator and motivator of the French fighter units defending Verdun, killed when his Nieuport fighter stalls at

Diary for Wednesday, May 10, 1916: Home Fronts Ireland: Royal Commission of Inquiry into Rebellion formed under Lord Hardinge (opens May 18). Lord Wimborne resigns as Lord Lieutenancy (Chief Secretary

Diary for Tuesday, May 9, 1916: African Fronts East Africa – Battle of Kondoa Irangi (until May 10): Lettow’s 4,000 men’s four night attacks repulsed by South Africans; others occupy

Diary for Monday, May 8, 1916: Western Front France: Anzacs join BEF line. Verdun: 650 Bavarians perish in Fort Douaumont magazine explosion. Southern Fronts Italian Front: Cadorna sacks General Brusati

Diary for Sunday, May 7, 1916: Western Front Verdun: Violent German attacks gain ground at Hill 304 (attacks fail following day) and Fort Douaumont. Eastern Front Austria: Military intelligence discovers

Diary for Saturday, May 6, 1916: Middle East Mesopotamia – Death march from Kut begins: 2,592 British soldier PoWs (Kurd cavalry regiment escort) start 1,200-mile forced march to Anatolia; reach

Diary for Friday, May 5, 1916: Western Front Verdun: German gain at Hill 304. French 135th Infantry Regiment sergeant writes ‘… how could anyone cross the zone of extermination around

Diary for Thursday, May 4, 1916: Air War Eastern Front: IM heavy bomber Ilya Murmometz II (Pankratiev) flies first of 5 successful armed reconnaissance missions during May over Yazlovetch-Bugatch and