Year 1916

Diary for Sunday, September 24, 1916: Western Front Battle of the Somme: British repulse counter-attack west of Lesboeufs. Air War Western Front: 60 RFC fighters (3 lost) destroy at least […]

Diary for Saturday, September 23, 1916: Air War Britain: 9 of 12 Zeppelins reach East England (night September 23-24), drop 371 bombs causing 170 civilian casualties (151 in London) but

Diary for Friday, September 22, 1916: Western Front Battle of the Somme: Battle of Flers­-Courcelette ends. British advance east of Courcelette on fine sunny day. Robertson and Rawlinson take tea;

Diary for Thursday, September 21, 1916: Western Front Battle of the Somme: NZ troops take ‘Cough Drop Alley’ and a section of Flers line. British 1st Division captures ‘Starfish Trench’.

Diary for Wednesday, September 20, 1916: Western Front Battle of the Somme: Rawlinson delays next Fourth Army attack to September 23, he and Haig agree that British cavalry should be

Diary for Tuesday, September 19, 1916: African Fronts East Africa: Belgians occupy Tabora (largest inland town) after 400­-mile march, take 2,000 captives and release c.195 interned civilians. 2,700 Portugese invade

Diary for Monday, September 18, 1916: Western Front Battle of the Somme: British Guards Division captures the ‘Quadrilateral’ (to depth of 1,000 yds). French I Corps executes two successful local

Diary for Sunday, September 17, 1916: Air War Western Front: Captain O Boelcke leads first combat patrol of 6 Jasta 2 brand-new Albatros DII fighters to shoot down 5 No

Diary for Saturday, September 16, 1916: Eastern Front Brusilov offensive, Galicia – Second Battle of the Narajowka and Zlota Lipa (until September 17): 4 Russian divisons with gas attack Turk

Diary for Friday, September 15, 1916: Western Front Battle of the Somme– Battle of Flers­-Courcelette (until September 22): From 0620 hours, after 40-minutes shelling, 14 divisions (2 Canandian and 1

Diary for Thursday, September 14, 1916: Southern Fronts Italian Front – Seventh Battle of Isonzo (until September 17): Alter lengthy artillery preparation including gas shells Italian Third Army (14 divisions,

Diary for Wednesday, September 13, 1916: Western Front Germany: HINDENBURG ACHIEVES DE FACTO COMMAND OF CENTRAL POWERS’ ARMIES. OHL (German Supreme Forces Command) for the purpose becomes OKL (Supreme War

Diary for Tuesday, September 12, 1916: Southern Fronts Macedonia: Allied offensive begins on west flank at 0600 hours. Serb First Army captures foothills of Mt Kajmakcalan (‘butter-churn’; 8,284 ft) 25

Diary for Monday, September 11, 1916: Eastern Front Russia: General Averyanov to STAVKA: ‘… we are close to complete exhaustion of the manpower reserve’. Brusilov Offensive – Carpathians­: Lechitski takes

Diary for Sunday, September 10, 1916: Western Front Battle of the Somme: German counter­-attack fails at Ginchy, British advance east of Guillemont, Rawlinson discusses tanks’ role in forthcoming attack. Eastern

Diary for Saturday, September 9, 1916: African Fronts East Africa: Main British advance of 1st Division reaches Tulo but Lettow’s 2,200 men with 24 MGs check it at river Dutumi

Diary for Friday, September 8, 1916: Western Front Germany: Hindenburg and Ludendorff in first visit to Western Front, hold meeting at Cambrai to develop new tactical doctrine of defence –

Diary for Thursday, September 7, 1916: African Fronts Actions near Kisaki (until September 8): c.2,600 Germans with 22 MGs beat 1,700 South Africans troops, forcing retreat and halt (until September

Diary for Wednesday, September 6, 1916: Air War Western Front: Flight-Sergant McCudden (DH2 pilot in 29 Squadron) scores first of 57 victories in I Anzac Corps Ypres sector. Royal Flying

Diary for Tuesday, September 5, 1916: Western Front Battle of the Somme: British capture Falfemont Farm and link with French I Corps across Combles ravine (its attack to southeast fails