05-1916

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

Diary for Saturday, May 27, 1916: Southern Fronts Salonika: Bulgar division and German troops occupy by Greeks evacuated Fort Rupel and 3 villages south of frontier thus blocking Struma valley.

Diary for Friday, May 26, 1916: Southern Fronts Italian Front: Archduke Eugene shifts main thrust east onto Asiago Plateau so as to reach Brenta valley towards Bassano and Venetian plains.

Diary for Thursday, May 25, 1916: Southern Fronts Italian Front: Austrian III Corps occupies Corno di Campo Verde (6,815 ft) and captures Portule line east of Val d’Assa. Western Front

Diary for Wednesday, May 24, 1916: Western Front Verdun – Fighting on whole front: Germans regain Fort Douaumont and Caillette woods with 100 PoWs. Mangin temporarily disgraced. French recapture part

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