Year 1916

Diary for Wednesday, June 21, 1916: Neutrals Spain: German U-boat ­U35 delivers Kaiser letter to King at Cartagena. Mexico: 400 Mexican regulars (38 killed) capture US 10th Cavalry troop (40 […]

Diary for Tuesday, June 20, 1916: Western Front Verdun: Tremendous German barrage begins. New French standard-gauge railway ready. Southern Fronts Trentino: Slight but very cautious Italian advances on Asiago Plateau

Diary for Monday, June 19, 1916: Air War Germany – FRENCH LEAFLET RAID ON BERLIN: Lieutenant Marchal, in special Nieuport monoplane operating from Nancy drops hundreds of leaflets proclaiming war

Diary for Sunday, June 18, 1916: Air War West Front: Oblt Max Immelmann (15 victories) killed, aged 25, in Fokker E III, shot down by Lieutenant McCubbin and Captain Waller,

Diary for Saturday, June 17, 1916: Western Front Verdun: Germans repulsed at Mort Homme-Thiaumont-Hill 320. French gains on Hill 321, Germans repulsed there on June 18 and 19. Eastern Front

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.