Year 1916

Diary for Saturday, April 22, 1916: Western Front Verdun, East bank: Mangin’s French 5th Division reaches Ft Douaumont, but MGs drive it off. Somme: BEF XV Corps (Horne) formed, takes […]

Diary for Friday, April 21, 1916: African Fronts East Africa: Lettow decides to concentrate 20 companies (2 mounted) against South African advance, leaving Kraut to face Smuts and Wahle against

Diary for Thursday, April 20, 1916: Air War Western Front: American volunteer fighter unit N124 Escadrille Americaine formally incorporated in French Aeronautique Militaire. Based at Luxeuil-les­-Bains (Haute Saone) 16 of

Diary for Wednesday, April 19, 1916: African Fronts East Africa: 3 Belgian battalions (Olsen’s Southern Brigade) invade near Shangugu, Belgian Northern Brigade (Molitor) invades Ruanda on April 25. Belgians have

Diary for Tuesday, April 18, 1916: Middle East Armenia: Lyakhov occupies Trebizond (Turks evacuated night April 15-16) and engages Turk rearguard 15 miles south next day. Sea War Black Sea:

Diary for Monday, April 17, 1916: Southern Fronts Dolomites: Italian mine exploded (night April 17-18), kills 100 Austro-Hungarians and 160 PoWs made as Colonel di Lana taken, but later assaults

Diary for Sunday, April 16, 1916: Western Front Flanders: British trench raid south of Bethune-La Bassee road. Eastern Front Baltic Provinces: Russian Twelfth Army Chief of Staff orders secret police,

Diary for Saturday, April 15, 1916: Middle East Mesopotamia, Kut: Air food supply drops start (9 planes max) drop 16,800lb (­until April 29) in 140 flights. 3rd Division takes Bait

Diary for Friday, April 14, 1916: Eastern Front Western Russia – First Battle of Lake Naroch ends: Russian losses 122,000 (including 12,000 frostbite deaths), German 20,000. STAVKA planning conference with

Diary for Thursday, April 13, 1916: African Fronts East Africa: 800 South African horse troopers pursue c.200 Germans for 20 miles in rain and occupy Salanga; 190 animals lost to

Diary for Wednesday, April 12, 1916: Politics Britain: German Lusitania medal published in Britain; photos sent to US, published 7 May, propaganda replica later sold for duration. Germany: Government replies

Diary for Tuesday, April 11, 1916: Southern Fronts Corfu: Serb Army begins embarking for 4-day voyage to Salonika (all shipped until May 31) in Anglo­-French transports without being attacked once.

Diary for Monday, April 10, 1916: Air War Ypres: German anti-aircraft fire downs Royal Flying Corps Morane Parasol from 8,000 ft. Western Front Champagne: German Alpenkorps (from ex-Macedonian Front) receives

Diary for Sunday, April 9, 1916: Western Front Verdun – Germans launch major costly and mainly repulsed assault: Mort Homme forward trench line entered. Petain issues famous Order of the

Diary for Saturday, April 8, 1916: Home Fronts France: 400 St Chamond tanks ordered by War Ministry. During April Colonel Estienne in command of first assault artillery unit (Schneider tanks)