Year 1916

Diary for Wednesday, March 8, 1916: Western Front Verdun: Germans repulsed at Fort Vaux. Crazy French regiments bayonet charge restores west bank line by retaking Bois des Corbeaux after 2 […]

Diary for Tuesday, March 7, 1916: Western Front Verdun: Germans take Fresnes southeast of city; French success south of Forges, but 67th Division on west bank has lost 3,000 PoWs.

Diary for Monday, March 6, 1916: Western Front Verdun: After hurricane barrage German 4th Division attack on west bank of Meuse, on 4­-mile front captures Regneville and Hill 265 northwest

Diary for Sunday, March 5, 1916: African Fronts East Africa – Smuts’ Kilimanjaro Offensive begins: Stewart’s 1st Division (4,000 men) advances from Longido. Smuts has total 18,400 men (+ 9,000

Diary for Saturday, March 4, 1916: Sea War Germany: Tirpitz and Admiral Holtzendorff fail to get Kaiser’s Crown Council to back unrestricted U-boat warfare, postponed till April 1. East Atlantic:

Diary for Friday, March 3, 1916: Western Front Verdun: French success at Douaumont (and on March 7). Middle East Armenia: General Abatsiev’s 10,000 men capture Bitlis after surprise night bayonet

Diary for Thursday, March 2, 1916: Western Front Flanders: British 17th Division retake positions lost on February 14 north of Ypres-Comines Canal. BEF Fourth Army relieve French Tenth Army (15-mile

Diary for Wednesday, March 1, 1916: Air War France: Only Royal Flying Corps Martinsyde G.100 (nicknamed the Elephant) unit arrives, No 27 Squadron. Britain: Two hit-and-run raids on East Kent

Diary for Tuesday, February 29, 1916: Western Front Verdun: Bloody struggle round Fresnes and salient. Falkenhayn finally agrees to attack on west bank of Meuse, releases 4 divisions and 84

Diary for Monday, February 28, 1916: Western Front Verdun: Sudden thaw after long cold spell turns battlefield into a sea of mud but Voie Sacree kept open with gravel by

Diary for Sunday, February 27, 1916: Western Front Verdun: Petain reorganizes defences, halts withdrawal from Woevre. French retake La Feuille wood (night 27/28), defend Soupple village and d’Eix­-Abaucourt station. On

Diary for Saturday, February 26, 1916: Western Front Verdun: GQG admits loss of Ft Douaumont. Recapture attempt fails. Petain orders ‘… retake immediately any piece of land taken by the

Diary for Friday, February 25, 1916: Home Fronts French Army orders 400 Schneider tanks by November 25, 1916. Western Front Verdun: Castelnau arrives at 0700 hours. Germans take Louve­mont, but

Diary for Thursday, February 24, 1916: Western Front Verdun: French artillery counter­-bombard. Germans take Samogneux (fighting all day), Hill 344, Beaumont Fosses wood and Chaume with 10,000 PoWs (now total

Diary for Wednesday, February 23, 1916: Western Front Verdun: French abandon Brabant-sur-Meuse; counter­attack without success south of Caures wood and at Wavrille. By end of day Germans also occupy Herbebuis