Diary January 1, 1916

Sea War

British introduce depth charges; but only 2 per anti-submarine vessel, insufficient supply till June 1917. Royal Navy now has 35 paddle-minesweepers (24 more being built) plus 14 specialized sloops with Grand Fleet. New ‘Hunt’ class soon ordered (12 allocated to Grand Fleet, join it 1917).

Western Front

Vosges: German attacks at Rehbelsen recapture all ground lost on December 28 and advance south following day.
Flanders: 3rd Canadian Division formed.

Eastern Front

Russian strength 1,693,000 soldiers, of which 1,243,000 have rifles.
Baltic Provinces: In­decisive fighting throughout month.

Southern Fronts

Serbia: King Peter of Serbia reaches Salonika, Greece.

Middle East

Mesopotamia, Kut: First Ger­man plane seen (4 arrived at Baghdad a few days later).
East Persia: 1,140 British troops on cordon duty, drive back a German party on January 18.
Arabia: Sherif Hussein accepts the British alliance.
Egypt: Colonel Clayton forms Arab Bureau in Cairo.

African Fronts

Cameroons: British occupy Yaunde; nearly 15,000 Allied troops and 34 guns in German colony.
Morocco: Lyautey holds New Year reception at Rabat.

Air War

Britain: Future top of Royal Navy Air Service, Canadian Collishaw, joins RNAS in January.

Occupied countries

Serbia: Germans tell their occupation zone to Austrians and Bulgars.

Home Fronts

Austria: ‘The state of ex­haustion here is already very great’ (Freud).
France: ­Income tax law takes effect.
Britain: Home Secretary Simon resigns because of conscription, Samuel succeeds on January 10.
During January MO5 be­comes MI5, Secret Service be­comes MI61c. Brigade-General Macdonogh becomes Director of Military Intelligence on January 3.
First series at Western Front films released. In January National committee for the Care of Soldiers’ Graves formed.
Germany: SPD repudiates Vorwärts for pacifism.