Diary July 15, 1916

07-1916, Diary WWI, Year 1916 / 1 minute of reading

A British heavy 6-inch Howitzer in action during the battle of the Somme.

Diary for Saturday, July 15, 1916:

Western Front

Battle of the Somme – Battle of Delville Wood (until July 20): 3,153-strong South African Brigade, ordered to capture and hold wood at all costs, secures most of it. For five nights and 6 days South Africans hold out against 3 divisions counter-attacks and shelling by 180 guns. British cavalry fail to break through at High Wood, withdraw on July 16.
Verdun: French recapture and then lose Battery C and CP 119 near Fleury (until July 16).

Eastern Front

Brusilov offensive, Pripet: Sakharov’s Eleventh Army (night July 15-16) pre-empts Marwitz attack on Southern Lutsk salient thanks to agent network’s warning, reaches river Lipa, takes Mikhailovka and 13,000 PoWs.

Middle East

Armenia: Russian general Yudenich occupies evacuated Bayburl.

Sea War

Adriatic: British submarine H3 mined and sunk off Cattaro.

Air War

Somme: Royal Flying Corps bombs 13 targets and claims 6 German aircraft for no loss.

Home Fronts

Austria: Ex-Reichsrath Trentino deputy Cesare Battisti (Italian PoW) executed as traitor.

About The Author

Kretaner

My name is Norman 'Kretaner' and since my childhood I am interested in history and strategy games. Later, I have learned programming and the development of computer games, and finally with the Internet, also web design. I'm in the fortunate position to combine all my interests with my work and to live on a place of my choice, on Crete. All information, figures, specifications and statistics used here had been compiled from a variety of sources and the large, over decades collected, library of the author about military history, WW2 and weapons.