Diary May 8, 1916

05-1916, Diary WWI, Year 1916 / 1 minute of reading

The Last Call: this Australian poster advertises for volunteers for the Western Front.

Diary for Monday, May 8, 1916:

Western Front

France: Anzacs join BEF line.
Verdun: 650 Bavarians perish in Fort Douaumont magazine explosion.

Southern Fronts

Italian Front: Cadorna sacks General Brusati of First Army for latter’s over-aggressive dispositions (2nd and 3rd lines neglected), General Count Pecori-Giraldi replaces him. 67 battalions and 80 guns reinforce First Army by May 15.

African Fronts

East Africa: Portuguese repulse Germans from Nhika, but 400 repulsed by 45 Germans on river Ruovuma at Mwambo (May 27).

Sea War

Eastern Atlantic: German U-boat U20 sinks British US-bound liner Cymric (5 lives lost) 140 miles WNW of Fastnet, 37th unarmed liner sunk by U-boats since Lusitania and 4th one in current offensive (despite orders).

Air War

Egypt: German air raids on Port Said from El Arish (and on May 21). 6 Royal Flying Corps retaliate against El Arish (May 18), also establish airfield with 2 aircraft at Port Said.

Home Fronts

Britain: Churchill back from Western Front, speaks in House of Commons following day about Ireland retaining voluntary enlistment, Irish Nationalist Member of Parliament cries ‘What about the Dardanelles ?’.

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.