Diary October 11, 1914

Eastern Front

Poland: Germans take Sochaczew on river Bzura 30 miles (ca. 48 km) west of Warsaw. Russian Fourth, Ninth and Fifth Armies begin bloody attempts to cross river Vistula until October 15. Austrians recover Jaroslav.

Western Front

BATTLE OF FLANDERS of 1914 (until November 22) begins: 6-week struggle for control of Channel ports, Belgian Army reforms around Bruges. BEF cavalry force German cavalry back to river Lys.

Sea War

Baltic: Russian cruiser Pallada sunk by U26 (Berck­heim) off Gulf of Finland; no survivors.
Channel: Rear-Admiral Hood in command of new ‘Dover Straits command’ (becomes ‘Dover Patrol‘ in 1915).

Air War

France: 2 Tauben drop 20 bombs on Paris (8 civilian casualties); Notre Dame Cathedral slightly damaged. General Bernard, incompetent Directeur de l’Aeronautique, replaced by General Hirschauer who immedi­ately rescinds orders closing Pau & Avord flying schools and half aircraft production.

Neutrals

Italy: New War Minister Major-General Zupelli gives Prime Minister 5 1/2­-month Army improvement program, is given 940 million lire by May 1915.
Turkey: Second Turco-German Treaty. In Armenia Turkish Third Army headquarter reports increasing Armenian desertions, Russians arming c. 800 (following more similar reports).

Politics

Britain: Foreign Minister Grey wires Paris about Antwerp fiasco: ‘HMG must have the right to send troops for separate operations’.