Diary September 1, 1914

Eastern Front

Poland: Russian retreat to­wards river Bug.
Galicia: Austri­ans beaten before Lemberg, but Conrad orders Second and Fourth Armies to attack Russian flanks. Cossacks stampede Austrian 11th Cavalry Division over 12 miles (ca. 19 km).

Western Front

France: Germans take Soissons and Craonne. Petain takes over 6th Infantry Division (General Bloch removed). Kitchener and Sir J French confer at Paris; Maunoury put under Gallieni. Action at Nery: British take 8 guns and PoWs after surprised ‘L’ Bty RHA (3 VCs) fights to last, two other BEF actions.

Air War

Western Front: A Taube monoplane bombs again Paris (4 civilian casualties). RFC pilot drops 2 bombs on stam­peding German cavalry at a cross roads north of Villers­-Cotterets.

Sea War

Adriatic: French battleships shell Austrian Cattaro forts.

African Fronts

East Africa: First 780 Indian troops of 29th Punjabis reach Mombasa.

Secret War

Britain: Sir A Ewing gets permission for first of 14 Royal Navy home signal intercept stations (at Hunstanton Coastguard Station, Norfolk). Over­seas stations later at Otranto, Malta and Ancona. Ewing has 6 cryptanalysts by mid-October.

Home Fronts

Russia: St Petersburg renamed Petrograd to avoid sounding German.
Britain: Women’s Hospital Corps leaves to take over Claridge’s Hotel in Paris.

Politics

Colombia: Government declares neutrality.