- This morning French and British units on the north bank of the Aisne River advance against the German defence lines. The latter has dug in along the crest of the plateau, rendering their trenches almost invisible until the French and British are almost upon them. The French 6th Army fights its way up the heights before being checked by the Germans at the crest. The greatest success of the day is achieved by the BEF's I Corps under General Haig, which secured a position on the plateau, though it was short of the Chemin des Dames road. To its right the French 5th Army attacked in the direction of Craonne, but was largely unsuccessful. Further east the French 9th and 4th armies were also coming up against the main German line of defence.
By the end of today's fighting, it has become clear to the French and British generals that the German retreat has ended, and that the enemy intends to hold its present positions. Tonight, Joffre issues a new directive to his armies instructing them that methodical attacks will need to be undertaken to achieve further advances, and than any position gained will have to be fortified immediately against possible German counterattacks.
- This evening General Lyncker conveys to Moltke the Kaiser's order to report himself sick. Despite his anxieties, Moltke wants to remain in command, but not only have most of his fellow officers lost confidence in him, but crucially so has the Kaiser. Wilhelm's trust in Moltke never really recovered from the fatal interview of August 1st, and failure in the West has eroded whatever remained. He had demonstrated indecision and hesitancy, and plagued by a chronic pessimism. Indeed, it can be said that he cracked under the pressure of the culminating moment of his military career - he found himself paralyzed by the significance of each choice he had to make. Of course, defeat at the Marne is not just Moltke's responsibility, but as the Chief of the General Staff he is ultimately responsible, and becomes the needed scapegoat for failure.
Moltke, though he is no longer in command, is not formally relieved of his post. The German high command does not wish to admit that it has been defeated in the West, which a public dismissal of Moltke just days after the Marne would indicate. Indeed, public pronouncements in Germany never admit that the Germans lost the Battle of the Marne - it is depicted as a mere redeployment preceding further offensive operations. Thus the unwillingness of the German army to admit to itself that it was defeated on the Marne, and all the consequences that entails, is mirrored by the German public.
Moltke's replacement is Minister of War Erich von Falkenhayn. Young at only fifty-three years of age, he owes his appointment in part due to his friendship with the Kaiser. However, Falkenhayn is more than an imperial toady - he is a Prussian Junker who has commanded a Guards regiment, shown skill as Minister of War, and has a reputation for energy and decisiveness. Moreover, since he does not give up the post of Minister of War and had already been at OHL, his ascension to command can be obscured.
- Considering the Russian defeats in East Prussia, scapegoats are necessary. With General Samsonov dead, the next logical target is General Zhilinskii, who as commander of North-West Front was responsible for 1st and 2nd armies. He is dismissed from his post today, replaced by General Ruzski, formerly of 3rd Army. He brings to his new command the caution and hesitancy he showed in the recent battles in Galicia.
- The attack of the Austro-Hungarian 5th Army, still struggling to cross the Drina River, has achieved at least one objective - responding to the attack, the Serbian 1st Army returns across the Save River this morning to support the Serbian defense.
- The British armed merchant liner Carmania arrives at 11am this morning at Trinidad Island, 600 miles off the Brazilian coast in the south Atlantic. It had been ordered to investigate the island on the suspicion it is being used as a coaling base by German raiders. Sure enough, it spots three German ships at the islands - two colliers busy transferring coal to the German armed merchant liner Cap Trafalgar. The two colliers promptly flee the scene, while the first battle in history between ocean liners is fought. Carmania significantly outguns Cap Trafalgar - the former has eight 4.7 inch guns to the latter's two 4-inch guns. Within an hour the German ship has taken a ferocious beating, and sinks at 150pm. Carmania, with significant damage itself, including five holes at the waterline, is unable to taken on survivors of Cap Trafalgar, but does not interfere when one of the German colliers returns to pick up the lifeboats. Carmania for its part limps to Gibraltar for repairs.
- The German East Asiatic Squadron arrives at Samoa just before dawn this morning, but finds the harbour empty except for two American sailing ships. Sending landing parties ashore to attempt to recapture the island would have been futile, so the squadron departs without firing a shot. Radio intercepts indicate that the wireless station at Apia, outside the range of the squadron's guns, is broadcasting the presence of the German ships. Admiral Spee thus decides on a simple ruse - though his ultimate destination is the west coast of South America, he sails northwest until out of sight of Samoa before turning eastward. This deception works - the British believe that the German East Asiatic Squadron is returning to the west Pacific.
At the same time as the Germans are sailing away from Samoa, the British search for the enemy squadron is stepped up. A signal is sent to a British squadron currently in the River Platte under the command of Rear Admiral Christopher Craddock. The original mission for Craddock's squadron was to hunt the German light cruiser Dresden in the South Atlantic, but today his assignment changes. The Admiralty informs Craddock that the German East Asiatic Squadron may be heading to the Straits of Magellan to pass into the South Atlantic. Craddock is to leave sufficient ships to deal with Dresden while sailing with a force capable of sinking Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Reinforcements are also being sent - the slow pre-dreadnought Canopus and the modern armoured cruiser Defence.
- In the Indian Ocean, the German light cruiser Emden is terrorizing British trade, having sunk eight merchant ships near Calcutta. In response, all merchants in the Bay of Bengal were ordered to remain in port - precisely the disruption of trade that Emben's captain had hoped for on detaching his ship from the rest of the German East Asiatic Squadron.
Showing posts with label Samoa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Samoa. Show all posts
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Saturday, August 30, 2014
August 30th, 1914
- The German 2nd Army counterattacks this morning, but is unable to prevent the French 5th Army from disengaging and retreating south. General Bülow of 2nd Army believes he has won a tremendous victory, that the French 5th Army is shattered. He orders his army to rest for thirty-six hours, while he remains concerned with his flanks - the German 3rd Army to the east had been too far away to assist yesterday. He thus requests 1st Army to the west to turn southeastward to close the gap between the two.
This is one of the crucial moments of the campaign. Turning southeastward, or the 'inward turn' as it comes to be known, will result in 1st Army passing east, not west, of Paris, abandoning a crucial component of the Schlieffen Plan. General Kluck, however, has already been thinking of such a redirection of his army. His army has been growing smaller during the advance, not only due to battle losses but the reassignment of some of his units to other duties - a corps to mask Antwerp and other units to occupation duties and cover his lines of communication. He thus has a greater and greater amount of front to cover with fewer and fewer forces. By passing east of Paris, he will be able to concentrate his army again. He knows that this move will expose his western flank to a French counterattack originating from Paris, but he does not feel this is a significant threat - skirmishes with the French 6th Army convince him it contains only rag-tag forces. One of his corps - IV Reserve - should be sufficient to cover his flank while the rest of his army heads southeast. Moreover, he feels the BEF has been completely knocked out of the fight. Kluck thus agrees to Bülow's request, and orders his 1st Army to shift direction starting tomorrow.
Moltke receives a report of Kluck's decision at Luxembourg City, where OHL has relocated today from Coblenz. Despite the glowing reports from his commanders on the Western Front, he remains gloomy. Unlike Joffre, he does not visit his commanders in the field, relying only on their oft-contradictory reports to inform him of developments, giving him a sense of disconnect which gives free reign to his fears. For example, if the French armies are shattered, why are there so few prisoners being taken? While beaten and retreating, the French are still in the field. Moreover, he is also concerned about the distances between the armies of the right wing - there simply are not enough units at the front to cover all of the line. Finally, Kluck's inward turn promises to catch 5th Army in its western flank, at last allowing it to be enveloped and destroyed. This is the type of decisive victory, Moltke believes, that can win the war in the West. Further deviating from the Schlieffen Plan, he signals his acquiescence to Kluck.
- As the results of the Battle of Guise become known, Joffre informs the government that he is no longer certain he can keep the German army out of Paris, and advises them to leave the capital, rather than risk capture. He also orders 6th Army to withdraw toward Paris, in line with his agreement with War Minister Millerand of the 27th, and instructs 4th Army to fall back on Rheims.
- One of the casualties today of Joffre's ruthless efforts to root out commanders he feels has failed the test of combat is General Pierre Ruffey, commander of 3rd Army. He is replaced by General Maurice Sarrail, one of 3rd Army's corps commanders.
- Sir John French sends Joffre a note today informing him that the BEF would not be in condition to take its place in the fighting line for another ten days. The British Field Marshal prefers to decline participating in the struggle for survival of his French allies.
- An area around Paris within a radius of twenty miles is placed under the command of General Gallieni as Military Governor, and he prepares the region for battle - entrances to the capital are barricaded, bridges prepared to be dynamited, etc. Also, for the first time a German airplane drops bombs on Paris - two are killed by three bombs on the Quai de Valmy. The aircraft also drops leaflets, reminding them of the Prussian investment of the city in 1870, and stating: 'There is nothing you can do but surrender.'
- In East Prussia, the Russian 2nd Army falls apart. Stumbling around in unfamiliar terrain, Russians are slaughtered in the thousands, while others surrender to the first Germans they find. Among those inside the pocket is General Samsonov and his staff. They have no idea where they are, and walk hand-in-hand trying to walk south. Samsonov keeps repeating to his Chief of Staff: 'The Tsar trusted me. How can I face him after such a disaster?' When the group stopped at 1am to try to get its bearings, Samsonov wanders off into a group of pines, where he shoots himself.
- On the Galician frontier, the Russian 5th Army is in increasing trouble. On its western flank, the advance of the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army has separated it from the Russian 4th Army to the west, while the Austro-Hungarian XIV Corps has turned its eastern flank. The three centre corps of Russian 5th Army are now in danger of encirclement, similar to the fate of 2nd Army in Eastern Prussia. General P. A, Plehve of the Russian 5th Army, however, does not repeat the mistake of Samsonov - he orders today his corps in the centre to fall back on Krasnostav.
To the south, though units of 2nd Army are finally arriving in Galicia from the Serbian front to reinforce 3rd Army, the attack of the two armies in second phase of the Battle of Gnipa Lipa is an even worse catastrophe for the Austro-Hungarians than the first. They advance without adequate artillery support against an enemy that outnumbers them almost two to one, and suffer twenty thousand casualties while being thrown back in disarray.
Conrad finally comes to understand the desperate situation on the southern portion of the Galician frontier, but still believes he is on the cusp of a crushing victory to the north. As such, he orders the northern armies to continue to advance, while allowing the Russians to move westward towards Lemberg, in the belief that after crushing the Russians in the north, 4th Army can turn back south and drive into the flank of the advancing Russians.
- A force of 1383 New Zealanders, escorted by the Australia Squadron, land on the German colony of Samoa and occupy it without a fight.
This is one of the crucial moments of the campaign. Turning southeastward, or the 'inward turn' as it comes to be known, will result in 1st Army passing east, not west, of Paris, abandoning a crucial component of the Schlieffen Plan. General Kluck, however, has already been thinking of such a redirection of his army. His army has been growing smaller during the advance, not only due to battle losses but the reassignment of some of his units to other duties - a corps to mask Antwerp and other units to occupation duties and cover his lines of communication. He thus has a greater and greater amount of front to cover with fewer and fewer forces. By passing east of Paris, he will be able to concentrate his army again. He knows that this move will expose his western flank to a French counterattack originating from Paris, but he does not feel this is a significant threat - skirmishes with the French 6th Army convince him it contains only rag-tag forces. One of his corps - IV Reserve - should be sufficient to cover his flank while the rest of his army heads southeast. Moreover, he feels the BEF has been completely knocked out of the fight. Kluck thus agrees to Bülow's request, and orders his 1st Army to shift direction starting tomorrow.
Moltke receives a report of Kluck's decision at Luxembourg City, where OHL has relocated today from Coblenz. Despite the glowing reports from his commanders on the Western Front, he remains gloomy. Unlike Joffre, he does not visit his commanders in the field, relying only on their oft-contradictory reports to inform him of developments, giving him a sense of disconnect which gives free reign to his fears. For example, if the French armies are shattered, why are there so few prisoners being taken? While beaten and retreating, the French are still in the field. Moreover, he is also concerned about the distances between the armies of the right wing - there simply are not enough units at the front to cover all of the line. Finally, Kluck's inward turn promises to catch 5th Army in its western flank, at last allowing it to be enveloped and destroyed. This is the type of decisive victory, Moltke believes, that can win the war in the West. Further deviating from the Schlieffen Plan, he signals his acquiescence to Kluck.
- As the results of the Battle of Guise become known, Joffre informs the government that he is no longer certain he can keep the German army out of Paris, and advises them to leave the capital, rather than risk capture. He also orders 6th Army to withdraw toward Paris, in line with his agreement with War Minister Millerand of the 27th, and instructs 4th Army to fall back on Rheims.
- One of the casualties today of Joffre's ruthless efforts to root out commanders he feels has failed the test of combat is General Pierre Ruffey, commander of 3rd Army. He is replaced by General Maurice Sarrail, one of 3rd Army's corps commanders.
- Sir John French sends Joffre a note today informing him that the BEF would not be in condition to take its place in the fighting line for another ten days. The British Field Marshal prefers to decline participating in the struggle for survival of his French allies.
 |
| The situation on the Western Front, Aug. 30th, 1914. Note the change of direction of Kluck's 1st Army. |
- An area around Paris within a radius of twenty miles is placed under the command of General Gallieni as Military Governor, and he prepares the region for battle - entrances to the capital are barricaded, bridges prepared to be dynamited, etc. Also, for the first time a German airplane drops bombs on Paris - two are killed by three bombs on the Quai de Valmy. The aircraft also drops leaflets, reminding them of the Prussian investment of the city in 1870, and stating: 'There is nothing you can do but surrender.'
- In East Prussia, the Russian 2nd Army falls apart. Stumbling around in unfamiliar terrain, Russians are slaughtered in the thousands, while others surrender to the first Germans they find. Among those inside the pocket is General Samsonov and his staff. They have no idea where they are, and walk hand-in-hand trying to walk south. Samsonov keeps repeating to his Chief of Staff: 'The Tsar trusted me. How can I face him after such a disaster?' When the group stopped at 1am to try to get its bearings, Samsonov wanders off into a group of pines, where he shoots himself.
- On the Galician frontier, the Russian 5th Army is in increasing trouble. On its western flank, the advance of the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army has separated it from the Russian 4th Army to the west, while the Austro-Hungarian XIV Corps has turned its eastern flank. The three centre corps of Russian 5th Army are now in danger of encirclement, similar to the fate of 2nd Army in Eastern Prussia. General P. A, Plehve of the Russian 5th Army, however, does not repeat the mistake of Samsonov - he orders today his corps in the centre to fall back on Krasnostav.
Conrad finally comes to understand the desperate situation on the southern portion of the Galician frontier, but still believes he is on the cusp of a crushing victory to the north. As such, he orders the northern armies to continue to advance, while allowing the Russians to move westward towards Lemberg, in the belief that after crushing the Russians in the north, 4th Army can turn back south and drive into the flank of the advancing Russians.
- A force of 1383 New Zealanders, escorted by the Australia Squadron, land on the German colony of Samoa and occupy it without a fight.
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