- The Russians southeast of Krakow go on the counteroffensive today. With reinforcements from X and XXI Corps, the Russian 3rd Army assaults the centre of the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army, and succeeds in pushing the enemy lines back several milometres. However, efforts by the Russian VIII Corps to drive from Neusandez to Limanowa are unsuccessful, and with further reinforcements are reaching the line for his group General Roth believes that his force may yet be able to outflank the Russian 3rd Army. Meanwhile the advance of General Szurmay's force towards Neusandez is led by 38th Honvéd Division, consisting of only eight understrength battalions. They are halted seven kilometres short of Neusandez by elements of two Russian divisions and a brigade.
- Since the annihilation of the German East Asiatic Squadron two days ago the squadron commanded by Admiral Sturdee has been searching for Dresden, the lone surviving German warship. This morning, however, as the squadron sails fifty miles east of Tierra del Fuego, thick fog makes the search impossible, and with his squadron's coal bunkers almost empty, Sturdee orders the search abandoned and the British set course to return to the Falklands Island. Their quarry, meanwhile, has already rounded Cape Horn and entered the Pacific.
Showing posts with label Sturdee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sturdee. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Monday, December 08, 2014
December 8th, 1914
- Further attacks by the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army against the Russian 3rd Army fail to make any significant gains, while the situation on the southern flank of Roth's group around Limanowa worsens - in addition to the advance of the Russian VIII Corps, the Russian XIV Corps is a mere two days march away. Conrad urges the commander of the Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army to hasten his attacks, and the latter decides that, as he does not have sufficient force in position to both attack Bartfeld and advance towards Neusandez, the latter operation should take priority. Two division and assorted battalions that had been assembled to attack Bartfeld are placed under the command of General Szurmay and ordered to move northwest against Neusandez.
- The Austro-Hungarian 6th Army today falls back across the Kolubara River, having been shattered in the fighting of the prior five days. Many of its battalions are down to two hundred men, supply columns have been destroyed by Serbian units that have broken through, and some units have now completely run out of ammunition. At Valjevo, the Austro-Hungarian 50th Division hastily retreats before scouting elements of the Serbian I Dunav Division, and the latter are able to temporarily enter the city. The episode convinces General Potiorek that 6th Army is no longer combat effective, and will be unable to hold the line of the Kolubara.
- In Mesopotamia the Ottoman defenders of Qurna are disheartened by the British success in occupying the opposite river bank, and more than half the garrison retreats northwards in the early morning hours. The remainder believe they have been outmaneouvred again when a small British force commandeers two sailboats and effects a river crossing just north of Qurna. At 1140pm, a small steamer carrying three Ottoman officers approaches one of the British sloops and they offer to surrender Qurna if the garrison is allowed to march out. The commander of the sloop refuses, and is soon able to badger the Ottomans into an unconditional surrender.
- For the past several weeks, the shattered remnants of C. F. Beyers' commando has been on the run since it was defeated on November 16th, and today it disintegrates when Beyers drowns attempting to cross the Vaal River. Beyers' death removes a leading rebel figure from the scene, and eliminates the last major rebel commando within South Africa - the only significant forces now are those commanded by Maritz and Kemp just over the border with German South-West Africa.
- At 2am this morning the warships of the German East Asiatic Squadron first sight the Falklands Islands on the northern horizon, and at 530am Admiral Spee splits his force - Gneisenau and Nürnberg will sail into Port Stanley to send landing parties ashore and bombard the town while Scharnhorst, Dresden, and Leipzig remain just out of sight over the horizon, ready to assist. The weather is perfect, with clear skies and only a slight breeze, making visibility ideal. The German warships have no idea that they are sailing into mortal danger.
At 7am Gneisenau and Nürnberg sight their first target, a radio mast on Hooker's Point. The harbour at Port Stanley itself is masked by the line of hills on which the radio mast sits and which reaches out to Cape Pembroke, but the Germans can see the mastheads of a number of ships in Port Stanley and smoke rising as they get underway. Gneisenau's gunnery officer, up in the spotting top of the foremast, reports that he sees tripod masts - ominous news, as tripod masts mean dreadnoughts. Gneisenau's captain dismisses the report - there are obviously no dreadnoughts or battlecruisers in the South Atlantic, as they are all in the North Sea facing the High Seas Fleet.
At 920am, just as Gneisenau and Nürnberg are about to open fire on the wireless station, two explosions are sighted a thousand yards to port, followed shortly by two more eight hundred yards away. The size of the detonations clearly indicate 12-inch shells, a stunning surprise to the Germans. Such large-calibre gunnery means they are facing warships larger than cruisers, and deduce that a pre-dreadnought battleship must be at Port Stanley. They are correct - the shells are coming from Canopus, beached in the harbour as a defensive battery, its fire directed by gunner observors on land such that it can fire without the ship actually seeing the enemy. Thus the first shots of the Battle of the Falklands Islands are fired by the warship that was left behind prior to the Battle of Coronel.
Spee decides to abort the attack on Port Stanley, as 12-inch guns could wreck havoc on his squadron and there are more enemy warships that appear to be preparing to exit Port Stanley to engage the Germans. However, Spee's squadron can also easily outrun a pre-dreadnought, so Gneisenau and Nürnberg are ordered to sail east to rejoin the rest of the German East Asiatic Squadron.
When Gneisenau and Nürnberg were first sighted by British observers ashore just after 730am, they caught Admiral Sturdee and his squadron completely by surprise. There had been no indication or intelligence to suggest that the Falklands Islands themselves might be a target of the German East Asiatic Squadron. The British warships are not prepared for action - only the armoured cruiser Kent is able to immediately steam out of the harbour, as the rest are in various stages of coaling or undergoing repairs. Sturdee quickly issues orders for all warships to raise steam to prepare to sail as soon as possible - his initial fear is that if the Germans sail up to the harbour entrance they might be able to devastate his squadron while it is still at anchor and cannot maneouvre. Spee's order to retreat alleviates that concern, however, and now Sturdee realizes his advantage. He knows his two battlecruisers can make 25 knots, while Spee's warships can only make 20 knots at most. Sturdee knows that he will inevitably catch up to the Germans, and then the larger main armament of Invincible and Inflexible will surely guarantee the annihilation of the enemy. Spee's only chance of escape is poor weather, but the day is exceptionally calm and there is no change of fog or rain in which the German squadron could hide. By 1030am all of Sturdee's warships have sailed out of Port Stanley and round Cape Pembroke in pursuit of the enemy.
As the German East Asiatic Squadron sails eastwards at its top speed, it can see in the distance British warships in pursuit, and all eyes strain to identify the enemy. They can see two larger warships that gradually but inexorably overtake the other enemy vessels and begin to close the gap between the two squadrons. It soon becomes clear that their pursuers include two battlecruisers. It is a bitter moment for the German East Asiatic Squadron - every sailor knows the overwhelming superiority battlecruisers have over their own ships, and that the day will likely end in their destruction.
For several hours the British pursue the Germans, the battlecruisers drawing ever closer. At 1255pm, the first shot of the battle is fired by Inflexible, targeting the light cruiser Leipzig. Invincible soon joins in, and within fifteen minutes British salvos are straddling the German ship. Spee decides that he must try to save at least part of his squadron. He orders his three light cruisers to separate and attempt to escape, while Scharnhorst and Gneisenau will turn to fight the battlecruisers. The latter maneouvre is undoubtedly doomed, but Spee hopes it will prove a sufficient distraction to allow the light cruisers to escape. Sturdee had anticipated this, however, and the armoured cruisers Kent and Cornwall as well as Glasgow are sent after the German light cruisers while Inflexible and Invincible focus on the two enemy armoured cruisers.
By 130pm the British battlecruisers and German armoured cruisers open fire on each other. The Germans live up to their reputation as crack shots, their salvos consistently straddling the British, while British fire is widely inaccurate - in the first thirty minutes, of 210 rounds fired only four hit the target. Still, the larger shells of the British guns mean each hit is significantly more damaging than several from the German guns. For the next two hours damage accumulates on Scharnhorst and Gneisenau - the former has several main guns knocked out, and the latter has two boiler rooms flooded and its speed reduced to 16 knots. Just before 4pm, its upper deck completely wrecked and three of four funnels shot away, Scharnhorst ceases fire. Sturdee signals the German warship to surrender, but there was no reply. Spee's last signal is instead to Gneisenau, conceding that he had been wrong to order the attack on the Falklands. Scharnhorst's bow sinks ever deeper into the waves until it rolls onto its side and sinks at 417pm. Of the eight hundred man crew, including Admiral Spee, there are no survivors. For the next hour and a half, the already-battered Gneisenau endures what amounts to target practice by the British battlecruisers. At 540 its captain orders the ship scuttled, and it sinks at 6pm. Between two and three hundred survivors are in the water, and the battlecruisers begin rescue efforts, ultimately pulling 176 from the frigid waters.
The three German light cruisers hardly fare better. As they sailed south in an attempt to escape, they are pursued by the light cruiser Glasgow and the armoured cruisers Kent and Cornwall. After four months at sea the Germans are several knots below their design speed, which allows the British to slowly close the distance. At 345pm the three light cruisers go their separate ways - Dresden to the southwest, Nürnberg to the east, and Leipzig to the south. The pursuing British have to choose how to continue the pursuit, and with Dresden maintaining a fractionally greater speed than the other two light cruisers, the decision is made by the captain of Glasgow to let Dresden go to ensure the destruction of the other two. While Dresden slips away, Nürnberg and Leipzig are chased down over the next several hours and, once the armoured cruisers are in range, battered into submission - the former sinking at 727pm, and the latter at 923pm. Only seven survivors are saved from Nürnberg and eighteen from Leipzig.
By nightfall the annihilation of the German East Asiatic Squadron is complete. Only Dresden survives, fleeing the scene as rapidly as possible westward, its only hope to return to the Pacific. Admiral Spee, as well as two of his sons who were serving aboard his warships, are lost. British casualties are negligible - one on Glasgow, four on Kent when a gun position was hit - as the vast majority of German hits failed to penetrate the armour of the British warships. The Germans had fought well, scoring a much higher hit rate than their counterparts, but it hardly mattered. For the British, it is a matter of concern that only 5% of their shots, but it is overshadowed by the sheer scale of the victory - the Battle of the Falklands is as decisive victory for the British as the Battle of Coronel was for the Germans. It does much to restore the luster of the Royal Navy after early setbacks, and is celebrated throughout Britain as a restatement of naval hegemony. The victory is seen as a particular vindication for the First Sea Lord, Admiral Fisher. It was his vision that brought the battlecruiser to life, and at the Falklands it fulfilled its strategic role perfectly - have the speed to catch anything it can sink.
- The Austro-Hungarian 6th Army today falls back across the Kolubara River, having been shattered in the fighting of the prior five days. Many of its battalions are down to two hundred men, supply columns have been destroyed by Serbian units that have broken through, and some units have now completely run out of ammunition. At Valjevo, the Austro-Hungarian 50th Division hastily retreats before scouting elements of the Serbian I Dunav Division, and the latter are able to temporarily enter the city. The episode convinces General Potiorek that 6th Army is no longer combat effective, and will be unable to hold the line of the Kolubara.
- In Mesopotamia the Ottoman defenders of Qurna are disheartened by the British success in occupying the opposite river bank, and more than half the garrison retreats northwards in the early morning hours. The remainder believe they have been outmaneouvred again when a small British force commandeers two sailboats and effects a river crossing just north of Qurna. At 1140pm, a small steamer carrying three Ottoman officers approaches one of the British sloops and they offer to surrender Qurna if the garrison is allowed to march out. The commander of the sloop refuses, and is soon able to badger the Ottomans into an unconditional surrender.
- For the past several weeks, the shattered remnants of C. F. Beyers' commando has been on the run since it was defeated on November 16th, and today it disintegrates when Beyers drowns attempting to cross the Vaal River. Beyers' death removes a leading rebel figure from the scene, and eliminates the last major rebel commando within South Africa - the only significant forces now are those commanded by Maritz and Kemp just over the border with German South-West Africa.
- At 2am this morning the warships of the German East Asiatic Squadron first sight the Falklands Islands on the northern horizon, and at 530am Admiral Spee splits his force - Gneisenau and Nürnberg will sail into Port Stanley to send landing parties ashore and bombard the town while Scharnhorst, Dresden, and Leipzig remain just out of sight over the horizon, ready to assist. The weather is perfect, with clear skies and only a slight breeze, making visibility ideal. The German warships have no idea that they are sailing into mortal danger.
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| The approach of the German East Asiatic Squadron to the Falklands Islands. |
At 7am Gneisenau and Nürnberg sight their first target, a radio mast on Hooker's Point. The harbour at Port Stanley itself is masked by the line of hills on which the radio mast sits and which reaches out to Cape Pembroke, but the Germans can see the mastheads of a number of ships in Port Stanley and smoke rising as they get underway. Gneisenau's gunnery officer, up in the spotting top of the foremast, reports that he sees tripod masts - ominous news, as tripod masts mean dreadnoughts. Gneisenau's captain dismisses the report - there are obviously no dreadnoughts or battlecruisers in the South Atlantic, as they are all in the North Sea facing the High Seas Fleet.
At 920am, just as Gneisenau and Nürnberg are about to open fire on the wireless station, two explosions are sighted a thousand yards to port, followed shortly by two more eight hundred yards away. The size of the detonations clearly indicate 12-inch shells, a stunning surprise to the Germans. Such large-calibre gunnery means they are facing warships larger than cruisers, and deduce that a pre-dreadnought battleship must be at Port Stanley. They are correct - the shells are coming from Canopus, beached in the harbour as a defensive battery, its fire directed by gunner observors on land such that it can fire without the ship actually seeing the enemy. Thus the first shots of the Battle of the Falklands Islands are fired by the warship that was left behind prior to the Battle of Coronel.
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| The Battle of the Falklands Islands, December 8th, 1914. |
Spee decides to abort the attack on Port Stanley, as 12-inch guns could wreck havoc on his squadron and there are more enemy warships that appear to be preparing to exit Port Stanley to engage the Germans. However, Spee's squadron can also easily outrun a pre-dreadnought, so Gneisenau and Nürnberg are ordered to sail east to rejoin the rest of the German East Asiatic Squadron.
When Gneisenau and Nürnberg were first sighted by British observers ashore just after 730am, they caught Admiral Sturdee and his squadron completely by surprise. There had been no indication or intelligence to suggest that the Falklands Islands themselves might be a target of the German East Asiatic Squadron. The British warships are not prepared for action - only the armoured cruiser Kent is able to immediately steam out of the harbour, as the rest are in various stages of coaling or undergoing repairs. Sturdee quickly issues orders for all warships to raise steam to prepare to sail as soon as possible - his initial fear is that if the Germans sail up to the harbour entrance they might be able to devastate his squadron while it is still at anchor and cannot maneouvre. Spee's order to retreat alleviates that concern, however, and now Sturdee realizes his advantage. He knows his two battlecruisers can make 25 knots, while Spee's warships can only make 20 knots at most. Sturdee knows that he will inevitably catch up to the Germans, and then the larger main armament of Invincible and Inflexible will surely guarantee the annihilation of the enemy. Spee's only chance of escape is poor weather, but the day is exceptionally calm and there is no change of fog or rain in which the German squadron could hide. By 1030am all of Sturdee's warships have sailed out of Port Stanley and round Cape Pembroke in pursuit of the enemy.
As the German East Asiatic Squadron sails eastwards at its top speed, it can see in the distance British warships in pursuit, and all eyes strain to identify the enemy. They can see two larger warships that gradually but inexorably overtake the other enemy vessels and begin to close the gap between the two squadrons. It soon becomes clear that their pursuers include two battlecruisers. It is a bitter moment for the German East Asiatic Squadron - every sailor knows the overwhelming superiority battlecruisers have over their own ships, and that the day will likely end in their destruction.
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| The view from the maintop on Invincible as it overhauls the German warships, whose smoke is visible on the horizon. |
For several hours the British pursue the Germans, the battlecruisers drawing ever closer. At 1255pm, the first shot of the battle is fired by Inflexible, targeting the light cruiser Leipzig. Invincible soon joins in, and within fifteen minutes British salvos are straddling the German ship. Spee decides that he must try to save at least part of his squadron. He orders his three light cruisers to separate and attempt to escape, while Scharnhorst and Gneisenau will turn to fight the battlecruisers. The latter maneouvre is undoubtedly doomed, but Spee hopes it will prove a sufficient distraction to allow the light cruisers to escape. Sturdee had anticipated this, however, and the armoured cruisers Kent and Cornwall as well as Glasgow are sent after the German light cruisers while Inflexible and Invincible focus on the two enemy armoured cruisers.
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| Inflexible opens fire on Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. |
By 130pm the British battlecruisers and German armoured cruisers open fire on each other. The Germans live up to their reputation as crack shots, their salvos consistently straddling the British, while British fire is widely inaccurate - in the first thirty minutes, of 210 rounds fired only four hit the target. Still, the larger shells of the British guns mean each hit is significantly more damaging than several from the German guns. For the next two hours damage accumulates on Scharnhorst and Gneisenau - the former has several main guns knocked out, and the latter has two boiler rooms flooded and its speed reduced to 16 knots. Just before 4pm, its upper deck completely wrecked and three of four funnels shot away, Scharnhorst ceases fire. Sturdee signals the German warship to surrender, but there was no reply. Spee's last signal is instead to Gneisenau, conceding that he had been wrong to order the attack on the Falklands. Scharnhorst's bow sinks ever deeper into the waves until it rolls onto its side and sinks at 417pm. Of the eight hundred man crew, including Admiral Spee, there are no survivors. For the next hour and a half, the already-battered Gneisenau endures what amounts to target practice by the British battlecruisers. At 540 its captain orders the ship scuttled, and it sinks at 6pm. Between two and three hundred survivors are in the water, and the battlecruisers begin rescue efforts, ultimately pulling 176 from the frigid waters.
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| Inflexible standing by to pick up survivors from Gneisenau. The photograph is taken from Invincible. |
The three German light cruisers hardly fare better. As they sailed south in an attempt to escape, they are pursued by the light cruiser Glasgow and the armoured cruisers Kent and Cornwall. After four months at sea the Germans are several knots below their design speed, which allows the British to slowly close the distance. At 345pm the three light cruisers go their separate ways - Dresden to the southwest, Nürnberg to the east, and Leipzig to the south. The pursuing British have to choose how to continue the pursuit, and with Dresden maintaining a fractionally greater speed than the other two light cruisers, the decision is made by the captain of Glasgow to let Dresden go to ensure the destruction of the other two. While Dresden slips away, Nürnberg and Leipzig are chased down over the next several hours and, once the armoured cruisers are in range, battered into submission - the former sinking at 727pm, and the latter at 923pm. Only seven survivors are saved from Nürnberg and eighteen from Leipzig.
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| Damage on the upper deck of Kent. |
By nightfall the annihilation of the German East Asiatic Squadron is complete. Only Dresden survives, fleeing the scene as rapidly as possible westward, its only hope to return to the Pacific. Admiral Spee, as well as two of his sons who were serving aboard his warships, are lost. British casualties are negligible - one on Glasgow, four on Kent when a gun position was hit - as the vast majority of German hits failed to penetrate the armour of the British warships. The Germans had fought well, scoring a much higher hit rate than their counterparts, but it hardly mattered. For the British, it is a matter of concern that only 5% of their shots, but it is overshadowed by the sheer scale of the victory - the Battle of the Falklands is as decisive victory for the British as the Battle of Coronel was for the Germans. It does much to restore the luster of the Royal Navy after early setbacks, and is celebrated throughout Britain as a restatement of naval hegemony. The victory is seen as a particular vindication for the First Sea Lord, Admiral Fisher. It was his vision that brought the battlecruiser to life, and at the Falklands it fulfilled its strategic role perfectly - have the speed to catch anything it can sink.
Sunday, December 07, 2014
December 7th, 1914
- With the occupation of Lodz, General Mackensen desires a pause in operations for his 9th Army, given that it has been in constant combat for a month in poor weather and with few supplies, and he also recognizes that the Russians have withdrawn to a strong defensive position along the Bzura and Rawka Rivers. Ludendorff, however, insists that the advance continues, with the objective of seizing Warsaw by the end of the year. He believes that warfare in the East is more mobile than the West, and while generally this is the case, it ignores the specific situation that 9th Army now faces, fighting a defensive line where the Russians have entrenched in strong positions. Thus 9th Army continues to attack the Russian 1st, 2nd, and 5th Armies opposite, attempting to force river crossings and achieve the breakthrough Ludendorff still believes is possible.
- The Russian 3rd Army pulls its two exposed corps back eastward over the Stradomka River today, a maneouvre that removes the possibility of the southern wing of the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army enveloping and annihilating these corps. Though Conrad is funnelling reinforcements to Roth's group, General Ivanov of South-West Front is doing the same - in addition to the two corps drawn from 8th Army, two additional corps are coming from 9th Army. Further, the Russian VIII Corps at Neusandez is already attacking westward towards Limanowa against the exposed flank of Roth's group, which remains orientated northwards.
Meanwhile, the Russian 8th Army in the Carpathians consists of little more than XII Corps, as General Brusilov has sent the remainder westward to support the beleaguered 3rd Army. This means that when several divisions on the eastern wing of the Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army attack today, the Russian defenders are pushed back. However, poor weather and logistical challenges has delayed the planned Austro-Hungarian attack against Bartfeld, while no forces have been yet dispatched towards Neusandez.
- With the tide turning against Austria-Hungary, the Serbian parliament is emboldened today to issue a declaration on its war aims; namely, to liberate all Serbs, Croatians, and Slovenians (known collectively as the South Slavs) within Austria-Hungary and unite them into a single kingdom under Serbian leadership.
- In Lower Mesopotamia the detachment of Indian Expeditionary Force D sent against Qurna advances on the opposite river bank today, clearing Ottoman units out of several trench positions. By late afternoon the British are on the river opposite Qurna, and spent the rest of the day exchanging fire with the Ottoman garrison of the town.
The Viceroy of India also telegrams London today, endorsing a proclamation at Basra that British occupation of the region will be permanent, and governed as a province of India.
- At 9am this morning the British squadron under the command of Admiral Sturdee sights the Falklands Islands, and his warships, led by Invincible and Inflexible, sail into Port Stanley. Though the squadron needs coal, only two colliers are available, so the ships will take turns, while the armoured cruiser Cornwall and the light cruiser Bristol extinguish their fires to clean its boilers and repair an engine respectively. The armed merchant cruiser Macedonia is assigned to patrol outside the harbour, while the armoured cruiser Kent is scheduled to relieve Macedonia at 8am tomorrow morning.
Admiral Sturdee summons his captains to Invincible, where he informs them that the squadron will sail in forty-eight hours - reports have German colliers assembling near Tierra del Fuego, and Sturdee wants to get around Cape Horn before the German East Asiatic Squadron. Unbeknownst to Sturdee and his captains, fate is about to delivery the German warships right into their hands.
- The Russian 3rd Army pulls its two exposed corps back eastward over the Stradomka River today, a maneouvre that removes the possibility of the southern wing of the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army enveloping and annihilating these corps. Though Conrad is funnelling reinforcements to Roth's group, General Ivanov of South-West Front is doing the same - in addition to the two corps drawn from 8th Army, two additional corps are coming from 9th Army. Further, the Russian VIII Corps at Neusandez is already attacking westward towards Limanowa against the exposed flank of Roth's group, which remains orientated northwards.
Meanwhile, the Russian 8th Army in the Carpathians consists of little more than XII Corps, as General Brusilov has sent the remainder westward to support the beleaguered 3rd Army. This means that when several divisions on the eastern wing of the Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army attack today, the Russian defenders are pushed back. However, poor weather and logistical challenges has delayed the planned Austro-Hungarian attack against Bartfeld, while no forces have been yet dispatched towards Neusandez.
- With the tide turning against Austria-Hungary, the Serbian parliament is emboldened today to issue a declaration on its war aims; namely, to liberate all Serbs, Croatians, and Slovenians (known collectively as the South Slavs) within Austria-Hungary and unite them into a single kingdom under Serbian leadership.
- In Lower Mesopotamia the detachment of Indian Expeditionary Force D sent against Qurna advances on the opposite river bank today, clearing Ottoman units out of several trench positions. By late afternoon the British are on the river opposite Qurna, and spent the rest of the day exchanging fire with the Ottoman garrison of the town.
The Viceroy of India also telegrams London today, endorsing a proclamation at Basra that British occupation of the region will be permanent, and governed as a province of India.
- At 9am this morning the British squadron under the command of Admiral Sturdee sights the Falklands Islands, and his warships, led by Invincible and Inflexible, sail into Port Stanley. Though the squadron needs coal, only two colliers are available, so the ships will take turns, while the armoured cruiser Cornwall and the light cruiser Bristol extinguish their fires to clean its boilers and repair an engine respectively. The armed merchant cruiser Macedonia is assigned to patrol outside the harbour, while the armoured cruiser Kent is scheduled to relieve Macedonia at 8am tomorrow morning.
Admiral Sturdee summons his captains to Invincible, where he informs them that the squadron will sail in forty-eight hours - reports have German colliers assembling near Tierra del Fuego, and Sturdee wants to get around Cape Horn before the German East Asiatic Squadron. Unbeknownst to Sturdee and his captains, fate is about to delivery the German warships right into their hands.
Friday, November 28, 2014
November 28th, 1914
- Nine days after the first attempt, the French 2nd Army launches a second attack on the German lines opposite, this time by two divisions of XIV Corps. Unlike the last attack, this one does accomplish something - the gain of three hundred metres.
- The Russian 8th Army, under General Brusilov, continues to push into the Carpathian Mountains against the weakening resistance of the Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army. The Russians have already seized the Lupkow-Beskid and Uzsok Passes, and early this morning Russian forces break through the Austro-Hungarian lines holding the Dulka Pass. The fighting in the Carpathians has been ferocious, with bitter cold and heavy snows adding to the misery of both sides. The Austro-Hungarians, though, have certainly received the worst of it, and if Brusilov's 8th Army can push all the way through the Carpathians they will be able to invade Hungary and march on Budapest, potentially knocking Austria-Hungary out of the war entirely. It is a moment of crisis for Austria-Hungary, as its fate hangs in the balance.
- In Serbia, efforts by the Austro-Hungarian 5th Army to cross the Kolubara River where it meets the Sava River have encountered fierce Serbian resistance, and in one counterattack the Serbs inflicted 50% casualties on the enemy. Nevertheless, given the retreat of his 1st Army General Putnik is concerned that his front line is overstretched, and orders his armies to pull back today. This retreat will expose Belgrade to attack, and Putnik orders its evacuation.
- At 10am Vice-Admiral Sturdee's squadron departs Abrolhos Rocks for Port Stanley in the Falklands Islands. They are spread out in a line with twelve miles between each ship so as to maximum the amount of ocean under observation.
- This morning Ayesha, crewed by Emden's landing party, crosses into Dutch territorial waters as it approaches Padang. Now immune from enemy attack, First Officer Mücke orders the German war flag to be flown from the mast, announcing to all their identity. Early this afternoon, the Dutch destroyer Lynx appoaches once more; this time Mücke orders the customary salute between warships to be given. The entire German crew stands at attention on deck, while Mücke and his officers salute; the Dutch respond with the same salute. Mücke then took one of Ayesha's boats and visited Lynx, meeting with its captain. Here the German officer plays his hand to the full - he states unequivocally that Ayesha is a German ship of war, and thus is entitled to enter Padang's harbour for twenty-four hours for repairs and resupply. The thought of the old schooner Ayesha as a ship of war must seem laughable to Lynx's captain; however, he is in no position to dispute the issue, lest he cause a diplomatic crisis. He informs Mücke that there is nothing preventing Ayesha from anchoring at Padang, but that the civil authorities might intern his ship and crew. Mücke replies that as a warship Ayesha can leave the port at any time, and adds in jest: 'I hope you and I will not get into a fight when I run out.' The response of the Dutch captain is not recorded.
After Mücke's return, Ayesha, as it enters the anchorage, is met by a boat carrying the harbour master. The latter is insistent that Ayesha drop anchor far away from other ships and docks, but Mücke can see that some of the merchants in the port are German and he has every intention of anchoring right beside them. As Mücke and Padang's harbour master argue, coincidentally the topsails of the schooner refuse to come down, no matter what the crew attempts. After much work they are finally furled, again coincidentally just as the ship comes up beside the docks and German merchants. After this 'good fortune' Mücke sends his senior lieutenant ashore to report to the German consul, while the men of the German merchants throw everything from cigarettes to German newspapers to the men aboard Ayesha (by international law, non-combatants are not allowed on combatant warships while in a neutral port).
The Dutch authorities are eager to intern Ayesha, wishing to avoid angering the British or Japanese should Emden's landing party escape again. Further, the harbour master is Belgian, and thus hardly inclined to give the Germans any benefit of the doubt. The German consul at Padang had ordered supplies of all kind for Ayesha, but when some arrive at 7pm, they are accompanied by a Dutch neutrality officer, designated to ensure the laws of neutrality were upheld to the letter. He argues that Mücke should allow himself and his ship to be interned, but the Germans are unanimous in rejecting this advice. The neutrality officer then informs him that much of the ordered supplies cannot be transferred to Ayesha as they would enhance their fighting ability - this includes not only nautical charts but also clothing and soap. The Germans are willing to go without in order to continue their voyage. Finally the neutrality officer insists that nearby Japanese and English cruisers will undoubtedly catch them, and that they had already acquitted themselves honourably in executing their duty to Germany. Again, Mücke and his crew refuse. Given the apparent 'unreasonableness' of the Germans and with all arguments exhausted, the re-provisioned Ayesha weighs anchor at 8pm and departs Padang - after an eventful day, the voyage of Emden's landing party continues.
- The Russian 8th Army, under General Brusilov, continues to push into the Carpathian Mountains against the weakening resistance of the Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army. The Russians have already seized the Lupkow-Beskid and Uzsok Passes, and early this morning Russian forces break through the Austro-Hungarian lines holding the Dulka Pass. The fighting in the Carpathians has been ferocious, with bitter cold and heavy snows adding to the misery of both sides. The Austro-Hungarians, though, have certainly received the worst of it, and if Brusilov's 8th Army can push all the way through the Carpathians they will be able to invade Hungary and march on Budapest, potentially knocking Austria-Hungary out of the war entirely. It is a moment of crisis for Austria-Hungary, as its fate hangs in the balance.
- In Serbia, efforts by the Austro-Hungarian 5th Army to cross the Kolubara River where it meets the Sava River have encountered fierce Serbian resistance, and in one counterattack the Serbs inflicted 50% casualties on the enemy. Nevertheless, given the retreat of his 1st Army General Putnik is concerned that his front line is overstretched, and orders his armies to pull back today. This retreat will expose Belgrade to attack, and Putnik orders its evacuation.
- At 10am Vice-Admiral Sturdee's squadron departs Abrolhos Rocks for Port Stanley in the Falklands Islands. They are spread out in a line with twelve miles between each ship so as to maximum the amount of ocean under observation.
- This morning Ayesha, crewed by Emden's landing party, crosses into Dutch territorial waters as it approaches Padang. Now immune from enemy attack, First Officer Mücke orders the German war flag to be flown from the mast, announcing to all their identity. Early this afternoon, the Dutch destroyer Lynx appoaches once more; this time Mücke orders the customary salute between warships to be given. The entire German crew stands at attention on deck, while Mücke and his officers salute; the Dutch respond with the same salute. Mücke then took one of Ayesha's boats and visited Lynx, meeting with its captain. Here the German officer plays his hand to the full - he states unequivocally that Ayesha is a German ship of war, and thus is entitled to enter Padang's harbour for twenty-four hours for repairs and resupply. The thought of the old schooner Ayesha as a ship of war must seem laughable to Lynx's captain; however, he is in no position to dispute the issue, lest he cause a diplomatic crisis. He informs Mücke that there is nothing preventing Ayesha from anchoring at Padang, but that the civil authorities might intern his ship and crew. Mücke replies that as a warship Ayesha can leave the port at any time, and adds in jest: 'I hope you and I will not get into a fight when I run out.' The response of the Dutch captain is not recorded.
After Mücke's return, Ayesha, as it enters the anchorage, is met by a boat carrying the harbour master. The latter is insistent that Ayesha drop anchor far away from other ships and docks, but Mücke can see that some of the merchants in the port are German and he has every intention of anchoring right beside them. As Mücke and Padang's harbour master argue, coincidentally the topsails of the schooner refuse to come down, no matter what the crew attempts. After much work they are finally furled, again coincidentally just as the ship comes up beside the docks and German merchants. After this 'good fortune' Mücke sends his senior lieutenant ashore to report to the German consul, while the men of the German merchants throw everything from cigarettes to German newspapers to the men aboard Ayesha (by international law, non-combatants are not allowed on combatant warships while in a neutral port).
The Dutch authorities are eager to intern Ayesha, wishing to avoid angering the British or Japanese should Emden's landing party escape again. Further, the harbour master is Belgian, and thus hardly inclined to give the Germans any benefit of the doubt. The German consul at Padang had ordered supplies of all kind for Ayesha, but when some arrive at 7pm, they are accompanied by a Dutch neutrality officer, designated to ensure the laws of neutrality were upheld to the letter. He argues that Mücke should allow himself and his ship to be interned, but the Germans are unanimous in rejecting this advice. The neutrality officer then informs him that much of the ordered supplies cannot be transferred to Ayesha as they would enhance their fighting ability - this includes not only nautical charts but also clothing and soap. The Germans are willing to go without in order to continue their voyage. Finally the neutrality officer insists that nearby Japanese and English cruisers will undoubtedly catch them, and that they had already acquitted themselves honourably in executing their duty to Germany. Again, Mücke and his crew refuse. Given the apparent 'unreasonableness' of the Germans and with all arguments exhausted, the re-provisioned Ayesha weighs anchor at 8pm and departs Padang - after an eventful day, the voyage of Emden's landing party continues.
Thursday, November 27, 2014
November 27th, 1914
- West of Krakow the German 47th Reserve Division, dispatched by Ludendorff southwards to assist the beleaguered Austro-Hungarians, begins to detrain today at Oderberg and Oswiecim.
- At Abrolhos Rocks off the Brazilian coast Vice-Admiral Sturdee holds a conference of captains to plan the pursuit of the German East Asiatic Squadron. He intends to sail to the Falklands Islands and use it as a base should the Germans sail up the middle of the Atlantic, while also sending his light cruisers to inspect the various harbours and bays along the southeastern coast of South America in case the Germans attempted to remain close to shore. He also announces that the squadron will sail in two days' time. The captain of Glasgow objects, fearing that the Germans might try to reach the Falklands before the British. He manages to convince Sturdee to advance the date of departure to tomorrow, a decision, as shall be seen, of vital importance.
- Yesterday the convoy carrying the thousands of volunteers from Australia and New Zealand departed the port of Aden, a British colony on the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula near the mouth of the Red Sea. Their destination at that time remained England, where they were to encamp and undergo training on Salisbury Plain alongside the Canadian contingent. The experiences of the Canadians to date, however, show that Salisbury Plain leaves much to be desired. There are not nearly enough huts to house all of the soldiers, so most sleep under canvass. Further, the weather is terrible - near constant rain and cold temperatures not only make conditions miserable but impede the training regimen of the Canadians. The Australian representative at the British War Office, realizing the misery of the Canadians on Salisbury Plain, does not want the same conditions inflicted on the Australians and New Zealanders. He suggested to Lord Kitchener that the convoy be redirected to Egypt, where they will be able to train in more amenable circumstances. Kitchener agrees, and word reaches the convoy today that they are to be redirected to Egypt, where the Australians and New Zealanders will encamp just outside Cairo. At present there is still every intention that once sufficiently prepared they will be dispatched to the Western Front.
- Overnight the Dutch destroyer Lynx returns to continue following the schooner Ayesha as it approaches Padang. The attention of Lynx is welcome in one sense, as given that the German crew of Ayesha have no charts of Padang they are able to know if their course will take them onto reefs by whether Lynx turns away. On the other hand, the attention is regretted by First Officer Mücke - it gives the impression, in his words, of a burly policeman bringing in a disreputable scoundrel, while also indicating that perhaps the Dutch have been expecting them. Twice Mücke signals Lynx as to why they are being followed, but the Dutch give no response. The Germans take some satisfaction, however, in the sight of their powerful escort forced to limit itself to the speed of one mile per hour so as to not overshoot Ayesha.
- At Abrolhos Rocks off the Brazilian coast Vice-Admiral Sturdee holds a conference of captains to plan the pursuit of the German East Asiatic Squadron. He intends to sail to the Falklands Islands and use it as a base should the Germans sail up the middle of the Atlantic, while also sending his light cruisers to inspect the various harbours and bays along the southeastern coast of South America in case the Germans attempted to remain close to shore. He also announces that the squadron will sail in two days' time. The captain of Glasgow objects, fearing that the Germans might try to reach the Falklands before the British. He manages to convince Sturdee to advance the date of departure to tomorrow, a decision, as shall be seen, of vital importance.
- Yesterday the convoy carrying the thousands of volunteers from Australia and New Zealand departed the port of Aden, a British colony on the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula near the mouth of the Red Sea. Their destination at that time remained England, where they were to encamp and undergo training on Salisbury Plain alongside the Canadian contingent. The experiences of the Canadians to date, however, show that Salisbury Plain leaves much to be desired. There are not nearly enough huts to house all of the soldiers, so most sleep under canvass. Further, the weather is terrible - near constant rain and cold temperatures not only make conditions miserable but impede the training regimen of the Canadians. The Australian representative at the British War Office, realizing the misery of the Canadians on Salisbury Plain, does not want the same conditions inflicted on the Australians and New Zealanders. He suggested to Lord Kitchener that the convoy be redirected to Egypt, where they will be able to train in more amenable circumstances. Kitchener agrees, and word reaches the convoy today that they are to be redirected to Egypt, where the Australians and New Zealanders will encamp just outside Cairo. At present there is still every intention that once sufficiently prepared they will be dispatched to the Western Front.
- Overnight the Dutch destroyer Lynx returns to continue following the schooner Ayesha as it approaches Padang. The attention of Lynx is welcome in one sense, as given that the German crew of Ayesha have no charts of Padang they are able to know if their course will take them onto reefs by whether Lynx turns away. On the other hand, the attention is regretted by First Officer Mücke - it gives the impression, in his words, of a burly policeman bringing in a disreputable scoundrel, while also indicating that perhaps the Dutch have been expecting them. Twice Mücke signals Lynx as to why they are being followed, but the Dutch give no response. The Germans take some satisfaction, however, in the sight of their powerful escort forced to limit itself to the speed of one mile per hour so as to not overshoot Ayesha.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
November 26th, 1914
- Near Krakow the Russian 3rd Army, concentrated to the east of the city and south of the Vistula River, forces the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army to fall back westwards towards Krakow. 3rd Army's commander believes, given the apparently-shattered state of the Austro-Hungarian army, that his army may be able to seize the forts at Krakow by a coup de main. However, his superiors at Stavka are less sure - the bulk of the Russian army to the north is exhausted from the fighting of November, and today they learn of the imminent arrival of three German corps, having been transferred from the west, and for which they have no reserves available to counter.
- At dawn the British battlecruisers Invincible and Inflexible arrive at the Abrolhos Rock, where they meet Rear-Admiral Stoddart's squadron of four armoured cruisers and two light cruisers, the latter including Glasgow. Vice-Admiral Sturdee aboard Invincible takes overall command of the assembled British warships, and coaling is undertaken in preparation for the pursuit of the German East Asiatic Squadron.
- Sturdee's target meanwhile departs Bahía San Quintín this afternoon. While they had anchored and coaled at Bahía San Quintín Admiral Spee had received a message from the German Naval Staff, informing him of provisional, though potentially unreliable, arrangements made for colliers in the Atlantic, and gave him discretion in deciding whether to try to break for home. By today Spee has decided to do just that, but as always the coal situation remains of mind. He has also heard a report that Port Stanley in the Falklands Islands is undefended, a message that will be of decisive importance in determining the fate of the German East Asiatic Squadron.
- At dawn this morning the crew of the Ayesha sights the port of Padang in the distance, but the wind has died to almost nothing, leaving them practically adrift. Given that they still sit in international waters and in a major shipping lane, they have no desire to wait lest a hostile cruiser stumble upon them. In order to make at least some progress, the crew resort to rowing - two lifeboats are lowered into the water and attached to the bow, while spare oars onboard Ayesha itself are used by the remaining crew. Through these means they are able to approach Padang at one mile per hour.
Later in the morning Ayesha is approached by the Dutch destroyer Lynx. As the appearance of all fifty of the German crew aboard Ayesha would give the game away, all but First Officer Mücke and the dirtiest, wildest-looking sailor disappear below deck. Mücke's intention is to give the impression of being just a run-down schooner, hardly worthy of attention. The Dutch warship passed slowly at a distance of fifty metres, each of its officers inspecting Ayesha through binoculars and carrying on a lively conversation. The Dutch make no attempt to hail Mücke, but follow Ayesha for several hours as it approaches Padang at an agonizingly-slow speed, before returning to the port itself in the evening.
- At dawn the British battlecruisers Invincible and Inflexible arrive at the Abrolhos Rock, where they meet Rear-Admiral Stoddart's squadron of four armoured cruisers and two light cruisers, the latter including Glasgow. Vice-Admiral Sturdee aboard Invincible takes overall command of the assembled British warships, and coaling is undertaken in preparation for the pursuit of the German East Asiatic Squadron.
- Sturdee's target meanwhile departs Bahía San Quintín this afternoon. While they had anchored and coaled at Bahía San Quintín Admiral Spee had received a message from the German Naval Staff, informing him of provisional, though potentially unreliable, arrangements made for colliers in the Atlantic, and gave him discretion in deciding whether to try to break for home. By today Spee has decided to do just that, but as always the coal situation remains of mind. He has also heard a report that Port Stanley in the Falklands Islands is undefended, a message that will be of decisive importance in determining the fate of the German East Asiatic Squadron.
- At dawn this morning the crew of the Ayesha sights the port of Padang in the distance, but the wind has died to almost nothing, leaving them practically adrift. Given that they still sit in international waters and in a major shipping lane, they have no desire to wait lest a hostile cruiser stumble upon them. In order to make at least some progress, the crew resort to rowing - two lifeboats are lowered into the water and attached to the bow, while spare oars onboard Ayesha itself are used by the remaining crew. Through these means they are able to approach Padang at one mile per hour.
Later in the morning Ayesha is approached by the Dutch destroyer Lynx. As the appearance of all fifty of the German crew aboard Ayesha would give the game away, all but First Officer Mücke and the dirtiest, wildest-looking sailor disappear below deck. Mücke's intention is to give the impression of being just a run-down schooner, hardly worthy of attention. The Dutch warship passed slowly at a distance of fifty metres, each of its officers inspecting Ayesha through binoculars and carrying on a lively conversation. The Dutch make no attempt to hail Mücke, but follow Ayesha for several hours as it approaches Padang at an agonizingly-slow speed, before returning to the port itself in the evening.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
November 11th, 1914
- The pre-dawn hours at Ypres give no hint of the impending German attack, while the first rays of light reveal a think grey fog covering the battlefield. However, at 630am the German artillery opened fire - they had been stockpiling shells for today, and the resulting bombardment was the most intensive of the war to date. At 9am the fire reaches its crescendo, which clearly indicates to the British defenders that an infantry attack is imminent. Along much of the British line, many of the defenders had withdrawn from the front line to support positions to avoid the worst of the bombardment, as the primitive state of the trenches offered no real protection from such intensive artillery fire. It was only when the bombardment shifted to the support positions that the British infantry would rush back forward to repel the German attack.
In theory the German attack was to extend from Zonnebeke to Messines, and include the forces of Army Groups Fabeck and Linsingen, as well as 54th Reserve Division of XXVII Reserve Corps to the north of Plettenberg's Corps of Army Group Linsingen. In practice, the intensity of the infantry attacks were related to the amount of time they had already spent in the line at Ypres. Opposite Messines 26th Division and 11th Landswehr Brigade of Army Group Fabeck never even left their trenches - the German history excuses this by noting the intensity of British artillery fire. On the other end of the line, 54th Reserve Division made no attempt to advance either, which had, as will be seen, a significant impact on the operations of its neighbour to the south.
South of the Comines Canal, five German divisions assault the line held by most of four French divisions, but despite heavy fighting are able to make no progress whatsoever. North of the Canal, the French line is pushed back to Hill 60 at noon by 30th Division. The retreat threatened the rear of the British I Corps and French IX Corps, but a counterattack by a regiment of cavalry advancing on foot manages to re-establish the line by 630pm. East of the French position six British battalions grouped under Lord Cavan defended against twelve German battalions, primarily of 39th Division. Twice the Germans managed to close up to the British line, and twice counterattacks drove them off, and the line held.
As Winckler's Division and 4th Division of Plettenberg's Corps had arrived in the line less than forty-eight hours ago, they launch their attacks with resolution and determination. The advance of 4th Division meets very heavy British fire, and the ranks of the attackers are swept away by rifle, machine-gun, and artillery fire. The German line breaks, and subsequent efforts to reform and advance again are repeatedly halted by British fire, and a final effort at 4pm makes no headway.
Thus the burden of the offensive falls on the four Guards regiments of Winckler's Division - north to south, 3rd Guard, 1st Guard, 2nd Grenadier Guards, and 4th Grenadier Guards Regiments. They advance along the Menin Road, the first three to the north and the last just to the south. The British line is held by various battalions and companies thrown together in the fighting of the past several weeks under 1st Division, I Corps. In the thick mist the Guards advance jogging in neat rows, officers at the front with swords unsheathed. 4th Guards almost reaches the British position, but at the last momemt a British artillery observer, following his broken telephone line back to his battery, orders shrapnel fire, which cuts through the German ranks and forces 4th Guards to retire. 2nd Guards, however, manages to squeeze through a gap in the British line, as they reach the British trench almost simultaneously with the British infantry returning from support positions after the German artillery bombardment. The British retreat into the woods west of the village of Veldhoek. A German Fusilier battalion pursues them into the trees, but as it now has no support on either flank, it comes under attack from three sides and is annhilated. A further counterattack recovers the reserve trenches, though 2nd Guards is able to hold the original British front line.
The most serious situation occurs to north. When 1st and 3rd Guards attack at 9am, they are able to reach the British trench line before it can be fully manned, and within ten minutes they have overrun the three British battalions opposing them and have opened a thousand-yard gap in the British line. As 3rd Guard pushes forward, however, it comes under heavy fire from Polygon Wood on its northern flank, which was supposed to have been cleared by the attack of 54th Reserve Division. The failure of the latter means that 3rd Guard finds itself pulled northward as it attempts to dislodge the British. Having suffered heavy losses, 1st Guard pushes forward into Nonnebosschen (Nun's Wood), as much as to escape the fire of the British in Polygon Wood as to outflank it.
The German Guards have broken through the British line and are in position to threaten the position of I Corps and indeed the entire Entente position in the Ypres salient. At the moment 1st Guards enters Nonnebosschen, the only British between them and Ypres are several artillery batteries and a divisional headquarters. As news of the breakthrough spreads, Haig orders what little reserves he has forward. In the rear headquarters staff and cooks are handed weapons and move into makeshift defensive positions in the expectation of the Germans sweeping forward. The commander of 2nd Division sends forward 2nd Battalion, Oxford and Bucks, his last reserve, and it is ordered to recover Nonnebosschen. Just after 2pm its four companies sprint forward and crash into the woods.
Just under a thousand survivors of 1st Guards were in Nonnebosschen when the British counterattacked. Once again, the Germans had been unaware of what they had actually accomplished - almost every officer and NCO had been killed, infantry milling about Nonneboschen in confusion, and German prisoners taken from 1st Guards are aghast when they learn how close they had been shattering the entire line. Instead, the counterattack of 2nd Battalion, Oxford and Bucks finds 1st Guards surprised and leaderless, and the latter immediately break and retreat out of Nonnebosschen. Further, 3rd Guards has broken on the British line in Polygon Wood - in the dense mist the defenders see a bank of grey in the distance, and expect a further German attack, only to find when the mist clears that it is hundreds of German corpses cut down by their fire. By late afternoon the British have recovered the support line east of Nonnebosschen, though similar to the situation just to the south the Germans hold the original British trench line. The most serious breach of the day has been closed, and the German attacks have failed.
- The German 9th Army begins its advance southeast from the line Thorn-Poznan towards Lodz. Advancing to the south of the Vistula River, three of 9th Army's corps collide with the V Siberian Corps of the Russian 1st Army. Outnumbered five to one in artillery, the latter is shattered, with two-thirds of its men becoming prisoners. The remnants of V Siberian Corps retreats along the Vistula, and the German 9th Army advances through a thirty kilometre gap it has blasted between the river and the Russian 2nd Army. The Russian command structure, meanwhile, has no idea what has happened - General Ruzski of North-West Front, believing V Siberian Corps to be a second-rate formation anyway, ascribes its defeat to a mere two German divisions, and still believes 9th Army to be to the southwest, not northwest, of the main advance of 2nd and 5th Armies.
- In the Caucasus the Ottoman 3rd Army launches a second counterattack against the Russian I Turkestan Corps. This operation is better-directed than the earlier advance of the 6th, and Russian artillery is unable to elevate sufficiently to hit Ottoman positions higher in the mountains. By the end of the day the Russians have been driven back from Köprüköy to a line Horsan-Sanamer, still inside Ottoman territory.
- On the Shatt al-Arab an Ottoman force of about three hundred attacks the main British encampment at Sanniya. The enemy advance is easily held, and a counterattack inflicts eighty casualties on the Ottomans for ten British and Indian killed or wounded. Despite the victory, the British commander decides to hold his current position until reinforcements can arrive from India.
- Glasgow today arrives at the River Plate, where it is met by the armoured cruiser Defence, and together the two sail for Abrolhos Rocks, off the Brazilian coast, where British warships in the South Atlantic are to rendezvous. The pre-dreadnought Canopus is not with them, however - it broke down again after leaving the Falkland Islands, and the First Sea Lord ordered it to return to Port Stanley and run itself aground in shallow water at the eastern end of the harbour, so that it could serve as a stationary gun platform to protect the Falklands.
Meanwhile, at 4pm the battlecruisers Invincible and Inflexible depart Plymouth for the South Atlantic. Initially the head of the dockyard wanted to hold the ships until the 13th for further maintenance work, but Admiral Fisher was having none of that, ordering them prepared to sail today. Work continued right up to departure, and Inflexible takes with it several dozen workmen whose tasks have not yet been completed. The two battlecruisers are commanded by Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Doveton Sturdee, formerly Chief of Staff of the Admiralty. He has also been appointed Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic and Pacific, with orders to find and sink the German East Asiatic Squadron above all else.
In theory the German attack was to extend from Zonnebeke to Messines, and include the forces of Army Groups Fabeck and Linsingen, as well as 54th Reserve Division of XXVII Reserve Corps to the north of Plettenberg's Corps of Army Group Linsingen. In practice, the intensity of the infantry attacks were related to the amount of time they had already spent in the line at Ypres. Opposite Messines 26th Division and 11th Landswehr Brigade of Army Group Fabeck never even left their trenches - the German history excuses this by noting the intensity of British artillery fire. On the other end of the line, 54th Reserve Division made no attempt to advance either, which had, as will be seen, a significant impact on the operations of its neighbour to the south.
South of the Comines Canal, five German divisions assault the line held by most of four French divisions, but despite heavy fighting are able to make no progress whatsoever. North of the Canal, the French line is pushed back to Hill 60 at noon by 30th Division. The retreat threatened the rear of the British I Corps and French IX Corps, but a counterattack by a regiment of cavalry advancing on foot manages to re-establish the line by 630pm. East of the French position six British battalions grouped under Lord Cavan defended against twelve German battalions, primarily of 39th Division. Twice the Germans managed to close up to the British line, and twice counterattacks drove them off, and the line held.
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| The Battle of Ypres, November 10th and 11th, 1914. |
As Winckler's Division and 4th Division of Plettenberg's Corps had arrived in the line less than forty-eight hours ago, they launch their attacks with resolution and determination. The advance of 4th Division meets very heavy British fire, and the ranks of the attackers are swept away by rifle, machine-gun, and artillery fire. The German line breaks, and subsequent efforts to reform and advance again are repeatedly halted by British fire, and a final effort at 4pm makes no headway.
Thus the burden of the offensive falls on the four Guards regiments of Winckler's Division - north to south, 3rd Guard, 1st Guard, 2nd Grenadier Guards, and 4th Grenadier Guards Regiments. They advance along the Menin Road, the first three to the north and the last just to the south. The British line is held by various battalions and companies thrown together in the fighting of the past several weeks under 1st Division, I Corps. In the thick mist the Guards advance jogging in neat rows, officers at the front with swords unsheathed. 4th Guards almost reaches the British position, but at the last momemt a British artillery observer, following his broken telephone line back to his battery, orders shrapnel fire, which cuts through the German ranks and forces 4th Guards to retire. 2nd Guards, however, manages to squeeze through a gap in the British line, as they reach the British trench almost simultaneously with the British infantry returning from support positions after the German artillery bombardment. The British retreat into the woods west of the village of Veldhoek. A German Fusilier battalion pursues them into the trees, but as it now has no support on either flank, it comes under attack from three sides and is annhilated. A further counterattack recovers the reserve trenches, though 2nd Guards is able to hold the original British front line.
The most serious situation occurs to north. When 1st and 3rd Guards attack at 9am, they are able to reach the British trench line before it can be fully manned, and within ten minutes they have overrun the three British battalions opposing them and have opened a thousand-yard gap in the British line. As 3rd Guard pushes forward, however, it comes under heavy fire from Polygon Wood on its northern flank, which was supposed to have been cleared by the attack of 54th Reserve Division. The failure of the latter means that 3rd Guard finds itself pulled northward as it attempts to dislodge the British. Having suffered heavy losses, 1st Guard pushes forward into Nonnebosschen (Nun's Wood), as much as to escape the fire of the British in Polygon Wood as to outflank it.
The German Guards have broken through the British line and are in position to threaten the position of I Corps and indeed the entire Entente position in the Ypres salient. At the moment 1st Guards enters Nonnebosschen, the only British between them and Ypres are several artillery batteries and a divisional headquarters. As news of the breakthrough spreads, Haig orders what little reserves he has forward. In the rear headquarters staff and cooks are handed weapons and move into makeshift defensive positions in the expectation of the Germans sweeping forward. The commander of 2nd Division sends forward 2nd Battalion, Oxford and Bucks, his last reserve, and it is ordered to recover Nonnebosschen. Just after 2pm its four companies sprint forward and crash into the woods.
Just under a thousand survivors of 1st Guards were in Nonnebosschen when the British counterattacked. Once again, the Germans had been unaware of what they had actually accomplished - almost every officer and NCO had been killed, infantry milling about Nonneboschen in confusion, and German prisoners taken from 1st Guards are aghast when they learn how close they had been shattering the entire line. Instead, the counterattack of 2nd Battalion, Oxford and Bucks finds 1st Guards surprised and leaderless, and the latter immediately break and retreat out of Nonnebosschen. Further, 3rd Guards has broken on the British line in Polygon Wood - in the dense mist the defenders see a bank of grey in the distance, and expect a further German attack, only to find when the mist clears that it is hundreds of German corpses cut down by their fire. By late afternoon the British have recovered the support line east of Nonnebosschen, though similar to the situation just to the south the Germans hold the original British trench line. The most serious breach of the day has been closed, and the German attacks have failed.
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| The attack of the German Guards regiments, November 11th, 1914. The thick red line is the front at nightfall; Nonneboschen, captured and lost by 1st Guards during the day, is to the west (left) of the inverted 'U'. |
- The German 9th Army begins its advance southeast from the line Thorn-Poznan towards Lodz. Advancing to the south of the Vistula River, three of 9th Army's corps collide with the V Siberian Corps of the Russian 1st Army. Outnumbered five to one in artillery, the latter is shattered, with two-thirds of its men becoming prisoners. The remnants of V Siberian Corps retreats along the Vistula, and the German 9th Army advances through a thirty kilometre gap it has blasted between the river and the Russian 2nd Army. The Russian command structure, meanwhile, has no idea what has happened - General Ruzski of North-West Front, believing V Siberian Corps to be a second-rate formation anyway, ascribes its defeat to a mere two German divisions, and still believes 9th Army to be to the southwest, not northwest, of the main advance of 2nd and 5th Armies.
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| The Battle of Lodz, November 11th to 16th, 1914. |
- In the Caucasus the Ottoman 3rd Army launches a second counterattack against the Russian I Turkestan Corps. This operation is better-directed than the earlier advance of the 6th, and Russian artillery is unable to elevate sufficiently to hit Ottoman positions higher in the mountains. By the end of the day the Russians have been driven back from Köprüköy to a line Horsan-Sanamer, still inside Ottoman territory.
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| The Battle of Köprüköy, November 1914. |
- On the Shatt al-Arab an Ottoman force of about three hundred attacks the main British encampment at Sanniya. The enemy advance is easily held, and a counterattack inflicts eighty casualties on the Ottomans for ten British and Indian killed or wounded. Despite the victory, the British commander decides to hold his current position until reinforcements can arrive from India.
- Glasgow today arrives at the River Plate, where it is met by the armoured cruiser Defence, and together the two sail for Abrolhos Rocks, off the Brazilian coast, where British warships in the South Atlantic are to rendezvous. The pre-dreadnought Canopus is not with them, however - it broke down again after leaving the Falkland Islands, and the First Sea Lord ordered it to return to Port Stanley and run itself aground in shallow water at the eastern end of the harbour, so that it could serve as a stationary gun platform to protect the Falklands.
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| The British pre-dreadnought Canopus grounded at Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, November 1914. |
Meanwhile, at 4pm the battlecruisers Invincible and Inflexible depart Plymouth for the South Atlantic. Initially the head of the dockyard wanted to hold the ships until the 13th for further maintenance work, but Admiral Fisher was having none of that, ordering them prepared to sail today. Work continued right up to departure, and Inflexible takes with it several dozen workmen whose tasks have not yet been completed. The two battlecruisers are commanded by Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Doveton Sturdee, formerly Chief of Staff of the Admiralty. He has also been appointed Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic and Pacific, with orders to find and sink the German East Asiatic Squadron above all else.
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