November 22nd, 1915

- The bulk of the Serbian army has managed to keep one step ahead of its pursuers, reaching Mitrovica and Priština.  Poor weather, rough terrain, and few roads have slowed the pace of the German and Austro-Hungarian advance, though the same conditions have of course made things miserable for the Serbs as well.  Aware that the Germans have withdrawn some of their divisions from Serbia, some generals wish to make a last stand in Kosovo, just as their forebearers had done versus the Ottomans in 1389.  General Putnik, however, has a more realistic assessment, understanding that the forces remaining under his command are hardly fit for further major battles.  Instead, Putnik, with the agreement of the king and government, issues orders today to abandon Kosovo and retreat from Serbia altogether.  They will cross the high mountains of Albania towards the Adriatic ports of Scutari, Durazzo, and Alessio, hoping that their Entente allies can evacuate them to a place where they can rest and recover from the past two devastating months.

The front in Serbia, November 22nd, 1915.

- Between 11am and late afternoon elements of the Italian 2nd Army attack the Austro-Hungarian lines on the heights of Podgora, but have no more success than they had achieved over the last two days.  On 3rd Army's front slight progress is made towards St. Martino, though some of the ground gained is lost to counterattacks after nightfall.

November 21st, 1915

- Senator René Besnard, undersecretary of state of aviation in the War Ministry, publishes today a revised plan for aircraft production, which calls for an air arm of 128 squadrons by spring 1916.  In addition to expanding the French air force, Besnard, proposes significant changes to its composition - fewer bomber units to allow for additional fighter squadrons, and halting production of outdated observation planes and 80-hp to 100-hp engines.  Most significantly, and most controversially, he proposes to construct eight hundred all-purpose twin-engine three-seat aircraft, which to some parliamentary deputies appears to run counter to the trend in aviation towards specialization.

- Italian attacks continue along the Isonzo today.  North of Oslavija, the Italians attack out of the trench seized yesterday, but when they are repulsed an Austro-Hungarian counterattack hits them while they are disorganized and they abandon most of the ground won yesterday.  To the south further assaults are launched today against the heights at Podgora, and again they are defeated in hand-to-hand fighting.  On the front of the Italian 3rd Army, another assault south of Mt. San Michele manages to secure a small stretch of the line at St. Martino, and are able to hold most of the ground in the face of heavy Austro-Hungarian counterattacks.

Given the continued Italian attacks, the commander of the Austro-Hungarian 5th Army orders the recently-arrived 9th Division to replace 28th Division on the southern end of the Isonzo front, pulling the latter out to serve as the army's reserve.

- Given the ongoing diplomatic dispute with the American government regarding the sinking of the Italian liner Ancona on the 7th, the German submarine U38, along with its crew, is entered into the Austro-Hungarian navy's List of Warships.  If the issue does ot arbitration, the Austro-Hungarian government can point to the list to show that U38 is in fact Austro-Hungarian, though of course it is German.

November 20th, 1915

- Colonel Hermann von der Lieth-Thomsen, chief of German field aviation, informs OHL today that the air arm will require a thousand aircraft in 1916, and to accomplish this he requests approval for measures to increase production and exclude additional exemptions for skilled workers in aircraft factories.

- West of Görz the Italian 2nd Army has concentrated three divisions along a two and a half kilometre stretch of the line centred on Oslavija.  On the 18th and 19th they crept forward towards the enemy trenches, and today they launch their attack.  Just north of Oslavija a battalion is able to penetrate the Austro-Hungarian line, but artillery fire prevents a further advance.  To the south, repeated assaults are launched against the heights at Podgora throughout the day, but are unable to make any progress.

To the south, repeated Italian attacks are made on both the northern and southern slopes of Mt. San Michele.  To the north, the Italians manage to secure a stretch of the line and ruins of a former strongpoint by nightfall, but the success brings no significant advantage as otherwise the Austro-Hungarians have held their line.

- French Vice-Admiral Louis Dartige, commander of French naval forces in the Mediterranean, submits a memorandum to Admiral de Robeck, senior British naval officer in the Mediterranean, on the number of warships he sees as necessary for effective anti-submarine patrols.  Based on the belief that one destroyer was needed to patrol every 140 miles of transport routes, increased to one every 40 miles at narrow channels, Dartige calculated that a total of 140 British and French destroyers would be necessary to adequately patrol the Mediterranean.  Added to this was 280 trawlers and small craft, whose responsibility would be to work in groups of two to four searching for German submarines and their supply bases in the narrow passages of the Mediterranean, among the Aegean Islands, and along the Ottoman coast.  This would represent a significant augmentation of Anglo-French naval forces in the Mediterranean - currently there are only 32 British and 53 French destroyers, and of the French number thirteen were in port immobilized by breakdowns of various kinds.

- Today the British 6th Indian Division reaches the town of Lajj, approximately twenty-five miles from Baghdad and less than ten miles from the major Ottoman defensive position at Ctesiphon.  Here General Townshend orders his division to concentrate in preparation for an assault on the enemy defences.

Colonel Nur-ur-din has taken advantage of the almost two months it has taken for the British to resume their advance after the First Battle of Kut-al-Amara to construct formidable defences at Ctesiphon.  The main trench line covers the north bank of the Tigris River, stretching from a bend in the river (meaning an assault there would have to cross the river under fire) north through a dozen redoubts, and is anchored in the north by two redoubts that the British refer to as 'Vital Point', or V.P.  This line also incorporates a number of ancient ruins, including the so-called 'High Wall' which protrudes eastwards and potentially provides cover for flanking fire if the British attack the northern half of the line.  Behind the main Ottoman trench line lay other ruins, including the most famous at Ctesiphon, the Great Arch of Taq Kasra.  Approximately six thousand yards behind the first trench line the Ottomans have also constructed a second line of defences, though these are not as extensive, and trenches have also been constructed on the southern bank.

The Great Arch of Taq Kasra.

The delay in the advance of 6th Indian Division has not only allowed the Ottomans to construct substantial defences at Ctesiphon, but also given time for Ottoman reinforcements ordered to Mesopotamia in early October to arrive on the scene.  In addition to 35th and 38th Divisions, which have spent 1915 in Mesopotamia being repeated thrashed by the British, 45th and 51st Division are also now available to Nur-ur-din, both being well-trained and (the latter especially) with valuable combat experience.  He deploys 45th Division around 'Victory Point' at the northern end of the main trench line, the most important (and potentially vulnerable) position for the Ottomans to hold.  While 38th Division holds the rest of the first trench line north of the Tigris and 35th Division is south of the river, 51st Division is held in reserve.

The Ottoman defences at Ctesiphon, November 1915.

Overall, the Ottoman force consists of 18 000 infantry, 400 cavalry, and two regiments of camelry, along with 52 artillery pieces.  To face them, General Townshend has at his disposal 13 700 infantry, eleven squadrons of cavalry, and five batteries of artillery.  A frontal attack is thus out of the question - Townshend must not merely defeat the Ottomans but do so without suffering heavy losses on such a scale as to render impossible the occupation of Baghdad.  Moreover, it is not enough for the Ottomans to be forced back; even a defeated Ottoman detachment could threaten the long supply route of 6th Indian Division as it moves on to Baghdad.  Instead, the Ottomans must be annihilated.  To accomplish this, Townshend intends a repetition of the First Battle of Kut-al-Amara, except this time with the flanking maneouver working as intended.  His plan is to divide his force into four.  Column C is to attack the northern stretch of the main Turkish line, to pin the enemy there.  To its right, Column A will attach and seize VP (Vital Point) while further north Column B will sweep around and attack the rear of the Turkish line.  Finally, a Flying column of cavalry and 76th Punjabi Battalion will drive northwest to destroy the bridge over the Diyala River, which would cut the line of retreat of the Ottoman force.  If successful, the three main columns would envelop the Ottomans while the Flying Column would prevent any survivors from escaping.  It is a bold plan, and one that concentrates the bulk of the British force - 9000 infantry - against just a third of the Ottoman force, achieving local superiority at the decisive point.  To achieve such an advantage, however, requires Townshend to throw everything into the initial attack, and there will be no reserves remaining should the plan misfire.  The attack will be launched in two days time.

November 19th, 1915

- General Gallieni replies today to General Sarrail's repeated requests for reinforcements for his Army of the Near East, and the minister of war does not mince words: 'Your dispatches or reports have repeated several times your requirement for four army corps, but the government has never consented to or discussed making your army this large . . . [you must] adapt your plans to the personnel at your disposal.'

- On the Italian Front the Italians attack Austro-Hungarian lines on the southern slope of Mt. San Michele again, but are no more successful today than they were yesterday.

November 18th, 1915

- Given the ongoing stalemate on the Isonzo River, Cadorna informs the government today that he has ordered the bombardment of the city of Görz for the first time in the war.  Cadorna assures his civilian masters that the city's Italian inhabitants have long since fled, and that enemy gunners have positioned artillery in Görz in the belief that the Italians will not shell it, in addition to basing reserves in the city.  As he explains, 'as this is a war of attrition, it is both natural and necessary to do whatever is best to wear down the enemy's strength.'

Mass artillery fire on the city begins at 5am this morning, and continues throughout the day, and is augmented by aerial bombardment in the early afternoon.  The shells are distributed across the city, striking both homes and larger structures including municipal buildings and factors.  However, as most of the Austro-Hungarian reserves have already been committed to the fight, there are actually few units in the city, minimizing the military effectiveness of the bombardment.

To the south, the Italian 3rd Army resumes its efforts to seize Mt. San Michele with a series of assaults from the northwest and southwest throughout the day.  Bitter fighting rages on both slopes of the mountain, and the Austro-Hungarians manages to hold off the Italians, though not without heavy losses - one battalion of 28th Regiment suffers two-thirds casualties today.

November 17th, 1915

- Today elements of the German 103rd Division capture the town of Kuršumlija on the Toplica River.  However, it is clear that the Serbs have successfully evacuated their forces from the north bank, withdrawing south.  Further, overnight the first major snowstorm has struck, swelling the Ibar and Toplica Rivers while making aerial reconnaissance almost impossible.

- Since November 9th, General Sarrail of the Army of the Near East has sent repeated requests to the government to expand his force to four corps to allow him to not only hold his lines on the Vardar and Tcherna Rivers but also go onto the offensive.  He repeats his arguments to Lord Kitchener in person today when the latter visits Salonika.

- Though heavy snow continues on the Italian Front, Cadorna orders a resumption of offensive operations tomorrow along the Isonzo River, leaving it to his army commanders to decide on particular objectives.

November 16th, 1915

- On the Italian Front, heavy snowstorms restricts visibility and makes movement difficult, leading Cadorna to temporarily suspend offensive operations.

- U.S. Secretary of State Robert Lansing asks the American ambassador in Vienna to ask the Austro-Hungarian government to examine the list of submarines in the Austro-Hungarian navy and report which one sunk the Italian liner Ancona on the 7th.  Such a request is problematic, of course, since U38, the submarine responsible, does not appear on the list.