<– Part 26 – January 24, 1915 | Part 27 – January 31, 1915 | Part 28 – February 7, 1915 –>
The Allies on the Western Front received early notice of a German attack on Cuinchy from a German deserter January 25. With this notice, several German attacks were repulsed, including one ruse in which German troops claimed (in English) to be engineers. Surprising, such a thing is a legitimate tactic, as defenders are expected to challenge anyone coming from the front, and are only to allow one man to advance.
The fighting in Champagne seems to be winding down, with lands taken from the French Third Army remaining in German hands despite French counter-attacks, including 6 waves that collectively lost 2,400 men. To date, 94,000 French and 46,000 German soldiers are casualties of war.
The Chilembwe Uprising was crushed January 26 after a brief skirmish, and the rebels are fleeing towards the nearby Portuguese colony.
The Ottoman Empire launched an offensive against British defenders of the Suez Canal January 28, with 20,000 attacks advancing in 3 echelons (all advances on the canal). They are opposed by 30,000 defenders, are the attack is imminent.
The German submarine U-20 torpedoed three steamers January 30, without issuing any type of warning. Such an attack has been condemned by many neutral nations.
The German Ninth Army, on the Eastern Front, launched poison gas – xylyl bromide – against the Russian Second Army on January 31, but the wind blew it back on them, and the freezing temperatures rendered it nearly ineffective. The Russians launched a counter-attack but were devastated by artillery fire. 20,000 German and 40,000 Russians fell in one day.
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