<– Part 123 – November 26, 1916  | Part 124 – December 3, 1916 |  Part 125 – December 10, 1916 –>

Romanian campaign

German plans for the Battle of Bucharest

The Romanians were pushed across the Olt River November 27 as the Central Powers advance on Bucharest. 150,000 Romanians and 250,000 Germans, Austro-Hungarians, and Bulgarians make this one of the largest battles on Romanian soil. The following day, seeing German forces surrounding them, a large cavalry charge of 5,000 men at Prunaru was launched against the Germans. 4,866 were killed, and only 134 survive. However, the infantry they were defending have withdrawn to defensive positions and were able to prepare for a counter-attack three days later.

German airplanes conducted the first air raid on Britain November 28, the first of the war, as all previous air raids were by blimp.

December 1 saw the Germans advancing on Bucharest hit by a Romanian flanking attack, comprised of half of their army. However, the Romanian reserves failed to arrive on time (suspiciously under the command of a general from Germany), and a staff car drove into the German lines with a complete plan of battle, leading the initial gains deteriorating into 60,000 captured troops, plus heavy casualties among the remaining 90,000 by December 3.

In Hedjaz, the Ottoman army is attempting to retake Yanbu with a force several times larger than the 4,000 Arabs and British defending the city. T.E. Lawrence assists the British command.