The 4G Blog

<– Part 70 – November 21, 1915  | Part 71 – November 28, 1915 |  Part 72 – December 5, 1915 –>

November 22 saw fighting erupt 25 miles south of Baghdad at Ctesiphon between the advancing British troops and the Ottoman defenders. After several days of fighting, both sides withdrew on the 29.

In the midst of this fighting, the Serbian army began a full retreat to the Adriatic with only 150,000 men remaining on November 27. The French and Italian navies are standing by to evacuate them. In Italy, the Fourth Battle of the Isonzo continues, with the casualties this week reaching an all-time high, with little progress to show for it.

North Africa has British troops continuing to land; there are reports of fighting between garrisons, but no major battles yet.

In Persia, Tehran has been taken by Russian forces.

Gallipoli has seen a massive rainstorm the last three days, flooding the trenches, drowning soldiers, and washing bodies into those trenches. Additionally, the temperature is dropping – it could be frozen and snowing soon.

<– Part 69 – November 14, 1915  | Part 70 – November 21, 1915 |  Part 71 – November 28, 1915 –>

The Serbian front

This week has seen the collapse of much of the Entente’s forces in Serbia to the combined might of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Bulgaria. The offensive at Ovche Pole has ended with the Serbian army in disarray, and the French troops at Krivolak have begun their retreat. Fighting continues in Kosovo, and the Austro-Hungarian troops at the Isonzo are resisting the Italian offensive.

In Macedonia, however, the Bulgarian army has lost the mountainous peak of Kaymakchalan on November 19, leading to a withdrawal from Bitola.

In North Africa, there are growing reports of attacks on Entente troops (mainly British) and their colonial allies by the Senussi people. The unrest in the area has been growing, and there are fears among British troops that bolder attacks are imminent.

<– Part 68 – November 7, 1915  | Part 69 – November 14, 1915 |  Part 70 – November 21, 1915 –>

Reports have arrived from the Dardanelles indicating the sinking of British sub E20 on November 6. It would appear that she arrived to meet the French sub Turquoise, not knowing that Turquoise had run-aground some days earlier and her papers captured. The Germans, finding news of E20’s meeting, sent U-14 to destroy her. Only 9 of her crew were rescued.

November 8 brought more outrage at the German submarine program, as U-38 attacked and sunk the SS Ancona, an Italian passenger steamer flying under the Austrian flag. 200 passengers died, including 9 Americans. Only 6 months after the sinking of the Lusitania, the US government has sent an angry letter to the Austrian government.

Fighting at the Isonzo in north/north-east Italy. This fourth campaign is primarily focused in the south-east quadrant (lighter blue on this map), though the entire front is engaged.

In Serbia, the Serbian army is in full retreat at Morava. The Bulgarians are pressing their offensive, and on November 10 they have begun attacks across the South Morava river into Kosovo. Meanwhile, across Austria-Hungary, Italian troops are launching yet another offensive at the Isonzo – their fourth to date – directly primarily at Gorizia across the Karst Plateau.

Colonel Noël Garnier-Duplessix, occasionally spelled Duplessis

In Persia, the British town of Shiraz has been captured by the Persian Gendarmerie after a minor defeat of the British-aligned tribes. The Russian General of the Caucasus forces, Nikolai Yudenich, has dispatched two columns into Persian, aimed at Baghdad and Tehran. The Austro-Hungarian and German ministers have left Tehran, but the Shah has vowed to defend it with a motley force of approximately 15,000 men consisting of Gendarmerie and tribal forces.

On November 11, Zaian tribesmen in North Africa attacked a French supply convoy, but were beaten back at bayonet point. The French commander in the area, Colonel Noël Garnier-Duplessix, has launched punitive attacks in response.

<– Part 67 – October 31, 1915  | Part 68 – November 7, 1915 |  Part 69 – November 14, 1915 –>

This week has seen a stunning series of victories for the Central Powers.

November 4 saw the end of the Third Battle of Artois and the third Battle of the Isonzo. Artois ended in a stunning German victory with 110,000 Allied casualties to the 51,000 Germans. The Isonzo was also a a Central Powers victory, with 40,000 Austrians to the 67,000 Italians. Boroević defensive genius has been proved. In an odd twist, Henry Ford peace ship, the Oskar II, has left on its trip to Europe.

Two days later, the Allies received another blow as the Second Battle of Champagne wound down, where 72,500 Austrians fell against 145,000 Allied troops. In all three of these battles, the Central Powers were outnumbered nearly two to one.

Ottoman Colonel Mohammad Taqi-Khan Pessian

However, the same period saw a minor victory for the British: also beginning on the 4th of November, a two day siege ended with the surrender of the German forces, likely signaling the end of German resistance in their Kamerun colony.

In Bulgaria, with the fall of Kragujevac to German forces on November 1, the German and Bulgarian armies at Morava have pushed the Serbians back, capturing the capital of the Serbia Niš on November 5, which united the German and Bulgarian armies, securing an uninterrupted land route from Austria-Hungary to Bulgaria.

In Persia, the Ottomans have secured a minor victory of the Russians (with some of the Cossacks actually switching sides after a rousing speech by Col. Pessian), but the Russian army has counterattacked and repelled the Ottoman forces.