<– Part 13 – October 25, 1914  | Part 14 – November 1, 1914 |  Part 15 – November 8, 1914 –>

On October 26, British forces entered the town of Edea, the Germans continuing their retreat further into the colony.

British and German troop dispositions near Lille

The Ottoman Empire formally entered the war October 29 on the side of the Central Powers. The Russian Empire declared war on the Turks November 1 and launched an offensive led by Georgy Bergmann to secure a defensive position against a possible Ottoman attack.

Flooding on the Yser, indicated by the shaded area

Fighting ended on the Vistula river several days ago, having secured and crossed bridgeheads. The Germans have declared their retreat from the area a strategic repositioning. The Germans suffered another setback October 31 at another river, the Yser in Belgium. Allied forces, unable to defend themselves militarily, flooded the area on the nights of the 26-29th during high tide, forcing the German attack to withdraw due prevent themselves being cut-off to the rear.

The Battle of Coronel, a stunning German victory

The German Empire did have a moment of victory in the Pacific Ocean near Coronel, off the coast of Chile, where the German Kaiserliche Marine under Graf von Spee engaged a British Royal Navy squadron, each having a pair of armored cruisers and several light cruisers. The Germans suffered 3 losses, compared to the British losing nearly 1,600 men and both armored cruisers. However, Graf von Spee expended half of his ammunition, with no way to resupply. Additionally, the Royal Navy again knows where the German force is.

Graf Maximilian von Spee

Rear Admiral Christopher Cradock