The 4G Blog

<– Part 125 – December 10, 1916  | Part 126 – December 17, 1916 |  Part 127 – December 24, 1916 –>

With the Bulgarian lines holding for nearly a month, the Monastir offensive was ended December 11 by French general Joffre. 61,000 out of nearly 250,000 Central Powers soldiers are casualties, most of those lost being Bulgarian. The Allied forces, 300,000 strong, lost 50,000 to battle, plus another 80,000 to disease and illness, for a total of 130,000. Besides taking Monastir, the Allied achieved only minor gains. Two days later, Robert Nivelle replaced Joseph Joffre as Commander in chief of the French army.

Final French offensive at Verdun

The following day, the German government indicated it would accept a compromised peace, while the French government underwent further shuffling.

On the Italo-Austrian border, 10,000 soldiers were killed in avalanches December 13 in what is being called “White Friday.” In Mesopotamia, British commander Maude launched an offensive to early successes. The German sub SM U-29 was depth-charged by HMS Landrail off the coast of Kent, England.

The final offensive at Verdun was launched by French troops December 15 and captured nearly five miles through today. At Kibata, in German East Africa, a British thrust captured several German positions.

Tuareg rebels, in the French colony of northern Niger, have captured several villages and placed a French garrison under siege. In Persia, Russian general Baratov is capturing Qoms and Hamadan.

<– Part 124 – December 3, 1916  | Part 125 – December 10, 1916 |  Part 126 – December 17, 1916 –>

Former Prime Minister and head of Liberal Herbert Henry Asquith

David Lloyd George, Asquith’s replacement

Following several days of deteriorating relations within the Liberal Party, and a growing number of calls for his resignation, British Prime Minister H.H. Asquith has been replaced by David Lloyd George December 7.

Bucharest was occupied by the Central Powers December 6, and the Romanian capital has been moved to Iasi. The same day, the German sub UC-19 was depth charged by HMS Ariel in the English channel.

At Yanbu, in Persia, supply lines have been opened due to a combination of Arab counterattacks and British warships providing support.

<– 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.

<– Part 122 – November 19, 1916  | Part 123 – November 26, 1916 |  Part 124 – December 3, 1916 –>

Emperor Franz Joseph

Charles I

The front lines have Monastir have stabilized, a tactical victory for the Allied forces opposing the German advance.

On the morning of November 21, the hospital ship HMHS Britannic, sister ship to Titanic, suffered an explosion and sunk 55 minutes later. However, due to lessons learned a few years ago from Titanic, 1,035 survived, and only 30 died. Many of the casualties were caused by lifeboats drifting into the propellers as they rose out of the water.

That night, the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph died at age 86 of complications from pneumonia. His grand-nephew, Charles I, has succeeded him. Franz Joseph was also king of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia, and the former president of the now-defunct German Confederation.

In Romania, German forces entered Craiova November 23, though a minor action at Robanesti delayed the advance. Elsewhere, German forces launched across the Danube in several places, catching the Romanians off-guard, and are advancing towards Bucharest.

In Britain, on November 25, John Jellicoe was promoted and is the new First Lord of the Seas. David Beatty replaces him as commander of the Grand Fleet.

<– Part 121 – November 12, 1916  | Part 122 – November 19, 1916 |  Part 123 – November 26, 1916 –>

Ancre sector 1 July 1916, showing the Hawthorne redoubt (and mine crater) near the top left.

A mine was detonated under the Hawthorne Redoubt November 13 near Ancre, starting the final Allied offensive of the Somme. Using a series of small, focused attacks designed to keep the Germans off-balance, the Allies pushed their advance through yesterday, losing 22,000 men to the German’s 38,000 (plus 7,000 prisoners). With that, both sides are hunkering down and preparing for winter, while the Germans seem to be preparing a fortified, defensive line some dozens of kilometers behind the front lines. And so the Somme campaign has finished, somewhat inconclusively, with 420,000 British, 200,000 French, and 450-500,000 German casualties – over one million men cut down.

The fighting at Crna Bend, part of the Monastir campaign in Macedonia, ended earlier today. The Central Powers withdrew from Monastir yesterday, and the French and Russian forces occupied it today. Tens of thousands of casualties, predominately Bulgarian, German, and Austro-Hungarian, litter the field, where the Central Powers have retreated to defensive positions, and the Allies are too exhausted to continue pressing their advantage.

<– Part 120 – November 5, 1916  | Part 121 – November 12, 1916 |  Part 122 – November 19, 1916 –>

The body of Ali Dinar, Sultan of Darfur

Anglo-Egpytian forces came upon the camp of Ali Dinar, Sultan of Darfur, November 6 and opened fire, then pursued the fleeing forces one mile. The sultan was found dead. Darfur has become part of Sudan, at a total cost (for the campaign) of £500,000.

US President Woodrow Wilson

In the United States, President Woodrow Wilson has been re-elected with the campaign slogan “He kept us out of the war.”

At the Somme, the fighting at the Ancre heights ended yesterday with a British victory, despite problematic weather conditions. At nearby Le Transloy, the German defenders are under intense pressure, but holding – the same condition the German soldiers on the other side of Europe face at the Crna Bend, in Macedonia.

In the German East Africa colony, there are reports that Kibata is under South African attack, with both sides in trenches, much like Europe. At Matamondo, approximately 250 Germans faced around 370 British soldiers are defeated them, killing 32, wounding 50, and capturing the rest, with less than a dozen casualties to show for it.

<– Part 119 – October 29, 1916  | Part 120 – November 5, 1916 |  Part 121 – November 12, 1916 –>

The Italians launched their ninth offensive on the Isonzo October 31 and made some limited gains. However, due to the heavy casualties sustained in this offensive (39,000 to the Austrians’ 33,000), and a total over the last three battles of 75,000 to the Austrians’ 63,000, the offensives have been limited to approximately one week, and this one ended November 4.

The Central Powers renewed offensive in Romania launched November 1, and the Romanians are being forced back. Skirmishing continues at the Crna Bend.

On November 2, a French shell at Verdun caused a huge explosion in Fort Vaux, forcing the Germans to evacuate (an order detected by French wireless). The French were able to retake the fort without a fight, and earlier today reached the front lines of February 24. Both sides are settling into trenches.

At the Somme, fighting at Le Transloy ended indecisively. At the Ancre Heights, the British continue to gain ground.

In North Africa’s Senussi campaign, more prisoners have been taken by the British, who are using motorized vehicles to outmaneuver the tribesmen. To the south, the Anglo-Egyptian Darfur Expedition is pursuing the Sultan, who is in full-flight. The force left earlier today with 150 men, one artillery piece, and four Maxim guns.

<– Part 118 – October 22, 1916  | Part 119 – October 29, 1916 |  Part 120 – November 5, 1916 –>

French counter-offensive at Verdun, including the capture of Fort Douaumont.

The French received a morale boost October 24 with the recapturing of Fort Douaumont near Verdun, with an additional 6,000 prisoners; however, an assault on Fort Vaux nearby has failed, although artillery continues to bombard it, and land around it has been captured.

Fighting at Cobadin ended the following day, with a sound victory by the Central Powers securing the Cernavoda-Constanta railway & port, with only 17,000 to heavy losses by the Russo-Romanian Army of the Dobrogea. In Transylvania, the Romanian Fourth Army has been forced back to its initial starting lines, although the German advance into Romania proper was halted at the Jiu Bridge by a heroic citizenry.

Fighting continues at the Crna bend, with heavy casualties for Bulgaria. At the Somme, fighting at Le Transloy has been a success for the defending Germans as the weather worsens. The nearby Ancre Heights continues to see marginal Allied advances.

<– Part 117 – October 15, 1916  | Part 118 – October 22, 1916 |  Part 119 – October 29, 1916 –>

The Romanians in Transylvania attacked the defending Austro-Hungarians October 17 at Brasov, but failed to gain ground, and the counter-attack has forced them to retreat from the area and continues to push them back to their starting lines.

On October 18, the fighting at Le Transloy wound down indecisively, due to weather bogging down further British attacks and the German defenders becoming accustomed to the Allied tactics.

Fighting erupted on the Eastern Front at Cobadin, with the Central Powers facing off against the combined Romanian-Russian Army of the Dobrega. The fighting is currently favoring the Germans and Austro-Hungarians, who threaten to capture a key railway and port despite being outnumbered 3:2.

At Verdun, French artillery has begun a bombardment, indicating a renewal of fighting there. At the Somme, the British continue their slow advance on the Ancre Heights.

<– Part 116 – October 8, 1916  | Part 117 – October 15, 1916 |  Part 117 – October 22, 1916 –>

Italy launched its eighth assault across the Isonzo on October 9, attempting to expand the bridgehead at Gorizia, but 25,000 casualties on each side led to the offensive being called off three days later.

At Monastir, in Macedonia, Serbian forces have kept up an intense offensive stance, with attacks and artillery shellings nearly constant, but the Bulgarian defenders are holding their position.

There are rumors that a British officer, one T.E. Lawrence, has been dispatched to Arabia to gather support from the rulers of Hejaz.

The Anglo-Egyptian Darfur Expedition captured more area from the Fur October 13, prompting another round of stalling negotiations by the Sultan.

Earlier today, Germany announced the resumption of U-boat attacks, using prize rules.