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Christmas Truce

 

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A short and kinda rough post. But it’s such a sweet, hopeful story.

It started on Christmas Eve. All along the Western front, 100,000 soldiers laid aside their rifles – British, German, French, Belgian. Troops sang Christmas Carols together “and at certain points, the Allied soldiers even heard brass bands joining the Germans in their joyous singing” (Source). In Ypres, German troops decorated their trenches with candles and Christmas trees. 

On the dawn of Christmas morning, German soldiers crawled from their trenches and called out “Merry Christmas” to their enemies in their native languages. Predictably, the Allied troops “feared it was a trick, but seeing the Germans unarmed, they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers” (Source). Interestingly, Hitler was part of the truce but was, predictably, opposed to it. 

[Below: Men eating in their trenches]

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The men exchanged gifts: cigarettes, food, alcohol, hats, buttons, etc. Some sources claim they may have even played a game of soccer (or football, since it is Europe). Both sides were able to bury their fallen combatants and joint services were held.

In some places, the truce continued through Christmas. In others, through New Years Day.

“The truce has been remembered as a testament to the power of hope and humanity in a truly dark hour of history” (Source). That Christmas, even in the trenches, it really was a silent night.

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[Below: Soldiers exchanging cigarettes]

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Bombardment of Scarborough

At about 8 in the morning on December 16, 1914, Admiral Franz von Hipper, commander of the First High Seas Fleet Scouting Group, “unleashed a bombardment on the North Sea English seaports of Hartlepool, West Hartlepool, Whitby, and Scarborough” (Source). This post will focus on the bombing of Scarborough. Scarborough was the most controversial of the bombings. Likely due to the amount of damage done to the town.

The bombardment itself lasted until about 9:30.

What did Germany plan to achieve by bombing a small British town? Well, they hoped to draw out sections of the British fleet, only to trap and destroy them..

Only thing was, Scarborough was an undefended town. Their harbor wasn’t suited for warships. Places to the north were, but not Scarborough. Germany thought they were, “making it a legitimate target under the rules agreed at the Hague Conference of 1907” (Source). Under these rules, Naval commanders could only bombard a town if they refused a ‘reasonable’ request for supplies (Source).

But here’s the thing: the British knew as of the 14th that Germans were preparing to leave port. Though their information did not suggest that the entire German fleet might be involved. See, the British had long since discovered a way of getting ahold of German Naval intelligence. Germans were in the habit of keeping their codebooks on their ships. Then, when a ship was sunk of captured, the British would snatch up these codebooks, and within hours, they had German codes decoded!

[Below: Damage to a holiday residence]

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Thankfully, at the time of the attack, though Scarborough was undefended, the two coastal batteries (Heugh Battery & Lighthouse Battery) did respond to the attack. They fired off some 143 shells, damaging a total of three Germans ships. Additionally, the Royal Navy was given enough advance to dispatch a full fleet – six battleships, four battle cruisers, four heavy cruisers, six light cruisers, and eight submarines to intercept the Germans. However, this couldn’t even begin to compete with what the Germans came with – five battle cruisers along with light cruisers, destroyers, and, not to mention, the German High Seas Fleet. German Commander-in-chief Frederich Ingenochi commanded the whole thing.

“The speed of the ships increased, the smoke from their funnels turning from grey to black, a dense heavy cloud trailing in their wake. Nothing stood between the battleships and the pride of the Yorkshire coast” (Source). From there, the Germans sailed southeast along the coast, wanting to bomb the biggest landmark in South Bay, the Grand Hotel. Following this, they targeted the naval wireless station outside Falsgrave, though unsuccessfully.

People panicked, racing from their homes and fleeing Scarborough. At the railway station, they attempted tending to those who were injured. Helpless against the German onslaught, all anyone could really do was gather their belongings and try to save themselves.

The Royal Navy never was able to intercept the German fleet.

This was the first attack on British soil during the Great War. In response, “young men in their droves rushed to their local recruitment offices to ‘avenge’ Scarborough, Whitby, and Hartlepool” (Source). Eighteen people were killed.

[Below: Scarborough Grand Hotel]

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Battle of the Falkland Islands

After their victory at Coronel the month prior, Admiral Graf von Spee received the news that the Glasgow was “hurrying back towards the Falkland Islands” (Source). But after his brilliant success at Coronel, it was assumed that Spee would be the one to capture the Falkland Islands.

Meanwhile, Britain was determined to make up for their mistakes, and sent out the battle cruisers Invincible and Inflexible, under Vice Admiral Frederick Doveton Sturdee’s command, to the South Atlantic squadron. They arrived on December 7th. Spee arrived the next day.

Thus, the Battle of the Falklands commenced.

And this time, the British made sure that their battle cruisers were fitted to give them superiority. Unlike with the ships that took part in the Battle of Coronel, Invincible and Inflexible were “fitted with eight 12-inch guns, whereas Spee’s Scharnhorst and Gneisenau each had 8.2 inch guns” (Source). This time, the British were definitely prepared. On top of this, Sturdee had under his command six more curisers: Canarvon, Cornwall, Kent, Bristol, Glasgow, and Canopus.

Spee had no idea that there were British cruisers. His intention was to “raid the British radio station and coaling depot there” (Source). But, upon his arrival, he discovered the British squadron. At 10 that morning, the British cruisers were fully prepared to leave. “The weather now cleared and visibility over a calm blue sea was complete. As the British ships left harbor, the rising smoke smudges on the horizon showed the positions of the five German warships” (Source). The British cruisers began chasing the Germans.

Early that afternoon, Sturdee’s crew met up with von Spee’s. The British opened fire. Spee, in an attempt to gain some time for the rest of his ships to escape, decided to fight. Using his two biggest cruisers – the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau – Spee attacked the British squadron. Invincible was hit.

Thankfully, the damage was minimal.

Spee turned away, hoping to escape. At this point, three of his cruisers – Dresden, Nürnberg, & Leipzig – were being pursued by Kent, Cornwall, & Glasgow. But Sturdee pressed the attack on Scharnhorst and Gneisenau” (Source). Spee fought back.

“For over three hours, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau exchanged shots with the two British battle cruisers” (Source). Little damage was being done to the British cruisers, while the German cruisers were enduring heavy damage. By 3:30, Gneisenau was listing terribly to the side and Scharnhorst was in flames – the flames between the decks taking over. Half an hour later, Scharnhorst suddenly ceased firing. At 4:17, Scharnhorst sunk. The entire crew was lost.

With one ship down, Invincible joined Inflexible in the attack against Gneisenau. With the two British ships attacking, Gneisenau was forced to slow to such a speed that Carnarvon was able to catch up and join the fight – prior to this, Admiral Stoddart aboard the Carnarvon had been engaged with ships outside the harbor. Also, due to Carnarvon’s and Cornwall’s slower speeds, they had a hard time keeping up with the race. But now Carnarvon was joining the battle. And just in time, too, because Inflexible was having a difficult time shooting at Gneisenau with all of the flagship’s smoke.

Also at about this time, the weather began deteriorating. Rain began to fall, reducing the visibility even more. “At 5:50pm, Gneisenau turned towards Invincible and stopped. The two battle cruisers closed in. The German ship was listing heavily to starboard. Her firing was sporadic and then ceased” (Source).

Convinced that Gneisenau could no longer carry on, Sturdee called for a cease fire, only to have Gneisenau suddenly pick up the fight once more. At 5:45, Gneisenau stopped firing again. This time it was clear that she was sinking. With the two largest of Spee’s ships out of commission, it was time to turn to the three smaller ones.

[Below: SMS Scharnhorst sinking in the foreground and SMS Gneisenau burning]

The remaining German ships were faster than the three British cruisers sent after them, and war in a way outgunned them. But many of them were also low on ammunition, thanks to the Battle of Coronel.

Captain Luce aboard Glasgow decided to start the attack with Leipzig. Cornwall joined in the fight with Leipzig while Kent and Nürnberg were left to battle it out.

By 4:45, Glasgow and Cornwall had managed to kill Leipzig’s gunnery lieutenant, severely handicapping the German light cruiser. By 6, the rain had picked up and Captain Luce knew they had to wrap the battle up, so he signaled to Cornwall to open fire with lyddite. Leipzig was set ablaze. Even then, Leipzig continued to fire back for another hour. At 7, her guns fell silent. It wasn’t until well after 7:30 that the crew members gave the ceasefire signal. At 9:23 Leipzig sank. Five officers and 13 seamen were rescued by the British.

During the battle with Leipzig, Cornwall was hit eighteen times and was listing to port. Glasgow was hit twice, losing one man while four were wounded. Cornwall lost none.

Meanwhile, Kent was busy chasing Nürnberg. Unfortunately for Kent there had been no time to take on coal at Port Stanley, meaning she was very short on fuel. Thus, “Captain Allen, the captain of Kent, ordered that every item of wood be taken to the engine room for the stokers to load into the burners. Woodwork was stripped from all the fittings and even the officers’ trunks were burnt” (Source). By 6 pm, Kent had closed in on Nürnberg enough to open fire and cause damage.

A mere 10 minutes later, Nürnberg had lost speed, was on fire, and had only two operational guns. All this together was devastating. Two more bullets destroyed her forward turret. By 6:25, she was stationary and silent. The bridge was on fire. No crew could be seen. Five minutes later, Nürnberg hauled down her ensign. At 7:30, Nürnberg sank. Only seven members were rescued.

However, during the attack, Kent had undergone serious damage. She had been hit forty times during the battle. The radio room was wrecked. Four men were killed and twelve were wounded. Of the German ships, only Dresden escaped. Germany had lost four ships and some 2,000 sailors. Meanwhile, the British suffered only 10 deaths.

“The battle of the Falklands and the destruction of the Dresden ended the German presence on the high seas” (Source). From here on out, the bulk of the German naval threat came from U-boats.

[Below: HMS Kent – damage done to the officers’ heads]

 

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Battle of Coronel

Since the outbreak of war, Germany’s Naval fleet had been blockaded, at least along the North Sea and the Baltic. Despite this, they maintained a heavy presence in the Pacific Ocean, “possessing German New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and islands in the Solomons, Caroline, Ladrone, Pellew, Marshall Groups of Islands, and in Samoa” (Source). The German Navy’s East Asiatic Squadron had a definite presence in Northeastern China.

All this time, the British had been searching for German General Spee. They were in luck when, in early October, they received news from an intercepted radio communication, detailing Spee’s plans to “prey upon shipping in the crucial trading routes along the west coast of South America” (Source). Turned out, the British had a fleet patrolling South America – Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock’s feet, including the armored cruisers Good Hope and Monmouth, the light cruiser Glasgow, and the converted ex-liner, Otranto.

To be sure, Cradock’s fleet stood no chance against Spee’s much more formidable force. Nevertheless, he began to prepare for battle.

Spee, too, began to prepare for battle.

On October 31st, Cradock received wireless signals indicating the presence of Leipzig, one of Spee’s light cruisers. “Cradock ordered his ships to form a line. . . . It was the admiral’s hope to catch Leipzig alone” (Source).

Meanwhile, Spee received news of the presence of the Glasgow. So now, both men had their ships lined up, each thinking the opposing side had just one ship. Of course, both were wrong.

It was at 4:25 pm on November 1st, that the battle began to heat up. John Luce, captain of Glasgow, spotted smoke and quickly notified Cradock. Minutes later, lookouts spotted two additional German ships: Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Glasgow hoped to inform Cradock of this latest development, but, unfortunately, found that the German vessels had jammed the British cruiser’s radio. It was 4:45.

Cradock could have made the decision to flee, but at 6:18, he made the decision to attack. At this time, with the sun just setting, Cradock realized that he held the advantage; the sun would be in the Germans’ eyes. If he didn’t move quickly enough, though, that advantage would switch to the Germans’ side. With the sun set, the Germans would be in darkness, while the British would be silhouetted against the sunset glow.

The Germans, however, “with their newer, lighter ships, took quick advantage, opening fire at 7 pm. Cradock’s flagship, the Good Hope, was hit before its crew could return fire” (Source).

Unfortunately, the British were unable to fire back. Meanwhile, flams were engulfing the Good Hope. “The 9.2-inch gun was knocked out of action” (Source).

To make the battle worse for both sides, the seas were rough. The waves were high and the wind strong. The ships were all being tossed from side to side. Water foamed up over the decks. The crew members had difficulty keeping on their feet. Unfortunately, the rough seas were making it harder for the British than for the Germans.

Worse yet, fires were rapidly breaking out on the other British ships, forcing them out of the battle. The Monmouth had been hit. The ammunition aboard Good Hope exploded. Thanks to the glow of the fires, the British heavy cruisers were easy targets. The Good Hope was hit for a third time, causing the fires to spread even further.

[Below: Destruction of Good Hope]

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But Glasgow was not going to give in. The gunners aboard Glasgow opened fire on the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau, hitting them both and setting them both on fire. It was some time before the Germans were lucky enough to hit the Glasgow.

But then they hit her directly, “making a 6 foot square hole. She continued to fight on” (Source).

Unfortunately, the end was approaching for the two British armored cruisers, though. The Good Hope and the Monmouth continued firing, but it was nothing compared to how often they were getting hit by the Germans. “Finally, one of Gneisenau’s shells hit Monmouth’s fore-turret, blowing off the roof and setting the housing on fire. Fires broke out, and there was a deafening explosion” (Source). Another of Gneisenau’s shells hit Monmouth, right near the ammunition storage for the starboard guns.

Though the odds seemed hopeless, Cradock continued to fight on. But, by 7:53, the fire had reached the magazine of Good Hope. “There was a tremendous explosion; flames reached 200 feet above the deck. The explosion was so great that crewmen aboard Nürnberg, six miles away were forced to hold their heads over their ears” (Source).

Luckily, Glasgow came out much better. She was only hit five times, and none of them damaging enough to take her out. This meant that Captain Luce was able to lend aid to the severely damaged Monmouth. But each fire made by the Glasgow was returned by a whole line of fire from the Germans. Before too long, there wasn’t too much Glasgow could do to help Monmouth. Both ships began to retreat.

“Unfortunately, Nürnberg passed close by her while coming up to take station at the rear of the German line and saw the British cruiser. Nürnberg opened fire” (Source). Nürnberg fired for some time at the ship, taking advantage of the fact that Monmouth couldn’t fire back, ceasing fire only when it was clear that the Monmouth was ready to haul down her colors and surrender. But Monmouth never did. Nürnberg continued to fire.

Glasgow and Otranto escaped. Spee’s fleet received little damage.

Both Good Hope and Monmouth were destroyed. There were no survivors aboard either ship.

[Below: Sinking of Monmouth]

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Battle of Kolubara

On November 16, 1914 the Austro-Hungarian armies reached the Kolubara River, under the command of Oskar Potiorek. Thus, the Battle of Kolubara. This was the third Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia.

Just the day before, Potiorek and his men had captured Valjevo, “forcing the Serbs to abandon their capital, Belgrade, and relocate to the central Serbian town of Niš” (Source). Needless to say, the Austro-Hungarians were feeling pretty good about themselves.

Desperate, the Serbian chief of general staff, Radomir Putnik, moved his forces to the Kolubara River. This was his last stand. This, he hoped, would give him a defensive advantage, for once. Even to more to his advantage was the fact that, despite their successes, the Austro-Hungarian armies were dreadfully low on supplies. Not only that, they were exhausted and freezing. It was mid-November, after all.

So, Putrik was left feeling pretty good about his chances of victory at Kolubara River, which is probably why he refused to follow the advice of General Živojin Mišić, who suggested that the Russians retreat in order to gain some time to reorganize their forces. Ahem, but, as soon as the Austro-Hungarian armies arrived “the Serbs managed to force the Austro-Hungarians back, and over the next five days, they fought a series of battles suffering heavy casualties in heavy rain and snowfall, resulting in many soldiers succumbing to frostbite or hypothermia” (Source).

But the Austro-Hungarians would not be defeated. By November 18, Potiorek’s 6th Army had moved into formation for further assault. They hoped to push the Serbians back once more, this time to Gornji Milanovac. This would then allow them to capture Lazarevac, giving them further access to the Mladenovac Railroad and even Belgrade.

By their reasoning, this would allow them to outflank the Serbs.

And by the evening of November 19th, they managed to capture Vrace Brdo. Putnik was finally forced to retreat, allowing the Austro-Hungarians to advance deeper into Serbia, and leaving Belgrade undefended.

Taking full opportunity of the Fifth Army advanced towards Belgrade. They captured the city on December 1st. But in doing so, “he had dangerously overstretched his forces” (Source).

[Below: Austrian entry into Belgrade.]

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Meanwhile, on December 2nd, Putnik ordered a counterattack. “The Serbian withdrawal had been well executed and the army [was] able to rest and recuperate” (Source). Back in Vienna, crowds had been celebrating each of the new Hapsburg advances. This, however, was not something to celebrate. To make things even better for Putnik, they received much-needed supplies from the Allies. The Austro-Hungarians, on the other hand, were quickly running low on supplies. Plus, they were taken completely by surprise – they were in the middle of a military parade, after all.

“The first day’s attack succeeded in pushing the Austro-Hungarian troops back a few miles, and more importantly restored the Serbs’s flagging morale” (Source). The was Putnik’s excuse, after all, that he was only taking the offensive to rise Serbian morale.

By the end of the 3rd, the Austro-Hungarians were forced to retreat, abandoning all of their weapons and equipment in the fields. The Hapsburg forces collapsed. On the 8th, they were forced to abandon Valjevo and on the 14th Belgrade. Meanwhile, “the Serbs captured tens of thousands of prisoners” (Source). Yet another loss for the Austro-Hungarians simply proved to their allies, the Germans, that they could not be relied upon to help win this war. And, of course, the Germans were thrilled to exploit that situation, resulting in Austrian resentment.

[Below: Serbian victory.]

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Battle of Łódź

The Battle of Łódź began on November 11th, as the newly formed German 9th Army, under the command of General August von Mackensen, was sent to attack the Russian armies, in part to prevent a Russian attack on Central Germany and in part to bring aid to the Austrians.

Meanwhile, the Russian 1st Army, under the command of Paul von Rennekampf, was advancing “in conjunction with the Second Army, and was [spreading] on a long line facing East Prussia” (Source). They intended to attack the German Second, Fourth, Fifth, and Ninth German armies west into the industrial region of Silesia.

But the Germans had long since been intercepting Russian plans via radio transmissions. So, to counter the Russian’s counterattack, the German Generals Paul von Hiddenburg and Erich Ludendorff planned to attack right between the Russian First and Second armies met.

Initially, the Germans were very successful. Not only did they crush the First and nearly surround the Second, but they also managed to take some 12,000 Russian prisoners. The Germans pushed the Russians back 50 miles.

But as the week wore on, the Germans’ luck waned while the Russians’ seemed to pick up. On the 14th, the Russians began their advance on Silesia. “But, by the 16th, the Russian general staff, realizing the dangerous position of the First and Second Armies, halted the offensive” (Source). But, of course, the Russians weren’t merely giving up.

No actually, the Russians instead brought in back up. On November 18th, the Second Army was joined by the Russian 5th Army. But, by the time they hit the German flank, the weather was appalling, “with temperatures plummeting down to -12C” (Source).

[Below: Germans marching into Poland]

In the ensuing battle, the Russians drove the Germans back some 30 miles in just one day. Before too long, they completely enveloped the Germans in Łódź. Meanwhile, the Germans that were struggling to escape to the north were cut off just north of the city. Captured German prisoners were rapidly “pouring into Warsaw, including men of the Prussian Guards.” (Source). Worse met, many of these men were suffering severely from frostbit, many of the maimed and disabled. By December 6th, the Russians had completely evacuated Łódź and many parts of western Poland.

But the Germans fought back and throughout the next week, neither side was able to take the advantage, despite all of the Russian advances. “While the battle was technically a Russian victory, the Germans achieved their aim, and the Russians withdrew, never again to come so close to German soil” (Source).

All in all, the Germans took some 136,000 prisoners but suffered 35,000 casualties of their own. Meanwhile, the Russians suffered 90,000 casualties. Additionally, General von Rennenkampf was “relieved of his command of the First Army” (Source).

[Below: Łódź in Russian Poland]

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Armistice Day

 

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Armistice Day. Remembrance Day. Veterans Day.

So many different names. So many different things to honor and remember. All the same day. 

It started after the end of WWI – 100 years ago today. “On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.” A day to remember those who died in the line of duty. Today, we honor everyone who ever served with the U.S. military. (Not to be confused with Memorial Day, in which we actually do remember those who fell).

On November 11, 1918, at 11:00 AM an armistice was signed. It marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not formally a surrender. In it, both sides agreed to end the fighting while terms of peace were negotiated. But that’s just it. It was not an actual end to the war. It was an agreement to put a pause on the fighting, until further notice. This further notice just happened to last 21 years. The time it would take to raise an entire generation of young men (and women) who would face battle. Or, the continuation of a great war.

“An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, since it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the Latin arma, meaning “arms” (as in weapons) and -stitium, meaning “a stopping”.[1]

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“The Armistice was designed to end the fighting of WWI, and the terms of it would make it impossible for Germany to restart the war, at least in the short term… . If Germany broke any of the terms of the Armistice … fighting would begin again with 48 hours notice” (tenfactsabout.co.uk). “The armistice initially ran for 30 days but was regularly renewed until the formal peace treaty was signed at Versailles the following year. Before the Treaty of Versailles, the Allies kept their armies ready to begin hostilities back again within 48 hours” (Source). Apparently by Nov 5th, after a month-long attempt at peace negotiations, during which time Germany agreed to negotiate Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points only to then threaten resuming war when they found the Allies’ negotiations unacceptable, the Allies agreed to take up negotiations for a truce, now also demanding reparation payments from Germany. [Above is the only picture of the signing ceremony] 

Some scholars argue that WWI and WWII are, essentially, the same war. On the same note, some also believe (a historian friend of mine included) that The Treaty of Versailles lead to WWII. The Treaty of Versailles forced Germany to accept full responsibility for the damages of the war and forced them to pay reparations to the tune of 132 billion gold marks (US 33 billion dollars). This led to wide-spread poverty and unemployment (as noted in an earlier post) and made it easier for Hitler to claim power (also noted earlier). Actually, Germany did not completely pay off their debt until 2010! (source same as above). So the Allies claim victory because Germany was forced into negotiations or else lose the war. We had temporary peace on the Western front. But left Germany in such tight straights that, really, another war was almost inevitable. So much for a victory, huh?

In another note: WWI left nine million soldiers dead, 21 million wounded, and another five million civilians dead from “disease, starvation, or exposure” (Source).

If anyone is interested in WWI historical fiction, let me first recommend All Quiet on the Western Front (coincidentally given to me by Michael (yeah, I got sick of mentioning him by his major!)) by Erich Maria Remarque. It tells the story from the German perspective and was, interestingly enough, on Hitler’s banned books list.

I also recommend:

  1. The Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd – a British WWI mystery series about an army nurse
  2. When Christmas Comes Again: The World War I Diary of Simone Spencer (A Dear America book published by Scholastic) – Simone Spencer goes off to war as a switchboard operator. It’s YA (or rather children’s, maybe) but I still highly recommend it.
  3. Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs, #1)by Jacqueline Winspear – Another WW1 mystery series about an army nurse. This is another series, though only book #1 takes place during the war. It follows through the 20′s & 30′s and currently, I believe, is starting on WWII.

And well! Remember our vets today – both fallen or still with us. Wear your poppy with pride and, if possible, thank a veteran for the freedom you have today. Lest We Forget.

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Siege of Przemyśl

 

Austria declared war on Russia on August 6, 1914. Two days later, the Russian Third Army advanced on Przemyśl. “Przemyśl was a major fortified city on the Austro-Hungarian border with Russia” (Source). A major fortified city that had recently updated its defenses . . . with forts that surrounded the entire city. Not to mention trenches and barbed wire.

See, the Austrians, well, underestimated the Russians. They had believed that the Serbians would be their chief opponent in this war. So, it’s fair to see that the Austrians were a bit surprised when the Russians sent two armies into East Prussia and four into Galicia (located along the northern slopes of the Carpathian Mountains). The armies in Galicia easily scoring victories in early September.

As a result, the chief of the Austrian general staff, Franz Conrad von Hotzendorff set up his headquarters in Przemyśl, thinking that Galicia was crucial. At the same time, Przemyśl “became a rallying point for the Austrians” (Source).

“By mid-September Austrian troops were streaming south past Przemyśl towards the Carpathians, where a new Austrian line would soon be formed. One army corps joined the garrison of Przemyśl within the defenses of the fortress, a total of 150,000 men” (Source). But by September 18, the fortress was completely besieged. The Austrian offensive had failed. On September 24, the Russian cut off supply lines for the Austrians.

[Below:  Burial detail in Przemyśl.]

A burial detail in Przemysl

Thankfully, the blockade was short-lived, a mere 33 days. This was due to the Russian attack on Warsaw, which forced the Russians to withdraw their troops from Przemyśl. With that, the Austrians retreated to the Carpathians. The siege was lifted by October 11. “The last action of the first siege was a costly Russian assault that failed to threaten the city” (Source).

The German attack failed, forcing the Austrians back to Przemyśl. On November 9th, the siege was renewed, this time by the Russian 11th Army. But, the Austrians had more troops and supplies this time around: Some 110,000 troops with enough supplies for three months.

This siege was just a bit longer. 100 days longer, to be precise. So, after 133 days, on March 22, 1915, “after disease and starvation had taken their tool, Commander General Hermann von Kusmanek, nine generals, ninety-three staff officers, 2,500 officers, and 117,900 men all surrendered to the Russians” (Source). Additionally, the Russians scored 1,000 guns. Both of Austria’s aims had failed. One had been to relieve Przemyśl. And the other had been a coordinated effort with the Germans to capture Russian Poland.

But then, finally, on June 3, with help from the Germans, the Austrians were able to force the Russians back. The Austrians had regained Przemyśl.

[Below: Fortress around Przemyśl]

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Up Next:

Battle of the Vistula River

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First Battle of Ypres

On October 19, 1914 the Allies and Germans fought the 1st of 3 battles that took place in Ypres, Belgium. The purpose of these battles was to gain control of the city and “its advantageous positions on the north coast of Belgium” (Source).

After the Allied victory at the Battle of the Marne, the “Race to the Sea” had begun.

The race ended at the North Sea coast, at Flanders. Flanders was described as “the last gap through which either side could launch a decisive thrust” (Source).

Prior to reaching Ypres, the Germans had successfully captured Antwerp, pushing the Belgians back to Nieuport, near Ypres. Likewise, the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) also retreated to Ypres to “bolster the Belgian and French defense” (Source). The Allied position at Ypres was taking shape.

They got busy building trenches because “it could best be defended from the low ridge of high ground to the east, but it was vulnerable to superior German artillery” (Source). With this arrangement, the British held a 35-mile-long line with the French manning the borders to the south. They were confident that their coordinated attack would enable them to recapture Lille, Belgium, and Brussles, all important industrial cities.

Their plans would not succeed.

The Flander’s Offensive began the next day, led by General Erich von Falkenhayn, who had led the offensive that ran the Belgians out of Antwerp. Falkenhayn ordered an advance to capture the Dunkirk, Calais, and Boulogne ports. They struck the Yser River between Dixmude and Nieuport.

The Belgians once again fought valiantly.

[Below: British soldiers in Ypres]

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But, the German actions forced Belgium’s King Albert to open the sluices that held back the sea.  On October 27th, the Belgians flooded the land between their positions and the Germans’ along the twenty-mile strip of land between Dixmude and Nieuport, creating a two-mile wide water barrier that forced Falkenhayn to halt and reconsider his plans.

Looks like the Germans fighting the Belgians worked in the Allies’s favor not the Germans’s.

Thus began the second phase. This phase consisted predominately of assaults on the city of Ypres. The second phase became known as the Battle of Langemarck. “The British IV Corps was situated to the south, with the corps ready to come into line. The French commander thought that only one German corps was at Ypres” (Source). Falkenhayn had the newly assembled Fourth Army, commanded by the Duke of Wurttemberg, launch the attack on October 31st.

First, the Germans drove the British calvary from its position on the Messines Ridge, located at on the southern edge of the salient. Then, they attacked General Douglas Haig’s 1st Corps further north. However, a vicious British counterattack repelled the Germans, thanks to their superior rifle fire.

On November 11th, the Germans attacked the British again, this time “just north of the Menin Road in the Nuns’ Woods only four miles from Ypres itself. The Prussian Guards and the 4th Division sought the town of Hooge” (Source). The offensive lasted all day.

The Germans were successful, but also slow in exploiting what they had gained. This allowed the British to once again gain the upper hand. They assembled a collection of soldiers (cooks, clerks, medical orderlies, officer’s servants, etc.) who managed to stem the advance and drive the Germans back.

Nevertheless, the fighting in Ypres lasted until November 22nd. When “the arrival of winter weather forced the battle to halt” (Source). Three more battles would take place at Ypres, but this first battle was one of the most significant. It would also foreshadowing how the fighting would play out throughout the rest of the war.

The British saw 7,960 BEF killed and 29,562 wounded. The French saw 85,000 killed, the Belgians some 21,562 killed, and the Germans some 19,530 killed and another 83,520 wounded.

[Below: British trenches at Ypres]

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 Up Next:

Battle of Coronel

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USA-eVote Wants to Help Commemorate Centennial of WWI

After a lot of prayerful thought (though not many outside suggestions) USA-eVote has come to the conclusion that what better way to commemorate than to give?

So, we are providing a link to donate to the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars – like those who served in WWI). Of course no WWI vets are still with us, but there are still some from WWII and all those since then. Giving to the VFW means giving to them. It’s a way of saying thank you for their sacrifice.

We are also providing a link to donate to the WWI Memorial in Washington DC. It’s time those who served in the Great War to have a proper memorial, isn’t it? We can help make sure that WWI is no longer the ‘Forgotten War’.

Please, say thank you to everyone who served and died in WWI.

Also, don’t forget to war a poppy on November 11!

WW1 Memorial sculpture header

Donate to the VFW

Donate to the WWI Memorial

Or Shop WWI Centennial Merchandise

 

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