The Great War (1914-1918) in real time

[lordroel]

Day 1498 of the Great War, September 12th 1918

Western Front

Battle of Epehy begins: British success on Cambrai front, Moeuvres, Havrincourt and Trescault taken; over 1,000 prisoners.

Battle of St. Mihiel begins: Americans supported by French, begin attack on St. Mihiel salient, south of Verdun; they advance five miles on a twelve-mile front; about 8,000 prisoners.

Heavy rain and high wind impedes air work.

Macedonian Front

Artillery activity on whole Struma front.

East Africa campaign

Blue Book (Cd. 9146) and (Cd. 8371) issued, describing German rule in south-west Africa and ill-treatment of the natives.

Naval operations: ship losses

GALAWAY CASTLE (United Kingdom) The ocean liner was torpedoed and damaged in the Atlantic Ocean 160 nautical miles (300 km) south west of the Fastnet Rock (48°50′N 10°40′W) by SM U-82 ( Kaiserliche Marine). She was taken in tow but sank on 15 September with the loss of 143 lives.

LEIXOES (Portugal) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 200 nautical miles (370 km) off the coast of the United States by SM U-155 ( Kaiserliche Marine).

HMS SARNIA (Royal Navy) The armed boarding steamer was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Alexandria, Egypt (31°58′N 30°55′E) by SM U-65 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 55 crew.

[lordroel]

Day 1499 of the Great War, September 13th 1918

YouTube (The Battle of Saint-Mihiel)



Western Front

British and French nearing St. Quentin: they take Holnon Wood and Savy respectively.

Western Front: Americans Wrap Up Operations at St Mihiel

At 7AM on September 13, only 26 hours after the infantry began their advance, lead elements from both sides of the attack on the St Mihiel salient met up in the middle. Although the Americans would take well over 10,000 prisoners, the bulk of the German army in the salient would escape. The Americans, committed to another attack on the other side of the Meuse less than two weeks later, could not pursue. George Marshall believed this was a lost opportunity, later writing:

Had not the operation been definitely limited in order to permit troops participating in it to be withdrawn immediately and marched to the Meuse-Argonne in time for that battle, there is no doubt on my mind that we could have reached the outskirts of Metz by the late afternoon of the 13th, and quite probably could have captured the city on the 14th, as the enemy was incapable of bringing up reserves in sufficient numbers and formation to offer an adequate resistance.

Whether Marshall’s defense of Pershing’s original plan rings true is unclear. The Americans may very well have turned the capture of the St Mihiel salient into a full rout if afforded the opportunity, or, as was so often the case, progress could have slowed, the Germans could have brought up reserves that had been delayed by rain, and the Americans could have been stopped at the prepared position behind the St Mihiel salient.

Regardless, George Marshall had larger concerns to deal with on the 13th, as he now had to start moving the First Army back across across the Meuse, even while fighting continued in what was left of the salient. Traffic soon became a nightmare. There were not enough roads and railroads, and the Americans had overestimated their capacity. There were disputes between American and French drivers over the rules of the road, often resulting in accidents that would block the highway for a time. French PM Clemenceau wanted to see St Mihiel for himself and congratulate Pershing. Pershing would only let him go as far as Thiaucourt, 25 miles from the front, but even there Clemenceau could plainly see the problem:

They wanted an American army. They had it. Anyone who saw, as I saw, the hopeless congestion at Thiaucourt will bear witness that they may congratulate themselves on not having had it sooner.

United States

Registration in U.S.A. of 13 million citizens between 18 and 21, and 32 and 35 for military service.

United Kingdom

British Railway strike begins in South Wales.

Naval operations: ship losses

AMIRAL CHARNER (France) The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 44 nautical miles (81 km) west of Pantellaria, Italy (36°36′N 12°58′E) by SM U-41 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy).

BUFFALO (United Kingdom) The coaster was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea of Corsewall Point, Wigtownshire by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of ten of her crew.

M. J. CRAIG (United Kingdom) The coaster was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 7 nautical miles (13 km) north east of Black Head, County Antrim by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of four of her crew.

SETTER (United Kingdom) The passenger ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 9 nautical miles (17 km) north west of Stranraer, Wigtownshire by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of nine of her crew.

[lordroel]

Day 1500 of the Great War, September 14th 1918

Western Front

Continued German retreat between the Meuse and Moselle, closely followed by French and Americans.

Between the Oise and Aisne the French capture Allemant village and Laffaux Mill in local attacks.

German counter-attacks at Havrincourt fails.

Macedonian Front: Grand Allied Offensive Begins in Salonika

French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau once called the Allied army in Greece the “Gardeners of Salonika.” The Army of the Orient numbered 650,000 men, drawn from all over world, soldiers from Britain, France, West Africa, Indochina, Madagascar, India, Greece, Italy, Australia, and Russia. It faced 300,000 Bulgarians in on the northern Greek border, near the Macedonian town of Salonika, in Greek Thessaloniki. The two armies had faced off since late 1915, with little action on either side. Clemenceau, and many other Allied generals and politicians as well, felt the “Gardeners” could be better employed elsewhere.

The man in charge was determined to prove his prime minister wrong. General Franchet D’Esperey had planned a grand offensive on the Bulgarian lines which he believed could crush the junior member of the Central Powers and force it to the negotiating table. The Serbian members of his army had proposed the idea, eager to liberate their home which had been occupied since 1915. The guns opened up on September 14, smashing the Bulgarian earthworks for six hours, laying waste to the barbed wire. D’Esperey finalized his plans. A Franco-Serbian attack was to breach the Bulgar front-lines the next day

Caucasus campaign: British Evacuate Baku

The Turks launched a major assault on Baku before dawn on September 14. The British, vastly outnumbered, were driven back, as were Bicherakov’s troops and the remaining Armenian defenders. Dunsterville, after conferring with his officers, decided the situation was hopeless and withdrew towards the docks around sunset. The Centro-Caspian Dictatorship threatened to fire on their ships, as promised, but did not really interfere with the evacuation. What was left of Dunsterforce successfully made it to Enzeli [Bandar-e Anzali] the next day, along with much of the military materiel in the city and most of the ships in the harbor; Bicherakov’s forces, who similarly left for Derbent, took most of what was left.

Once the British and Russians left, the Azerbaijani population of the city began attacking the Armenians themselves, in revenge for the violence in March. The Turkish army made no effort to enter the city and restore order for two days, while their Azerbaijani allies killed between 9,000 to 20,000 Armenian civilians in Baku.

After the fall of Baku, the Turks had their eyes set further east across the Caspian towards Turkmenistan, but the fact that the British had taken most of the ships in the Caspian prevented any movement in that direction. They chased Bicherakov north into Dagestan, and made plans to advance on Enzeli by land, but neither movement amounted to much by the time the Ottomans exited the war less than seven weeks later.

Germany

Germany makes peace offer to Belgium on the basis of no indemnity or reparation, etc.

Naval operations: ship losses

AGIOS NICOLAS (Greece) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 10 nautical miles (19 km) south east of Paphos by SM U-27 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy). Her crew survived.

GIBEL HAMAN (United Kingdom) The coaster was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 15 nautical miles (28 km) south of Portland Bill by SM UB-104 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 21 of her crew.

IOANNA NO.45 (United Kingdom) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea by SM U-65 ( Kaiserliche Marine).

MOGUCHIVY (Soviet Navy) The gunboat was shelled and sunkin the Dvina River by British Monitors. 18 crewmen killed, 5 rescued, 7 POW.

NEOTSFIELD (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km) off the Skulmartin Lightship ( United Kingdom) (54°42′N 5°23′W) by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

SM UB-113 (Kaiserliche Marine) The Type UB III submarine departed Zeebrugge, West Flanders, Belgium on patrol. No further trace, lost with all 39 crew.

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Day 1501 of the Great War, September 15th 1918

Western Front

British capture Maissemy, five miles north-west of St. Quentin.

Germans make ineffective counter-attacks south of the Oise.

Americans continue advance on 33-mile front; they come within reach of fortress guns of Metz.

Karlsruhe and Mainz heavily bombed by R.A.F.

Macedonian Front: Allies Break Bulgarian Front

Allied leaders in the Great War were divided between “Westerners” and “Easterners.” Westerners, like General Haig, believed that victory would only come from defeating Germany on the Western Front. Easterners, like David Lloyd George, believed victory would come from “knocking down the props” of Germany’s junior allies on the other fronts. In the end both strategies contained an element of truth. The final break-down of the Central Powers began in September when Bulgaria was forced from the war. However, the reason for Bulgaria’s defeat was that Germany could no longer prop her partners up.

After bombardments on September 14, Allied troops in Greece went on the offensive the next day. General Franchet D’Esperey’s Army of the Orient attacked with 36,000 Serbian, French, and Italian troops at Dobro Pole. The 12,000 Bulgarian soldiers defending their line were dispirited by the lack of support they received from the Germans, as well as the Allied bombardment. Nevertheless, they clung tenaciously to their trenches, ravaging Allied attack with their machine-guns, until French flamethrower teams, being used for the first time in southeastern Europe, could burn them out.

Another “first” of the day was the appearance of the Yugoslav Division, an infantry unit made up of Slovenes, Croats, Serbs, Bosnians, Montenegrins, and Macedonians who had put aside national differences to fight alongside each other in hopes of creating a united South Slavic kingdom after the war. During the battle, the Yugoslavs crossed the Greek border back into Serbia for the first time since their retreat in 1915. The soldiers spontaneously broke off the attack to cheer and embrace one another, as well as the French soldiers fighting alongside them.

Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary sends a Note to U.S.A. and all belligerent and neutral powers suggesting a "confidential and non-binding" discussion on peace terms.

Aerial operations: Giant destroyed

151 Squadron has been in France since June 1918 with its Sopwith Camels. Its main role is to defend British bases in the area. It has also developed a process called night intrusion, which involves the detection and attack of German bombers returning to their airfields.

Tonight, Lieutenant Frank Crossley Griffiths Broome was on patrol in his Sopwith Camel (D6102) when he pursued a giant German Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI bomber over Beugny, France. Eventually he caught the bomber and shot it down in flames.

Only thirteen of these bombers were constructed during the war and of this was the only one shot down on the Western Front. One was shot down on the Eastern Front and two were lost to AA fire. Six more were lost in crashes. Broome was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for the achievement.

Naval operations: ship losses

IOANNA NO.37 (United Kingdom) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea by SM U-65 ( Kaiserliche Marine).

ENERGY (United Kingdom) The sailing vessel was shelled and sunk in the Irish Sea 14 nautical miles (26 km) east south east of the Codling Bank Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine).

JOSEPH FISHER (United Kingdom) The two-masted schooner was shelled and sunk in the Irish Sea 16 nautical miles (30 km) east north east of the Codling Bank Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine).

KENDAL CASTLE (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) south east of Berry Head, Devon by SM UB-104 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of eighteen of her crew.

MARY FANNY (United Kingdom) The ketch was shelled and sunk in the Irish Sea 14 nautical miles (26 km) east south east of the Codling Bank Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-64 ( Kaiserliche Marine).

[lordroel]

Day 1502 of the Great War, September 16th 1918

Western Front

Slight advance by British in neighbourhood of Ploegsteert and east of Ypres.

French capture Vailly (north-east of Soissons) and Mt. des Singes.

Americans advance along west bank of Moselle.

Air raid on Paris by Gothas during the night: 6 killed, 15 injured, 2 raiders brought down.

Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War

Archangel front; successful operation by naval units and Allied troops on the River Dvina; two enemy ships sunk, three guns captured.

Italian Front

Italians makes successful raid north and north-west of Mt. Grappa; capture over 300 prisoners and some machine guns.

Photo: American soldiers on the Piave front hurling a shower of hand grenades into the Austrian trenches. Varage, Italy, 16 September 1918



Macedonian Front

Franco-Serbian advance continued; the troops advance to a depth of five miles on 16-mile front in region of Dobropolje.

United States: United States Flatly Rejects Austrian Peace Note

Emperor Charles had long been open to a separate peace with the Allies, most notably sending his brother-in-law Sixtus to negotiate secretly with the French. When this was revealed by an annoyed Clemenceau in early 1918, Charles was forced to make humiliating concessions to appease the enraged Germans. By August, however, the Germans’ star was on the wane, as they were suffering repeated defeats on the Western Front. The Germans decided to only make any moves for peace through a neutral mediator (such as the Dutch or Spanish monarchs) and only then “after the next German success in the west.”

As this success never came, the Austrians quickly lost patience; on September 14, Charles unilaterally issued a note to the Allies (and the Pope), calling for an peace conference “at a near date” in neutral territory, for “a confidential and unbinding discussion on the basic principles for the conclusion of peace.” On September 16, US Secretary of State Lansing quickly rejected the offer on Wilson’s behalf:

The Government of the United States feels that there is only one reply which it can make to the suggestion of the Imperial Austro-Hungarian Government. It has repeatedly and with entire candor stated the terms upon which the United States would consider peace and can and will entertain no proposal for a conference upon a matter concerning which it has made its position and purpose so plain.

Lansing here was referring to Wilson’s Fourteen Points; while the Austrians in their note made some positive allusions to them, they stopped well short of accepting them.

The other Allies similarly quickly rejected the Austrian note. The Germans, meanwhile, grew even more outraged at Emperor Charles. The only concrete result of the peace move was the cancellation of the planned offensive against neutral Romania, which Austria-Hungary was unwilling to carry out while proposing peace.
Japan

Recognition by Japan of Czecho-Slovakia as belligerent Allies.

Aerial operations: SSZ and the mystery u-boat

This afternoon, the airship SSZ1 set off from the Capel station, near Folkestone to patrol the English Channel for u-boats, piloted by an American, Ensign N. J. Learned.

The pilot spotted a line of oil slowly forming about seven miles from Capel. For half an hour the airship followed the line until it ceased in an extending patch of oil.

Suspecting a U-Boat, the airship signaled patrol boats to investigate. They dropped depth charges, and heard two explosions followed by another 30 minutes later.

Naval operations: ship losses

ACADIAN (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 11 nautical miles (20 km) south west by west of Trevose Head, Cornwall (50°25′10″N 5°15′58″W) by SM UB-117 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of 25 of her 26 crew.

USS BUENA VENTURA (United States Navy) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 200 nautical miles (370 km) north west of Spain (44°36′N 13°10′W) by SM UB-129 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of eighteen of her crew. Survivors were rescued by LOLA ( Spain) and TEMERAIRE ( French Navy).

ETHEL (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 8 nautical miles (15 km) south east of Berry Head, Devon by SM UB-104 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

HMS GLATTON (Royal Navy) The Gorgon-class monitor caught fire at Dover, Kent and was scuttled by HMS Cossack and HMS Myngs (both Royal Navy) with the loss of 79 of her 305 crew.

G. VOYAZIDES (Greece) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Gulf of Lion by SM UC-67 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of eighteen of her crew.

LORD STEWART (United Kingdom) The collier was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 6 nautical miles (11 km) east of Hope's Nose, Devon (50°30′N 3°17′W) by SM UB-104 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of a crew member.

MADRYN (United Kingdom) The collier was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) north north east of Trevose Head (50°38′N 5°01′W) by SM U-82 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

PHILOMEL (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay 12 nautical miles (22 km) south east by east of the Glénan Islands, Finistère (47°43′N 3°41′W) by SM UB-88 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

SERULA (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 13.5 nautical miles (25.0 km) north east of Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire by SM UB-64 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of seventeen crew.

TASMAN (United Kingdom) The cargo liner was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 220 nautical miles (410 km) north by west of Cape Villano, Spain by SM U-46 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of fourteen crew.

WELLINGTON (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 175 nautical miles (324 km) north west of Cape Villano (45°48′N 10°58′W) by SM U-118 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of five of her crew.

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Day 1503 of the Great War, September 17th 1918

Western Front

British make local progress north-west of St. Quentin and in the north near Ploegsteert.

Germans counter-attack at Moeuvres.

French gain ground north-east of Soissons, capture several strong points.

Americans consolidate their line between the Meuse heights and the Moselle.

Good bombing attacks by R.A.F. on German objectives.

Photo: Cavalry in reserve halted in the Authie River to water the horses, Auxi-le-Chateau, 17th September 1918



Italian Front

Italians repulse strong counter-attacks north of Mt. Grappa.

Macedonian Front: Franco-Serbian Advance Continues

Fierce fighting continued in the Macedonian mountains on the second day of the Allied offensive. After a bitter struggle throughout September 16th, the Serbians took the critical Kozyak position, the last large mountain before they could reach the Crna river vallye below. German reinforcements prevented a complete breach in the Bulgarian lines, however. On the night of the 16th and throughout the 17th, the Bulgarian position grew worse, however. The Bulgarian 2nd Division fell back twice without consulting its neighbors, first to the the third line of defense, and then behind the River Crna itself. The Serbians simply advanced with nearly no opposition into a five-mile gap left for them. To the east, extensive mutinies in the Bulgarian 3rd Division meant it was in little condition to resist the Allied advance. The Germans resisted an additional Serbian push to the west, but the main thrust of the offensive was to the north and east along the Crna. By the end of the day on September 17th, the Allies had advanced up to fifteen miles on a front of over twenty miles, and were planning to expand the offensive onto an even broader front the next day.

Naval operations: ship losses

CAIRO (Egypt) The sailing vessel was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea by an enemy submarine.

IGOR (Sweden) The cargo ship sank after an explosion in the North Sea, south of Longstone, while in convoy. Whether it was a torpedo or mine is unknown. Her crew survived.

LAVERNOCK (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) south west of Trevose Head, Cornwall 50°28′N 5°06′W by SM UB-117 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

MURRIEL (United Kingdom) The collier was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 3.5 nautical miles (6.5 km) north east of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire (57°32′06″N 1°44′16″W) by SM UC-58 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

No. 1 (Soviet Navy Red Movement) The gunboat was grounded in a trap and then shelled by artillery and abandoned on the Kama River. One crewman was killed, another was wounded, and three were captured.

PORTARITISSA (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (35°39′N 26°08′E) by SM U-27 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy). Her crew survived.

SOFFIA (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (35°39′N 26°08′E) by SM U-27 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy). Her crew survived.

URSA (Sweden) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in Lyme Bay[77] by SM UB-104 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

WIGBERT (Imperial German Navy) The minesweeper struck a mine in the mouth of the Elbe at Cuxhaven, Germany, and became a constructive total loss.

[lordroel]

Day 1504 of the Great War, September 18th 1918

Western Front

Great Australian (5th/6th Australian Infantry Brigades) advance on 16-mile front (north-west of St. Quentin, extending from Holnon Wood to Gouzeaucourt; over 6,000 prisoners and a number of guns captured; outer defences of Hindenburg Line stormed in many places.

French, in liaison with British, capture Savy Wood and Fontaine-les-Cleres.

End of battle of Epehy.

Germans continue strong counter-attacks north and south of Moeuvres.

Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War

Murmansk front: Karelians defeat German-led forces from Finland at Ukhtinskaya and drive them back over the border.

Japanese coverging from east and south take Blagoveshchensk (on the Amur) and Alexeievsk.

Macedonian Front: Anglo-Greek Attacks at Doiran Repulsed

The French and Serbians were achieving great success with their offensive east of the Vardar, and on September 18 it was the turn of the British and Greeks to join them west of the river. The Bulgarians had an imposing position on the Grand Couronné just east of Lake Doiran, where their “Devil’s Eye” could keep an eye on all Allied movements. The British had failed in an attack here in April 1917, and hoped their new plans would meet with more success.

The Allies attacked at 5:08 AM on September 18, and quickly seized the town of Doiran and the Petit Couronné. However, the Bulgarians were ready for the advance on the Grand Couronné and their machine guns inflicted heavy casualties on the advancing Allies–many of whom were lost as their own bombardment had changed the landscape and eliminated some of the landmarks they were relying on to navigate. One battalion did reach the summit, but was quickly hit by Bulgarian fire on three sides; only 56 men returned to the British lines, and more than half of them were poisoned by their own gas during the retreat. By 10AM, it was clear that the attack had failed.

The Allies did still have one hope, though–simultaneously, the Greeks were to attack north east of Lake Doiran, hoping to push past the lake and outflank the Grand Couronné, as they had done during the Second Balkan War. Poor coordination between the British and Greeks delayed the advance, and then the first attack was repulsed. Another attack in the afternoon had to be called off when a grass fire broke out in the valley between the Bulgarian and Greek positions.

Additional attacks the following day met with no more success; the British and Greeks had suffered over 7000 casualties for no significant gains. Emboldened by their victory, the Bulgarian First Army planned to go on the offensive and strike towards Salonika itself.

Arab Revolt

Arab force surrounds Dera'a and blows up railway junction.

Austria-Hungary

Complete failure of the Austro-Hungarian peace offer, which is rejected by Great Britain, France, U.S.A. and Belgium in turn.

Naval operations: ship losses

ADELPHOTIS (Greece) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (36°14′N 25°25′E) by SM U-27 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy). Her crew survived.

AGIOS AMMA (Greece) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (36°14′N 25°25′E) by SM U-27 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy). Her crew survived.

BUFFALO (France) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) east of St Agnes Head, Cornwall, United Kingdom (50°19′N 5°18′W) by SM UB-117 ( Imperial German Navy).

HELENA (United States) The cargo ship ran aground on West Chicken Island, Lake Erie. She broke in two on 25 September and was a total loss.

JOHN O. SCOTT (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 9 nautical miles (17 km) west by north of Trevose Head, Cornwall (50°32′N 5°16′W) by SM UB-117 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of eighteen of her crew.

LEDAAL (Norway) The cargo ship was scuttled in the Atlantic Ocean (33°50′N 20°05′W) by SM U-157 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of a crew member.

PRIMO (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 3.5 nautical miles (6.5 km) north north west of the Godrevy Lighthouse, Cornwall (50°17′N 5°28′W) by SM UB-117 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

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Day 1505 of the Great War, September 19th 1918

Western Front

Further British and French gains in direction of St. Quentin; heavy fighting round Gouzeaucourt and Moeuvres, all Germans attacks finally repulsed.

British capture Lempire and the French advance beyond Contescourt; they capture Essigny le Grand at end of the day.

Macedonian Front

Bulgarian rout continues; Serbians cross the Cherna and march on Prilep; over 5,000 prisoners taken.

Sinai and Palestine campaign: Armageddon

British operations in Palestine and Transjordan were largely put on hold by the needs of the Western Front and the summer heat, but by September Allenby was ready for another offensive. His plan was to break through the Turkish positions along the coast and then send his mounted troops far into the Turkish rear. Secrecy was of the utmost importance, to make sure the Turks did not fall back before the British could break through, or reinforce the coastal area. The British attempted to convince the Turks that the attack would fall across the Jordan, towards Amman, as it had done in the spring. They kept some of their best troops in the Jordan Valley, marched troops around in the area to create dust clouds, and spread as many rumors as possible among the Arab population. The Germans and Turks were fooled by these deceptions, despite the defection of an Indian sergeant just two days before the planned attack who told the Turks that the attack would come near the coast.

The British attacked with heavy artillery support at 4:30 AM on September 19. In most places, they quickly overran the Turkish defenses. Some of the stiffest resistance came on the right of the Allied attack, near Bidye. Assisting here was the small French contingent in Palestine, which included a regiment of Armenians who had been rescued from Musadagh by the French Navy in 1915. The Turks launched their only counterattack of the day here, and the town was not taken until 3AM the next day.

Once the Turkish lines were taken, British cavalry, camelry, and armored cars proceeded into the open country beyond as soon as 7AM, heading north for distant objectives or east to help outflank any remaining points of Turkish resistance. They were largely able to secure water and fodder during their advance, something that had stymied major cavalry operations in earlier actions in Palestine. They captured multiple Turkish Corps and even Army HQs. The commander of XXII Corps forced its commander, Refet Bey, to try to escape on foot; Cyril Falls writes that “so far as it is known, he spoke no English, but he moved always by night and answered challenges by saluting and riding on at a walk. He finally reached Tyre, 75 miles to the north,” early in October. On the first day, the cavalry advanced well over twenty miles, and by dawn the next morning had taken Tul Karm and Megiddo. The latter gives its name to the battle as a whole, the first battle in recorded history (in 1457 BC), and the term Armageddon in Christian eschatology.

Also in the wee hours of the 20th, the British cavalry reached the outskirts of Nazareth, more than 40 miles from their starting positions. Nazareth was the Turkish headquarters in Palestine, and the overall commander, Liman von Sanders, was apparently forced to flee the city in his pajamas. It may have been only then that Liman von Sanders realized the full scope of the disaster in progress, as he had only had limited contact with his disintegrating armies on the 19th.

Map: Falls Sketch Map 30 Situation at Zero hour 19 September



United Kingdom

Mr. J. Davis appointed U.S.A. ambassador to Great Britain.

Aerial operations: Megiddo

The British forces in Palestine under General Allenby started their latest offensive against the Turks today. The RAF played a vital role in supporting the attack (later known as the Battle of Megiddo) that assisted the British to Turkish Forces and end the war in Palestine.

Prior to the battle, the RAF maintained almost complete air superiority, so the enemy had no knowledge of the preparations and the attack was a surprise.

At 0100 this morning, the single Handley Page O/400 bomber in the area (C9681 from 1 Squadron AFC with crew Captain dropped its full load of sixteen 112-pound bombs on the main telephone exchange and railway station in Al-Afuleh. This cut communications between the headquarters at Nazareth and Ottoman Seventh and Eighth Armies for the following vital two days, dislocating the Ottoman command completely. DH9s from 144 Squadron RAF also bombed El Afule telephone exchange and railway station, Messudieh railway junction and the Ottoman Seventh Army headquarters and telephone exchange at Nablus. Later in the day, the rest of 1 Squadron AFC in their Bristol Fighters carried out bombing and reconnaissance. They suffered the only casualty of the day when Lieutenant Dudley Russell Dowling and Lieutenant Mulford were shot down by ground fire and captured. Luckily they were freed a few hours later, such was the speed of the advance.

Once the Turks started to retreat in the afternoon, every available aeroplane was in the sky, harassing the fleeing troops. In the preceding months every potential escape route had been photographed and places to attack identified.

Naval operations: ship losses

AGIOS SPRIRIDON (Greece) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (36°04′N 24°00′E) by SM U-27 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy). Her crew survived.

BARRISTER (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea 9 nautical miles (17 km) west of the Chicken Rock Lighthouse, Isle of Man by SM UB-64 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of 30 crew.

Belliqueux (France) The vessel struck a mine laid by UC 69 (Erwin Waßner) and sank in the Bay of Biscay 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) off the Tevenec Lighthouse, Île de Sein, Finistère.

ERIK (Denmark) The three-masted schooner was shelled and damaged in the Atlantic Ocean 75 nautical miles (139 km) west of Cape Roca, Spain (38°05′N 10°17′W) by SM UB-129 ( Imperial German Navy). She foundered three days later.

FANNY (Sweden) The cargo ship was sunk in the Raz de Sein by SM UB-88 ( Imperial German Navy), with the loss of two crew members.

GORDON C. (Newfoundland) The cargo ship was destroyed by fire 12 nautical miles (22 km) north east of Grate's Cove.

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Day 1506 of the Great War, September 20th 1918

YouTube (Allied Breakthroughs In Palestine And Macedonia)



Western Front

British line pushed forward in the Lempire-Epehy sector; recapture of Moeuvres completed.

North-west of La Bassee British front advanced.

French repulse five attacks against their new positions near Allemant (north of the Aisne). They advance east of Essigny le Grand.

Revolt of the Czechoslovak Legion

Reported set-back of Czecho-Slovaks on the Volga; they are driven from Volsk, Simbirsk and Kazan by Bolshevist and German forces.

Sinai and Palestine campaign: Collapse of the Ottoman Army Begins

The Battle of Megiddo began on the last hours of September 19, and so did the collapse of the Ottoman army. General Edmund Allenby’s Egyptian Expeditionary Forces struck northward from the Jezreel Valley. The three Ottoman armies commanded by the Liman von Sanders charged with containing the EEF had no chance. Sander’s demoralized Turks were plastered by British creeping barrages and then terrorized from the air by RAF fighter-bombers. Megiddo, the site of the first recorded battle in history, is also “Armageddon,” the place where the Book of Revelations locates the prophesied final battle of the end times. It was fitting that it should be the location for the first air-land battle.

Allenby’s mostly Indian troops encountered pitiful resistance. An Indian cavalry regiment stormed through the town of Afula, killing 50 Turks and taking 500 prisoner for the loss of one man wounded. Near the ancient town of Megiddo itself the only resistance was from nine German rifleman. “Far from home, these soldiers were silenced by two machine guns.” Liman von Sanders fled his base in Nazareth wearing his pajamas. His three Ottoman armies were left behind, unable to reach their command by telephone, being swiftly overrun by British cavalry, and cut off from retreat by aircraft. It was only a matter of time before the Ottoman Empire’s chief military force disintegrated into a rabble.

Russian Civil War: Baku Commune Leaders Shot

The Baku Commune had been overthrown at the end of July as they refused to invite British help to deal with the advancing Turks. They had been kept out of prison thanks to local Red Army units, but when the Red forces attempted to make off with the better part of Baku’s military materiel, they were returned to Baku and imprisoned. As Baku fell to the Turks in September, they escaped or were released and departed by sea, hoping to make it to Astrakhan (the only port on the Caspian still in Red hands). However, the crew of the ship feared they would be arrested by the Reds there, and made for Krasnovodsk, which had been in the hands of an Ashgabat-based SR government since mid-July.

The Baku commissars were arrested when they arrived in Krasnovodsk. In addition to the threat from the Reds around Merv and Tashkent and the Turks in Baku, the Ashgabat government was also concerned that the commissars could be a locus of opposition within Turkmenistan, especially if they escaped or were broken out of prison. The British, who had a presence under General Malleson based across the Persian border in Mashhad, urged the Ashgabat government to hand the commissars over to them; the commissars would no longer be a threat, and they could be used as hostages to ensure the safety of British nationals in Russia. Funtikov, the head of the Ashgabat government, found the logistics of doing so too difficult, and instead decided to execute them.

On the morning of September 20, the 26 Baku commissars were boarded onto a train and told they were being taken to Ashgabat. That evening, about 125 miles east of Krasnovodsk, they were taken off the train, walked into the desert, and shot. The remoteness of the location meant it would take several months for the news to reach Moscow, though the British were informed from their sources in Ashgabat relatively quickly. Malleson was “horrified at the action taken” and told the Ashgabat government that they were “all alike–Red or White.”

The Soviet government always held that the British were responsible for the shooting, aided by Funtikov’s coerced confession after his eventual capture by Red forces, and made much use of it as anti-British propaganda in the coming decades. Although the British certainly rendered significant aid to the Ashgabat government, they had no involvement in and were extremely disappointed by the executions.

Aerial operations: Ottoman Empire

Bombs and leaflets dropped on Constantinople by R.A.F. in co-operation with Greek Navy.

Naval operations: ship losses

AGHIOS NICOLAS (Greece) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (36°26′N 22°20′E) by SM U-27 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy). Her crew survived.

AGHIOS SPIRIDON (Greece) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (36°26′N 22°20′E) by SM U-27 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy). Her crew survived.

ANGELINA PASQUALE (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Sicily by SM UB-105 ( Imperial German Navy).

CIRCE (French Navy) The submarine was sunk in the Adriatic Sea (41°39′N 19°25′E) by SM U-47 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy) with the loss of all but one of her crew.

DRAGONOS (Greece) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (36°59′N 21°59′E) by SM U-27 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy). Her crew survived.

KINGFISHER (United States) The trawler was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 85 nautical miles (157 km) off Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (43°31′N 61°53′W) by SM U-155 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

PROF. ELIAS (Greece) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (36°42′N 22°12′E) by SM U-27 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy). Her crew survived.

SAN MICHELE (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Sicily by SM UB-105 ( Imperial German Navy).

THEOLOGOS (Greece) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (36°57′N 22°05′E) by SM U-27 ( Austro-Hungarian Navy). Her crew survived.

VON JON JONQUIERES (Imperial German Navy) The MAX KOCHEN-class Vorpostenboot capsized and sank in a storm off Helgoland.

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Day 1507 of the Great War, September 21st 1918

Western Front

British encounter stubborn resistance but gain ground east of Epehy, capturing Le Petit Priel farm and other strong positions.

British line improved at Moeuvres.

Further French gains south of St. Quentin, they take Benay.

Macedonian Front: General Bulgarian Retreat

On September 19, the Bulgarians and Germans held a conference at Prilep to plan their response to the Allied offensive. The French and Serbians had made large gains, but the British and Greek attack near Lake Doiran had been entirely repulsed. The commander of the Bulgarian First Army, which had won at Doiran, suggested an immediate counteroffensive towards Salonika. The Germans believed the logistics of such an attack would be infeasible, and vetoed the idea. The Bulgarians then suggested a long withdrawal to the next set of mountains in northern Macedonia and southern Bulgaria–a significant amount of the distance to Sofia. Although this might give the Bulgarians a chance to recover, this was also dismissed as being too drastic.

Ultimately, the Germans and Bulgarians decided on a smaller withdrawal, hoping to draw the French and Serbians further north before trapping them with attacks from both flanks. Of course, this withdrawal went further than the zone of the Franco-Serbian advance so that the Bulgarians’ own flanks would not be threatened. On September 21, the Bulgarian First Army abandoned the Grand Couronné that the British and Greeks had lost thousands of men trying to take just three days earlier. The British would not be able to pursue on the ground until the next day, but the RAF, which was the first to spot the withdrawal, could act almost immediately. British planes were able to inflict heavy casualties on Bulgarian troops retreating through ravines, steep hills on either side preventing the Bulgarians from scattering to escape. Over 700 Bulgarians were killed in the Kosturino defile alone, and the RAF repeated the feat in other canyons and passes over the coming week.

In the meantime, the French and Serbians were conscious of the threat on their flanks and were taking action to forestall any German and Bulgarian attempt at regrouping. In the west, the Serbians, French, and Greeks secured that flank by taking the 7000-foot Mt. Dzena, while the Italians secured Hill 1050 and advanced six miles. In the east, the Bulgarian 3rd Division, which was supposed to be preparing for a counterattack on that flank, instead largely fell apart as its troops mutinied and headed home. Crown Prince Boris attempted to rally its men personally, driving from unit to unit, but with little success.

By midday on the 22nd, it was clear the Bulgarian retreat was not going well. Franchet d’Esperey issued this general order to his armies:

The enemy is retreat on the whole front between Monastir and Lake Doiran. We have now to rout him, to take prisoners from his ranks, and to capture his materiel by an unceasing and resolute pursuit. Outflank resistance and push forward light detachments, which should establish themselves on his line of retreat. The cavalry, whose hour is come, should precede the infantry columns and open the way for them.

Sinai and Palestine campaign

Advance of British Infantry in Palestine; they reach Shechem and Samaria, and drive Turks into arms of cavalry operating southward from Jenin and Beisan.

East of Jordan the Hejaz Arabs cut the Damascus railway in numerous places. 18,000 prisoners taken.

Naval operations: ship losses

DOWNSHIRE (United Kingdom) The coaster was shelled and sunk in the Irish Sea 8 nautical miles (15 km) west of Rockabill by SM UB-64 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

SANTO FORTUNATO (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Sicily by SM UB-105 ( Imperial German Navy).

STAITHES (United Kingdom) The coaster was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km) south east by south of Sunderland, County Durham by SM UB-115 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of four of her crew.

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Day 1508 of the Great War, September 22nd 1918

Western Front

Hostile attacks north-west of La Bassee fail.

South of St. Quentin French reach outskirts of Vendeul and gain ground east of Sancy.

Macedonian Front

Great Allied victory in Balkans; Brilliant Serbian attack; Bulgarians retreat on 100-mile front, from Monastir to Lake Doiran.

Allies cut Vardar railway and line from Prilep to Gradsko. They advance on Babuna Pass.

Sinai and Palestine campaign: British Secure Jordan River Crossings

The success of Allenby’s cavalry in the three days since the breakthrough along the coast had been stunning. By the 22nd, they had taken Nazareth and reached as far the Jordan near Beisan, about fifteen miles south of the Sea of Galilee. This left the remnants of two Turkish armies scrambling to reach safety across the Jordan to the east. On September 22, a force under General Chaytor–including several Jewish and West Indies battalions–attacked and secured the Jordan crossing at Jisr ed Damiye. This essentially cut off the remaining Turks west of the Jordan, as there were few other good crossings–and units that attempted the steep descent into the Jordan River suffered severe casualties from aerial attacks, as the Bulgarians were experiencing during their own retreat in Macedonia. Nevertheless, there was still a large gap between Beisan and Jisr ed Damiye, and a few thousand Germans and Turks (including Mustafa Kemal, the commander of Seventh Army) escaped before the remaining gaps were closed on the 24th.

After securing Jisr ed Damiye, Chetwode’s force then looked further east, towards Es Salt and Amman. Here, they posed a major threat to the Turkish Fourth Army, which had so far been spared much direct attack, but was now in danger of having much of its forces (which stretched as far south as Ma’an) cut off by the British and Arabs far to the north.

Aerial operations: German Air Force destroyed

The rapid advance in Palestine by British Forces since the offensive opened on 19 September has seen the Turkish Forces retreat in disarray. On 20 September, El Affule and the German aerodrome there, which had been 40 miles behind the lines was captured. From there the RAF set up an advanced base to harass the retreating armies and destroy the remains of the German Air Force in the area.

Yesterday, intensive bombing by 1 Squadron AFC had forced the destruction of two Turkish Armies and today the RAF set about the remaining air forces.

This morning a flight of Bristol F2b’s flew to an Arab encampment under the control of TE Lawrence at Um Es Surab. From there they planned to fly on to bomb Der’a aerodrome. Before they could set off a group of enemy aeroplanes were spotted. Lieutenant Eustace Slade Headlam and Lieutenant William Harold Lilly (B1286) Captain Ross Macpherson Smith and Lieutenant Ernest Andrew Mustard (B1229) took off to chase them off, downing a DFW two seater in the process. 45 minutes later another group appeared and the same two took off again, this time claiming two Pfalzes.

In the afternoon, the flight bombed Der’a successfully. Another two seater appeared over Us Es Surab and dropped bombs. This time, Lieutenant Edward Samuel Peters and Lieutenant James Hamilton Traill (B1278) chased it and shot in down 5 miles from Der’a.

Naval operations: ship losses

HMT ELISE (Royal Navy) The naval trawler was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) north east of St. Mary's Lighthouse, Northumberland (55°06′N 1°27′W) by SM UB-34 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of fourteen of her crew.

EUTHAMIA (United Kingdom) The trawler strucke a mine and sank in the North Sea 6 nautical miles (11 km) east by north of the Humber Lightship ( United Kingdom).

GAIA (Portugal) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off the Azores (37°13′N 23°19′W) by SM U-157 ( Imperial German Navy).

GORSEMORE (United Kingdom) The collier was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 44 nautical miles (81 km) south east of Cape Colonne, Italy (38°28′N 17°51′E) by SM UC-53 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

POLESLEY (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) north of the Pendeen Lighthouse, Cornwall (50°13′N 4°46′W) by SM UB-88 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of 43 of her crew.

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Day 1509 of the Great War, September 23rd 1918

Western Front

Series of local battles along front; Germans make stubborn resistance round Epehy.

French advance their line east of St. Quentin Canal; they reach the Oise, three miles north of La Fere.

Actions round Haumont on American front.

Macedonian Front

Bulgarian rout; French cavalry enter Prilep, enemy stream northward toward Veles pursued by Allied troops.

Serbians in neighbourhood of Demir Kapu are well north of the Vardar.

British advance north of Lake Doiran and their cavalry pursue Bulgarians along road to Strumitsa.

Sinai and Palestine campaign: Indian Cavalry Secures Haifa by Charge with Lances

British cavalry had advanced dozens of miles since the 19th, destroying the better part of two Turkish armies. So far, they had been able to find water and fodder for their horses from the large amount of territory captured, but supply was still becoming a concern. Bringing supplies over such a long distance by land would be quite difficult, so it became a top priority to secure the seaports at Acre and Haifa to land supplies by sea. Acre would fall quickly, but Haifa was a more difficult matter. An attempt to secure it with armored cars on the evening of the 22nd failed, driven back by an Austrian battery on Mount Carmel and German machine gun fire. The next day, British cavalry and armored cars made another attempt. Maneuver was difficult due to marshy ground, and many horses were killed while attempting to get around it.

Photo: Indian lancers in Haifa, 23 September 1918



Despite their weakened state, the Mysore and Jodhpur Lancers was able to charge the German machine guns and quickly overwhelmed them; while many of the horses were mortally wounded during the charge, they were still able to carry their riders to their objective. Another uphill attack by the Mysore Lancers took the Austrian battery on Mt. Carmel, and Haifa was taken soon thereafter. Only three Allied soldiers were killed in the fighting. The victory, involving one of the final successful cavalry charges in history, is still celebrated by the Indian Army as Haifa Day.

Aerial operations: Great Fire cancelled

Back in April 1918 a new type of incendiary bomb, known as the B-1E, had been developed by the Griesheim-Elektron company. The bomb had none of the flaws of its predecessors and, weighing just 1 kilogramme, they could be dropped in their thousands over the target, and burned at such a high temperature that they were extremely difficult to extinguish.

As soon as sufficient bombs had been stockpiled, the new weapons were to be unleashed in two overwhelming incendiary attacks on London and Paris. In a last desperate attempt to change the war, the OHL had decided that every bomber fit to fly was to attack its designated target, return to base, reload and take off again, raining down incendiaries on London and Paris over and over again, until every aircraft had been shot down, or the surviving aircrews were too exhausted to fly.

Bogohls 1, 2 and 4 had already been drawn forward to the Ham area in preparation for the attacks on Paris, while at Sint Denijs-Westrem, Gontrode and Scheldewindeke Bogohl 3 and Rfa 501 were also at readiness. Tens of thousands of Elektron bombs were stored in stockpiles at or near the bomber’s bases, ready for the onslaught to begin.

The order to attack was issued twice, in August 1918, and again in early September, and twice countermanded at short notice.

Finally, today, 36 Gothas from Bogohl 3 were prepared to attack London, while 45 from other units stood by to bomb Paris. Thousands of Elektron incendiaries were loaded on to the aircraft but half an hour before the commencement of the attack General Ludendorff, the supreme commander of the German army, forbade the use of the bombs.

The reason was simply one of bargaining, as it was clear to the German High Command that the war was lost, and such an pointless attack would only weaken thei position further come the armistice.

The reason was that on 8 August 1918 the British had cracked the German salient on the Somme with over 400 tanks. OHL then realized that the war was lost as its troops wavered, straggled, and surrendered by the thousand. Consequently, the Fire Raids would only boomerang when it became necessary to negotiate for an armistice.

Naval operations: ship losses

ALDERSHOT (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) east south east of Dartmouth, Devon by SM UB-113 (both Imperial German Navy) with the loss of a crew member.

EDLINGTON (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 70 nautical miles (130 km) east by south of Cape Passaro, Sicily, Italy (36°42′N 16°37′E) by SM UC-54 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

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Day 1510 of the Great War, September 24th 1918

Western Front

French and British co-operate in attack in St. Quentin sector, good progress made, in spite of strong resistance, around hamlets of Salency (Noyon) and Gricourt.

Allies within two miles of St. Quentin.

French capture Francilly-Selency and Dallon; approach Giffecourt.

Western Front: Brazilian Medical Mission Arrives in France

Brazil had entered the war in October 1917, after having broken off diplomatic relations with Germany a few months earlier in response to U-boat attacks on Brazilian ships. Brazil’s contribution was, by necessity, rather limited, if only due to the difficulty of transporting soldiers and supplies from South American to France. Their navy mainly conducted anti-submarine operations in the mid-Atlantic, with the main bulk of their fleet not arriving at Gibraltar until the day before the Armistice. A couple dozen officers and NCOs served with French units and observers, but their main contribution on land was the Brazilian Medical Mission, which arrived at Marseilles. They would spend most of their effort treating the “Spanish Flu,” which recurred in its most deadly form in October.

Macedonian Front

Allies continue to advance on both sides of Vardar river.

Bulgarians offer strong rearguard resistance.

French advance beyond Prilep and Serbians approach Babuna Pass.

Sinai and Palestine campaign

General Allenby's troops in pursuit of Turkish 4th Army approach Amman on Hejaz railway. Arab forces cut the line farther north and press enemy in retreat from Maan. 40,000 prisoners and 265 guns taken.

Bulgaria

In the face of the Allied advance in Macedonia against Bulgarian troops, the government of Bulgaria seeks a separate ceasefire with the Allies.

United Kingdom

Railway strike, which began in South Wales, spreads to other lines; Great Western, Midland and London and South Western affected.

Yugoslavia

Yugo-Slav charter signed at Agram.

Japan

Resignation of Japanese Cabinet announced.

Naval operations: ship losses

ERIK (Sweden) The schooner sprang a leak and sank in the Atlantic Ocean off Huelva, Andalusia, Spain. Her crew were rescued by two Spanish merchant vessels.

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Day 1511 of the Great War, September 25th 1918

Western Front

Sharp local fighting renewed in neighbourhood of Selency (two miles west of St. Quentin).

Surprise attacks by enemy near Moeuvres and Epehy are repulsed.

Artillery actions on French front.

Macedonian Front

Bulgaria proposes an Armistice, but General Franchet d'Esperey, (Commander-in-Chief of Allied forces) declines any suspension of hostilities.

Serbians in posession of Babuna Pass, they capture Veles and Ishtip, press on to Uskub.

British cross Bulgarian frontier at Kosturino. Over 10,000 prisoners and 200 guns.

End of battle of the Vardar.

Sinai and Palestine campaign

In Palestine British cavalry reach Sea of Galilee in pursuit of Turks, who are fleeing towards Damascus.

East of Jordan British cavalry occupy Amman on Hejaz railway. Total of prisoners 45,000 and 265 guns.

Italy

Yugo-Slav State recognised by Italy as independent.

Naval operations: U-156 hits a mine

German submarine U-156, which sank 44 ships during its career and participated in the Attack on Orleans (the only attack on the American mainland in the war), hits a mine and sinks, resulting in the deaths of all 77 crew.

Naval operations: ship losses

GLORIRE A JESUS (France) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 200 nautical miles (370 km) south west of the Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom by SM U-46 ( Imperial German Navy).

HEBBURN (United Kingdom) The collier was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 14 nautical miles (26 km) off Mine Head, Cornwall (51°40′N 7°13′W) by SM UB-91 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of six of her crew.

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Day 1512 of the Great War, September 26th 1918

Western Front: The Meuse-Argonne Offensive

In less than two weeks, the Americans had moved the bulk of their First Army from St Mihiel across the Meuse for another offensive. While the rushed nature meant that not all the preparations could be hidden from the Germans, they were aided by the sheer audacity of the move; the Germans never thought the Americans would move their whole army in such a manner, and that they would surely follow up their earlier success by moving on Metz. General Gallwitz, commanding in the Meuse-Argonne sector, did not realize that a major attack was coming until the 25th, and did not have final confirmation until only a half hour before the American preliminary bombardment began at 2:30AM on the 26th. Eddie Rickenbacker, in the air at the time, recalled:

Through the darkness the whole western horizon was illumined with one mass of jagged flashes….The picture made me think of a giant switchboard which emitted thousands of electric flashes as invisible hands manipulated the plugs.

The infantry went over the top three hours later. The Germans had pulled out of their thinly-defended first line once they realized an attack was coming. However, beyond that, the situation quickly became confused. A heavy fog meant many soldiers quickly became lost, separated from their units–and even the officers had only vague ideas of which way they were supposed to be going. The second wave of infantry, advancing impatiently, quickly ran into the first, which did not want to walk into their own advancing barrage. The fog also provided a perfect cover for German machine gunners to hide while the Americans unwittingly passed them by; when they attacked the Americans from the rear, they inflicted heavy casualties and further confused the Americans.

Eventually, the fog lifted, and the Americans came under heavy fire from the remaining German positions in front of them. Artillery support was minimal due to poor spotting and due to rigid orders; batteries could only fire at targets in their own division’s sector and could not assist the divisions on their flanks. Capt. Harry S. Truman was threatened with court martial for knocking out three German batteries that were not in his sector; the infantry he helped, however, remembered the favor when he ran for President in 1948. Tanks were useful when they were used, but there were not enough and the ground was not everywhere suitable for their use.

Despite these many obstacles, the Americans advanced up to five miles in places, although they suffered heavy casualties in the process. The hill town of Montfaucon, however, remained in German hands despite being surrounded on three sides, jutting out into the new American lines. The green 79th Division, which had been tasked with taking the town, had been repulsed repeatedly and was running into severe organizational and logistical difficulties. No serious attempt was made to make flank attacks on the town due in part to confusing orders from First Army HQ, which suggested that each unit should continue its advance straight ahead, waiting for the units on its flanks to catch up if necessary–almost certainly not what Pershing originally had in mind. An attack was even ordered, but was countermanded, likely by III Corps’ cautious chief of staff (though some historians have held it was deliberate sabotage by the commander of the 4th Division stemming from complicated internal Army politics).

Macedonian Front

British enter Strumitsa (Bulgaria).

Serbian cavalry, striking east from Ishtip, capture Kochana.

Bulgarians make hard fight to retain Uskub.

United Kingdom

Railway strike in England ended.

Naval operations: ship losses

BELLE BRICE (France) The schooner foundered in a gale at Castellón de la Plana, Spain.

PAUL (Belgium) The coaster was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Robin Hood's Bay, Yorkshire, United Kingdom (54°27′N 0°30′W) by SM UB-21 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

USCGC TAMPA (United States Navy) The UNGULA-class cutter was torpedoed and sunk in the Bristol Channel 50°40′N 6°19′W by SM UB-91 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of all 131 people on board.