Western Front
Battle of the Somme: King George visits the front (until August 15), tells Rawlinson of a ‘cabal’ (including Lord French, Churchill and F E Smith) which plans to oust Haig and curtail Somme offensive. Slight British advance north-west of Pozieres.

Eastern Front
Brusilov Offensive, Galicia: Stanislau again taken by Russian forces (see June 8th, 1915 and July 24th, 1917).
Russians cross the Sereth and repulse repeated enemy counter-attacks.
Russians cross the Zlota-Lipa and advance on Halicz.

Southern Front
6th Battle of the Isonzo: On Carso, the Austro-Hungarian Doberdo-Monfalcone line collapses into full retreat for the Vallone, but Italian 23rd Division forces them out. Austro-Hungarians establish new line northeast of Goriza with 3 divisions and 4 brigades of reinforcements (including 2 divisions from Eastern Front) that block Italian VI and VIII Corps. Italy has claimed the capture of 22,000 Austro-Hungarian soldiers in the past four days.
Serbia: General Winckler replaces General Gallwitz in command of German Eleventh Army, 2 German divisions (1 from Vosges, Western Front) reinforce Bulgars.
Allied offensive begins in Macedonia. French bombard Doiran (Serbo-Greek frontier), and occupy Hill 227, south of Doiran.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Persia: Hamadan, Daulabad, and Bijar taken by Turkish forces [Approximate date.] (see December 14th, 1915, and March 2nd, 1917).

Naval and Overseas Operations
East Africa: Kraut checks British pursuit at Matamondo for day after evacuating Ruhungu position (August 8-9). Deventer’s 2nd Division begins 60-mile Central Railway advance to Kilosa (until August 22) against five rearguard stands.

Political, etc.
United Kingdom: Chancellor Mr. McKenna, spoke in the House of Commons on the British financial position, estimates £3.44 billion war debt by March 31, 1917. Distilling fixed at 70% of previous output.
British protest re: shooting of Captain Fryatt published.
Russia: Tsar Nicholas II awards General Brusilov a sword of the Order of St. George for his victories against Germany and Austro-Hungary.
Turkey: Decree removes Armenian churches from Etchmiadzin to Jerusalem Catholicate.
Japan: Admiral Katō Tomosaburō of the Imperial Japanese Navy (future Prime Minister of Japna); picture taken today: http://imgur.com/tWkO7dt
United States: New York City will not open schools on September 11 for the new school year due to polio epidemic. 187 new polio cases are reported today.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Ah, POGO! My longtime favorite cartoon series. -- sigh --

Western Front
Long distance British air-raids into Belgium.
Battle of the Somme: Joffre dissatisfied with offensive developing into innumerable minor actions, demands return to Allied attacks on broad front and writes to Haig proposing capture of line Thiepvall –High Wood–Ginchy–Combles–river Somme by 3 operations beginning on August 22. Then (c. September 1 ) attack to be against Grandcourt–Courcelette–Martinpuich–Flers–Morval–Ra ncourt-Bouchavesnes. French capture German trenches south of Maurepas.

Southern Front
21 Austro-Hungarian aeroplanes drop three tons of bombs on Venice, causing fires to break out in the city.
6th Battle of the Isonzo: Italians cross the Vallone and make progress on the northern edge of the Carso.
Salonika: Italian 35th Division (11,000 men) and 32 guns lands (until August 25), relieves French 57th Division by August 27. General Cordonnier now in command of French Army of the Orient.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Sinai: Turks attack at Bayud and evacuate it.

Naval and Overseas Operations
East Africa: German resistance broken at Matamondo (east of Nguru Mountains); they retreat south.

Political, etc.
United Kingdom: War Office releases the “Battle of the Somme,” recounting the battle so far: http://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/index/47231
United States: John J. Loud, American inventor who designed the first ballpoint pen, passed away.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

I want to compliment you, again. This recounting of the First World War is fascinating. Thank you much!

What I find even more interesting is secondary events caused by, but not directly related to, the war.

You're welcome.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Western Front
Two German seaplanes raid Dover, dropping four bombs, which results in the injury of 7 soldiers.
France: Joffre (with Foch) and Haig confer at Beauquesne. Haig proposes prelim combined attack from the Somme to High Wood on August 18. King George and President Poincare also meet at Beauquesne (5 miles south-south-east of Doullens). General Joffre, President Poincare, King George, General Foch, and General Haig at Beauquesne: http://imgur.com/DncURw6 © IWM (Q 949)
Battle of the Somme: British advance on a mile front northwest of Pozieres. German High Wood counter-attack (and on August 17-19). French gain German third line trenches north of river.

Eastern Front
Brusilov Offensive: Brusilov now claims 378,408 PoWs; 405 guns; 1,326 MGs, 367 mortars, 100 searchlights and 15,000 square miles of territory at cost of 550,000 casualties.
Galicia: Suedarmee finally yields Strypa winter line and retreats by night 10 miles to river Zlota Lipa. Russians cross the Zlota-Lipa and occupy Mariampol. Lechitski occupies Nadworna.

Southern Front
6th Battle of the Isonzo: Lombardia Brigade storms Nad Logern and San Grado di Morna, while Regina Brigade occupies Oppachiasella ruins; claims 1,565 PoWs in all. End of Battle of Gorizia.
General Cadorna, Chief of the Italian General Staff, on current operations: “All goes marvelously well.”
Salonika: Italian troops land at Salonika and join Allied force (see October 3rd, 1915 and July 30th, 1916).

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Armenia: Turkish III Corps engages 5th Caucasus Rifle Division in Boran area but is blocked (until August 13).

Naval and Overseas Operations
East Africa: British occupy Mpapwa.

Political, etc.
United Kingdom: Official casualty figures for the Germans are now 3,135,177 men killed, wounded, captured, or missing. It does not include naval or colonial losses.
Russia: Russian Premier and Foreign Minister Stürmer states he “will strive to strengthen the friendship between Russia, England and France.”

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

I agree. Very interesting.

Thank you.

Western Front
RFC bombs Douai airfield 3 times (86 bombs).
Battle of the Somme: British 15th Division captures Munster Alley. Artillery duels north and south of the river on August 14. British troops gain ground toward Martinpuich and make 300-400 yard advances northwest of Pozieres.
Minor French progress south-west of Estrees.
Battle of Verdun: Grenade attacks in progress at Fleury.


Eastern Front
Brusilov Offensive, Galicia: Russian troops advance on a 100-mile front. West of Nadvirna, they capture 12 Austro-Hungarian officers, 1000 soldiers, and 7 machine guns.
German attack repulsed in region of the Stokhod (Volhynia).
Transylvania: Austrian First Army (Arz) formed against Rumania.

Southern Front
Isonzo: Italians consolidate after the battle; Catanzaro Brigade takes Hill 246 and three other positions with 900 PoWs gained at heavy cost.
Salonika:

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Mesopotamia: RFC No 30 Squadron (13 serviceable BE2cs plus 14 arriving or being overhauled) scores first victory, a Fokker over Shumran airfield (bombed at night August 14).

Naval and Overseas Operations
North Sea: Dutch convoy escort destroyer HMS Lassoo mined and sunk (another source says the German submarine SM UB-10 was responsible for the sinking).


Political, etc.
United Kingdom: First 6 Tank Mk Is leave for France.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Western Front
Battle of the Somme: A German counterattack manages to win back 700 yards of trenches north of Pozieres, reversing yesterday’s gains by the British. Great artillery activity north and south of the Somme.

Eastern Front
Brusilov Offensive, Galicia: Russian troops cross the Zolota Lypa River at several points and also put the city of Halych within range of Russian guns.

Southern Front
Isonzo: General Italian attack all along line (until August 17) without appreciable gains but heavy losses, claim 1400 prisoners. East of Gorizia, heavy fighting.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Ottoman forces continue their advance against the Russians in Persia in the Hamadan plain, taking 30 miles in five days.

Political, etc.
Germany: Hoffmann diary: ‘Continual friction with the Austrians and almost more with OHL’. (Oberkommando des Heeresleitung, the Army High Command).
United Kingdom: Final meeting between Italian and British delegates; complete understanding on economic questions.
Russia: Third and Guard (now Special) Armies returned to Western Front command.
Italy: Italy calls on its boy scouts to guard railroad stations, hospitals, and aeroplane hangars to free up manpower.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

[QUOTE=gekkogecko]Western Front
RFC bombs Douai airfield 3 times (86 bombs).
Battle of the Somme: British 15th Division captures Munster Alley. Artillery duels north and south of the river on August 14. British troops gain ground toward Martinpuich and make 300-400 yard advances northwest of Pozieres.

[Transylvania: Austrian First Army (Arz) formed against Rumania.]

They advanced only 300-400 yards at a time?!!! Wow.
And were was Dracula during all this?

Western Front
Oddly enough, none of my sources list anything for this day; the Battle of the Somme was entering a 'relatively' quiet phase, as the British consolidated, and prepared for the next push; likewise, both sides on the Battle of Verdun were pretty much licking their wounds.
All Quiet on the Western Front?

Eastern Front
Fighter Ace Oswald Boelcke on visit to Kovel; invites Manfred von Richthofen to join his new unit on the Western Front.
Brusilov Offensive: Brusilov has received 26 extra divisions since June 12 (but Austro-Germans 33 1/2, including 23 German).
Galicia: Lechitski reaches Solotwina west of Stanislau, gains heights south of Jablonitsa Pass (August 22). Another Russian force reaches Zlota-Lipa, south of Brzezany.

Southern Front
Isonzo: Italians take more trenches east of Gorizia.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Armenia: Mush and Bitlis reoccupied by Turkish forces (see 24th, February 18th and March 2nd). Fighting starts south of Kigi between Turkish IV Corps and new 6th Caucasus Rifle Division which drives former south of Ognot (August 18-25).

Naval and Overseas Operations
North Sea: Royal Navy submarines E-41 and E-4 collide and sink on exercise (15 survivors); both boats salvaged and E-41 reused.
East Africa: Bagamoyo occupied by British forces. British clear of Nguru Mts., drive enemy force southward and eastward.

Political, etc.
United Kingdom: British newspapers call for a quarantine of the U.S. to prevent the polio epidemic in New York City from spreading.
Britain announce an agreement with Italy to supply it with coal and other supplies necessary for the war effort.
The King returns from a visit to the Armies on Western Front.
United States: President Wilson meets with union leaders representing 400,000 trainmen to avert a possible national railway strike.
Treaty transferring the Danish West Indies to the U.S. for $25 million (about $553 million today) is signed.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

IMNSHO, Douglas Haig was one of the worst Generals of all time; despite evidence to the contrary, he persisted in the utterly useless offensives, throwing away British lives for no or minimal advantage. He also consistently lied to the British Government about what was happening, suppressed press reports from the scene, passed on only those which showed the British in the best possible light, well and truly acknowledged intelligence reports which showed the Germans 'about to crack' (for literally, months on end). To this day, the German casualties on the Somme are vastly exaggerated. After the war, Haig wrote a self-apologetic memoir, claiming that his strategy all along was to wear down the German Armies, costing them inordinate amounts of manpower in exchange for all those British casualties. Utter rot, and honestly, Haig should have been court-martialled and shot for being one of the most effective German commanders of the war. And he was, of course, the British Commander-in-Cheif at the time.



Romania hasn't entered the war yet; their utterly cynical entry-entering the war only because they were bribed by the Western Allies, mainly with promises of territorial aggrandizement at the expense of Austria-Hungary-will be on the agenda soon. The Central Powers were utterly unsurprised by this; hence, the formation of the Transylvanian Army.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Western Front
Second Lieutenant Albert Ball in Nieuport 17 attacks 5 Rolands, forcing 2 down, destroys 2 more on August 22 in 11 Squadron action with about 15 German aircraft (4 lost); makes another kill (with 60 Squadron on August 28) from 4 aircraft attacked; 2 more kills (on August 31).
Battle of the Somme: Foch visits Haig, latter then replies to Joffre‘s letter of August 11; certain local operations are inevitable, Haig has arranged with Foch a combined attack for August 18; another to follow August 22. But Haig can make no promises of subsequent operations dates, insufficient forces for early large-scale attack on Thiepval front.
British advance west and southwest of Guillemont. French capture trenches along 12-mile sector astride river with 1,300 PoWs, repel German attacks north of Maurepas on August 18.

Eastern Front
Brusilov Offensive, Galicia: Heavy Russian attacks west of Sereth.
Total of Russian captures published. (It is unclear if this means Austro-Hungarian & German prisoners captured by the Russians, or the total number of Russians captured by the Central Powers).

Southern Front
Isonzo: Artillery active.
Salonika: French 17th Colonial Division captures La Tortue at second attempt but twice forced out Doljeli (second on August 17); 1,100 casualties since August 9. British battallion captures Horseshoe Hill in support to west on August 17.

Political, etc.
Germany: German authorities arrest 106 people for smuggling in food to Berlin and selling them at 300% profit.
United Kingdom: Terms of new British War Loan to be raised in U.S.A. announced.
Special Register Bill postponed.
France: Report shows that France is spending $397.4 million (about $8.8 billion today) a month for the war effort.
United States: U.S. House of Representatives approves Senate plan to build 157 warships in three years.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Western Front
Battle of the Somme: British capture trench northwest of Bazentin. German counter-attack held northwest of Pozieres.
Violent artillery fighting north and south of the Somme.
The ruins of St. Quentin Cathedral after it was hit by British artillery: http://imgur.com/bMvrRZV © IWM (Q 87814)
Battle of Verdun: French Moroccan Colonial Regiment secure Fleury and Thiaumont (August 18) for good, repel German attacks (August 19 and 27-28).

Eastern Front
Brusilov Offensive: End of "Brusilov's Offensive" [Approximate date.] (see June 4th).
Russia announces a claim that they have taken 358,602 Germans and Austro-Hungarians prisoners during the Brusilov offensive.

Southern Front
Isonzo: At 1800 Cadorna suspends most successful Isonzo offensive yet after 3-4 mile gains on 15-mile front for 51,232 casualties (12,128 missing) vs estimated 49,035 Austrian (20,000 PoWs) and 30 guns.
Macedonia: Battle of Florina begins (see 19th): Pre-emptive Bulgar offensive into Greece (until August 28): 2 Bulgar columns attack Serb Danube Division near Florina and capture station, deploy 18,000 men (until August 19) to drive back Serb Third Army at West end of Allied line while Bulgar Second Army at east end begins advance to Struma.

Political, etc.
Germany: Meat ration fixed.
German and Bulgar notes to justify seizing Greek territory. {additional note: this highly implies that the German, Autro-Hungarian & Bulgarian incursions into Greece were otherwise unjustified, and illegal according to International law as it was understood in 1916. In reality, the Western Allies, France Especially, Russia & Serbia had long been unjustifiably & illegally (according to International Law as it was understood in 1916) occupying Greece & using it to launch attacks against the Central Powers.}
United Kingdom: Lloyd George: “Britain’s honor is not dead; her might is unbroken, her destiny unfulfilled, her ideals unshattered by her enemies.”
English writer Houston Stewart Chamberlain, a propagandist for Germany, becomes naturalized as a German citizen: http://imgur.com/EeNlAIY
United States: JP Morgan Bank announces $250 million two-year loan to Russia.
Romania: Government formally agrees to join the Allies by entering the war by August 28; signs military convention at Bukharest.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

Western Front
Battle of the Somme: British 33rd Division attack at High Wood fails (German counter-attack, also August 23 and 24), British advances towards Ginchy and Guillemont.
France takes parts of Maurepas village.
Violent German counter-attacks north of Maurepas beaten back by French.
Battle of Verdun: French take the whole of Fleury and make incremental progress at Thiaumont.

Southern Front
French forces establish the Autonomous Albanian Republic of Korçë after they captured the city of Korçë, Albania.
Macedonia: Bulgars take Florina, also occupy several Greek forts.

Naval and Overseas Operations
North Sea: Whole High Seas Fleet puts to sea (until August 19) for penultimate time until April 1918 with aim of shelling Sunderland and drawing British warships onto five lines of U-boats (24 in all); 8 Zeppelins scout. Royal Navy submarine E-23 (one of 25 subs on patrol) puts 2 torpedoes into battleship Westfalen (one of 18 battleships and pre-dreadnoughts, together with 2 battlecruisers) forcing her back to port, but Scheer persists and Room 40 aided Jellicoe has sailed to meet him at 1700 hours, 5 hours before Scheer sorties.
East Africa: General Northey occupied Lupembe.

Political, etc.
Germany: Falkenhayn, Conrad and Enver sign convention for action against Rumania.
Russia: General Nikolai Ruzsky is appointed the commander-in-chief of the Russian northern armies.
United States: Gasoline prices in the U.S. drops to 23 cents per gallon, compared to 26 cents at the beginning of the week.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.