Western Front
Battle of the Somme: The next phase of the battle, the Battle of Pozières Ridge begins (until September 3rd). Anzac Corps captures Pozieres village, XIII Corps recaptures most of Delville Wood. Heavy fighting continues in and around Pozières. The villages of Longueval and Guillemont change hands multiple times.

Eastern Front
Brusilov Offensive: Russians advance 12 miles near Kemmern.
Kuropatkin's troops drive Germans back south-east of Riga.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Russians steadily close in on Erzingan (Armenia); the Turks retreat.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Running fight in North Sea near mouth of Scheldt between British ships and six German destroyers; no decisive results.
East Africa: Navy Force occupies Pangani on coast and Mkwaja (July 27). Botha visits Msiha Camp.

Political, etc.
United Kingdom: William Ramsay, Scottish chemist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering noble gases, passed away.
British female munition workers parade in their uniforms while carrying tools and shell cases: http://imgur.com/QOUhEKE © IWM (Q 103689)
France: Paul Painlevé, French Minister of Public Instruction, urges schoolboys to use their summer vacations to help with gathering the harvest.
Russia: Russo-Rumanian military convention signed at Chantilly, but Rumanian counter-proposal on July 25.
The Netherlands: The Dutch government publishes the “Orange Book,” which details the difficulties the nation faced as a neutral state in the war.

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More good info! Loving it. Thanks.

Western Front
Battle of the Somme: German counter-attacks at High Woodand Guillemont. BEF has advanced 3 1/4 miles on 6-mile front, taken 11,119 PoWs and 56 guns while engaged 16 German divisions (8 drawn into reserve); 2,090 British guns have fired 4.5 million shells, since the beginning of the offensive. General Sir Douglas Haig praises the First Australian Division for “a very gallant, skillful and successful attack on Pozieres village…”
“Mining Activity on the British Front”, showing a dramatized account of mining operations at the Somme: http://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/index/45146
Near Estrees, French capture enemy battery.

Battle of Verdun: French take a redoubt west of Thiaumont (south-west of Douaumont).


Eastern Front
Brusilov Offensive:
Russian forces under General Kuropatkin drive back Germans south of Riga on a 30-mile front, with a depth of 12 miles at furthest point.

Southern Front
Italian advance on Asiago Plateau and Trentino border continues; after a night attack troops capture Monte Cismone.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Sinai: 16,000 Turks advance to within 10 miles of Romani and entrench.

Naval and Overseas Operations
East Africa: NRFF (1,200 soldiers) defeats Captain Braunschweig’s Southern Detachment at Malangali, drives it towards Iringa. Belgian battalion takes Kasulu.

Political, etc.
Germany: Kaiser Wilhelm to wounded troops: “It is the most poignant grief of my life that I am unable to take a more active part in this war.”
United Kingdom: Record credit (£ 450 millions) voted in House of Commons. Total for 1916-1917 £ 1.05 billon.
David Lloyd George predicts victory in the next few months: “I feel confident that victory is assured to us.”
Easter Rising: Irish Home Rule is defeated in Parliament due to opposition by the Unionists. Irish members cry “traitor” to Premier Asquith. Irish Home Rule debates continue until July 31.
British Memorandum in reply to American complaints regarding censorship of neutral mails, published.

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

Western Front
Battle of the Somme: All German troops cleared from Pozieres village. Haig, Foch and Fayolle agree joint attack for July 30. With fresh reinforcements the Germans counter-attack near Longueval and Bazentin are repulsed. British push along Albert-Bapaume road towards Hill 160.
French progress south of Estrees and north of Vermandovillers.
Rawlinson diary on Battle of the Somme film ‘Some of it very good but I cut out many of the horrors in dead and wounded’.
In Alsace a sharp attack north of Altkirch is repulsed.

Eastern Front
Brusilov Offensive, Galicia:
Sakharov advances on Brody (within 5 miles on July 27), defeats Linsingen on river Slonuvka despite arrived Austrian 106th Landsturm Division from Italian Front.

Southern Front
Reconstituted Serbian army comes into action on Salonika front (see April 15th).

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Erzinjan (Armenia) captured by Russian forces. [This was the furthest point west reached by Russian forces. It was evacuated subsequently without further fighting.] The Russians managed to split and rout the Turkish Third Army, 34,000 casualties (17,000 PoWs) by July 28.

Political, etc.
Germany: Kaiser Wilhelm to his troops: “Your duty is to break the English offensive, and to prove once more that Germany is invincible…”
Russia: Death of Lenin‘s mother in Petrograd, his sister Anna arrested by September 19.
United States: US Ambassador to Germany, Mr. Gerard, protests against Ruhleben Camp inhumanity; published in the Times.

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

Western Front
Battle of the Somme: General Haig announces that British troops have captured the village of Pozieres at the Somme. Lord Derby on the Pozieres capture: “Nothing worse than this house-to-house fighting can be imagined, but we got what we went after.”
British advance continues northwards towards Hill 160.
French capture some fortified houses south of Estrees.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Western Desert: British-Italian armored car raid from Sollum.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Admiral Bacon's report on work of Dover Patrol published in the Times.
Gold Coast Regiment lands at Mombasa (2nd West Indian Regiment arrives on July 27).

Political, etc.
United Kingdom: Commissions of Enquiry into Mesopotamia and Dardanelles campaigns announced (names of members). Lord G. Hamilton and Lord Cromer respective chairmen.
Lloyd George vilifies conscientious objectors. Central Tribunal (July 27) finds 4,378 genuine cases (692 refuse to appear); 250 sent to Dyce near Aberdeen stone quarries late August for 8d pd, 1 dies early September.
United States: 150 new polio cases are reported in New York City. Children under the age of 16 are forbidden from leaving the state without permission. The SPCA has killed 72,000 cats and 8000 dogs in New York City since July 1st to curb the deadly polio epidemic.
U.S. makes an agreement with Denmark to buy the Danish West Indies for $25 million ($552 million today).
Canada: An extreme heat wave in Montreal causes several hundred deaths, including 250 children the past week.

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

Western Front
Battle of the Somme: British advance in Delville Wood, fighting continues near Pozieres and at Longueval.
French make progress east of Estrees.
Aisne and Champagne: German diversionary attacks.

Eastern Front
Brusilov Offensive, Galicia: Sakharov reaches Klekotov position, near Brody in the Lviv (Lvov) region and claim the capture of 6378 Austro-Hungarian troops.

Southern Front
Austro-Hungarian aeroplanes drop bombs on Bari and Otranto.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Arab Revolt: Yenbo, port of Medina (including Stotzingen mission to Yemen), surrenders to Arab forces (see June 5th).
Persia: Sykes’ 500 men leave Kerman for Yezd. Turks and Germans begin to move from Katiya line.
Russians advance towards Sivas (west of Erzingan); a Turkish attack near Mosul is repulsed. Russian troops capture 5000 grenades, 1000 artillery shells, and 600 cases of ammo from the Ottomans.

Political, etc.
Germany: Captain Fryatt, of British S.S. "Brussels" is found by German court-martial to be a franc-tireur for attempting to ram a U-boat in 1915. He is then shot. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Fryatt
Kaiser Wilhelm: “The iron hurricane rages against our brave German men at the Somme. Everything is at stake.”
United Kingdom: Laurence Ginnell, Irish Nationalist MP, is suspended from the House of Commons for calling Herbert Samuel “insolent.”
Premier Asquith revokes British titles from the two German Dukes and one German Prince.

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

Today marks the second year since the start of the Great War.
Western Front
French 73 mm trench mortar outside of Lamotte-en-Santerre: http://imgur.com/HdlT33Q* © IWM (Q 93187)
6 German Navy airships drop 69 bombs over Norfolk and Lines (night July 28-29, no civilian casualties).
4 Martinsyde Scouts of 27 Squadron successfully bomb (2x112lb, 3x20lb) Mons station; 14 Anglo-German air combats.
Battle of the Somme: Georges Guynemer’s Nieuport survives 86 hits and he shoots down an LVG for his 11th victory.
British consolidate Delville Wood and Longueval village; make further progress near Pozieres.
Aisne and Champagne: Enemy raids near Neuve Chapelle repulsed.
Battle of Verdun: More slight French gains west of Thiaumont.

Eastern Front
Brusilov Offensive:
Pripet: 250,000 Russians (gas shell barrage on part of sector) against 115,000 Austro-German troops. Lesch and Kaledin partly cross Upper Stokhod; Guard Army takes 3 villages, 46 guns, 65 MGs and 11,000 PoWs.
Galicia: Sakharov enters Brody (40,000 PoWs, 49 guns and 100 MGs since July 15)(also reported for yesterday). Brusilov’s Seventh and Ninth Armies attack astride Dniester, former crosses river Koropyets to north (July 31), having taken c. 8,000 PoWs and 33 guns.


Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Patrol engagements with Turks east of Suez Canal.

Naval and Overseas Operations
East Africa: South African Motorcycle Corps (Deventer‘s 2nd Division) occupies Dodoma on Central Railway, 100 miles of it in British hands.
Lake Tanganyika: Belgian Southern Brigade occupy Kigoma rail terminus, scuttled gunboat and one gun of cruiser Königsberg found.

Political, etc.
United States: United States Government formally protest to British Government against "Black List" policy (see October 22nd, 1914, December 23rd, 1915 and January 26th, 1916).

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

Western Front
Battle of the Somme: Two failed German attempts to retake Delville Wood. Hand-to-hand fighting north of Pozieres; Germans repulse Australian attack on the Windmill. CIGS letter to Haig, ‘The Powers that be are beginning to get a little uneasy … the casualties are mounting up’.
Flanders: Activity south of Ypres and in Loos salient.

Eastern Front
Falkenhayn, Conrad and Colonel Gancev (Bulgaria) sign convention for action against Rumania; Mackensen given Danube Army for it.
Brusilov Offensive: In the past two days, Russia has claimed an advance along a 100-mile front and the capture of 32,000 more prisoners in Volhynia & Galicia.

Southern Front
Serbian troops launch attacks against the Bulgarian lines in Macedonia for the 1st time since last fall, but results in no gains.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Mesopotamia: General Lake reports to CIGS no advance until troops and transport refitted; CIGS agrees (July 31).
Arab Revolt: Britain re-affirms Holy Places’ Muslim independence.
Armenia, First Battle of Ognot (until August 1): Yudenich‘s IV Caucasus Corps attacks Turk Second Army.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Dodoma (East Africa) occupied by British.

Political, etc.
Germany: German Government send Note to United States Government rejecting British offer to permit passage of foodstuffs to Poland from United States of America.
Canada: Duke of Devonshire appointed Governor-General of Canada.

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

The fight goes on. It's amazing that the war really started for pretty petty reasons (petty compared to the millions who died).

Western Front
First aerial operations carried out by combined French and British air services on French Western front.
Battle of the Somme: Combined Allied advance north of Somme, from Delville Wood to the river. British make progress east of Waterlot Farm and Trones Wood; French reach outskirts of Maurepas. The drive wins around 800 meters along an 8-mile front.
Battle of Verdun: German attack on left bank of Meuse repulsed.
Water (or rum) given to wounded British soldiers and German prisoners: http://imgur.com/jiw5GUH* © IWM (Q 4057)
Burial of a French officer in a German prison camp: http://imgur.com/D94Hklv

Eastern Front
Hindenburg and Ludendorff take over Front down to Lemberg with 3 Army groups (July 31)
Brusilov Offensive: Brusilov’s Intelligence Section casualties estimates since June 4: Russian Southwest Front 450,000; Austrian 600,000, 330 guns (only 5,000 German PoWs).
Galicia: Russians still pursue Austrians in the direction of Kovel and in the region south of the Dniester towards Stanislau,
Ottoman soldiers are sent through Bulgaria to reinforce Austro-Hungarian troops in Galicia against the Russian attack.

Southern Front
Austrian attack in Tofana and in the Adige Valley repulsed. Austrians reinforced, attack three times in Travignolo Valley without success.
Russian troops land at Salonika and join Allied force (see April 20th; http://www.greatwar.co.uk/timeline/...-1916.htm#july).

Naval and Overseas Operations
British occupy Kikombo (East Africa).

Political, etc.
United Kingdom: Royal Navy Q-ship crews to wear War Service Badges (plus certificates later) to prevent any captured being shot as pirates.
Russia: Martial law in Turkestan following Muslim rising against reserve work conscription; 3,309 Government casualties before order restored.
United States: At a munitions depot on Black Tom island in New York Harbor, German saboteurs light a series of small fires, causing a huge explosion. The munitions were destined for the Allies. The explosion causes 7 deaths and $20 million in damages. The explosion damages the Statue of Liberty and rakes Ellis Island with artillery shells. Jersey City after: http://imgur.com/u4fvauK

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

Western Front
5 German divisions sent from Western Front to Eastern Front during July. Joffre summons Foch to get him to persuade (vainly) Haig to launch broad-front attacks.
8 airships attempting to bomb Great Britain are dispersed by unpredicted winds, 103 bombs (another source says ‘about 60’) scattered over 6 counties (no casualties), Kent-Notts (night July 31 – August 1).
11 Anglo-German air combats.
Battle of the Somme: German casualties since July 1; 160,000 (a highly suspect number, accounting according to mainly British Intelligence) including in at least 67 counter-attacks; BEF 196,081 (158,786 on Somme) worst month of war; French casualties 49,859.
Battle of Verdun: French casualties 31,000; German 25,969 casualties (again, highly suspect, but probably closer to actual number; accounting according to mainly French Intelligence) during July.

Eastern Front
Brusilov Offensive:
Galicia: Russian troops continue their advance from the Stokhid River line towards Kovel.
Russians north of Dniester have crossed Koropyets River.

Southern Front
In the Astico Valley (Trentino) Austrian attack on positions of Monte Cimone repulsed.
South-west of Castelletto, Austrian attack repulsed by Italians.
In the Travignolo valley, Italians occupy Paneveggio.


Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
The pursuit of the Turks from Erzingan (Armenia) continues in the face of a stubborn defence.
Arab Revolt: The port town of Yanbu on the Red Sea and the Ottoman fort falls to rebels as the Arab revolt grows in power.


Naval and Overseas Operations
South African troops take Saranda and Kilmatinde on Central Railway. By July sick ratio to battle casualties 31.4:1; Smuts 200 doctors short.

Political, etc.
United Kingdom: British War Office film, “Home on Leave”: http://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/index/45147
Premier Asquith promises reprisals for the death of Charles Fryatt.
Mr. H. E. Duke becomes Chief Secretary for Ireland.
United States: Near Fort Hancock, Texas, two Americans are killed and one wounded in clash with Mexican bandits who crossed the border.
Charles E. Hughes, former Supreme Court Justice & Gov. of New York, formally begins campaigning for President as the Republican nominee.
China: Supporters of the Kuomintang riot in Hankou, China, demanding a greater representation in the country’s future.

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

Western Front
Battle of the Somme: German attack north of Bazentin-le-Petit fails. Repeated British assaults on Thiepval Salient (August 1-5); south side driven in c.1,000 yards by August 5. German counter-attack west of High Wood failed. (Note: perhaps only a ‘raid’ than a determined counter-attack).
French capture string work between Hem Wood and Monacu Farm.
Battle of Verdun: German troops launch attacks west and south of Thiaumont, but are repulsed.
In August the first flight of DH4 day bomber. Constantinesco MG/airscrew synchronizer gear flight-tested in BE2.
Future British Ace Edward Mannock transfers to Royal Flying Corps despite eye defect, pilot’s certificate November 28.
In August, Germany begins the development of Gatling-type engine-driven ‘motor guns’ for aircraft.

Southern Front
10 Italian Caproni bombers drop 4t bombs on Austrian Whitehead torpedo factory, Fiume; extensive fire and damage.
Macedonia: Allies spread over 170-mile front but not yet ready due to heat, poor roads and supply difficulties. Russian Brigade of 5,000 soldiers lands at Salonika. Offensive postponed to August 4, then till Rumania signs agreement with Allies (not until August 17).

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Armenia: Russian 66th Divison captures Ognol. In August Turk Government of Sivas estimates 30,000 deserters in his area.

Naval and Overseas Operations
English Channel: During August UB boats from Flanders UB flotilla sink 18 ships (6747 t).
Adriatic: Italian submarine Pullino goes aground on Galiola reef, captured but sinks in tow.
North Sea: During August Royal Navy deploys simulated fishing fleet in attempt to trap marauding U-boats.
Baltic: Royal Navy submarines made a separate flotilla under Commodore Cromie DSO.
British and Belgian soldiers capture the port of Pangani in German East Africa. 4000 heads of cattle are also captured.

Political, etc.
Germany: Kaiser Wilhelm: “The German nation has been through two years of unprecedentedly heroic deeds and suffering.”
United Kingdom: First RFP (Retail Food Price) fall, by 1%. Petrol rationing for commercial and private users.
Announcement in House of Commons regarding deaths among troops on trains from Karachi.
United States: French $100 million loan opens. New British £ 50 million loan terms announced on August 16.
Parcel post between the U.S. and China begins, starting at 12 cents ($2.65 today) a pound.
New Zealand: Institutes conscription for duration of war.

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

Good read.

Its interesting to see what was important back then. For example: On todays they listed that '4000 heads of cattle are also captured'. I don't know, would a report today contain that news?

TB, it is interesting and in fact important to the situation: 4000 head of cattle can feed quite an army.
It also allows the generals at the front to claim some measure of success: it is all very well and good to say, "we are advancing", but without some tangible measure of advance, the phrase becomes meaningless. In the Vietnam war, for example, the US Army became nearly obsessed with body counts. Which, of course, were usually exaggerated, both to inflate their own egos, and convince the folks back home that "we" are winning.
It is for this reason that the details of the fighting on the Somme was reported in such detail: on the small-scale maps provided for public consumption, the gains often looked significant, whereas in reality, they were minor, at a huge cost in lives. Take for example, the note about the Thiepval Salient yesterday: 5 days to drive 1000 yards (about 2/3 of a mile). That's about 200 yards a day. During Operation Barbarossa in World War 2, the Germans thought they were doing well to advance 20 miles a day into the Soviet Union (and they were, by most measures): but even that wasn't enough to win the war for them.

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

Western Front
6 Zeppelins raid East Anglia (night August 2-3, 1 civilian casualties) despite HMS Vindex launching a Bristol Scout attack (first carrier home defence operation).
6 B.E. 2s and 3 Moranes (1 lost) in 5-hours long-range attack on Brussels Zeppelin sheds (4 near misses); 16 RNAS aircraft strike St Denis Westrem airfield (southwest of Ghent) and RFC bomb Coutrai and Bapaume stations. In Belgium aircraft of No.4 and No.5 Wings, Royal Naval Air Service, experiment with new bombing technique. Guided by signal flares from a Sopwith 1½ Strutter, 11 bombers in line astern attack a target near Ghent.
Battle of the Somme: Very hot day (88°F). RFC helps range 19 batteries and finds 6 MG emplacements. German attack on Delville Wood (Somme) repulsed.
German counter-attack on French at Estrees (southern Somme) repulsed.
(Again, these two may or may not have been more “raids” than determined counter-attacks.)
British and French artillery officers near Saint-Leger-aux-Bois: http://imgur.com/GLCaXYl © IWM (Q 78214)
Battle of Verdun: German trenches carried south of Fleury, 800 prisoners taken. French then lose Fleury and regain it on August 4.

Eastern Front
Hindenburg appointed to command whole front (he and Ludendorff visit Kovel and Lemberg on August 3 but Austrians then withdraw consent).
German gas attack in region of Smorgon (east Vilna) repulsed.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Turkish counter-attack takes Mush and Bitlis (Armenia) (until August 15): Kemal’s XVI Corps attacks 9,000 Russians at Mus and Bitlis.

Naval and Overseas Operations
Loss of Italian dreadnought "Lionardo da Vinci", at Taranto, by fire and explosion (248 killed); The Italians originally blamed Austro-Hungarian saboteurs for her loss, but the explosion was probably accidental. Italy makes no public announcement but 1917 raid in Zürich on Austrian consulate “proves” sabotage.
Adriatic: 4 Franco-Italian destroyers pursue 2 Austrian destroyers to within 15 miles of Cattaro and on return, survive an ambush from U-4.

Political, etc.
Germany: German Bundesrat adopts a decree authorizing the Chancellor to liquidate British firms’ assets in Germany.
United Kingdom: Government attitude to Resolutions adopted by Allies at Economic Conference in Paris explained by Mr. Asquith.
Two important State Papers on alleged “barbarity” of Germans published.
United States: President Wilson signs a resolution establishing Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
Charles E. Hughes, the Republican nominee for President, announces he supports a constitutional amendment for women’s voting rights.

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