April 9, 1918

Tags

1918, Action of Berukin, Amiens, Armentieres, Bac St Maur, Battle of Estaires, Battle of the Lys, Edmund Allenby, Estaires, Fauquissart, France, Germany, Givenchy-les-la-Bassee, Great Britain, Hangard, Hejaz, Jerusalem, La Bassee, Laventie, Lloyd George, Lys, Neuve Chapelle, Ottoman Empire, Portugal, recruitment, Red Sea, Richebourg, Shechem, Turkey

German attack between Armentières and La Bassée on British and Portuguese front of nearly 10 miles; line penetrated about Neuve Chapelle and Fauquissart, and in the centre through Richebourg and Laventie; British and Portuguese fall back on the Lys between Estaires and Bac St. Maur, 3½ miles from their original positions; Givenchy entered, but Germans expelled again. Attack on French near Hangard, Amiens front, defeated. Allenby advances a mile and a half between the coast and the Jerusalem-Shechem road. Announced that since declaration of independence by King of the Hedjaz Arabs have cleared Red Sea coast for 800 miles and accounted for 40,000 Turkish troops. Mr. Lloyd George introduces new Military Service Bill.

March 7, 1918

Tags

1918, aeroplanes, air raid, Battle of Tell 'Asur, civilian casualties, Edmund Allenby, England, Finland, Finnish Civil War, France, Germany, Great Britain, Jerusalem, La Bassee, London, Ottoman Empire, Palestine, peace, Shechem, Turkey

Allenby advances in Palestine on a front of 18 miles to a depth of three across the Jerusalem-Shechem road. German raid north-west of La Bassée. Peace signed between Germany and Finland. Air raid on London on a moonless night, two out of seven or eight machines penetrating the defences; 20 killed and 45 injured.

February 6, 1917

Tags

1917, Director of National Service, France, Germany, Grandcourt, Great Britain, La Bassee, Lord Mayor of Birmingham, recruitment, trenches

British line advanced in neighbourhood of Grandcourt; 1,000 yards of German trench taken. British raid near La Bassée. Mr. Neville Chamberlain‘s scheme for National Service announced.

June 27, 1916

Tags

1916, Austria-Hungary, Battle of the Somme, Brusilov Offensive, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kovel, La Bassee, Russia, Somme, Trentino, Ukraine

British reconnaissance attacks from La Bassée Canal to the line of the Somme. Furious fighting on the Kovel road. Further Italian progress in the Trentino; Austrians in retreat.

September 25, 1915

Tags

1915, Allies, Battle of Loos, Belgium, Big Push, bombardment, Champagne, France, Germany, Great Britain, Grenay, Hill 70, Hooge, Hulluch, La Bassee, Labyrinth, Loos, Second Battle of Champagne, Souchez, Third Battle of Artois, trenches, Vermelles, Ypres

Great Allied Advance in France, after a 25 days’ bombardment; British attack south of La Bassée Canal to the east of Grenay and Vermelles and penetrate the German lines to a distance of 4,000 yards, capturing the western outskirts of Hulluch, the village of Loos, and Hill 70, while their attack near Hooge gains 600 yards of trenches; the French gain the cemetery at Souchez and the remainder of the Labyrinth, and in Champagne break the German lines to a depth of 2½ miles along a front of 15½ miles.

March 12, 1915

Tags

1915, Battle of Neuve Chapelle, British Army, casualties, Duke of Connaught, dye, England, France, fundraising, Great Britain, HMS Bayano, Imperial German Navy, India, L'Epinette, La Bassee, merchant cruiser, merchant navy, monarchy, Prince Arthur, Royal Navy, sinking, SM U-27, St John Ambulance, submarine, The Times appeal, trade

In the La Bassée district counter-attacks are easily repulsed by the 4th Corps and the Indian Corps. The village of L’Epinette is captured by the 3rd Corps. The Admiralty report the loss of H.M. auxiliary cruiser Bayano, engaged on patrol duty, having been sunk by torpedo. The Government acquire greater part of crop of natural indigo now coming forward for the use of dye users in United Kingdom. The Duke of Connaught writes, as Grand Prior of the Order of St. John in England, to thank The Times for help in raising funds for sick and wounded.

March 10, 1915

Tags

1915, Battle of Neuve Chapelle, British Army, casualties, Commander-in-Chief, France, German Army, Germany, Great Britain, HMS Ariel, Imperial German Navy, La Bassee, Neuve Chapelle, prisoners of war, Royal Navy, sinking, Sir John French, SM U-12, submarine, trenches

H.M.S. Ariel rams and sinks German submarine U.12 and rescues 10 of the crew of 28. In the La Bassée region the British attacked at 8 a.m. and (quoting Sir John French‘s dispatch) “Before noon we had captured the whole of the village of Neuve Chapelle, and our infantry at once proceeded to confirm and extend the local advantage gained. By dusk the whole labyrinth of trenches on a front of about 4,000 yards was in our hands, and we had established ourselves about 1,200 yards beyond the enemy’s advanced trenches. The number of German prisoners captured and brought in during the day was 750.”

February 6, 1915

Tags

1915, Alexandre Ribot, Allies, brickfields, British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Cuinchy, economy, finance, France, French Finance Minister, Great Britain, La Bassee, listening post, Lloyd George, merchant navy, merchant shipping, Paris, Pyotr Bark, Russia, Russian Finance Minister, Rye, sapping, sinking, SS Oriole, submarine, Sussex, trenches

The Chancellor of the Exchequer returns from Paris, after conferences with the Finance Ministers of France and Russia, at which it was agreed that Great Britain, France, and Russia should unite their financial resources, equally with their military resources, in order to carry the war to a successful conclusion. Life-belts marked “S.S. Oriole” picked up near Rye, the vessel having probably been torpedoed. Successful attack on two German sap-heads in the brickfields south of the La Bassée Canal.

February 1, 1915

Tags

1915, American Senate, bombardment, British Army, Cuinchy, France, Germany, Great Britain, Imperial German Navy, Irish Sea, La Bassee, merchant shipping, Russia, Ship Purchase Bill, submarine, trenches, United States of America

Russia decides to treat as piratical any bombardment of unfortified towns. Some sailings in the Irish Sea suspended owing to German submarine menace. Adjournment of the debate in the American Senate on the Ship Purchase Bill, which empowers the Government of the United States to spend six millions sterling on acquiring foreign ships for mercantile purposes. Strenuous fighting in the La Bassée district, trenches being rushed by the British, to whom the enemy offer watches, money, cigars, or fruit to buy their lives.

January 30, 1915

Tags

1915, Belgium, British Army, casualties, civilian casualties, decoration, England, Flanders, Fleetwood, France, Germany, Great Britain, Imperial German Navy, Irish Sea, Japan, King Albert I, La Bassee, Lancashire, Le Havre, merchant navy, merchant shipping, monarchy, sinking, SM U-21, SS Ben Cruachan, SS Kilcuan, SS Linda Blanche, sword of honour, trenches

Japanese sword of honour presented to King Albert in Belgium. Germans again checked by the British near La Bassée. Three enemy battalions repulsed, many dead left in front of British lines. German submarine off Fleetwood, on the Lancashire coast, sinks three British steamers, the Ben Cruachan, the Linda Blanche, and a third unknown. Crews of first two rescued.

[A different edition of the The Times Diary states: “German submarines off Fleetwood and Le Havre sink British steamers.”]