Australia

Tag

(78)

1914

July

30
- Australia places its fleet on a war footing alongside the Royal NavyOn 30 July 1914 a British warning of possible war reached Melbourne. The Australian navy took up war stations and on 3 August was offered to the Admiralty.

September

11
- Australians land in the Bismarck ArchipelagoOn 11 September 1914 the Australian expeditionary force landed on New Britain in German New Guinea. Its objective was the German wireless station at Bita Paka.
12
- Battle of Bita PakaIn September 1914 Australians captured the German radio station at Bita Paka on New Britain. Six soldiers died in Australia's first fight of the war.
17
- German New Guinea capitulatesOn 17 September 1914 acting governor Eduard Haber accepted the terms of capitulation of German New Guinea. The colony came under Australian occupation.
21
- German troops in New Guinea surrenderOn 21 September 1914 the last German units on New Britain laid down their arms at Herbertshöhe. One German officer hid in the jungle until 1919.

October

November

09
- The end of the EmdenOn 9 November 1914 the Australian cruiser Sydney destroyed the German raider Emden off the Cocos Islands. The most famous raid of this war was over.

December

1915

February

20
- Australians and New Zealanders for the DardanellesOn 20 February 1915 Kitchener ordered General Birdwood's 30,000 or so Australians and New Zealanders to prepare for operations at the Dardanelles.

April

May

08
- End of the Second Battle of KrithiaOn 8 May 1915 New Zealanders, Australians and French renewed the attack on Krithia. Thousands of killed and wounded bought gains measured in hundreds of metres.

August

October

17
- Birdwood temporary commander at GallipoliOn 17 October 1915 General Ian Hamilton sailed from Imbros. Until General Monro arrived, the Gallipoli forces were commanded by General William Birdwood.

November

10
- Kitchener arrives at the DardanellesOn 10 November 1915 Lord Kitchener held talks at Mudros on the fate of Gallipoli. After seeing the beachheads he leaned towards a partial evacuation.

December

1916

January

08
- Key eventEnd of the evacuation of GallipoliOn the night of 8–9 January 1916 the last British troops sailed from Helles. After eight months of fighting the Gallipoli campaign ended in Allied defeat.

June

10
- Conscription in New ZealandOn 10 June 1916 the New Zealand House of Representatives passed the Military Service Bill by 44 votes to 4. Conscription was to cover men aged 20 to 46.

July

August

04
- Start of the Battle of RomaniOn the night of 3–4 August 1916 Kress von Kressenstein struck at Romani in Sinai. The Australians fell back until dawn; Mount Royston was retaken by 6 p.m.

September

November

15
- Start of the British advance on El ArishThe chronology dates to 15 November 1916 the nominal start of the march across Sinai to El Arish. There was no single event: railway and pipeline set the pace.

December

1917

January

09
- Action at RafahOn 9 January 1917 Chetwode's mounted troops took the Turkish redoubts at Rafah on the Sinai border, capturing over 1,600 men. No Turks remained in Sinai.

February

March

April

May

June

14
- Battle of Messines (1917) endsOn 14 June 1917 the British 2nd Army closed up to the German Warneton Line, ending the Battle of Messines. Gough took over the main offensive from Ypres.

September

October

November

07
- British take GazaOn 7 November 1917 the British entered Gaza, abandoned by the Turks, and broke their front at Tel esh Sheria. The pursuit northwards began.

December

20
- Second conscription referendum in AustraliaOn 20 December 1917 Australians rejected conscription for overseas service for the second time. Almost 54 per cent voted no, more than a year earlier.

1918

February

21
- British take JerichoOn 21 February 1918 Australian horsemen rode into Jericho, abandoned by the Turks. The Ottomans withdrew across the Jordan and the British reached the river.

March

April

May

04
- End of the second raid on Es SaltOn 3–4 May 1918 the Australians left Es Salt and came down to the plain; by midnight all Chauvel's units but two bridgeheads were back across the Jordan.

July

04
- Key eventAustralians take HamelAt 3.10 a.m. on 4 July 1918 Australians with Mark V tanks and Americans attacked Hamel on the Somme. In about 90 minutes they took the village, woods and ridge.

August

September

October