Great Britain
The United Kingdom in the First World War →Tag
(967)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.
- End of the Battle of Sheikh SaadOn 8 January 1916 Aylmer's exhausted troops did not renew their attack at Sheikh Saad. The Turks withdrew in the night; the British had lost about 4,000 men.
- 14
- Fighting on the WadiOn 14 January 1916 the British found the Turkish trenches on the Wadi empty. The Turks slipped away to the Hanna defile; the Tigris Corps lost over 1,600 men.
- Percy Lake appointed commander in MesopotamiaOn 14 January 1916 Gen. Percy Lake, chief of staff of the army in India, was appointed commander in Mesopotamia in place of the gravely ill Gen. John Nixon.
- 15
- Publication of the Papen papersIn mid-January 1916 the papers taken from Papen by the British at Falmouth were made public. The stubs of his cheques pointed to the agents he had paid.
- King Peter leaves SalonikaOn 15 January 1916 King Peter I of Serbia sailed from Salonika on a French warship. He went to take a cure at the spa of Edipsos on the Greek island of Euboea.
- 27
- Shipping Control CommitteeOn 27 January 1916 Asquith set up the Shipping Control Committee under Lord Curzon. It was to share out scarce tonnage between home, the forces and the Allies.
- Key eventBritain introduces conscriptionOn 27 January 1916 the Military Service Act received royal assent. Unmarried men in Great Britain aged 18 to 41 became liable for conscription.
- 31
- Smith-Dorrien resigns the East African commandUnder 31 January 1916 the chronology of the war records Gen. Smith-Dorrien's resignation of the East African command. Serious illness had kept him at Cape Town.
- Airship raid on the MidlandsOn the night of 31 January–1 February 1916 nine naval airships sent against Liverpool bombed the Midlands instead. 70 people were killed and 113 injured.
February
- 15
- Agreement with the BakhtiariOn 15 February 1916 the British reached an agreement with the Bakhtiari khans on cooperation in protecting the Anglo-Persian Oil Company's oilfields in Persia.
- Extension of British shipping licencesOn 15 February 1916 a British order brought almost every ocean voyage by a ship from the British Isles under licence, to make better use of scarce tonnage.
- 16
- War Office takes over air defenceOn 16 February 1916 the air defence of London passed from the Admiralty to Field Marshal John French, and soon after that of the whole country.
- War Office takes over the Mesopotamian campaignIn mid-February 1916 control of operations in Mesopotamia passed from the Government of India and the India Office to the War Office in London.
- 21
- Dismissal of Henry SclaterOn 21 February 1916 Gen. Henry Sclater ceased to be Adjutant-General of the British Army. His place at the War Office was taken by Nevil Macready.
- Macready leaves the BEF staffOn 21 February 1916 General Nevil Macready ceased to be Adjutant-General of the BEF. He had handled its manpower since the first days of the war in France.
- 22
- Fowke becomes adjutant-general of the BEFOn 22 February 1916 Gen. George Fowke, until then Engineer-in-Chief, became adjutant-general of the BEF, in charge of personnel in Haig's army to the war's end.
- Macready appointed Adjutant-GeneralOn 22 February 1916 General Nevil Macready became Adjutant-General of the British Army. At the War Office his main task was to find men for the front.
March
- 06
- Sepahsalar becomes prime minister of PersiaIn early March 1916 Mohammad Vali Khan Tonekaboni, the Sepahsalar, hero of the 1909 revolution and advocate of accord with Russia, became Persian premier.
- Sarem od-Dowleh becomes foreign minister of PersiaIn early March 1916 Prince Akbar Mirza, Sarem od-Dowleh, a grandson of Naser al-Din Shah educated in England, became head of Persian diplomacy.
- 12
- Reports of the capture of KerendAccording to British sources, on 12 March 1916 the Russians took Kerend on the Kermanshah–Baghdad road. They did not hold it: in April the Turks defended it.
- Third Chantilly ConferenceOn 12 March 1916 at Chantilly Allied commanders resolved that a joint offensive would start soon to relieve Verdun, and that the Salonika army would stay.
April
- 24
- Key eventOutbreak of the Easter RisingOn 24 April 1916 the Irish Volunteers and the Citizen Army seized central Dublin. Patrick Pearse read the proclamation of the Irish Republic at the GPO.
- Voyage of the JulnarOn the night of 24/25 April 1916 the steamer Julnar, with 270 tons of food, tried to break through to Kut. At Magasis she fouled a cable and fell to the Turks.
- 26
- Key eventSykes–Picot AgreementOn 26 April 1916 Russia and France exchanged secret notes. Russia accepted the Anglo-French plan to partition Asiatic Turkey and secured Armenia for itself.
- News of an agreement on prisoners in SwitzerlandThe British chronology records on 26 April 1916 an agreement to send sick prisoners of war to Switzerland. Other sources point to the beginning of May.
May
- 09
- Anglo-French exchange of notes on Asia MinorOn 9 May 1916 French ambassador Paul Cambon sent Grey a note with terms for dividing Ottoman lands. It was the French text of the Sykes-Picot Agreement.
- Milne replaces MahonOn 9 May 1916 Gen. George Milne took command of the British Salonika Army. Bryan Mahon sailed for Egypt the same day to command on the Libyan border.
- 15
- Blockade of the Hejaz coastIn mid-May 1916 British warships began blockading the ports of the Hejaz. The blockade was requested by the Sharif of Mecca himself, who was preparing a revolt.
- Russians halt before KhanaqinIn mid-May 1916 Baratov stood before Khanaqin but did not take it. The Turks were bringing reinforcements from Kut and the Russians were told not to attack.
- 16
- House of Commons passes conscription of married menOn 16 May 1916 the Commons passed the second Military Service Bill by 250 votes to 35. Conscription was to cover married and single men aged 18 to 41.
- Grey approves the Sykes-Picot AgreementOn 16 May 1916 Edward Grey answered a French note and accepted the plan to partition Ottoman lands, on condition that the Arabs rose against the Turks.
- 23
- Capture of El FasherOn 23 May 1916 Kelly's mounted troops entered the deserted capital of Darfur. Sultan Ali Dinar fled to the hills; John Slessor bombed his men from the air.
- Britain recognises Russian gains in Asia MinorOn 23 May 1916 Edward Grey offered Russia an agreement in which Britain recognised its claims to Erzurum, Trebizond, Van, Bitlis and part of Kurdistan.
- 25
- Northey's troops enter German East AfricaOn 25 May 1916 four columns under General Northey were to surround German posts between Lakes Nyasa and Tanganyika. The Germans escaped from almost all.
- Conscription extended to married menOn 25 May 1916 the second Military Service Act received royal assent. Conscription in Great Britain now covered all men aged 18 to 41.
June
- 05
- Key eventStart of the Arab RevoltOn 5 June 1916 the sons of the Sharif of Mecca, Ali and Faisal, proclaimed near Medina the Arabs' independence from the Turks. Thus began the Arab Revolt.
- Key eventDeath of KitchenerOn 5 June 1916 the cruiser Hampshire, carrying Lord Kitchener to Russia, struck a mine off Orkney. The war minister died with almost all the crew; 12 survived.
- 06
- Attack on MedinaOn 6 June 1916 Faisal's Arabs attacked Medina. Fahreddin Pasha's garrison drove them off with artillery fire, and the torn-up Hejaz Railway was soon repaired.
- Pacific blockade of GreeceOn 6 June 1916 Entente warships began stopping Greek ships, and vessels under the Greek flag were held in Allied ports. No one explained the reason to Athens.
- 09
- Arabs take JeddahOn 9 June 1916 Arabs of the Harb tribe attacked Jeddah and British warships shelled the port. The Turkish garrison surrendered only on 16 June.
- Fighting at MkaramoOn 9 June 1916 Sheppard's column fought Major Kraut's troops in dense bush on the Pangani. During the night the Germans withdrew towards Handeni.
- 21
- Entente ultimatum to GreeceOn 21 June 1916 the ministers of France, Britain and Russia demanded that Greece demobilise, form a non-party government and hold elections. Athens gave in.
- Zaimis prime minister of Greece againOn 21 June 1916 King Constantine entrusted the government to Alexandros Zaimis, who accepted all the Entente's demands and formed a cabinet of officials.
July
- 01
- Key eventThe Lochnagar mine is blownAt 7.28 a.m. on 1 July 1916 the Lochnagar mine, the largest yet on the Western Front, went up at La Boisselle. The 34th Division's attack still failed.
- First RFC contact patrolsOn 1 July 1916 over the Somme, RFC airmen closely followed the infantry's advance, watching for flares and flashing mirrors. Such trials dated from 1915.
- 07
- British occupy TangaOn 7 July 1916 an Indian force entered Tanga unopposed, where the British had been defeated in 1914. The Germans withdrew, wrecking the port and railway.
- Lloyd George becomes Secretary of State for WarIn early July 1916 David Lloyd George succeeded Kitchener at the War Office. Yet he had little influence on strategy, which was decided by General Robertson.
- Declaration of London revokedOn 7 July 1916 Britain and France ceased to apply the 1909 Declaration of London. Control of maritime trade was henceforth to be governed by the law of nations.
- 14
- Key eventBattle of Bazentin Ridge beginsAt dawn on 14 July 1916, after a night approach and five minutes of shelling, the British took the German second position from Longueval to Bazentin-le-Petit.
- British take MwanzaOn 14 July 1916 Charles Crewe's troops, carried by steamer across Lake Victoria, took Mwanza. The German garrison managed to withdraw to the south.
- Inter-Allied financial conference in LondonOn 14–15 July 1916 Entente representatives met in London on financing the war. Russia sought new British credits for purchases abroad.
- 27
- Arabs take YanbuOn 27 July 1916 the Turkish garrison of Yanbu, the old Red Sea port of Medina, surrendered to the Sharif's insurgents. Medina lost its nearest port.
- Execution of Captain FryattOn 27 July 1916 a German court martial in Bruges sentenced Captain Charles Fryatt, who in 1915 had tried to ram a U-boat. He was shot that evening.
August
- 29
- Vosugh od-Dowleh becomes prime minister of PersiaIn late August 1916 the Sepahsalar's government resigned; Vosugh od-Dowleh, a politician close to the British, became premier and foreign minister.
- British occupy IringaOn 29 August 1916 police of Murray's column, part of Northey's force, entered abandoned Iringa. The Germans withdrew south-east, towards Mahenge.
September
- 01
- Russo-British agreement on Asia MinorOn 1 September 1916 the Russian ambassador in London confirmed in a note to Grey the Anglo-Russian deal on dividing Asiatic Turkey. He raised one reservation.
- Conscription comes into force in New ZealandOn 1 September 1916 the Governor of New Zealand proclaimed enrolment for the Expeditionary Force Reserve. The Military Service Act began to work in practice.
- Allies seize German ships at PiraeusOn 1 September 1916 an Entente squadron anchored off Salamis and seized German and Austrian ships at Piraeus. Next day the envoys demanded telegraph control.
- 03
- Key eventBattle of Guillemont beginsOn 3 September 1916 British and Irish troops took Guillemont on the Somme in under three hours, after it had been fought for in vain since late July.
- Battle of Delville Wood endsOn 3 September 1916, by British naming, the Battle of Delville Wood ended. An attack on the wood's eastern edge, supporting an assault on Ginchy, failed.
- 26
- Key eventStart of the Battle of Thiepval RidgeOn 26 September 1916 the Reserve Army attacked Thiepval Ridge on the Somme. The 18th Division broke into Thiepval and the 11th at last took Mouquet Farm.
- Venizelos forms a provisional government on CreteOn 26 September 1916 Venizelos and Admiral Kountouriotis landed on Crete and formed a provisional government at Chania, opposed to the government in Athens.
October
- 01
- Key eventStart of the Battle of the Ancre HeightsOn 1 October 1916 the Canadians attacked Regina Trench beyond the Thiepval ridge on the Somme. Uncut wire and German marines repelled almost the whole assault.
- Shooting down of airship L 31On the night of 1–2 October 1916 Wulstan Tempest shot down L 31 near Potters Bar, killing Heinrich Mathy, the most famous German airship commander.
- 09
- Venizelos arrives in SalonikaOn 9 October 1916 Eleftherios Venizelos arrived in Salonika and, with Admiral Kountouriotis and General Danglis, headed the government of National Defence.
- Terauchi becomes prime minister of JapanOn 9 October 1916 Marshal Masatake Terauchi, Governor-General of Korea, replaced Ōkuma as head of Japan's government. His cabinet did not rest on the parties.
- 28
- Loss of the hospital ship GalekaOn 28 October 1916 the British hospital ship Galeka struck a mine laid by UC-26 off Le Havre. 19 orderlies were killed and the wreck went ashore.
- Death of Oswald BoelckeOn 28 October 1916 over the Somme Oswald Boelcke, creator of fighter tactics and a 40-victory ace, was killed in a collision with a squadron comrade.
November
- 11
- End of the Battle of the Ancre HeightsOn the night of 10–11 November 1916 the 4th Canadian Division took the rest of Regina Trench. After six weeks the whole Thiepval ridge was in British hands.
- British enter ShirazOn 11 November 1916 Percy Sykes's column, after marching from Isfahan, entered Shiraz, a year after pro-German gendarmes had driven the British out.
- 15
- Paris and Chantilly conferencesOn 15–16 November 1916 Allied commanders at Chantilly drew up the war plan for 1917, and politicians meeting at the same time in Paris in effect adopted it.
- 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.
- Fourth skirmish at Hafiz KorOn 15 November 1916 guns and aircraft broke up a Mohmand gathering at Hafiz Kor. The tribes had tried to hinder the building of a blockade line.
- 21
- Sinking of the hospital ship BritannicOn 21 November 1916 the hospital ship Britannic, sister ship of the Titanic, struck a mine off Kea and sank in 55 minutes. Thirty people died.
- Motono becomes Foreign Minister of JapanOn 21 November 1916 Prime Minister Terauchi handed the foreign ministry to Viscount Ichirō Motono, Japan's representative in Russia for ten years.
December
- 08
- Blockade of GreeceAt 8 a.m. on 8 December 1916 the Entente began a blockade of royalist Greece's coast, announced the day before, to last until amends were made for Athens.
- Opening of the Murmansk railwayOn 8 December 1916 the Murmansk railway was officially opened. Built in under two years, partly by prisoners of war, it linked Petrograd with an ice-free port.
- 15
- Greece accepts the December ultimatumOn 15 December 1916 the government in Athens accepted the Entente ultimatum and began withdrawing troops from Thessaly to the Peloponnese. The blockade went on.
- Britain recognises Hussein as King of the HejazIn December 1916 Britain, France and Russia recognised Sharif Hussein as King of the Hejaz, but not as King of the Arabs, as he styled himself.
- 19
- Lloyd George's first speech as prime ministerOn 19 December 1916 Lloyd George rejected the German peace offer in the Commons and announced universal national service and an imperial conference.
- Britain recognises the Venizelos governmentOn 19 December 1916 Lloyd George announced in the Commons that Britain would receive representatives of Venizelos's government. France followed London's lead.
- 30
- Entente rejects the German peace offerOn 30 December 1916 ten Entente states rejected the Central Powers' offer in a joint note. They called it a war manoeuvre rather than a peace proposal.
- Chinese labourers in FranceAt the end of 1916 the British, following the French, turned to labourers from China. By 1918 over 100,000 of them were working behind the front in France.