September 1914

September

• 01

  • Lord Kitchener arrives in FranceOn 1 September 1914 Lord Kitchener met Field Marshal Sir John French in Paris and stopped the plan to withdraw the British from the front behind the Seine.
  • Germans take CraonneOn 1 September 1914 German troops pursuing the French reached the Chemin des Dames heights and took the village of Craonne in the Aisne department.
  • Germans occupy SoissonsOn 1 September 1914 German troops entered Soissons on the Aisne. The occupation lasted under two weeks, until the German retreat after the Battle of the Marne.
  • First Indian contingent arrives at MombasaOn 1 September 1914 the first unit of Indian Expeditionary Force "C" reached Mombasa, sent to aid the weak forces of British East Africa.
  • General Stewart takes command in East AfricaOn 1 September 1914 Brigadier-General James Marshall Stewart, commander of Indian Expeditionary Force "C", took command of the British forces in East Africa.
• 02

  • Battle of Komarów endsOn 2 September 1914 Plehve's Russian Fifth Army slipped out of encirclement towards the Bug. The Battle of Komarów ended in an Austro-Hungarian victory.
  • Japanese land in ShantungOn 2 September 1914 Japanese troops landed at Longkou on neutral Chinese territory in order to attack the German fortress of Tsingtao from the landward side.
  • French government moves to BordeauxOn the night of 2–3 September 1914 President Poincaré and Viviani's government left Paris, threatened by the Germans, and moved to Bordeaux.
• 03

  • End of the Battle of the MortagneOn 3 September 1914 the Battle of the Mortagne ended. The French held Lorraine, and the Germans prepared a new blow, this time against Nancy.
  • Russians take LvivOn 3 September 1914 Russian troops entered Lviv, the capital of Galicia, without a fight. An occupation and Russification lasting until June 1915 began.
  • Sinking of HMS SpeedyOn 3 September 1914 the old torpedo gunboat HMS Speedy, serving as a minesweeper, struck a German mine off the mouth of the Humber and sank.
  • Benedict XV elected popeOn 3 September 1914 the conclave elected Cardinal Giacomo della Chiesa pope. As Benedict XV he called for peace and helped victims throughout the war.
  • Wilhelm of Wied leaves AlbaniaOn 3 September 1914 Prince Wilhelm of Wied, ruler of Albania by the will of the great powers, sailed from Durrës. His six-month reign had ended in failure.
  • France accepts the Declaration of London with modificationsOn 3 September 1914 France told the United States that it would observe the Declaration of London, but with changes that tightened control of trade.
• 04

  • Key eventBattle of the Grand Couronné beginsOn 4 September 1914 Crown Prince Rupprecht's army struck the Grand Couronné heights before Nancy. General Castelnau's French held the city for over a week.
  • Germany accepts the Declaration of LondonOn 4 September 1914 Germany confirmed it would observe the Declaration of London if other states did the same, and set out its own list of contraband.
• 05

  • End of the retreat from MonsOn 5 September 1914 the British Expeditionary Force ended its retreat from Mons. After almost two weeks of marching it halted south of the Marne, near Paris.
  • Key eventBattle of the Ourcq beginsOn 5 September 1914 Maunoury's French Sixth Army struck the flank of Kluck's army near Meaux. The clash at Monthyon opened the great Battle of the Marne.
  • Germans reach ClayeIn early September 1914 units of Kluck's army reached Claye, east of Paris. The British chronicle called it the closest point to the capital in the war.
  • Germans occupy ReimsAt the beginning of September 1914 German troops occupied Reims. The occupation of the coronation city of the kings of France lasted just over a week.
  • Germans leave LilleOn 5 September 1914 the German detachment that had entered Lille three days earlier left the city. The Germans returned for good only in October.
  • Sinking of HMS PathfinderOn 5 September 1914 the German U-21 sank the cruiser HMS Pathfinder off Scotland, the first British warship sunk by a submarine.
  • Battle of the Masurian Lakes beginsAt the beginning of September 1914 Hindenburg's German Eighth Army moved against Rennenkampf's Russian First Army. The Battle of the Masurian Lakes began.
  • Defence of AbercornOn 5 September 1914 troops from German East Africa crossed the border of Northern Rhodesia. The small garrison of Abercorn held out until relief arrived.
  • Pact of LondonOn 5 September 1914 in London Britain, France and Russia pledged not to make a separate peace. The Entente became a formal wartime alliance.
• 06

  • Key eventBattle of the Marne beginsOn 6 September 1914 the French armies and the British went over to the counter-offensive from Paris to Verdun. The battle that decided 1914 had begun.
  • Serbs cross the Sava and begin the operation in SyrmiaOn 6 September 1914 the Serbian army crossed the Sava into Austro-Hungarian Syrmia. At Mitrovica the Timok Division was routed.
  • Skirmish on the TsavoOn 6 September 1914 in the Tsavo valley in British East Africa, Indian and African soldiers clashed with Germans heading for the Uganda Railway.
• 07

  • Capitulation of MaubeugeOn 7 September 1914, after almost two weeks of siege and bombardment, the French fortress of Maubeuge surrendered to the Germans. Its garrison was captured.
  • Battle of Tarnawka beginsOn 7 September 1914 the Battle of Tarnawka broke out south of Lublin. The reinforced Russians struck Dankl's Austro-Hungarian army and forced it to retreat.
  • Naval operations off Duala beginOn 7 September 1914 British warships began operations at the mouth of the Wouri, preparing the Allied attack on Duala, the main port of German Kamerun.
• 08

  • Second Austro-Hungarian invasion of SerbiaDuring the night of 7/8 September 1914 Potiorek's armies crossed the Drina again. Austria-Hungary meant to draw the Serbs out of Syrmia and avenge Cer.
  • Battle of the Drina beginsOn 8 September 1914 Austro-Hungarian troops crossed the Drina. In the mountains of western Serbia a battle began that turned into trench warfare.
  • Battle of Gródek and Rawa Ruska beginsOn 8 September 1914 Conrad launched the Austro-Hungarian armies at Lviv via Gródek Jagielloński. The Russian Fifth Army threatened them from the north.
  • General Maxwell takes command in EgyptOn 8 September 1914 General Sir John Maxwell took command of the British troops in Egypt. His main task was the defence of the Suez Canal.
• 09

  • Key eventGermans retreat from the MarneOn 9 September 1914 the German 1st and 2nd Armies began to retreat from the Marne, sealed by Moltke's envoy Hentsch. The plan for a quick victory failed.
  • Battle of Tarnawka endsOn 9 September 1914 the fighting at Tarnawka south of Lublin ended. Broken by the Russians, Dankl's army began to retreat southwards towards the San.
  • Ottoman Empire abolishes the capitulationsOn 9 September 1914 the Ottoman government announced an end to the capitulations, foreign privileges, from 1 October. All the powers, Germany too, objected.
  • Fighting at KarongaOn 9 September 1914 British troops repulsed a German attack on Karonga in Nyasaland, now Malawi, the first serious clash of the war in this part of Africa.
  • Defence of Abercorn endsOn 9 September 1914 relief reached Abercorn in Northern Rhodesia. The reinforced garrison beat off another German attack and the raiders fell back.
  • Indian troops arrive at SuezIn September 1914 the first units of Indian Expeditionary Force A reached Suez. Some stayed in Egypt, while the rest sailed on to France.
• 10

  • End of the Battle of the MarneOn 10 September 1914 the British and French pursued the retreating Germans. British historiography regards this day as the end of the Battle of the Marne.
  • Serbs take ZemunOn 10 September 1914 Serbian troops crossed the Sava and took Zemun, the Austro-Hungarian town opposite Belgrade. Regent Alexander rode into it.
  • Emden's first prize in the Indian OceanOn 10 September 1914 the German cruiser Emden stopped the Greek collier Pontoporos in the Bay of Bengal. Captain von Müller's famous raid had begun.
  • German and Austro-Hungarian representatives expelled from EgyptIn September 1914 the authorities of Egypt, under British pressure, expelled the diplomatic and consular representatives of Germany and Austria-Hungary.
• 11

  • Battle of Gródek and Rawa Ruska endsOn 11 September 1914 the Austro-Hungarian bid to retake Lviv failed. The Russians broke the front at Rawa Ruska; Conrad ordered a retreat behind the San.
  • The great Austro-Hungarian retreat in GaliciaOn 11 September 1914 Conrad ordered the Austro-Hungarian armies back behind the San, then the Dunajec. Russia took most of Galicia and besieged Przemyśl.
  • Serbs withdraw from SyrmiaOn 11 September 1914 Vojvoda Putnik halted the offensive in Syrmia. The Serbian First Army went back across the Sava to face a second Austro-Hungarian invasion.
  • Kitchener's second New Army is formedOn 11 September 1914 the British government ordered the formation of a second New Army of volunteers. It comprised six infantry divisions, the 15th to 20th.
  • 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

  • End of the Battle of the Grand CouronnéOn 12 September 1914 the Battle of the Grand Couronné ended. The German 6th Army withdrew from Nancy, and the French recovered Lunéville and Pont-à-Mousson.
  • Key eventBattle of the Aisne beginsOn 12 September 1914 the British and French, pursuing the Germans after the Marne, reached the Aisne. The Germans dug in on the heights beyond the river.
  • 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.
• 13

  • French retake Soissons and AmiensIn mid-September 1914 the Germans, retreating after the Battle of the Marne, left Soissons and Amiens. French troops returned to both cities.
  • Kitchener's third New Army is formedOn 13 September 1914 the British War Office ordered the formation of a third New Army of volunteers, consisting of six infantry divisions.
• 14

  • Germans leave ReimsIn mid-September 1914 the Germans withdrew from Reims but dug in on the nearby hills. On 14 September the shelling of the city began. It lasted four years.
  • Carmania sinks Cap TrafalgarOn 14 September 1914 off Trindade in the South Atlantic the British armed merchant cruiser Carmania sank the German Cap Trafalgar. Both were liners.
  • Falkenhayn replaces MoltkeOn 14 September 1914 Helmuth von Moltke, broken by defeat on the Marne, was removed from command. Erich von Falkenhayn took over direction of the German army.
• 15

  • Battle of the Aisne endsBy the British reckoning the Battle of the Aisne ended on 15 September 1914. The Allies failed to drive the Germans off the heights and both sides dug in.
  • End of the Battle of the Masurian LakesOn 15 September 1914 the Battle of the Masurian Lakes ended. Rennenkampf's Russian 1st Army, beaten but not encircled, withdrew from East Prussia.
  • Russians occupy CzernowitzIn September 1914 Russian troops occupied Czernowitz, capital of Austrian Bukovina. During the war the city changed hands several times.
  • Boer rebellion beginsOn 15 September 1914 General Beyers left the army of the Union of South Africa in protest against the war, and General De la Rey was killed by a police bullet.
• 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.
  • Serbs evacuate SemlinFor 17 September 1914 the British chronology records the Serbs leaving Syrmia and Semlin. The Austro-Hungarians returned, and with them reprisals.
  • Austro-Hungarian offensive on the Drina runs out of steamAround 17 September 1914 the force of Potiorek's second offensive on the Drina was spent. Heavy fighting for the heights, however, went on for weeks.
  • British naval mission leaves TurkeyIn September 1914 the British naval mission of Admiral Arthur Limpus left Turkey. German officers took over the Ottoman fleet.
  • Admiral Souchon takes command of the Turkish fleetIn September 1914 the German admiral Wilhelm Souchon took command of the Ottoman fleet. A few weeks later he drew Turkey into the war.
• 18

  • Hindenburg takes command in the eastOn 18 September 1914 General Paul von Hindenburg took command of the new Ninth Army, formed in Silesia to help Austria-Hungary after its defeat in Galicia.
• 19

  • Indian troops sail from Egypt to MarseilleOn 19 September 1914 the first units of Indian Expeditionary Force A sailed from Egypt for France. A week later they landed at Marseille.
  • Fire at Reims CathedralOn 19 September 1914 German shells set fire to Reims Cathedral, where the kings of France were crowned. The burning church became a symbol of wartime barbarity.
  • French fleet bombards KotorOn 19 September 1914 French battleships shelled Austro-Hungarian batteries at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, covering the withdrawal of their own cruisers.
  • South African troops occupy LüderitzbuchtOn 19 September 1914 troops of the Union of South Africa landed unopposed at Lüderitzbucht. The invasion of German South West Africa had begun.
  • Britain and France guarantee the integrity of Belgium's coloniesOn 19 September 1914 Britain and France assured Belgium that it would keep its colonies after the war, above all the Belgian Congo.
  • Secret agreement between Russia and RomaniaIn autumn 1914 Russia, in a secret agreement, recognised Romania's claim to Transylvania and part of Bukovina in return for Bucharest's benevolent neutrality.
• 20

  • Sinking of HMS Pegasus at ZanzibarOn 20 September 1914 the German cruiser Königsberg surprised the British cruiser Pegasus in Zanzibar harbour and sank her. Several dozen sailors were killed.
• 21

  • French briefly enter NoyonOn 21 September 1914 General Castelnau's troops entered Noyon but could not hold it. The town remained in German hands until March 1917.
  • Russians take JarosławOn 21 September 1914 the Austrians left the Jarosław bridgehead, their last on the east bank of the San. The Russians took the town; Przemyśl was under siege.
  • 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.
  • Britain extends its contraband listOn 21 September 1914 a British proclamation declared copper, lead, rubber, glycerine, iron ore and hides, among others, to be conditional contraband.
• 22

  • Key eventFirst Battle of Picardy beginsOn 22 September 1914 General de Castelnau's new French Second Army attacked north of the Oise. The Race to the Sea had begun.
  • Key eventFirst Battle of Albert beginsIn September 1914 the French and Germans clashed at Albert and Bapaume. On the heights above the Somme a front formed that held until the Somme battle of 1916.
  • Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy are sunkOn 22 September 1914 the German U-9 sank three British armoured cruisers in about an hour. Almost 1,500 sailors were killed.
  • Von Spee shells PapeeteOn 22 September 1914 the cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau shelled Papeete on Tahiti. The French burned the coal stocks before the Germans could seize them.
  • Emden bombards MadrasOn the night of 22 September 1914 the German cruiser Emden shelled Madras and set its oil tanks ablaze. The attack caused panic on India's east coast.
  • First British air raid on GermanyOn 22 September 1914 Royal Naval Air Service airmen took off from Antwerp to bomb the airship sheds at Düsseldorf and Cologne. Fog got in their way.
  • First wireless link between an aircraft and artilleryIn September 1914 Royal Flying Corps airmen over the Aisne first directed artillery fire by wireless. It was the beginning of aerial artillery observation.
• 23

  • British join the siege of TsingtaoOn 22–23 September 1914 General Barnardiston's British force landed in Laoshan Bay to support the Japanese in the siege of Tsingtao.
• 24

  • Germans take PéronneOn 24 September 1914 German troops again occupied Péronne on the Somme. The town remained in their hands until March 1917.
  • First siege of Przemyśl beginsOn 24 September 1914 the Russian Third Army cut Przemyśl off from the Austro-Hungarian army. The first siege of one of the largest fortresses in Europe began.
  • Russians enter HungaryOn 24 September 1914 Russian troops crossed the Carpathian passes and entered northern Hungary. At the beginning of October they were driven back.
  • Germans take Saint-MihielOn 24 September 1914 the Bavarians took Saint-Mihiel on the Meuse and next day Fort Camp des Romains, creating a salient held by Germany until September 1918.
• 25

  • Germans retake NoyonAccording to the British chronology the Germans retook Noyon on the Oise on 25 September 1914. The front settled just beyond it and held until March 1917.
  • First Battle of Albert endsThe British chronology ends the First Battle of Albert on 25 September 1914, but fighting for the heights between Albert and Bapaume went on to the month's end.
  • Fighting on the Niemen beginsOn 25 September 1914 the German 8th Army attacked Russian positions on the Niemen between Grodno and Kovno, with fighting around Druskieniki and Grodno.
• 26

  • End of the First Battle of PicardyOn 26 September 1914 the First Battle of Picardy ended. The French failed to turn the German flank, and the front between the Oise and Somme set in trenches.
  • Germans occupy BapaumeOn 26 September 1914 German troops took Bapaume in Artois. The town stayed in their hands until March 1917 and became an objective of the Battle of the Somme.
  • First Indian troops land at MarseilleOn 26 September 1914 the first units of Indian Expeditionary Force "A" landed at Marseille. A month later they were already fighting in Flanders.
• 27

  • Key eventSiege of Antwerp beginsOn 27 September 1914 the Germans began the siege of Antwerp, Belgium's last fortress. The next day heavy mortars began to smash the outer forts.
  • Key eventFirst Battle of Artois beginsOn 27 September 1914 the Race to the Sea reached Artois. The French and Germans began fighting for Arras, Lens and the heights that shaped the front for years.
  • Allies capture DualaOn 27 September 1914 British and French troops took Duala, the main port of German Kamerun. The Germans withdrew inland and fought on there until 1916.
• 28

  • Germans occupy MechelenOn 28 September 1914, in the first days of the siege of Antwerp, the Germans took Mechelen, the city of Belgium's archbishops, shelled since August.
  • First markings on German aircraftAt the end of September 1914 it was noted that German aircraft bore black crosses. The markings were meant to protect airmen from their own troops' fire.
  • General Barrett to command the expedition to MesopotamiaOn 28 September 1914 General Arthur Barrett was named commander of Indian Expeditionary Force D, intended for operations at the head of the Persian Gulf.
• 29

  • Germans abandon their offensive on the NiemenOn 29 September 1914 the Germans broke off their attack on the Niemen. The Russian 10th Army counter-attacked and advanced through the Augustów Forest.
• 30

  • French return to ArrasOn 30 September 1914 fresh French units of General de Maud'huy's group entered Arras. A day later heavy fighting began around the town.