November 1914

November

• 01

  • Germans take MessinesIn the night and early morning of 1 November 1914 the Germans took Wytschaete and the Messines ridge. British cavalry left the town and fell back to Wulverghem.
  • British begin hostilities against TurkeyOn 1 November 1914 British warships attacked the Turks in the Gulf of Smyrna and at Aqaba, although war had not yet been declared on the Ottoman Empire.
  • Battle of CoronelOn 1 November 1914 off Chile Admiral von Spee's squadron sank two British armoured cruisers. Admiral Cradock and about 1,600 sailors were killed.
  • Martial law in EgyptAt the start of November 1914 General John Maxwell declared martial law in Egypt. The British promised that they would not call on Egyptians to fight.
  • Marie Skłodowska-Curie's X-ray carsIn autumn 1914 Marie Skłodowska-Curie and her daughter Irène set off in the first X-ray car for the front-line hospitals. Soldiers called them "little Curies".
• 02

  • End of the battles of Messines and ArmentièresOn 2 November 1914 the Germans took Wytschaete from the French, who relieved the British cavalry. The battles of Messines and Armentières end.
  • End of the Battle of La BasséeOn 2 November 1914 the Battle of La Bassée ended. The Indian Corps took over the front between Givenchy and Fauquissart from the exhausted British II Corps.
  • End of the Battle of ChyrówOn 2 November 1914 the Battle of Chyrów ended. During the night the Austro-Hungarian armies began to withdraw, and Brusilov set off in pursuit.
  • Sinking of the cruiser Kaiserin ElisabethOn 2 November 1914 the crew of the Austro-Hungarian cruiser Kaiserin Elisabeth scuttled her in the harbour of Tsingtao. The sailors fought on ashore.
  • Indian Expeditionary Force "F" sails for EgyptAt the beginning of November 1914 three new Indian brigades sailed from India for Egypt. They were to defend the Suez Canal against the Turks.
  • India guarantees the inviolability of the holy places of IslamOn 2 November 1914 the Viceroy of India said Britain would not attack the holy places of Arabia and Mesopotamia or Jeddah if the Turks let pilgrims through.
  • Key eventRussia declares war on TurkeyOn 2 November 1914 Nicholas II issued a manifesto of war with Turkey. The Tsar said it would open Russia's way to its Black Sea aims, that is, the Straits.
  • Serbia at war with TurkeyOn 2 November 1914 Serbia, Russia's ally, found itself at war with the Ottoman Empire. The two countries had no common border and did not fight each other.
  • North Sea declared a war zoneOn 2 November 1914 the Admiralty declared the whole North Sea a military area. From 5 November neutral ships were to sail through the English Channel.
  • Battle of Tanga beginsOn 2 November 1914 a British cruiser warned the Germans at Tanga that the truce was over. In the evening Force "B" began landing on beaches east of the town.
• 03

  • German raid on YarmouthOn 3 November 1914 Hipper's German battlecruisers shelled the coast near Yarmouth and laid mines. The British submarine D5 sank on one of them.
  • Grand Fleet returns to Scapa FlowOn 3 November 1914 the Admiralty ordered the Grand Fleet back to Scapa Flow from Ireland. The battleships arrived on 7–9 November, though the base had no booms.
  • Skirmish at LongidoOn 3 November 1914 Gen. Stewart's troops attacked the Germans on Mount Longido near Kilimanjaro. After a day's fighting the British withdrew.
  • First bombardment of the DardanellesOn 3 November 1914 British and French ships shelled the forts at the mouth of the Dardanelles. A magazine blast wrecked Sedd el Bahr but warned the Turks.
  • Sonnino becomes Italian foreign ministerIn early November 1914 Baron Sidney Sonnino took over the Italian foreign ministry. Six months later he signed the secret Treaty of London with the Entente.
• 04

  • Loss of the cruiser KarlsruheOn 4 November 1914 an internal explosion tore apart the German cruiser Karlsruhe on her way to attack Barbados. About 260 men died, including her captain.
  • Sinking of the cruiser YorckOn 4 November 1914 the German armoured cruiser Yorck strayed in fog onto German mines at the mouth of the Jade and sank. Several hundred sailors died.
  • Russians enter TurkeyIn early November 1914 Russian troops crossed the Turkish border in the Caucasus. By 4 November they had reached Azap, about 25 km inside Turkey.
  • End of the moratorium in BritainOn 4 November 1914 the general moratorium on the payment of debts, introduced in August for fear of financial panic, expired in Britain.
• 05

  • Key eventBritain and France declare war on TurkeyOn 5 November 1914 Britain and France declared war on Turkey. London abandoned its century-old policy of defending the Ottoman Empire against Russia.
  • Britain annexes CyprusOn 5 November 1914 Britain annexed Cyprus, which it had administered on the Sultan's behalf since 1878. The island formally ceased to belong to Turkey.
  • The Battle of Tanga endsOn 5 November 1914 the beaten Force "B" re-embarked at Tanga, leaving weapons and ammunition on the shore. The defeat cost General Aitken his command.
  • Belgium rejects papal mediationAccording to a British chronology, on 5 November 1914 the Belgian government rejected papal mediation. A few days earlier Benedict XV had called for peace.
• 06

  • British land at FaoOn 6 November 1914 Indian troops, after a naval bombardment, landed at Fao on the Shatt al-Arab and took the Turkish fort. The Mesopotamian campaign began.
  • Turkey breaks off relations with BelgiumOn 6 November 1914 the Ottoman Empire broke off diplomatic relations with Belgium. The Belgian minister left Constantinople, but no war was declared.
  • Submarine B11 in the DardanellesOn 6 November 1914, says a British chronology, the submarine B11 went some 2 miles into the Dardanelles. A month later she sank a Turkish battleship there.
  • Russians take KöprüköyIn the first week of November 1914 Russian troops reached Köprüköy on the road to Erzurum. The British chronology states that they took it on 6 November.
  • France amends its contraband listOn 6 November 1914 France issued a new decree on contraband and applying the Declaration of London, almost identical to the British rules of 29 October.
• 07

  • Surrender of TsingtaoOn 7 November 1914, after a night assault by the Japanese, the German fortress of Tsingtao surrendered. Germany lost its only base in East Asia.
• 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.
  • Internment of the gunboat Geier in HonoluluAt the beginning of November 1914 the Americans interned the German gunboat Geier and her accompanying collier Locksun in Honolulu.
  • Anglo-French prize conventionOn 9 November 1914 Britain and France signed a convention in London that settled whose courts would rule on ships seized by the warships of the two countries.
• 10

  • Battle of the Yser endsOn 10 November 1914 the fall of Diksmuide ended the Battle of the Yser. Belgium kept a scrap of its land, held for four years behind a flooded plain.
  • Germans take DiksmuideOn 10 November 1914 the Germans took Diksmuide on the Yser, held since mid-October by French marines and Belgians. The defenders fell back across the Yser.
  • Second siege of Przemyśl beginsOn 10 November 1914 the Russians again closed the ring around the fortress of Przemyśl. Some 130,000 soldiers and thousands of civilians were encircled.
  • British take Sheikh SaidOn 10 November 1914 Indian troops on their way to Egypt landed at Sheikh Said at the entrance to the Red Sea and destroyed a Turkish fort.
• 11

  • Key eventPrussian Guard attack at Nonne BosschenOn 11 November 1914 the Prussian Guard broke into the British line at Ypres. Gunners and an Oxfordshire counter-attack stopped the last great German attack.
  • Alleged Russian capture of MemelA British chronology records the Russian capture of Memel around 11 November 1914. Sources do not confirm it. The Russians entered the town in March 1915.
  • Sheikh ul-Islam issues fatwas on holy warOn 11 November 1914 the Sheikh ul-Islam Mustafa Hayri issued five fatwas declaring the war with Russia, Britain and France a jihad, the duty of every Muslim.
  • Sinking of HMS NigerOn 11 November 1914 the German U-12 torpedoed the British torpedo gunboat Niger, serving as a minesweeper, off Deal. Most of the crew were saved.
• 12

  • Markings on British aircraftOn 12 November 1914 an order required all Royal Flying Corps aircraft to carry identification marks. The Union flag gave way to a French-style roundel.
• 13

  • Netherlands protests against changes to the Declaration of LondonOn 13 November 1914 the Dutch government protested against changes to the Declaration of London that tightened Allied controls on neutral trade.
  • Barrett takes command in MesopotamiaIn mid-November 1914 General Arthur Barrett arrived on the Shatt al-Arab with 18th Brigade. He took command and was ordered to occupy Basra.
• 14

  • Turks retake KöprüköyIn mid-November 1914 an Ottoman Third Army counter-offensive pushed the Russians from Köprüköy almost to the border, the first Turkish success in the Caucasus.
  • Lord Roberts diesOn 14 November 1914 Field Marshal Lord Roberts, hero of the wars in Afghanistan and South Africa, died of pneumonia at Saint-Omer.
  • Sultan proclaims jihadOn 14 November 1914 the Sultan-Caliph's call to holy war against the Entente was solemnly proclaimed in Constantinople. Germany hoped for Muslim uprisings.
  • Japan will not send troops to EuropeIn mid-November 1914 the Japanese government rejected Allied, especially French, requests to send troops to Europe. The Japanese army did not fight in the West.
• 15

  • Battle of Kraków beginsIn mid-November 1914 the Russians neared the fortress of Kraków. On 16 November the Austro-Hungarian Fourth Army sallied out and hit their Ninth Army's flank.
  • Second Russian invasion of HungaryIn the second half of November 1914 the Russians again crossed the Carpathians into Hungary. They took Humenné late in the month, but were soon driven back.
  • Action at SaihanOn 15 November 1914 Gen. Delamain's brigade routed a Turkish force at Saihan on the Shatt al-Arab. It was the first step on the road to Basra.
• 16

  • Indian Expeditionary Force "F" in EgyptOn 16 November 1914 the 29th Indian Brigade, the first part of Force "F", came ashore at Suez. It soon took up positions on the Suez Canal.
  • Second German offensive against WarsawOn 16 November 1914 the German Ninth Army crossed the Bzura and advanced on Łódź. The British chronology treats this day as the start of the Battle of Łódź.
• 17

  • Germans bombard LibauOn 17 November 1914 German warships shelled Libau for several hours and sank ships at the harbour entrance to close it to submarines.
  • Sinking of the cruiser Friedrich CarlOn the night of 17 November 1914 the German armoured cruiser Friedrich Carl struck Russian mines off Memel and sank. Seven or eight sailors were killed.
  • Russians shell TrebizondOn 17 November 1914 the Russian Black Sea Fleet shelled Trebizond, a key supply port for the Ottoman army in the Caucasus. Mines were laid there at night.
  • Action at SahilOn 17 November 1914 two brigades of Gen. Barrett routed the main Turkish force at Sahil on the Shatt al-Arab in rain and mud. The road to Basra lay open.
• 18

  • The French government begins returning to ParisIn the second half of November 1914 the French authorities began a gradual return from Bordeaux to Paris. The government moved back in early December.
  • Battle of Cape SarychOn 18 November 1914, in fog off the Crimea, Russian battleships clashed with Goeben. After a quarter of an hour of fire Souchon turned away into the fog.
• 20

  • Allies withdraw the proposal to neutralise the Congo basinIn November 1914 Britain, Belgium and France finally dropped the idea of neutralising the African free-trade zone, which the war had already reached.
• 21

  • British raid on FriedrichshafenOn 21 November 1914 three Royal Naval Air Service aircraft from Belfort bombed the Zeppelin works at Friedrichshafen. One of the pilots was taken prisoner.
• 22

  • End of the First Battle of YpresOn 22 November 1914 the First Battle of Ypres ended. The French took over the salient around the town and the bled-white British army a sector further south.
  • War Office takes over the East African campaignOn 22 November 1914, after the defeat at Tanga, direction of British operations in East Africa passed from the India Office to the War Office in London.
  • The British occupy BasraOn 22 November 1914 British and Indian troops entered Basra, abandoned by the Turks. The next day the occupation of the city was formally proclaimed.
  • Alleged Russian reoccupation of KöprüköyThe British chronology records the Russian reoccupation of Köprüköy on 22 November 1914. Studies do not confirm it. The Caucasus front went quiet.
• 23

  • Netherlands Overseas Trust is foundedIn November 1914 Dutch merchants, shipowners and bankers founded the NOT, a private company guaranteeing the Allies that overseas goods would not reach Germany.
  • Portugal announces cooperation with BritainOn 23 November 1914 the Portuguese parliament authorised the government to take part in the war at Britain's side "when and how it deems necessary".
• 26

  • Explosion of the battleship BulwarkOn 26 November 1914 an ammunition explosion tore apart the battleship Bulwark at anchor off Sheerness. About 740 men died; only a dozen or so survived.
• 27

  • Hindenburg becomes field marshalOn 27 November 1914 Paul von Hindenburg, Commander-in-Chief of German forces in the East, was promoted to the rank of field marshal.
• 28

  • Skirmish at MiranshahOn 28–29 November 1914 the North Waziristan Militia repulsed 2,000 tribesmen from Khost at Miranshah. It was the first fighting on India's frontier in this war.
• 30

  • Battle of the Bzura beginsOn 30 November 1914 the left wing of the German Ninth Army, reinforced from the west, moved against the Russians at Łowicz and Sanniki.
  • Serbs abandon BelgradeOn 30 November 1914 Serbian troops left Belgrade to shorten the front on the Kolubara. Two days later the Austro-Hungarians entered the abandoned capital.