June 1915

June

• 02

  • British blockade of the coast of Asia MinorOn 2 June 1915 Britain declared a blockade of the Aegean coast of Asia Minor from the Dardanelles to Samos to cut German submarines off from their bases.
• 03

  • The Central Powers retake PrzemyślEarly on 3 June 1915 German and Austro-Hungarian troops entered Przemyśl, abandoned by the Russians. Russian rule in the town had lasted 73 days.
  • British take AmaraOn 3 June 1915 a few British launches carrying Townshend sailed up the Tigris to Amara. Over a thousand Turkish soldiers surrendered to a handful of sailors.
  • First Allied conference on economic warfareOn 3 June 1915 delegates of France, Britain, Russia and Italy met in Paris to agree jointly on the struggle against contraband flowing to Germany.
  • San Marino's alleged war on Austria-HungaryAccording to a British chronology, on 3 June 1915 San Marino declared war on Austria-Hungary. The republic did not do so, however, and was formally neutral.
  • End of the battles of Stryi and DrohobyczBy 3 June 1915 the Russians had fallen back from Stryi and Drohobycz to the Dniester. The oil basin was free, but they still held a bridgehead on the river.
• 04

  • Third attack on KrithiaOn 4 June 1915 the Allies at Helles attacked Krithia again. Lancashire Territorials broke the Turkish front, but defeat on the flanks wasted their success.
• 07

  • Warneford destroys airship LZ 37On 7 June 1915 British airman Reginald Warneford bombed the airship LZ 37 in mid-air over Ghent. The burning wreck fell on a convent in Sint-Amandsberg.
  • Kyakhta agreementOn 7 June 1915 Russia, China and Mongolia signed an agreement at Kyakhta. Outer Mongolia was granted autonomy but had to recognise Chinese suzerainty.
  • First meeting of the Dardanelles CommitteeOn 7 June 1915 the Dardanelles Committee met for the first time. Kitchener persuaded it to send Hamilton three New Army divisions and new warships.
  • Allies abandon the march on JaundeOn 7 June 1915 Gen. Dobell, still without news of Aymerich's columns, halted the march on Jaunde. Col. Mayer's troops were to fall back to the Ndupe river.
• 08

  • Austrians retake StanisławówOn 8 June 1915 troops of the South Army entered Stanisławów without a fight, abandoned by the retreating Russian 9th Army. The second occupation was over.
• 09

  • Italians take MonfalconeOn 9 June 1915 Third Army brigades entered Monfalcone on the Adriatic. The Austrians gave up the town without a fight and fell back to the nearby Karst hills.
• 10

  • Capitulation of GaruaOn 10 June 1915, after a failed breakout and a mutiny of his African troops, Capt. von Crailsheim gave up Garua unconditionally. The Allies took 37 Germans.
  • Battle of Żydaczów beginsOn 10 June 1915 the South Army, thrown back over the Dniester the day before, struck upstream at Żydaczów, into the flank of the Russians advancing on Stryj.
• 11

  • End of the Battle of PrzemyślA British chronology ends the Battle of Przemyśl on 11 June 1915. After the fortress fell, the front halted at Mościska and Mackensen prepared to hit Lviv.
  • End of the Battle of the StryiOn 11 June 1915 the South Army, earlier pushed back over the Dniester, attacked again near Żydaczów. The British chronology ends the Stryi battle that day.
• 12

  • Battle of Mościska and Lubaczów beginsOn 12 June 1915 Mackensen's troops crossed the San and the Lubaczówka near Sieniawa. The battle that was to open the road to Lviv had begun.
  • Battle of Rarańcza beginsOn 12 June 1915 the Legions' Second Brigade took Rarańcza in Bukovina unopposed, but was held up by Russian trenches on the hills above Rokitna in Bessarabia.
• 14

  • Turkish attack on PerimOn the night of 14–15 June 1915 Turks from Sheikh Said tried to land on the British island of Perim in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. The garrison drove them off.
• 15

  • Battle of Mościska and Lubaczów endsOn 15 June 1915 Mackensen's armies broke the second Russian line at Nahaczów and Oleszyce. Brusilov ordered a retreat to the Gródek line in front of Lviv.
  • Battle of Rarańcza endsOn 15 June 1915 XI Corps fell back to the Rokitna and the Second Brigade dug in at Rarańcza, where the uhlans killed in the charge at Rokitna were buried.
• 17

  • The battle of Lemberg beginsOn 17 June 1915 Mackensen's armies reached the last Russian line before Lviv. At Gródek on the Wereszyca street fighting went on all day.
• 18

  • Second Battle of Artois endsOn 18 June 1915 Foch halted the offensive near Arras. The last attack on Vimy Ridge failed, and the French had lost more than 100,000 men in the battle.
• 19

  • South Africans advance on OtavifonteinOn 18–19 June 1915 Botha led the Union forces north from around Karibib towards the last Germans at Otavi. On 19 June Brits took Omaruru.
  • José de Castro becomes prime minister of PortugalOn 19 June 1915 José de Castro, acting head of Portugal's government since May, took the helm of a new cabinet made up mainly of Afonso Costa's Democrats.
• 22

  • Austro-Hungarians retake LvivOn 22 June 1915 troops of the Austro-Hungarian Second Army entered Lviv. After 293 days the Russian occupation of the capital of Galicia came to an end.
  • End of the battle of ŻydaczówOn 22 June 1915 the battle of Żydaczów ended. Threatened from the north, the Russians gave up the south bank of the Dniester; the South Army prepared to cross.
  • British capture BukobaOn 22–23 June 1915 a British force sailed across Lake Victoria to Bukoba, broke the German defence, destroyed the wireless station and re-embarked.
• 24

  • Robert Lansing becomes Secretary of StateOn 24 June 1915 Robert Lansing became US Secretary of State. He replaced William J. Bryan, who resigned in protest at the second Lusitania note.
  • British act on exports to the NetherlandsOn 24 June 1915 a British act came into force under which all exports to the Netherlands could be directed solely to the Netherlands Overseas Trust.
• 26

  • Montenegrins occupy San Giovanni di MeduaAt the end of June 1915 the Montenegrins occupied the Albanian port of San Giovanni di Medua and then Scutari. Their Entente allies took it badly.
  • Dismissal of SukhomlinovOn 26 June 1915 Tsar Nicholas II dismissed the war minister Vladimir Sukhomlinov, blamed for the shell shortage. Alexei Polivanov took his place.
• 27

  • British advance up the EuphratesOn 27 June 1915 Gen. Gorringe's flotilla and brigade crossed the Hammar Lake and set off up the Euphrates towards Nasiriyah. The first obstacle was a dam.
  • Battle of the Gniła Lipa beginsOn 27 June 1915, after several days of fighting at Bóbrka and Bukaczowce, the Russians fell back to the Gniła Lipa. The Austrians took Halicz unopposed.
• 28

  • Start of the fighting for Gully RavineOn 28 June 1915 British troops and Gurkhas at Helles took five lines of Turkish trenches by Gully Ravine. A Scottish brigade alongside lost half its men.
  • End of the first advance on YaoundéOn 28 June 1915 German attacks on Col. Mayer's troops, withdrawn to the Kele line, ceased. The failed advance on Yaoundé cost the Allies over 300 casualties.
  • Allies take NgaundereOn 28 June 1915 Lt-Col. Webb-Bowen's column fought its way in a storm onto the plateau near Ngaundere in Kamerun. Next day the Allies took the town unopposed.
• 29

  • Start of the First Battle of the IsonzoThe British chronology dates the start of the First Battle of the Isonzo to 29 June 1915. Yet the Italians had been attacking on the Soča since 23 June.
  • End of the Battle of the Gniła LipaOn 29 June 1915 the Central Powers crossed the Gniła Lipa but met strong resistance. The Russians fell back to the Złota Lipa only on the night of 1–2 July.