#colonel hankey

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Battle of Kondoa | 9 May 1916

Battle of Kondoa | 9 May 1916

Battle of Kondoa Today should just be a formality. Sure, we’ve seen a load of different times in this theatre when a numerically superior force goes blundering into inadequately-scouted enemy positions and gets a damn good kicking. But this is Colonel Lettow-Vorbeck’s big chance to attack. His men are operating on home turf. A few of them have been garrisoning the town for months, or years. The…

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Demonstrations for Verdun | 9 Feb 1916

#OTD in #WW1 The Germans start a series of deceptions and supporting attacks for the imminent Battle of #Verdun

Demonstrations and deceptions The Germans now initiate their main programme of deception to support the imminent Battle of Verdun. They’ve been very precisely designed to simulate, as far as possible, the first day at Verdun. In particular, there will be almost no preliminary bombardment before the main attack in three days’ time. As in the deception attacks, a day of mostly intermittent…

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Gallipoli | Chantilly | 7 Dec 1915

#OTD in #WW1 Entente leaders agree big offensive in 1916; the Brits finally decide to evacuate #Gallipoli100

Evacuation of Gallipoli Yes, you read that right. Sing Hallelujah and ring the church bells. The British Cabinet has a meeting today, where it’s faced with a stark choice. Either they have to start a public spat with the French by withdrawing from Salonika without an agreement, or evacuate Gallipoli. Colonel Hankey later suggested that going against the French might have toppled Aristide Briand’s…

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Calais Conference | Gallipoli | 4 Dec 1915

#OTD in #WW1 Arguments at Calais over #Salonika and #Gallipoli100; on the peninsula, mortar bombs rain down on the blokes.

Calais Conference It’s a French-British military conference. And it’s at Calais. The primary issue here is of course the Mediterranean, where there are, ahem, some divergent opinions on how best to proceed. The French Prime Minister, Aristide Briand, is of course all for pursuing his pet scheme at Salonika, and keeping the forces there as strong as possible to do something with them next year.…

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Separate peace | 30 Nov 1915

Separate peace | 30 Nov 1915

Separate peace With General von Falkenhayn cautiously optimistic that the Russian Empire might be persuaded to sign a separate peace at some point in the next 12 months, the Entente governments have been moving to prevent that. An Anglo-Franco-Russian agreement to not negotiate individually had been signed in the opening days of September, and over the course of the last month, the Japanese* and…

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Wully Robertson | 8 Nov 1915

#OTD in #WW1 Gen #Wully Robertson makes his play for high office, there's fighting in the #Dolomites

Wully Robertson General Robertson is now making his play for high office. A paper written by himself (and, uncredited, his subordinate and friend General Frederick Maurice) is now being circulated in London. Its subject is “The Conduct of the War”; its conclusion is that Germany is the main enemy and priority must be given to winning the war on the Western Front. He’ll soon be there in person to…

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