October 10, 1914 
LAND AND WATER 
A DIARY OF THE WAR. 
SYNOPSIS. 
Auciusi 3ed.— Sir Edward Grey stated British policy and revealed 
Genuany's amazing offer, in the event of our neglecting our obligations 
to France. Mobilisation of the Army. Ultimatum to Germany. 
German and French Ambassadors left Paris and Berlin. 
AcGUST 4rii. — Germany rejected England's uUiraatum. English 
Government took over control of railways. War declared between 
England ajid Germany. 
August Sib. — Lord Kitchener appointed .Secretary of State for 
War. U.M.S. Amphion struck a mine and foundered. 
August &m. — House of Commons, in five minutes, passed a vote of 
credit for £100,000,000, and sanctioned an increase of the Army by 
500,000 men. i;ta.te control of food prices. 
Avcvii 8ni.— Lord Kitchener issued a circular asking for 100,000 
men. 
August 9iH. — Tha enemy's submarine, U15, was smik by II. M.S. 
iiirmiiigliaM. 
August IOik. — France declared war on Austria-Hungary. Germans 
Advar.ced on Namur. The new Press Bui-eau established by tha 
Goverumcnt for the issue of official v.ar ncv.s. 
AcGCSi llxn. — England declared v.ar against Austria. 
August 15th. — -The Tsar addressed a Proclamation to the Polish 
populations of Uussia, Germany, and Austria, promising to restore to 
Poland complete autonomy and guarantees for religious liberty and 
the use of lh« Polish language. 
August 15ui. — Japanese ultimatum to Germany demanding the 
withdrawal of her vessels of war from the Ear East. 
August 17ia. — The British Expeditionary Force safely landed in 
France. 
The Belgian Government transferred from Brussels to Antwerp. 
August 18th. — General Sir H. Smith-Dorrien appointed to com- 
mand of an Army Corps of tlie British Expeditionary Force, in 
succession to the lato General Grierson. 
August SOth. — The Servians gained a decisive victory over tha 
Austriaus near i:tiabalz. 
Aucust 21st. — The German forces entered Brussels. 
August 22xp. — Servia announces that their army had won a grcit 
victory on the Drina. The Austrian losses were very heavy. 
August 23itD. — Japan declared war on Germany. The Russian 
army gained an important victory near Gumbcuucn against a force of 
160,000 Germans. 
August 24rH. — It was announced that Namur had fallen. 
The British forces v.ero engaged all day on Sunday and after dark 
in the neighbourhood of Mons, and held their ground. Luncville was 
occupied by the Germans. 
August 27rH. — Mr. Churchill announced in the House that the 
German armed merchantman Kaiser M'ilhelm der Crosse had been 
•unk by U.M.S. UijhflycT on the West Africa Coast. 
August 28th. — A concerted operation was attempted against th« 
Ocriuans in tha Heligoland Bight. 
The First Light Cruiser SquaJron sank the Maim. The First 
Battle Cruiser Squadron sanlc one cruiser, Koln class, and another 
crui.'ier disappeared in the mist, heavily on fire, and in a sinking 
condition. 
Two German destroyers were sunk and many damaged. The total 
British casualties amounted to sixty-nine killed and wounded. 
Lord Kitchener announced that " The Government have decided 
that our Army in France shall be increased by two divisions and s 
cavalry division, besides other troops from India." 
Eepteubeb 1st. — The Russians met with a check in East Prussia, 
but were successful in minor engagements in Galicia. 
Eeptembee 2xd. — Continuous fighting was in progress along almost 
the whole lino of battle. The BrilL-sh Cavalry engaged, with distinc- 
tion, the Cavalry of the enemy, pushed them back, and captured ten 
tuns. The French Army gained ground in the Lorraine region. The 
Russian Army completely routed four Austrian Army Corps near 
Lemberg, capturing 150 guns. 
SrrrEiiBEis 3aD. — The French Government moved to Bordeaux. 
Sr.PTii:MBr:i» 4Tn. — ^The Russian Army nndcr General Riasky, cap- 
tured Lemberg, and the Army of General BrussiloH took Halicz. 
SciTEMBER 5ni.— The formal alliance of England, France, and 
Russia was signed in London by the representatives of the three 
(Governments concerned, binding each nation to conclude peace, or 
UiscuBii terms of peace, only in conjunction with its Allies. 
StjTEMBFji 6ni. — It was announced that the scout-cruiser Path- 
finder foundered on Saturday afternoon after running upon a mine. 
Septembeb Trn.— -General Joffrcs' plans were being steadily carried 
out. The Allied forces acted on tho ofleiisive and were successful in 
checking and forcing back in a northeasterly direction the German 
forces opposed to them. 
Slitlmbeh &ni. — The .\llies gained ground on the left wing along 
the line of tha Ourcq and the Petit Morin river. Here the British 
troops drove the enemy back ten miles. Further to the right, from 
Vitry-le-Francois to Sermaise Ics-Bains tho enemy was pressed back 
in tho direction of Rheims. 
SLrrKMBcn 9ru. — Tha English Army crossed tho Marnc, and the 
enemy retired about twenty-five miles. 
SKiTr.ME!:<5 lliij.— Our l.-it Army Corps captured twelve Maxim 
puns and some prisoners, and our 2nd Army Corps took 350 prisoners 
and a battery. 
So'TciiBKU l.'SfH.— On the left wing the enemy continued his retreat- 
ing movement. The Belgian Army pushed forv.ard a vigorous offensive 
to t.Hc south of Lierre. 
StpiiiiiiJEK 14iM. — All day tha enemy tlubbornly diip.iteJ tha 
passage of the Aisno by oar troops, but nearly all the crossiagj wer« 
secured by sunset. On our right and left the French troo{« wera 
confronted with a similar task, in which they wera B'jcce^sful. 
SEi'TtiiaEii 15iH. — The AOied troops occupied Rheims. Sii 
hundred prisoners and twelve guns were captured by the Corps on 
the right of the British. 
Septembeb I6ra. — Submarine E9, Lieutenaiit- Commander Max 
Kennedy Horton, returned safely after having torpedoed tha German 
cruiser Ucla, six milee south of Heligoland. 
Seitembek 19th. — The Russian army seized tho fortified positions 
of SIcniawa and Sambor. 
Septembee 20rn.— Rheims Cathedral was wantonly bombarded, and 
nothing is left but the four bare walls. 
The British auxiliary cruiser Carrnania, Captain Noel Grant, Royal 
Navy, sank the Cap Trafalgar off the east coast of South America. 
The action lasted one hour and forty-five minutes, when the German 
sliip capsized and sunk, her suivivors being lescuad by an empty 
collier. 
Skftemeee 22-\d. — H.M. ships Ahouhir, Ilogut, and Criisy were 
sunk by submarines in the North Sea. The Ahouhir was torpedoed, 
and whilst the Uogut and the Creasy had closed and were standing 
by to save the crew, they were also torpedoed. 
September 23rd. — British aeroplanes of the Naval wing delivered 
an attack on the Zeppelin sheds at Diisseldorf and Flight-Lieutenant 
Collet dropped three bombs on a Zeppelin shed, approaching v/ithia 
400 feet. 1 1 -a 
Sepiembep. 25rH. — The German right wing was strengthened by 
the transfer of Army Cci^ps both from the centre of tiieir line and from 
their left in Lorraine and tlio ^'o3gcs. Along the line of the Aisnc there 
was little change in the general position. 
Sepiembkb 26th. — Thero was much activity on the part of tha 
enemy all along tho line. Soma heavy counter-attacks were repulsed, 
and considerable loss was inflicted on the enemy. 
September 27th. — Bedwecn the Oise and the Somme and to tiia 
north of the Somme, the battle continued along a very ext'Cnsive front 
with perceptible progress on our part. By tlie evening our 
troops regained the ground they had lost. Between the Argonne and 
the Meuse there was nothing new to report. In the south of th« 
Woeuvre the Germans occupied a line which passed through St. Miliiei 
and tlie north-west of Pout-a-Moussom. 
September 28th. — At certain points, notably between the Aisna 
and the Argouue, the enemy made further violent attacks, wlucli wera 
repulsed. 
SKPrEMBER 29th. — There was praotically no change in the situation. 
The Allied left had some very heavy fighting, but they well held their 
own. 
DAY BY DAY. 
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1st. 
The Allied line moved forward to the north of the Somme and 
in the Southern AVoeuvre, the district to the east of Verdun. Tha 
arrival of the Indian Expeditionary Force at Marseilles waj 
announced. 
FRIDAY, OCTOBER Sad. 
On the left wing the battle continued very fiercely, partlcu- 
larl}' in the neighbourhood of Roye. On the Mouse the German.^ 
attempted to throw a bridge across the river near St. Mihiel, but 
it was destroyed. On the remainder of the front everytliing was 
quiet. Tho Secretary of the Admiralty commimicated tlia 
following : " The German policy of mine-laying combined with 
their submarine activities, makes it necessary on military ground."! 
for the Admiralty to adopt counter-measures. His Majesty's 
Government have, therefore, authorised a mine-laying policy 
in certain areas and a system of mine-fields has been established 
and is being developed upon a considerable scale. 
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4th. 
On our left wing the battle was in fidl progress in the Arras 
region. Progress was made in the Soissons region, where the 
enemy's trenches were taken. On almost all tho remainder 
of the front the Iidl continued. A German army, four corps 
strong, established between the frontier of East Prussia and the 
Niemen, has had its left wing thrown back oa Mariampol and 
Suwalki. 
MONDAY, OCTOBER 5ih. 
On our left wing to the north of the Oise the battle continued 
with great violence. At certain points we had to yield ground. 
C>n the remainder of the front there was no change. In Russia, 
after a battle which lasted ten days, the German army which 
was operating between the front of East Prussia and the Niemaa 
was beaten all along the hne and retreated, abandoning a 
considerable quantity of material. 
TUESDAY, OCTOBER Cth. ^ 
The situation remains " in statu quo." 
WEDNESD.\Y, OCTOBER 7th. 
It was rojiortcd tliat a German destroyer had been sunk by s 
P.riliyh submarine oil the German coast. The authorities at 
Antwerp annoimced tha probability of bombardment of the city. 
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