November 20

In the latter stages of the Battle of Ypres, there are signs of the Germans withdrawing.

The British casualty list for the defence of Antwerp is published.

The 26th Brigade RFA hands over to the French. During the afternoon, battery 118 is badly shelled. All batteries had evacuated their positions by 6pm.

The Brigade planned to march through to I Corps billets, but found the road blocked. They spend the night on the road just north of Westoutre.

October 14

The Germans occupy Bruges, and British red Cross nurses are expelled from Antwerp.

Punch publishes the cartoon "A North Sea Chantey" reminding readers of the power of the Royal Navy.

October 9 - Fall of Antwerp

Antwerp, under siege from German forces since 28 September, surrenders. The Germans occupy the city and some British and Belgian troops escape to Holland and are interned for the duration of the war. The remaining troops from Antwerp withdraw to the Yser river, close to the French border. Here they dig in, to begin the defence of the last unoccupied part of Belgium.

The fall of Antwerp and the retreat to the Yser

October 7

The Belgian Government moves to Ostend, and the evacuation of Antwerp begins.

The British submarine E9 returns safely after sinking a German destroyer off the River Ems.

HMS E9

Japanese forces occupy Yap Island in the Pacific, used by the Germans as a naval communication centre.

October 5

President Poincare

President Poincare visits the headquarters of the Allied armies.

British forces in Antwerp rise to 8,000.

The Prince of Wales Fund reaches £3,000,000.

October 3

The Royal Navy starts to lay mines between the Goodwin Sands and Ostend.

Troops from the Royal Naval Division arrive in Antwerp to assist the Belgians.

October 1

The Battle of Arras sees the French trying to outflank German forces and prevent their advance to the coast.

The Germans continue to pound the forts surrounding Antwerp.

HMS Cumberland

The Admiralty reports that HMS Cumberland captured ten German merchant vessels off the Cameroon River in West Africa.

September 30

The Antwerp waterworks are destroyed by the Germans.

The 26th Brigade RFA remains in position, with no firing taking place.

Punch publishes a cartoon of the Kaiser entitled "The Great Goth". It shows a suggested "design for a strained-glass window in a neo-gothic cathedral at Potsdam". The Kaiser is shown as a grotesque angel holding the smoking ruins of Rheims Cathedral (see 20 September) on the left, whilst further battle "honours" are listed at his feet: Malines, Louvain (see 25 August) and Termonde.

September 28

The bombardment and siege of Antwerp begins. German guns are directed by observers in fixed balloons.

The defences of Antwerp

The Admiralty publishes a statement of losses in shipping since the outbreak of war: German 1,140,000 tons (387 ships); British 229,000 tons (86 ships).

The 26th Brigade RFA remains in position, with no firing taking place.

September 22 - Disaster for the Royal Navy

A naval engagement takes place in which three obsolete Royal Navy cruisers, manned mainly by reservists and sometimes referred to as the "live bait squadron", are sunk by the German submarine U9. Approximately 1,450 sailors are killed, and there is a public outcry at the losses. The incident erodes confidence in the British government and damages the reputation of the Royal Navy. The British ships lost are HMS Cressy, HMS Aboukir, and HMS Hogue. The Captain of the U9, Otto Weddigen, returns to a hero's welcome.

German propaganda postcard commemorating U9's sinking of three British cruisers

In France the 26th Brigade RFA remains in positions. 118 is "shelled by heavy howitzers all day, 1 gun disabled." Both batteries are engaged with enemy guns about Cerny and Labouelle.

Britain launches its first air raid against Germany. Flying from Antwerp, two aircraft from No. 1 Squadron, RNAS, flown by Major Eugene Gerrard and Flight Lieutenant Collet fly two hundred miles to Düsseldorf to bomb the Zeppelin shed there; whilst two aircraft from No. 2 Squadron are detailed to attack Cologne. Due to poor weather, the attack on Cologne is aborted, and Major Gerrard also turns back. Collett presses home his attack by descending to only 400 feet and drops three bombs. Despite failing to damage any airship, news of the raid provides a useful boost to Allied morale.

During the evening, SMS Emden approaches the city of Madras on the southeastern coast of the Indian peninsula. Entering Madras harbour, the Emden opens fire at 9.30pm on several large oil tanks belonging to the Burmah Oil Company.

The bombardment of Madras

August 25 - Louvain destroyed

Louvain is destroyed by German forces.

Destruction in Louvain

A contemporary caption to this photograph states, "All that remains of the world-famous library at Louvain, the intellectual metropolis of the Low Countries. The wreckage represents the triumph of German "culture" over the scholarly culture [of] Louvain ..."

The bombing of Antwerp

Antwerp is bombed by a Zeppelin. This artist's impression (left) was accompanied by this caption, "The Zeppelin bombardment of Antwerp, in defiance of the Hague Convention. The airship dropped shrapnel bombs ... These raids aroused much indignation both in Europe and America ..."



In Galicia, Austria-Hungarian 1st Army defeats the Russian 4th Army.


The Allies continue to retreat, fighting rearguard actions. The 26th Brigade, RFA, retires from La Longueville to Dompierre.


The Royal Flying Corps claims its first victory, Increasing numbers of reconnaissance flights take place during the "Great Retreat". On this day, three aircraft of No.2 Squadron chase an enemy monoplane and force it to land. It was destroyed by the RFC on the ground. Another German aircraft was also captured later.