RULERS AT THE FRONT
During December all the armies in the field were visited by the rulers of their respective countries. The Czar spent some time with his troops near the firing lines in Poland; King George of England visited the British forces in Belgium and Northern France and conferred the Victoria Cross ("For Valor") on a number of officers and men; and President Poincaré made several trips to the front, conferring decorations upon General Joffre, commander-in-chief, and other French officers, for distinguished service. The gallant and devoted soldier-king, Albert of Belgium, remained steadfastly at the front with his troops, sharing all their privations and dangers during the fierce fighting in Flanders. Kaiser Wilhelm was also at the front, both east and west, but was forced to return to Berlin early in the month by an attack of illness. On his recovery after two weeks he again visited the western field headquarters in Belgium, but in the first week of January, 1915, he was again compelled by his ailment to make a hurried return to Berlin for medical treatment and rest. British and German naval losses in the world war to January 1, 1915, are shown in the following, compiled from admiralty reports, and, where these are missing, from other authoritative sources. The figures are approximately correct.
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BRITISH LOSSES Date Name and Type How Sunk Tonnage Lives Lost Aug. 7—Amphion, protected cruiser Mined 3,440 136 Sept. 4—Speedy, torpedo gunboat Mined 810 ... Sept. 5—Pathfinder, protected cruiser Mined 2,940 250 Sept. 7—Warrior, protected cruiser Stranded 13,500 ... Sept. 9—Oceanic, auxiliary cruiser Wrecked 17,000 ... Sept. 18—Fishguard II, training ship Foundered ...... 21 Sept. 19—AE-1, submarine Lost 800 25 Sept. 20—Pegasus, protected cruiser Shelled 2,200 25 Sept. 22—Aboukir, protected cruiser Torpedoed 12,000 510 Sept. 22—Cressy, protected cruiser Torpedoed 12,000 561 Sept. 22—Hogue, protected cruiser Torpedoed 12,000 362 Oct. 16—Hawke, protected cruiser Torpedoed 7,350 350 Oct. 18—E-3, submarine Shelled 800 25 Oct. 27—Audacious, dreadnought Torpedoed 25,000 2 Oct. 31—Hermes, protected cruiser Torpedoed 5,600 ... Nov. 1—Monmouth, armored cruiser Shelled 3,800 540 Nov. 1—Good Hope, armored cruiser Shelled 14,100 875 Nov. 5—D-5, submarine Mined 550 21 Nov. 11—Niger, torpedo gunboat Torpedoed 819 ... Nov. 20—Bulwark, battleship Explosion 15,000 800 Jan. 1—Formidable, battleship Torpedoed 17,000 579 Number of vessels lost, 21. ——————— Totals 172,700 5,082 GERMAN LOSSES Date Name and Type How Sunk Tonnage Lives Lost Aug. 5—Panther, gunboat Shelled 900 75 Aug. 6—Koenigin Luise, mine layer Torpedoed 1,800 70 Aug. 7—Augsburg, protected cruiser Shelled 4,280 158 Aug. 9—U-15, submarine Shelled 400 12 Aug. 27—Kaiser Wm. der Grosse, aux. cruiser Shelled 14,849 30 Aug. 27—Magdeburg, protected cruiser Shelled 4,478 200 Aug. 28—Ariadne, protected cruiser Shelled 2,620 200 Aug. 28—V-186, V-187, destroyers Shelled 1,290 100 Sept. 14—Cap Trafalgar,auxiliary cruiser Shelled 26,000 14 Sept. 15—Hela, small cruiser Torpedoed 2,000 10 Oct. 17—S-115, 117, 118, 119, 4 destroyers 1,660 193 Oct. 20—S-30, destroyer Ran Ashore 400 ... Oct. 25—Submarine Shelled 400 12 Oct. 30—Submarine Shelled 400 12 Nov. 4—Yorck, armored cruiser Mined 9,350 226 Nov. 7—Jaguar, gunboat Shelled 330 50 Nov. 7—Luchs, gunboat Shelled 880 50 Nov. 7—Iltis, gunboat Shelled 880 50 Nov. 7—Cormoran, gunboat Shelled 1,600 100 Nov. 7—Tiger, gunboat Shelled 880 50 Nov 7—Taku, destroyer Shelled 280 26 Nov. 7—Ruchin, mine layer Shelled ... ... Nov. 9—Emden, protected cruiser Shelled 3,540 200 Nov. . .—Wilhelm der Grosse, battleship Mined 10,790 400 Nov. . .—Hertha, cruiser Mined 5,569 200 Dec. 8—Scharnhorst, armored cruiser Shelled 11,420 764 Dec. 8—Gneisenau, armored cruiser Shelled 11,420 700 Dec. 8—Leipzig, cruiser Shelled 3,200 280 Dec 8—Nurnberg, cruiser Shelled 3,200 256 Dec. 10—Three submarines Shelled 1,200 36 Number of vessels lost, 38. ———————— Totals 134,026 5,005 |
CANADIANS AT THE FRONT
Late in December the first of the Canadian troops to leave their English training camp on Salisbury Plain were sent to the front in Northern France. The Princess Patricia regiment had the military honor of leading the Canadians to the firing line. It was made up largely of men who had seen previous service and promptly proceeded to give a good account of itself. A British guardsman returning wounded from the front on December 28 paid a characteristic tribute to the efficiency and daring of the Canadian troops, when he said: "They are all old soldiers. They knew as much about the game as we did and a blooming sight more than the enemy's infantry."
The Canadians first went into action at one of those ticklish spots where yards count. The trench of the British ended at a village which was vigorously shelled by the Germans, and was practically in ruins. Another trench on the right of a little town held by unmounted French cavalry made it impossible for the Germans to reach the village, but their "snipers" had ensconced themselves in some farm buildings to the northeast, making it extremely hazardous for supplies to reach the advanced British posts.
"About twenty of the Canadians," said the wounded guardsman, "managed to gain the ruins at the extreme end of the village during Christmas night and when daylight came they accounted for practically all the German 'snipers' and dashed back into safety before the German artillery fire was directed to the stronghold."
SERVIANS REOCCUPY BELGRADE
Just when it appeared likely that Servia might share the fate of Belgium, a turn in the fortunes of war changed the entire situation of affairs in the little Slav kingdom. Aided by a fresh advance of Russian troops across the Carpathians, which caused the hurried withdrawal of three Austrian army corps from Servian territory to defend the threatened cities of Hungary, the Serbs again took the offensive and, inspired by the presence in the field of old King Peter, a gallant soldier of France in 1870, they reoccupied Belgrade and drove the Austrians before them in a disorderly rout, so that by December Servia was free of the Austrian enemy. Budapest, capital of Hungary, became panic-stricken at the Russian advance and the Servian victory, and the year 1914 closed with every evidence that the people of Austria, at any rate, were tired of the war, discontented at the prospect, and desirous of peace.
GERMAN ATTACK ON BRITISH COAST