28th April 1915
Western Front
Second Battle of Ypres: German offensive definitely stopped.
Germans bomb Dunkirk, Pervyse and Nancy; French bomb Friedrichshafen.
Germans storm French position at Les Mesnils.
Eastern Front
Very powerful Austro-German offensive under von Mackensen begins between the Dunajec and Biala Rivers (west Galicia). Russians driven back.
Southern Front
Dardanelles: Allied forces, aided by "Queen Elizabeth", advance on Krithia, 3rd Royal Marine Battalion landed. With Sedd el Bahr captured, Hamilton sends British and French troops into a general advance. They gain two miles but, meeting resistance, give in to fatigue. Continuing Turkish shelling renders the beaches chaotic, preventing or hindering resupply of these frontline troops. Hamilton's goal eludes him. (See map below).
Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres
Skirmishes east of the Suez Canal.
Naval and Overseas Operations
Gallipoli Campaign
Albion, battleship, Canopus-class, 14,300t, 4-12in/12-6in, above Morto Bay on European side off Kereves Dere, providing gunfire support for French forces, shortly after noon, about to be relieved by
Lord Nelson. Hit and damaged by Turkish shellfire, leaking and retired to Mudros for three days for repairs.
Diplomatic Incidents - US merchant ship Cushing bombed by German aircraft in North Sea.
Atlantic off NW Scotland
Many supply ships especially colliers were needed for Admiral Jellicoe's Grand Fleet; some were lost as they passed up the western British Isles.
MOBILE, Admiralty collier, 1,950/1914, Furness, Withy & Co, West Hartlepool-reg, Mr W Fortune, Barry for Scapa Flow with coal. Captured by
U.30 (Erich von Rosenberg-Grusczyski), sunk with bombs 25 miles NW of Butt of Lewis, Outer Hebrides (wi - by gunfire, in 58.48N, 06.50W).
Germans defeated at Gibeon (German south-west Africa).
South African Government publishes a Blue Book on the rebellion.
Political etc.
During the last 3 days, over 3000 Germans, 8000 Italians, & 1000 Austrians have left Switzerland as Italy’s entry into the war draws near.
British postal servants threaten to strike as the government refuse to grant them a war bonus.
War Secretary Lord Kitchener tells the House of Lords that Germany disregards The Hague Convention and has killed prisoners.
Germany prepares to buy 4 years supply of food, as Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg states the war might last that long.
Ship Losses:
Fuki Maru ( Japan): The cargo ship collided with Daichi Mari ( Japan) in the Yellow Sea off Hichihatsuto Island, Korea and sank with the loss of 30 of her crew.
Lilydale ( United Kingdom): The trawler was stopped and scuttled in the North Sea 37 nautical miles (69 km) east of St. Abb's Head, Berwickshire by
SM U-10 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Mobile ( United Kingdom): The collier was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 25 nautical miles (46 km) north west of the Butt of Lewis, Outer Hebrides by
SM U-30 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
First Battle of Krithia
