Landships II

Centurion · Legend

Who was at war with whom and when

eugene · Field Marshal

looks good but I remember reading in Pershing's memoir that the USA was under great pressure to declare war on Bulgaria so it would surrender earlier, the US didn't do it but it would be worth looking in if any diplomatic severings occured.

Centurion · Legend

There were a lot of diplomatic breakoffs at the time. For example most of S America cut ties with Germany in 1917. In 1914 Nepal severed relations with Germany and put its army at Britain's disposal but didn't actually declare war - Britain already had Nepalese Ghurka regiments as part of the British army and the rest of the Nepalese army relieved British units on the N W Frontier releasing them to go to Europe and Messopotamia. and so on and so forth. I didn't put any of this in the table as I was trying to keep it simple. I only mentioned the Turkish/US break as I have seen accounts of some clashes between US naval forces and some Turkish elements in Syria and elsewhere in 1918 and I wanted to emphasise that there was no official state of war.

eugene · Field Marshal

Robert,

would it be too much trouble if you could post on the US naval action in WWI, just the major/interesting stuff, I just know the US navy patrolled the atlantic and transported troops and I think some ships were in the North Sea/English Channel I didn't know they were in the Med as well.

Centurion · Legend

The US Navy certainly operated in the Med. albeit not in any great number. By Oct 1917 five US destroyers were stationed at Gibraltar and used for convoy escort in the Med. These were under the overall command of the British CinC. Further destroyers were added in November of that year although I have no info as to the number. In December 1917 15 US Navy sloops and armed yachts were added to the number at Gibraltar. The US ships at Gibraltar at times cooperated with Brazilian, Canadian and Japanese units but mainly with the British and Italians.

In June 1918 a flotilla of American sub chasers were operating in the Straits of Otranto being based at Brindisi. The US Navy insisted on them being operated, independently of the RN and French and Italian navies, in hunting groups of four. However there is no record of them ever engaging an enemy submarine. These sub chasers took part in the Anglo Italian bombardment of Durazzo on 4th Oct 1918 providing anti submarine escorts to British cruisers.

The incidents in Syria (and/or possibly Lebanon) appear to have occurred when US Navy personnel were attempting to evacuate American civilians as the fighting moved into that area (Turks retreating, British advancing). As the US was not at war with Turkey in theory there should not have been a problem but I suspect that the average Turkish soldier probably wasn�t too well briefed in the distinctions between which of the Allies was or was not at war with them. I don�t have any real detail.

Centurion · Legend

In addition to the above US Navy destroyers were also based at Brindisi

eugene · Field Marshal

does anyone know what kind of action did the US take against A&H?

Centurion · Legend

The AEF fought KuK troops on the Western front! I attach a photo that shows a KuK medical orderly who appears to have been captured by US troops. The anti sub patrols I mentioned as being in the Strait of Otranto were looking for KuK subs and the bombardment I also mentioned at which the same sub chasers participated was also of a KuK position

Centurion · Legend

I find out that I have left out two countries from my spreadsheet these being Andorra and Armenia. For completeness sake I'd like to add them but can find out nothing about when they declared war and on which central powers (although I imagine in the case of Armenia it must have been some time in 1918 and on Turkey at least). Does anybody have the information?

I gather that Andorra got left out of Versaille and legally remained at war with Germany until 1970 something (rather like Berwick on Tweed that due to a similar mistake remained at war with Russia from the Crimean conflict until I think the 1980s)

eugene · Field Marshal

centurion look up the three hundred and eighty years war or something close its very interesting

J Fullerton · Captain

I haven't been able to open the file yet, but one of the participants that I'm intrigued by is San Marino, who declared war on Austria-Hungary, June 3, 1915.

I'm not sure what number of troops they sent or if they served under their own officers or were completely absorbed into the Italian Army or what, but of these very minor participants they probably got a pretty good scare after Caporetto.

eugene · Field Marshal

Robert,

here is a link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest_war

the war is actually three hundred and thirty five years war

between the isles of Scilly and the Netherlands

eugene · Field Marshal

oh this might be a good time to ask did Liechtenstien participate in the great war in any way?

Centurion · Legend

Liechtenstien tends to be even more neutral than the Swiss. As far as I can see the only military happening in Liechtenstien in modern times was an invasion by the Swiss army during WW2 with the intention of protecting the country from a possible German take over. They were promptly told to * off by Liechtenstien and did so. This represents the modern Swiss army's one and only foreign campaign!

Centurion · Legend

J Fullerton wrote:

I haven't been able to open the file yet, but one of the participants that I'm intrigued by is San Marino, who declared war on Austria-Hungary, June 3, 1915.

I'm not sure what number of troops they sent or if they served under their own officers or were completely absorbed into the Italian Army or what, but of these very minor participants they probably got a pretty good scare after Caporetto.

San Marino contributed no military units but apparently quite a number of inhabitants volunteered and were taken into the Italian army.

J Fullerton · Captain

On Liechtenstein, while apparently neither the government nor the regular citizens particpated in WW1, quite a few members of the royal family did...which is hardly surprising since they, including the reigning Prince, were Austro-Hungarian subjects.

I asked about this a few years ago on an EZboard WW1 forum, and a gentleman by the name of Richard Doody kindly provided a rather extensive timeline for Liechtenstein and a wealth of information about which of the von Liechtensteins served in which KuK regiments (at least one of which was named in honour of an earlier Prince Liechtenstein). I'm not sure if this is still floating about on the internet somewhere, but I could try to track it down.

The consequenses of the Great War were quite profound for Liechtenstein; the Austrian collapse made the Principality turn toward Switzerland as it's new patron while the loss of some vast family estates in what became Czechoslovakia (the old duchies of Jagerndorf and Troppau, held for centuries prior) caused the Prince to rebuild Vaduz Castle and make it habitable again, and make it his primary residence for the first time....no more absentee monarchy.