2 March

Great War events that took place on 2 March.

1915 (Tuesday)

Western Front	German counter-attacks repulsed near Perthes.
Eastern Front	▶ Niemen River front: Continued Russian offensive, prisoners reported to number over 10,000.	▶ Continued heavy fighting near Grodno and Osovyets.	▶ Russians bombard Czernowitz.	▶ Austrian attacks repulsed at Lupkow Pass.
Southern Front	Dardanelles: Naval bombardment resumed.^[a]
Political	▶ Anglo-French Note to Germany declares policy of reprisals in retaliation for submarine blockade; neutrals protest.^[b]	▶ South African Government issues White Book on the rebellion.	▶ Austria declares a Metal Week, steel being excepted.

Notes

↑ The Dardanelles operations were hampered by bad weather. The outer forts were destroyed and the straits cleared of mines for four miles by 2 March, 1915. On the following days inner forts were destroyed and the straits cleared to the Narrows, which were bombarded from 7 to 16 March, HMS Queen Elizabeth and other ships firing from the Gulf of Saros across the peninsula. HMS Irresistible, HMS Ocean and the French Bouvet were sunk by mines while attacking the Narrows at close quarters, and further operations were stopped by bad weather.
↑ Anglo-French Note of 2 March, 1915, stated that in answer to the German submarine blockade all trade in and out of Germany would be stopped. USA protested, and suggested to both belligerents a mitigation of the rigours of the war zone. Other neutrals also protested. Germany answered by demanding free food supply through German and neutral ports; free supply of raw materials for civilians; British adoption of the Declaration of London; British abandonment of the use of neutral flags, and the guarantee that British merchantmen should not be armed. Great Britain replied by an Order of Council, 19 March, forbidding all trade to and from Germany in enemy or neutral bottoms.

Sources: Various material contemporary with the war have been used to compile The Great War On This Day and its associated Compendium.

On This Day pages are styled as timelines and have been transcribed from two out-of-copyright sources: Chronology of the War (1918-1920), and History of the Great War – Principle Events 1914-1918 (1922). The spelling of place-names is a particularly convoluted subject. Some names were spelt differently depending on source, others have changed over time for various political or geographical reasons. In general, spelling of place names are original to British use at the time of, and shortly after, the war. Some typos have been altered or corrected for consistency. Similar events between these sources have been amalgamated; as a result the date and wording may differ to their original texts.

Compendium entries form the central hub of (a) An index-like collection of places, people, ships, battles, political events, etc., and (b) Words and phrases of the Armed Forces of Great Britain during the Great War. The majority of these have been transcribed from Chronology of the War (1918-1920) and Soldier and Sailor Words and Phrases (1925) respectively, the later which is reflected in the language used and some may seem derogatory by today's standards.

Images come from scans or photographs of original sources, Wikimedia Commons, and the Imperial War Museum's online collections under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence. Attribution is given separately to the latter and does not come under the general licence of this site. Please be aware that some images, although very few, may depict distressing scenes.

Advisory note: The information in these sources may not accurately represent updated histories, present-day spellings, or geographical borders. It is also written from a British perspective, and words such as "enemy" are used extensively. For further details and a full list of sources, click here.

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[1] The Dardanelles operations were hampered by bad weather. The outer forts were destroyed and the straits cleared of mines for four miles by 2 March, 1915. On the following days inner forts were destroyed and the straits cleared to the Narrows, which were bombarded from 7 to 16 March, HMS Queen Elizabeth and other ships firing from the Gulf of Saros across the peninsula. HMS Irresistible, HMS Ocean and the French Bouvet were sunk by mines while attacking the Narrows at close quarters, and further operations were stopped by bad weather.

[2] Anglo-French Note of 2 March, 1915, stated that in answer to the German submarine blockade all trade in and out of Germany would be stopped. USA protested, and suggested to both belligerents a mitigation of the rigours of the war zone. Other neutrals also protested. Germany answered by demanding free food supply through German and neutral ports; free supply of raw materials for civilians; British adoption of the Declaration of London; British abandonment of the use of neutral flags, and the guarantee that British merchantmen should not be armed. Great Britain replied by an Order of Council, 19 March, forbidding all trade to and from Germany in enemy or neutral bottoms.

[a]

[b]