4 February: Difference between revisions

Western Front	British casualties on Western Front to this date approximately 104,000.
Eastern front	▶ The Winter Battle in Masuria (East Prussia).	▶ Continued heavy fighting on Bzura-Ravka front; Russians cross Bzura and take positions near Dachova.	▶ Russians falling back in Bukovina.
Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres	▶ Actions on the Suez Canal end.	▶ Turkish forces retreat into Sinai.
Naval and Overseas Operations	German attack on Kakamas (north-west Cape Colony) repulsed.
Political	German Government declare waters round the United Kingdom a "war region" as from 18 February.^[a]

Notes

↑ Quote from German declaration: "The waters around Great Britain and Ireland....are herewith proclaimed a war region. On and after February 18, every enemy merchant vessel found in this region will be destroyed without its always being possible to warn the crew and passengers....Neutral ships will also incur danger in the war-region, since....it cannot be guaranteed that attacks intended for enemy ships will not affect neutral ships also. Vessels sailing to the north of the Shetlands, in the eastern part of the North Sea, and in a zone at least 30 knots wide along the Netherlands coast, are not menaced by any danger."

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

Text has 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). Spelling of place names are original to British use at the time. Some typos have been altered or corrected for consistency. Duplicate or identical events between these sources have been amalgamated; as a result the date and wording may differ to the original texts.
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[1] Quote from German declaration: "The waters around Great Britain and Ireland....are herewith proclaimed a war region. On and after February 18, every enemy merchant vessel found in this region will be destroyed without its always being possible to warn the crew and passengers....Neutral ships will also incur danger in the war-region, since....it cannot be guaranteed that attacks intended for enemy ships will not affect neutral ships also. Vessels sailing to the north of the Shetlands, in the eastern part of the North Sea, and in a zone at least 30 knots wide along the Netherlands coast, are not menaced by any danger."

[a]

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 |-
 |'''Eastern front'''
+|{{tb}} The Winter Battle in Masuria ([[East Prussia]]).
 |{{tb}} Continued heavy fighting on [[Bzura (river)|Bzura]]-[[Ravka (river)|Ravka]] front; Russians cross Bzura and take positions near Dachova.
 |{{tb}} Russians falling back in [[Bukovina]].
 |-
 |'''Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres'''
-|{{tb}} Actions on the [[Suez Canal]] end (see [[3 February]]).
+|{{tb}} Actions on the [[Suez Canal]] end.
 |{{tb}} Turkish forces retreat into Sinai.
 |-
@@ Line 18: / Line 19: @@
 |-
 |'''Political'''
-|German Government declare waters round the United Kingdom a "war region" as from [[18 February]].<ref group="lower-alpha">Quote from German declaration: "The waters around [[Great Britain]] and [[Ireland]]....are herewith proclaimed a war region. On and after [[18 February|February 18]], every enemy merchant vessel found in this region will be destroyed without its always being possible to warn the crew and passengers....Neutral ships will also incur danger in the war-region, since....it cannot be guaranteed that attacks intended for enemy ships will not affect neutral ships also. Vessels sailing to the north of the Shetlands, in the eastern part of the [[North Sea]], and in a zone at least 30 knots wide along the Netherlands coast, are not menaced by any danger."</ref>*The Winter Battle in Masuria ([[East Prussia]]) begins (see [[22 February]]).
+|German Government declare waters round the United Kingdom a "war region" as from [[18 February]].<ref group="lower-alpha">Quote from German declaration: "The waters around [[Great Britain]] and [[Ireland]]....are herewith proclaimed a war region. On and after [[18 February|February 18]], every enemy merchant vessel found in this region will be destroyed without its always being possible to warn the crew and passengers....Neutral ships will also incur danger in the war-region, since....it cannot be guaranteed that attacks intended for enemy ships will not affect neutral ships also. Vessels sailing to the north of the Shetlands, in the eastern part of the [[North Sea]], and in a zone at least 30 knots wide along the Netherlands coast, are not menaced by any danger."</ref>
 |}
 {{notes}}<!--{{refs}}-->