August 1916

[August 1], 1916 (Tuesday)

• Battle of Verdun – The Germans launched a new attack on Fort Souville, forcing a two-week campaign of French counterattacks.
• Battle of Bitlis – The Russian Caucasus Army, supported by Armenian militia, attacked the Ottoman Second Army in Bitlis Province located in eastern Turkey.
• Anglo-Egyptian Darfur Expedition – Talks of surrender broke down between the Anglo-Egyptian force commanded by Philip James Vandeleur Kelly and Sultan Ali Dinar of the Sultanate of Darfur, leader of a rebellion against British colonial rule in what is now Sudan. Dinar had barricaded his force in the mountains outside the regional capital of El Fasher since abandoning it in May. Dinar's force of 2,000 men began to dwindle down to half as men deserted him.
• The Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park was established in Hawaii, the 11th National Park in the United States and the first in a Territory.
• The Royal Flying Corps established No. 59, No. 64 and No. 65 Squadrons.
• Robert Baden-Powell published The Wolf Cub's Handbook in the United Kingdom, establishing the basis of the junior section of the Scouting movement, the Wolf Cubs.
• The first edition of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Horse Association Bulletin news magazine was published for local horse breeders in Lexington, Kentucky. The magazine grew in popularity with horse breeders across the United States and was renamed The Blood-Horse in 1929.
• Born:
• * Fiorenzo Angelini, Italian clergy, Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers from 1985 to 1996; in Rome, Kingdom of Italy
• * Angela Calomiris, American photographer, secret FBI informant in the Communist Party USA from 1942 to 1949; in New York City, United States
• * Anne Hébert, Canadian poet and novelist, author of Kamouraska, three-time recipient of the Governor General's Awards; in Sainte-Catherine-de-Fossambault, Quebec, Canada
• * Bernard Ramm, American theologian, author of The Christian View of Science and Scripture which argued against the young earth theory; in Butte, Montana, United States
• * Lois Roden, American religious leader, founded the Branch Davidians with husband Benjamin Roden; in Stone County, Montana, United States

  [August 2], 1916 (Wednesday)

• An on-board explosion sank the Italian battleship Leonardo da Vinci while anchored in Taranto harbor, killing 248 officers and crew.
• A Bristol Scout from the Royal Navy seaplane tender Vindex unsuccessfully attacked a German Zeppelin. It was the first interception of an airship by a carrier-based aircraft.
• German flying ace Erwin Böhme shot down and killed Latvian flying ace Eduard Pulpe after an hour-long battle.
• The Apotheosis of Democracy sculpture by Paul Wayland Bartlett on the east wing of the United States Capitol was unveiled to the public.
• Born: Georgette Seabrooke, American artist, best known for her mural Recreation in Harlem at the Harlem Hospital Center in New York City; in Charleston, South Carolina, United States

  [August 3], 1916 (Thursday)

• Battle of Romani – A joint Ottoman-German force of 16,000 under command of Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein attacked the town of Romani, Egypt held by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in an attempt to push the British out of the Sinai Peninsula and take control of the Suez Canal.
• Roger Casement was hanged at Pentonville Prison for high treason for his role in the Easter Rising.
• The musical comedy Chu Chin Chow, written, produced, directed and starring Oscar Asche, with music by Frederic Norton, premièred at His Majesty's Theatre in London. It will run for five years and a total of 2,238 performances, a West End theatre record that would stand for nearly forty years.
• Born:
• * Claude Demetrius, American songwriter, known for his rockabilly song hits including "Mean Woman Blues" and "Hard Headed Woman", both sung by Elvis Presley; in Bath, Maine, United States
• * Shakeel Badayuni, Indian poet and songwriter, composed song hits for Hindi films including Gharana and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam; in Budaun, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India
• * Gordon Merrick, American actor and writer, considered the pioneer of gay fiction including The Stumpet Wind; as William Gordon Merrick, in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, United States
• * José Manuel Moreno, Argentine association football player, second striker for several clubs throughout South America including Club Atlético River Plate; as José Manuel Moreno Fernández, in Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Died: Roger Casement, Irish nationalist and diplomat

  [August 4], 1916 (Friday)

• The Treaty of the Danish West Indies was signed to allow transfer of sovereignty of the Danish West Indies from Denmark to the United States, in exchange for a sum of US$25,000,000 in gold.
• Battle of Pozières – After several delays due to German bombardment, the Australian 2nd Division was able to push forth and secure most of the second network of German trenches east of Pozières, France.
• Battle of Delville Wood – A British effort to take the eastern side of Delville Wood near Longueval, France, failed.
• Battle of Romani – British reinforcements launched a front attack on German-Ottoman forces at Wellington Ridge and a rearguard action at Katia that overturned the enemy's assault on the Sinai Peninsula.
• Died: Frédéric Janssoone, 77, French clergy, reintroduced the Order of Friars Minor in Canada, beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1988

  [August 5], 1916 (Saturday)

• Battle of Pozières – The Australian 2nd Division was relieved by the Australian 4th Division. The 2nd division had sustained 6,848 casualties over a 12-day period.
• Battle of Romani – With the German-Ottoman attack on the Sinai Peninsula failing, General Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein ordered his forces to retreat to Arish.
• Born: Sadeq Chubak, Iranian writer, author of the novel Tangsir; in Bushire, Iran
• Died: George Butterworth, 31, English composer, known for his orchestral pieces including The Banks of Green Willow and Love Blows As the Wind Blows; killed in action at the Battle of the Somme

  [August 6], 1916 (Sunday)

• Sixth Battle of the Isonzo – The Italian army launched its sixth offensive against Austria-Hungary in northern Italy with the Battle of Doberdò, the bloodiest single battle on the Italian front. Some 20,000 soldiers from both sides were killed or missing before the Italians were able to push Austro-Hungarian forces out of the Doberdò del Lago commune.
• Battle of Pozières – German forces launched a counter-assault on the captured O.G. Lines while the Australian forces were rotating units.
• Battle of Romani – British forces continue to advance on the town of Oghratina as they pursued the retreating German-Ottoman force on the Sinai Peninsula.
• French flying ace Captain René Fonck gained his first confirmed victory, eventually becoming the highest-scoring Allied and second-highest-scoring ace overall of World War I.
• Born:
• * Hugo Biermann, South African naval officer, only naval officer to hold the position of Chief of South African Defence Force; in Johannesburg, South Africa
• * Helmut Lipfert, German fighter pilot, member of the Luftwaffe during World War II, ranked 13th of the world's best fighter aces with over 200 victories, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross; in Lippelsdorf, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, German Empire
• * E. Michael Burke, American sports executive, President of the New York Yankees from 1966 to 1973; as Edmund Michael Burke, in Enfield, Connecticut, United States
• * Richard Hofstadter, American historian, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for both The Age of Reform and Anti-intellectualism in American Life; in Buffalo, New York, United States
• * Dom Mintoff, Maltese state leader, eighth Prime Minister of Malta from 1955 to 1958; as Dominic Mintoff, in Bormla, Crown Colony of Malta
• * Richard Sharples, British politician, Governor of Bermuda from 1972 to 1973, assassinated by Bermudian Black Power group Black Beret Cadre; in Hamilton, Bermuda
• Died:
• * Duncan Chapman, 28, Australian army officer, first man to step ashore at the start of the Gallipoli campaign; killed in action at the Battle of the Somme
• * Franz Eckert, 64, German composer, created the harmonies for the Japan national anthem "Kimigayo" and the Korean Empire anthem "Aegukga"; died of stomach cancer
• * Enrico Toti, 33, Italian cyclist, noted for being able to race while only having one leg; killed in action at the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo

  [August 7], 1916 (Monday)

• Portugal joined the Allies.
• Battle of Pozières – German forces launched a final counterattack to recapture their lost trench network. As Germans overran the trench system and began to take prisoners, Australian officer Lieutenant Albert Jacka, a veteran of the Gallipoli campaign, led seven soldiers to resist in heavy hand-to-hand combat that repelled the attack, capturing 50 Germans in the process. He was subsequently award the Military Cross for his actions, although many eyewitnesses insisted he should have won a second Victoria Cross.
• Battle of Delville Wood – A renewed attacked yielded limited success, with new posts established beyond Delville Wood and north of the village of Longueuil, France.
• Battle of Romani – British forces occupied Oghratina on the Sinai Peninsula.
• The United States Army activated the 32nd Infantry Regiment in Oahu, Hawaii.
• A large audience attended the Bohemian Theatre in Dublin for the first screening of the Film Company of Ireland's first film O'Neill of the Glen.
• The Imperial Russian Air Service began flying Anatra aircraft, although it would not be used extensively until the Russian Civil War.
• Born:
• * Kermit Love, American puppeteer, designer of many of The Muppets on Sesame Street; in Spring Lake, New Jersey, United States
• * Leslie George Bull, British bomber pilot, member of the "Great Escape" from Stalag Luft III during World War II; in Highbury, London, England
• Died: David McMurtrie Gregg, 83, American army officer, decorated cavalry officer for the Union during the Gettysburg campaign