May 1915

[May 1], 1915 (Saturday)

• Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive – Combined German and Austro-Hungarian forces under command of General August von Mackensen bombarded and attacked trenches held by the Russian Third Army along the Dunajec river in Galicia, expending 70,000 shells over four hours before troops assaulted the trenches.
• Battle of Hill 60 – German forces launched a series of gas attacks to retake the strategic hill on the Western Front from the British.
• Battle of Eski Hissarlik – Ottoman forces counter-attacked during the night in an attempt to push Allied forces off their beachhead at Cape Helles during the Gallipoli campaign. However, Allied defenses were strong and well-prepared for night attacks and the Ottoman forces were repelled.
• Zaian War – French colonial forces crossed the Rbia River north of Khenifra, Morocco to cut off food supplies reserved for the rebelling Zayanes. During the campaign, a French convoy was attacked by 5,000 tribesmen, but were repulsed with 300 killed and 400 wounded over a two-day battle. The battle lead to six months of relative calm in the region.
• French submarine struck a mine and sank in the Dardanelles with the loss of all 31 of her crew.
• British destroyer was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea by German submarine with the loss of 34 of her crew.
• Royal Navy destroyers protecting naval trawlers fought off German torpedo boats at Noordhinder Bank in the south part of the North Sea, resulting in both torpedo boats being sunk with 13 German sailors killed and another 46 captured. Sixteen British sailors were lost in the attack.
• British ocean liner RMS Lusitania departed Pier 54 in New York City on a return voyage back to Liverpool with 1,959 passengers and crew on board.
• The British War Office issued instructions specifying the aircraft and armament Royal Flying Corps squadrons were to have ready for the defense of Great Britain against German airships, including having aircraft ready for immediate takeoff at all times, with a specific mix of weapons including bombs, grenades, and incendiary darts.
• American tanker Gulflight was torpedoed and damaged in the Atlantic Ocean west of the Isles of Scilly by German submarine with the loss of three crew, becoming the first American ship to be attacked in World War I.
• Ambrose Heal and others founded the Design and Industries Association in London.
• The first part of the Mandra–Bhaun Railway opened in British India, connecting Mandra with Bhaun.
• Rail stations Bradley and Moxley and Milton Road were closed as part of wartime measures in England.
• The Barry Railway Company opened a rail station in Llandow, Wales to serve the South Wales line. It closed in 1964.
• Japanese chemical manufacturer Denka was established in Tokyo.
• Candy store chain Haigh's Chocolates was established when Alfred E. Haigh opened a chocolate store in Adelaide, Australia. The shop became a chain starting in the 1950s.
• The sports club Strong was established in Oslo for hockey, and became one of the founding members of GET-ligaen, the premier Norwegian hockey league. It merged with two other clubs in 1952 to become Grüner.
• The association football club Silvolde was established through a merger of two separate clubs in Silvolde, Netherlands.
• Frances Cornford's Spring Morning, the first modern book illustrated with wood engravings by the poet's cousin Gwen Raverat, was published by The Poetry Bookshop in London.
• Born:
• * Michael Dillon, British physician, first trans man to undergo phalloplasty; in London, England
• * Hoàng Văn Thái, Vietnamese army officer, first General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army; as Hoàng Văn Xiêm, in An Khang,Tiền Hải District, French Indochina
• * Archie Williams, American runner, gold medalist at the 1936 Summer Olympics; in Oakland, California, United States

  [May 2], 1915 (Sunday)

• Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive – Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholaevitch, supreme commander of the Russian Empire's armed forces, ordered fresh divisions to the Russian line as the Central Powers crossed the Wisłoka River using a captured bridge.
• The New Zealand and Australian Division launched an attack on a strategic hill in Gallipoli held by the 19th Infantry Division of the Ottoman Army, with support by the 1st Royal Naval Brigade.
• Norwegian cargo ship was sunk in the North Sea off Bergen, Norway by German submarine. Her 39 crew were rescued by another Norwegian ship.
• The Copa Del Rey Final was played in front of 5,000 spectators at Estadio de Amute in Hondarribia, Spain. Athletic Bilbao beat Espanyol 5–0 to win their 6th Copa del Rey.
• Died:
• * Clara Immerwahr, 44, German chemist and women's rights activist, first woman to be awarded a doctorate in chemistry, wife to Fritz Haber; died by suicide
• * David Dalhoff Neal, 76, American artist, best known for his portraits of historic figures including ''Oliver Cromwell of Ely Visits Mr. John Milton''

  [May 3], 1915 (Monday)

• Italy officially revoked the Triple Alliance. In the following days, Italian statesman Giovanni Giolitti led the neutralist majority of the Italian Parliament in opposing a war declaration, while nationalist crowds demonstrated in public areas for entering the war.
• Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive – Russian forces retreated from Gorlice as German and Austro-Hungarian troops crossed the Dunajec River north of Kraków.
• Combined Australian, New Zealand and British forces were not sufficient reinforcements to hold onto a strategic hill in Gallipoli, resulting in their withdraw at a cost of close to 1,000 casualties.
• The RAF Northolt station began operating in South Ruislip, London, England. It remains the longest, continuously used air station by the Royal Air Force.
• The first Zeppelin P Class airship of the Imperial German Army - the L38 - took flight for raids on England.
• While on patrol over the North Sea, a German Navy Zeppelin encountered and attacked four British submarines on the surface, however, all subs were able to escape by diving.
• The 101st and 103rd Infantry Divisions of the Imperial German Army were established.
• Swedish coastal defence ship Sverige was launched by Götaverken in Gothenburg, Sweden.
• Canadian medical soldier John McCrae wrote the poem "In Flanders Fields", after presiding over the funeral of a friend and fellow soldier who died in the Second Battle of Ypres.
• Home team Bethlehem Steel beat Brooklyn Celtic 3–1 at the second annual U.S. Open Cup at Taylor Field, Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania before a crowd of 7,000 spectators.
• The borough Bradford Woods, Pennsylvania was incorporated.
• U.S. steamer Undine arrived in Lewiston, Idaho from Portland, Oregon as part of the inaugural cruise for the newly built Celilo Canal that connected two points of the Columbia River. The canal was in operation until 1957 when The Dalles Dam was completed.
• Born: Stu Hart, Canadian wrestler, founder of Stampede Wrestling, patriarch of the Hart wrestling family; as Stewart Hart, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

  [May 4], 1915 (Tuesday)

• Los Angeles held a mayoral election, with Charles E. Sebastian elected to become the city's 30th mayor. Sebastian received over 28,000 votes, or 39 per cent of the polls.

  [May 5], 1915 (Wednesday)

• Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive – The Russian Third Army began to collapse, allowing German forces to break through and capture 140,000 enemy soldiers and 100 guns.
• Battle of Hill 60 – British forces held off German gas attacks for four days but a renewed attack on the fifth day resulted in the gas following the front line as opposed to crossing it, allowing more British troops to be overcome. This allowed German infantry of the 30th Division to advance and capture the front line on the lower slope of the hill.
• German submarine U-20 sunk a British merchant schooner, the Earl of Lathom, off the southern coast of Ireland after stopping it and ordering the crew off the ship.
• The Royal Navy issued an uncoded warning to all British commercial ships that German U-boats were seen active off the south coast of Ireland.
• The British 125th brigade of the 42nd Infantry Division arrived at Gallipoli to reinforce ANZAC Cove, allowing ANZAC forces to prepare for a second assault on the village of Krithia the following day.
• The 105th Infantry Division of the Imperial German Army was established.
• St. John's College was established in Nugegoda, British Ceylon as the first English-language school in the country.
• The all-girls public school Samudradevi Balika Vidyalaya was established in Nugegoda, British Ceylon.
• The association football organization Federação Mineira de Futebol was established to manage football clubs in Minas Gerais, Brazil and represent the clubs at the Brazilian Football Confederation.
• Born: Alice Faye, American singer and actress, best known for the Oscar-winning song "You'll Never Know" in the film Hello, Frisco, Hello; as Alice Jeanne Leppert, in New York City, United States
• Died: Ronald Poulton, 25, English rugby player, centre for the England national rugby union team from 1909 to 1914, and Oxford University from 1908 to 1911; killed in action by a sniper near Ploegsteert, Belgium

  [May 6], 1915 (Thursday)

• Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive – Russian forces abandoned the city of Tarnów, Poland.
• Second Battle of Krithia – British, Australian and New Zealand forces launched an assault on Ottoman defenses on the Helles battlefield during the Gallipoli campaign but failed to advance further than 400 yards.
• The Imperial Russian Army launched a major offensive on Anatolia and also threatened Van, Turkey.
• After receiving messages that a German U-boat sunk British merchant ship Candidate and nearly sunk the British ocean liner Arabic, Captain William Thomas Turner of the ordered the crew to make emergency preparations in case the ship was attacked and had to be abandoned, although passengers were not informed.
• German submarine U-20 fired a torpedo at British steamer Cayo Romano from Cuba, even though it was flying a neutral flag, off the southern coast of Ireland narrowly missing by a few feet.
• Ross Sea party – A fierce winter storm unmoored the polar ship Aurora at McMurdo Sound in the Antarctic, causing her to drift. On board were 18 men including first officer Joseph Stenhouse while another 10 were marooned onshore; the six members involved in the sledge parties that were setting up supply depots for the main Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, including expedition commander Aeneas Mackintosh, were stranded in Hut Point and four member scientists that were camped at Cape Evans.
• Baseball player Babe Ruth hit his first career home run off pitcher Jack Warhop for the Boston Red Sox.
• Born: Orson Welles, American actor and director, directed and produced Citizen Kane, considered by most film critics as one of the all-time greatest films, as well as acclaimed films The Magnificent Ambersons and Touch of Evil, and roles in The Third Man and Catch-22; as George Orson Welles, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States