Western Front
Hostile activity in Champagne.
Eastern Front
Romania: Battle of Rimnicu Sarat (until December 27): Falkenhayn‘s 10 divisions take town on December 27, together with 10,000 PoWs, 2 guns and 58 Mgs.
Australian soldier manning a Lewis machine gun at the ongoing Battle of Magdhaba:
http://imgur.com/l1P9PCv
Fierce struggle for Moldavian frontier positions.
Dobruja: Russians from Dobruja retire to Bessarabia, leaving some troops at Macin (Braila).
Southern Front
Bad weather last fortnight on Italian front.
Two successful British attacks along Doiran front (Macedonia)
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Sinai: Battle of Magdhaba: Chauvel’s Anzac Mounted Division and Camel Corps (146 casualties) storm five redoubts, taking 1,282 PoWs and 4 guns.
http://imgur.com/fQy8ZEm
Further success to the south at Mitla Pass and Abu Aweigila.
Naval and Overseas Operations
East Africa: NRFF (1,900 soldiers with 6 guns) advances from Lupembe against Captain Langenn to Mkapira (arriving January 16, 1917) without trapping foe.
Political, etc.
France: French government admits that the nation is facing a severe coal shortage due to the war and difficulties in transportation.
United Kingdom: British news film “Topical Budget,” showing a French priest blessing artillery shells, among other news:
http://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/index/5410
United States: Cover of the “Scientific American” showing “an observatory car suspended from a zeppelin airship.”
http://imgur.com/UQxqh0w
President Wilson offers to abandon America’s isolationist policy if it is done to bring peace in Europe.