Western Front
RFC aid British artillery to get 25 direct hits on trench points and gun pits.
Verdun: Fierce German counter-attack at Mort Homme.
French soldier displaying his military chauffeur’s uniform:
http://imgur.com/fD8nQ6e* © IWM (Q 102997)
Eastern Front
Poor weather rules out Operation Eisernes Kreuz; primary target Petrograd; nor can alternatives (Reval, Helsinki, Oesel, Dago) be reached due to severe icing. Airship
L-35 force-lands in pine forest at Seemuppen; damaged beyond repair (night December 28-29).
Romania: Allied retreat in Romania continues, destroying $150 million worth of oil fields on the way. British armoured cars engaged.
Battle of Casin: German troops capture another 3000 Romanian and Russian troops. Brăila, Romania is now within artillery range.
Southern Front
Salonika: Serb Colonel Dragutin Dimitrievic (codename*Apis) of Black Hand secret society arrested at Serb Third Army Headquarter on charges of planning a mutiny and murder of Crown Prince.
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Armenia: On the Caucasian Front, Russian troops defeat Ottoman troops near the city of Van, forcing them to retreat to the south.
Political, etc.
Germany: Germany hands appreciative reply to Swiss Note.
United States: President Wilson celebrates his 60th birthday today.
New York City requests hotels and restaurants to stop serving liquor at 3 am on New Year’s Day to control the celebrations.