20th April 1916 On this day: Intermittent Enemy Shelling   6th County of London Brigade RFA at Carency report 2nd Lt Tomb, 6th London Ammunition Column is attached to the 17th London Battery and 2nd Lt Corsan 6th London Ammunition Column who was attached to the 15th London Battery returned to his unit. The enemy shelled the Zouave Valley and Notre Dame de Lorette slopes intermittently all day. At 1825 the enemy exploded a mine on the left front of the Division on our right. War Diaries U-9 joins Training Flotilla   SM U-9 commanded by Johannes Spieß transfers from the Baltic Flotilla to the Training Flotilla.    SM U-78 Type UE 1 Shipyard Vulcan, Hamburg (Werk 60) Ordered 9 Mar 1915 Launched 27 Feb 1916 Commissioned 20 Apr 1916 Commanders. 20 Apr 1916 - 15 Jan 1918 Otto Dröscher. 16 Jan 1918 - 31 Jan 1918 Karl Thouret. 1 Feb 1918 - 27 Feb 1918 Oblt. Johann Vollbrecht. 1 Mar 1918 - 26 Apr 1918 Karl Vesper. 27 Apr 1918 - 24 May 1918 Wilhelm Meyer. 25 May 1918 - 27 Oct 1918 Oblt. Johann Vollbrecht Career 12 patrols. 9 Jul 1916 - 27 Oct 1918 I Flotilla Successes 17 ships sunk with a total of 27,488 tons. 2 ships damaged with a total of 11,332 tons. 2 ships taken as prize with a total of 3,427 tons. 16 Jul 1916 U 78 Otto Dröscher Vidar (prize) 2,178 sw 5 Aug 1916 U 78 Otto Dröscher Aranda 1,838 nw 2 Sep 1916 U 78 Otto Dröscher Kelvinia 5,039 br 26 Sep 1916 U 78 Otto Dröscher Loch Shiel 216 br 21 Oct 1916 U 78 Otto Dröscher Atle Jarl (prize) 1,249 nw 16 Nov 1916 U 78 Otto Dröscher Vega 1,204 nw 13 Dec 1916 U 78 Otto Dröscher Kursk (damaged) 7,869 ru 7 Feb 1917 U 78 Otto Dröscher Väring 2,107 sw 13 Feb 1917 U 78 Otto Dröscher Barnsley 144 br 15 Feb 1917 U 78 Otto Dröscher Stralsund 510 nw 3 Mar 1917 U 78 Otto Dröscher Meldon 2,514 br 2 Apr 1917 U 78 Otto Dröscher Sagitta 1,981 nw 2 Apr 1917 U 78 Otto Dröscher Tithonus (damaged) 3,463 br 4 Apr 1917 U 78 Otto Dröscher Vladimir Reitz 2,128 da 5 Apr 1917 U 78 Otto Dröscher Bris 101 da 7 Apr 1917 U 78 Otto Dröscher Jason 810 br 13 Apr 1917 U 78 Otto Dröscher Strathcona 1,881 ca 14 Apr 1917 U 78 Otto Dröscher Andromache 313 br 19 Apr 1917 U 78 Otto Dröscher Lobelia 184 br 17 Jun 1917 U 78 Otto Dröscher Fornebo 4,259 br 13 Dec 1917 U 78 Otto Dröscher Arnewood 2,259 br Fate 27 Oct 1918 - Torpedoed by HM Sub G2 N of North Sea at 5602N 0508E. 40 dead (all hands lost). The commonly listed sinking date of October 28, 1918 is in error. There was another U 78 in World War Two. That boat was launched from its shipyard on 7 Dec 1940 and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 15 Feb 1941. John Doran  Training and relief party  In Cairo    At 5.45pm 18th DLI proceeded from Bus Les Artois to front line trenches where they took over from 11th East Yorks. The National Archives 18DLI War Diary WO95/2361/1  Under Shellfire  In the Trenches  Reliefs  New Position  NCOs Lectured  Working Parties  Working Parties  Explosion  Working Parties  Orders  Training  Unit Moves  Billets  Very Wet  Training  Working Parties  Defence Work  Aircraft damaged  Aircraft damaged  Battery HQ Moves  In Billets  Posting  Arras Again Shelled  Battalion received Orders to move to La Clytte Rain   Wet weather continued. 7th Buffs report trenches in bad state Enemy bombarded centre of subsector intensely for 2 minutes with 77 mm and 10.5 cm, not much damage done and no casualties 7th Buffs war diary WO95/2049  Reliefs  Training  On the Move  Route March  Advance Party  Wiring, Bombing & Drill.   Can you add to this factual information? Do you know the whereabouts of a unit on a particular day? Do you have a copy of an official war diary entry? Details of an an incident? The loss of a ship? A letter, postcard, photo or any other interesting snipts? If your information relates only to an individual, eg. enlistment, award of a medal or death, please use this form: Add a story.

Killed, Wounded, Missing, Prisoner and Patient Reports published this day. This section is under construction.

Want to know more about 20th of April 1916? There are:37 items tagged 20th of April 1916 available in our Library   These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.

Remembering those who died this day, 20th of April 1916. Pte. Henry Bellis. 6th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment Read their Story. 2nd Lt. Henry Alexander Birkby. 5th Btn. Royal Berkshire Regiment Read their Story. 2nd Lt. Henry Alexander Birkby. 5th Btn. Royal Berkshire Regiment Read their Story. Pte Samuel Carter. 9th Btn Worcestershire Regiment Pte. William Crosbie. 7th Btn. Leinster Regiment Read their Story. Sgt. Robert Victor McKinley Forster. 7th Btn. North Staffordshire Regiment Read their Story. Lascar Abdul Ghani. Read their Story. L/Cpl. William Lancaster. 6th Btn. Yorkshire Regiment Read their Story. Pte. John Lang. 1st Btn. Seaforth Highlanders Read their Story. Sapper Enoch Moxon. 182nd tunnelling Company Royal Engineers Read their Story. Pte. J. O'Neill. 3rd Btn. Leinster Regiment Read their Story. Pte. William Phipson. 9th Btn. Worcestershire Regiment Read their Story. Pte. Thomas Smith. 9th Btn Worcestershire Regiment Read their Story. Pte. William Warrener. 17th Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment Cpl. William Young. 14th btn. Durham Light Infantry Add a name to this list.

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