Austrian Maps

[Rockdoc]

I presume most of us working in this Theatre are familiar with the on-line Austro-Hungarian maps HERE. The front page says that they were published about 1910 and it's clear that the British and French both used a version of them when thy first landed but I'm not altogether sure that all the maps available in this archive are pre-WW1. At least one can't be.

Take THIS map. It shows a branch off the railway line at Amberköj, going near Guvesne and ending at Langazas. It also shows a narrow-gauge line from Stavros northwards to Kar Tasli Derbend. I re-read a document I downloaded from Kew a while ago last night, which is a report to from Milne to London in January 1917. In it he says that the line to Guvesne is being built and that the bridge over the Galliko has been completed. He also says that plans for a standard-gauge line from Stavros to Tasli Derbend have been abandoned because he can only get sufficient supplies of Decauville track. In other words, neither of the lines shown on the map existed in 1910.

I'm not saying that it makes a lot of difference to the usefulness of the maps but only that care is needed when drawing conclusions based on what's shown.

Keith

[apwright]

I think it was over a year before I noticed them, but there are footnotes under the general map at http://lazarus.elte.hu/hun/digkonyv/topo/3felmeres.htm

- in German only, unfortunately.

The key phrase concerning map 41-41 is "teilweise berichtigt bis 18.VI.1917" = partially corrected up to 18 June 1917!

Adrian

[Rockdoc]

I've been to that site umpteen times but never spotted the section at the bottom - not that my German is much to write home about! I just thought it might not be a bad thing to warn everyone to take care. Isn't it interesting that the maps were being updated from reconnaissance photos, though? What a pity we can't find any with all the dumps, etc, on them!

Keith

[sionyn]

Hi,

How do other (contemporary) maps of the area compare?

e.g. Military maps prepared jointly by the French Topographic Service and British 8th Field Survey Coy. as mentioned here:

http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/presc...1=standard&

(see note (2) at bottom of first page shown (actual pg.no.= 293))

- they must have been quite detailed maps, as the archeological sites are pinpointed with 8-figure grid references!

Are they available anywhere?

Sion.

[Rockdoc]

That's a nice document. Thanks for posting it. The map references are typical of those used on the British maps and probably on the French ones, too, but I have never seen one. They work on a grid system and the edge of each square is defined by two N-S lines and two E-W ones. On the British maps I've seen, each line has three numbers that run consecutively from South to North and East to West. Each square is then sub-divided into tenths to give the fourth digit so the Drimiglava site mentioned is at 146.2 E and 140.8 N on the Samli map, which I happen to have.

Maps are available through the National Archives. I believe the WFA do some on disk - but I'm not sure - and I know that the Salonika Campaign Society has plans to publish some but not for some time yet.

Keith