IWM Film of Salonika

[Rockdoc]

I've been sent a link by RobL (for which much thanks!) to a film of the Salonika Front. I subsequently found another. Both are up my alley as they show AA guns firing but the first has some interesting stuff. It shows a mountain gun firing under netting and it uses a bagged charge, which Hogg and Thurston says is correct. However, the sequence showing the raised mountain gun for AA work is using a combined round, like a field gun, and a catch must have been added to the breech to stop the round falling out after loading. The modifications to the breech, including the firing mechanism, and non-standard ammunition means that the use of this gun as a high-angle weapon must have been signed off at the highest level.

The sequence of a 9-cwt AA gun firing is interesting because I only know of three that saw action in the theatre, though I can't prove whether another Section had them or not. Of the three, one was on the Dudular ridge (73rd AAS) and the others (90th) were near Janes and behind the Doiran front, roughly around the Ardzan area. My guess, given the need for camouflage and the hills in the background, is that it's the Janes position. It also gives a start date for the film. 73rd received its 9-cwt Gun in February 1917. 90th landed in late in the same month. Its No 1 Gun arrived at the position near Janes on 4th March and its No 2 Gun took over a position near Oreovica from 24th AAS the previous day.

The second film starts with a long sequence of 6-cwt Mk 1 guns firing. They're on a large, flat area and there may water in the background. Could this be the Struma Valley? The only other such area I know of is near Guvesne, where 98th was stationed from early April, 1917.

Enjoy!

http://iwmcollections.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060022619

http://iwmcollections.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060022620

Keith

[apwright]

Hi Keith,

I think the location in the first scenes in film 2 is around Samli, looking northeast, and the river is the Vardar/Axios. The line of hills in the background looks very similar. The guns look very exposed to be on the Struma.

Incidentally, I discovered the other day, while browsing through the French war diaries online, that Summerhill Camp must have been near Samli - and not between Lembet & Dautbali as I had originally surmised.

On 27 Feb 17 (the day of the air raid mentioned in UTDE as causing nearly 300 casualties at Summerhill), the French HQ diary states "Activité aérienne intense. Une vingtaine d'avions ennemis bombardement [sic] les campements anglais de Samli, 54 tués, 264 blessés." (my italics)

Adrian

[Revan]

Hello,

Thank you for the links.

[Rockdoc]

That's interesting stuff, Adrian. It pretty much has to be 73rd AAS, then. I couldn't say when it was taken but they had two Guns between going into action on 1st October 1916 but they got a 9-cwt Gun in early 1917 and a third 6-cwt not long afterwards.

As to Summerhill's location. Knowing the tendency for place-names to be used, even if the actual sites were a couple of kilometres away, the chances are, I think, the British camp is not at Samli but on the flat ground between the Galiko and the western edge of the ridge, perhaps where it says Chemin north of Arapli on the Samli trench map. There isn't a lot of flat ground around Samli until you get to Inglis and that is a bit far, I would have thought. My suggested site is close to Dudular and the military station was there. I think the following adds some weight to my hypothesis.

The Diary for 73rd on 27th February says:

It was another fine, sunny day. No 1 Gun was moved to a new position at 09.00 hours.

Reports were received of 3 planes over the flying ground at Gorgop (10.45), one plane flying S from Gumendze (reports at 13.00 and 14.15), flying South from Guevgueli (14.40), 20 planes flying South towards Janes (16.04) and 12 planes flying S over Sarigol (16.08). Reports were sent of 14 unknown planes approaching Salonika from the North (16.15) and Squadron of planes travelling in a northerly direction from Salonika (16.40).

The Diary records at 16.16, “Hostile squadron of planes estimated at 17 sighted flying towards SALONICA from North engaged by both guns from detached positions. As soon as fire opened the squadron spread out, a large number of bombs being dropped on the surrounding camps. Expended:- 84 rounds SHRAPNEL 9 cwt; 58 rounds SHRAPNEL 6 cwt; 22 rounds HE 6 cwt.”

So the Samli camps must be within range of 73rd's Guns off the western end of the ridge. There has to be something on the Samli side of the ridge but there is still room for a camp on the gently-sloping ground north of the Tumulus de Doudoular towards Daut Bali and Yenikoj. The Diary does say "surrounding", though that's not very specific,is it?

Keith