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Remembered Today:

Kite Balloons at Salonika


Ian Burns

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Re: Caquots.

True. There were KB land bases at Scapa (Houton Bay) and at Rosyth and the balloons were transported out to the ships that were to fly them. Mostly these were battleships and battlecruisers from Scapa and Rosyth. But some of the smaller ships - sloops, trawlers (at Dover mainly), PC-boats and destroyers - all around the coast were fitted for balloons. Quite how many ships and balloons were used is not clear...

HMS Campania in her final state did have an aft balloon hold and Caquots are reported to have been flown from the hold. But her balloon hold does not appear to have been much, if any, bigger that Manica or Canning. So, it seem likely that balloons were provided fully inflated to her as well.

On 1 April 1918 there were 500 officers and 3120 men serving in eighteen RNAS kite balloon sections with the fleet.* Most of these were in the UK, a few were overseas mainly at Malta and Otranto I think.

*AIR 1/109/15/21. Information regarding Kite Balloons since formation of Kite Balloon Section, RNAS.

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The first sighting of the German fleet approaching Scapa to surrender was made from a balloon flown from a patrol vessel AFAIK by this time these were the types of ship normally to be found flying them on a regular basis.

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I knew I had an image of Manica's winch somewhere. Looking at it, it was obviously taken within minutes of Centurion's post.

Not a great image, it was copied from The Illustrated War News, Nov 17, 1915 - pg.12.

If anyone has more images from what is clearly a series taken by a press photographer, please share them with us.

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Sorry, the first scan was too big. This is rather poor quality, but at least it will attach.

post-91472-0-30347400-1397935193_thumb.j

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Sorry, the first scan was too big. This is rather poor quality, but at least it will attach.

Ian,

An interesting photo, hope you do not mind my turning it for better viewing.

Regards,

LF

post-63666-0-92505000-1397941738_thumb.j

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Not at all. Another little thing I neglected to do before posting it :(

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Not at all. Another little thing I neglected to do before posting it :(

Ian,

Here is an IWM photo HU6626 showing a Drachen Balloon about to be launched from the HMS ( formerly SS ) Manica off Gallipoli, 1915.

Regards,

LF

post-63666-0-01463300-1397942172_thumb.j

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IWM HU66626 I think :)

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IWM HU66626 I think :)

Ian,

Yes, correct. I just checked and will edit, and here is the IWM caption :-

" A 'Drachen' type balloon is held steady aboard the SS MANICA, while its observer waits to climb into the basket, off the Gallipoli coast, summer 1915."

Regards,

LF

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Ian,

Here is another photo ( source unknown ) of the ' Manica ' with an Observation Balloon aloft.

LF

post-63666-0-55560600-1397943159_thumb.j

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I think that is a grab from Australian War Memorial photo H16476.

The caption incorrectly identifies the ship as 'Hecla', no such balloon ship. It is Manica.

There are a few others as well, including P02282.056 (Manica) and PS1434 (Not 'Ark Royal, but Manica!).

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An interesting ' Times ' newspaper report :-

The Times of London carried an article in its 13 May 1918 edition as follows :-

FIRST KITE BALLOON

SPOTTERS" FINE WORK FOR THE FLEET

" It was not until the early months of 1915 that the Kite Balloon Division of the R.N.A.S. came into being. When the demand for observation balloons for the Dardanelles operations came through in March of that year the Royal Navy was able to send out a completely equipped Kite Balloon Section in a specially fitted steamer. The vessel, the Manica, a converted tramp, which arrived just a month after the demand was made, immediately proved the value of the unit. Within three days a Turkish camp was shelled under the direction of the kite balloon, and the occupants thrown into confusion; while in the following week the "Spotter" directed fire on The Gaba Tepe position, which resulted in the destruction if the barracks.

The triumph, however, came before April was out, for from their aerial perch the observers spotted, lying quietly in the water on the other side by the Peninsular out of sight of our warships, a large Turkish transport. The transport apparently considered herself quite safe-but in warfare the unexpected often happens. H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth was operating near the balloon ship, and the bearings of the Turkish vessel were given her. The first shot fell short. By this time the other ships near by were beginning to take an interest in what was happening to Elizabeth's invisible target, which was lying nine miles the other side of the Peninsula. A second shot went nearer the mark. Again the direction was corrected, and a third heavy projectile screamed overland. By the telephone wire of the kite balloon came the words, "Got her. She's sinking by the head." The signalman semaphored this literally to the Queen Elizabeth and a roar of laughter went up as the various ships read the laconic message. Repeated attacks were made by the Turks on the solitary kite balloon and her parent ship, but the Turks were fought back. The effect on the Turkish shipping was evident, for whenever the Manica's offspring ascended, the enemy craft, remembering the fate of the transport, hustled off out of range of our big guns.

The official record of the Manica for the next fortnight was as follows:

  • 28 April.-Two field batteries silenced; several guns destroyed
  • 30 April.-Chanak shelled; burned for two hours
  • 2 May.-Battery of 8in guns shelled; three direct hits
  • 8 May.-Four batteries silenced
  • 12 May.-House, reported to be Turkish Headquarters, destroyed.

This and other work was a wonderful tribute to the efficacy of the new observation contrivance, and it should be remembered that barely two months before there was not a single kite balloon in England, and that the whole of the section was in an embryonic state. The experience gained in the Manica was the foundation of what is now an active branch of the Royal Navy. "

LF

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Rats! I just realised that H16476 is about the only photo of Manica at Galliopli that shows the stabilizing parachutes below the balloon - the four blobs below the basket (or largest blob).

The design of the Drachen often caused it to yaw across the wind. To help reduce yaw, a tail of stabilizing parachutes was suspended below the rear of the balloon. They were attached to the upper part of the winch cable bridle by means of two lines which passed either side of the balloon through eyes suspended from the rigging band, aft of the sails. The parachutes were then attached to the ‘Tail V’ formed by joining the two lines behind the balloon. The number of parachutes could be varied according to wind conditions.

They seem to have been dispensed with on land (?) but both Manica and Hector continued to use them.

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  • 1 year later...

27 Kite Balloon Section

I have just found these notes referring to the article in C&C Int. Winter 2013 Vol 44/4 by Peter Chapman. Peter had spotted the transcript which I had been able to submit to OUCS. See link below. That was exactly as written by my grandfather Harry Burtenshaw, and, apart from family history, I had no further detail. So Peter's article is, to us, a masterpiece of text.

I now would be very keen to hear about any photos of the Section and which may include Harry.

Grahame

http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/gwa/document/8712?RE.

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