KG 1 Macedonian Operations

[James A Pratt III]

These are the days where Kampgeschwader 1 flew operations on the Macedonian front in 1917 and the result that I managed to find out:

27 Feb  115 KIA and 261 WIA Summerhill camp

4 Mar Light damage 64 casulaties most at No.29 general hospital

12 mar Hospital hit 2 nurses among the casualties

20 Mar 2 claims by KG 1 2 men killed

30 Mar

31 Mar

1 Apr

3 Apr

5 Apr destroys ammunition train and ammunition dump

8 Apr Light damage Yanesh railroad 1 aircraft lost 3 men POW

10 Apr

22 Apr XII corps bivouacs attacked  air combat1 RNAS WIA

23 Apr

24 Apr

25 Apr KG 1 1 WIA by French aircraft RFC 1 KIA air combat

28 Apr no damage

29 Apr

30 Apr

[Gardenerbill]

10 hours ago, James A Pratt III said:

Kampgeschwader 1

 

James,

Am I right in assuming Kampgeschwader 1 is the German bomber squadron? And was it based at Hirsovo?

[James A Pratt III]

Yes KG 1 was a bomb group and I believe it was based at Hudova

[apwright]

For the dates you mention, the French comptes-rendus des opérations give the following information (Kagohl 1 may not have been responsible for all these raids!):

 

27 Feb - Approx. 20 a/c bombed British camps at Samli [sic, means Summerhill!]. French give figures of 67 killed, 264 wounded. [N.B. CWGC lists 86 died at Salonika that day!]

 

4 Mar - 3 bombs on Biklista (1 wounded), 4 bombs on Vertekop (1 Greek killed, 1 French soldier wounded), 40 bombs on British camps near Salonika (14 killed, 30 wounded, mainly at 29 General Hospital).

 

12 Mar - Morning: 21 a/c drop more than 80 bombs on British 37 GH and French Ambulance 8/3. (28 killed including 2 nurses, 43 wounded. Ammunition dump beside railway station serously damaged.) Afternoon: 18 a/c bomb area around Janes. No damage or casualties.

 

20 Mar - Bombs dropped on French camps at Kravari. 30 wounded.

 

30 Mar - 14 a/c bomb supply centres at Viro and Opticar. 8 wounded.

 

31 Mar - Bombs dropped on Brod and supply centre at Slivica. 5 killed, 8 wounded. A large number of horses/mules killed or wounded.

 

1 Apr - Bombs dropped on supply centres, rail stations and hospitals at Ostrovo, Eksisu and Sorovich. 12 killed, 15 wounded.

 

3 Apr - 4 bombs dropped on French field ambulances at Gorica. No damage. 10 a/c drop 50 bombs at Vertekop. Several wounded, 1 tent at British hospital destroyed, no damage to rail station.

 

5 Apr - [No mention of any aerial action!]

 

8 Apr - 14 a/c bomb Janes. 5 killed, 2 wounded. No damage. One Friedrichshafen G.II brought down SE of Lake Doiran, crew captured [would like to know their names, if you have them!!].

 

10 Apr - 12 a/c bomb Livadi. 43 killed or wounded (3 French soldiers, 18 Greek soldiers, 22 civilians).

 

22 Apr - 4 bombs dropped on French field ambulances at Gorica. No damage.

 

23 Apr - "The German squadron from Hudova retired in the face of the British aircraft".

 

24 Apr - 12 a/c bomb French camps at Brod, Slivica and Dobroveni. No casualties mentioned.

 

25 Apr - [No mention of any aerial action in French report, but this was the day of the big British attack at Doiran]

 

28 Apr - [No mention of any aerial action!]

 

29 Apr - Numerous enemy incursions. 16 combats. 1 French & 1 Italian a/c lost. 12 killed/wounded at Bach and Skocivir. 50 horses killed. 8 boats damaged at Dupreni on Lake Prespa.

 

30 Apr - 12 a/c drop 40 bombs on station and town of Vodena (15 civilians killed and 23 wounded, 3 French soldiers killed). 8 bombs on Vertekop station (2 wounded, no damage).

 

 

It seems likely (due to the number of aircraft involved) that Kagohl 1 were also at least partly responsible for the following raids:

 

26 Feb - 21 a/c (including 8 escorts) bombed the airfield of Escadrille F385 at Gorgop. 6 wounded, 8 a/c destroyed and 5 damaged, 2 hangars destroyed and 1 damaged.
15 different aircraft bombed the British airfield at Janes, 4 killed, 7 wounded.

 

7 Mar - 18 a/c dropped 63 bombs on Bohemica and on Gorgop airfield. 1 Greek civilian wounded.

 

26 Mar - German a/c bombed British camps at Snevce. Some killed/wounded. 15 a/c bombed French supply centres at Brod and Sakulevo. 6 French, 1 Bulgarian POW, 1 civilian and 18 horses killed. 15 French, 1 Italian, 1 Serb, 8 Bulgarian POWs, 1 civilian and 53 horses wounded. Material losses include 3,000 fuzes for 80mm mountain gun shells.

 

29 Mar - 10 a/c attempt to bomb Snevce but driven off by British a/c.

 

6 Apr - Camps of 76e DI bombed between Lakes Prespa and Ohrid (8 wounded). 3 bombs dropped on Vertekop. No damage.

 

15 Apr - Bombs dropped on French depots at Kosturjan. No damage.

 

Hope this is of interest!

 

Adrian

[James A Pratt III]

Yes your post was of interest ap I have some more from the NB:

 

26 feb morning raid gorgop 3224 kg bombs dropped "numerous strikes"

afternoon raid Arautci 3150 kg bombs "12 direct hits" 1 aircraft had to land engine trouble 3 injured

 

12 mar morning raid Vertekop 3975 kg bombs " numerous good hits"

1pm air raid on base 1 allied aircraft shot down pilot KIA

Evening raid Armutci 3425 kg "good hits observed"

 

16 Feb FA 38 Korca raid 900 kg bombs "spy report a great deal of damage"

 

7 Mar Gorgop raid 3000 kg bombs

18 mar 4000 kg bombs Jasta 25 Vfw Strey downs enemy aircraft

 

20 mar 250 kg bombs

 

21 Mar Allied balloon downed Jasta 25?

 

22 mar Ltn von Eschweg claim

 

25 Mar Snevce raid 2050 kg bombs

 

30 Mar  Monastir  raid 3165 kg bombs, Lt Von Eschwedge 6th victory Ltn Degner downs balloon

 

31 mar 3277.5 kg bombs Brod raid, Brauneck downs balloon

 

2 Apr Vertekop raid 3500 kg  bombs, night raids on KG 1 airfield no damage

 

8 Apr 1 aircraft FTR, CGAS has no names mentioned

 

26 Mar FA 38 aircraft FTL Vfw Gall and Ltn Heinrich POWs

 

10 Apr Lescovo raid 2350 kg bombs

 

22 Apr Vadar Valley and Lake Doiren area 3500 kg bombs

 

23 Apr Lake Doiran area raid 3700 kg bombs

 

24 Apr Dobroeni raid 3297 kg bombs

 

25 Apr 2 Allied aircraft claimed

 

27 Apr 2 Allied aircraft downed by Flak

 

29 Apr Skocivir raid 2300 kg bombs 2 Allied aircraft shot down

 

30 Apr Vertekop and Bodena raid 2297 kg bombs

[James A Pratt III]

Allied losses:

12 Mar FK 3/47 sqn DOI

18 Mar Esc 386 pilot OK observer KIA

22 mar N12/2W 2 POW

25 mar Esc 386 Observer DOI air combat

30 mar Spowith 1 1/2/2w 2 KIA

8 Apr Be12/17 Sqn WIA

22 Apr Esc 399 DOI and Sop 1 1/2/2W gunner WIA

29 Apr Esc 391 KIA

1 May Allied balloon downed

2 may Sop 1 1/2/ 47 Sqn 2 KIA AA

9 may FK3/47 WIA by EA

10 may Sop 1 1/2/ 2W ok and WIA

18 Sop 1 1/2 / 2W WIA FTL damaged Flak

20 HF HMs Raglan 2 KIA

21 May FA 38 raid

31 May Esc 524 2 KIA J25 Hpt F-K Burckhardt

12 Jun claim

2 jul 3 claims or Esc 501 1 KIA by J25 and Esc 509 ob KIA by FAA 246

 

 

[pete-c]

9 hours ago, James A Pratt III said:

Allied losses:

 

20 HF HMs Raglan 2 KIA

 

 

 

 

This no doubt would have been the Henri Farman HF 27 from THASOS, from which Flt Sub JD Haig and Sub Lt G Keithley R.N.V.R. were thrown - both being killed in the process.  Claimed by Ltn R vEschwege.

Edited 23 May , 2017 by pete-c