3rd november 1914 bombardment of Dardanelles

[michaeldr]

Thanks for the above Claude; with the exception of the gun calibre data, it's a much better plan of the fort. Dated 1907 I see.

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

Strangely I found only the 5th (Agir) Heavy Artillery Regt (Fortress)         2 Heavy Artillery Bde - 2xBn's each - 1Bn - at Sedd el Bahr 2Bn - at Kum Kale allied reported Royal Marines on 4 March to blow up the 5 Heavy Arty Regt's outer forts at Kum Kale on the Asiatic side and at Sedd el Bahr on the European side of the Dardanelles 5 Heavy Arty Regt was inactivated on 25 February and most of its men reassigned 2xInfantry Co's at Yenisehir and Sedd el Bahr

Topçu Binbasi    Maj    Mahmut Macit Bey    5th (Agir) Heavy Artillery Regt (Fortress) 1914        commanded batteries at mouth of the Dardenelles 1914-15

1Bn - at Sedd el Bahr Fort

1Bty - Lt Sevki KIA 3-11-14 to Lt Hafiz Ali -

2Bty Lt Cevdet KIA 3-11-14 -

4Bty Capt Semsettin &

Ertugrul Fort

3Bty Lt Mehmet Sinasi (possibly shown Capt Serkis Torosyan (Armenian commander)

2Bn - Orhaniye Fort

5Bty LtzS Woermann (G) KIA 19-2-15 to Mehmet Kemalettin to LtzS Natz (G) -

6Bty at Kum Kale Lt Ismail Sezai -

7Bty Capt unknown

possibly a (3Bn) - outer forts along mouth Dardanelles) possibly after 1915

That's all I could find from Ottoman sources on who commanded there

Some say Natz replaced Woerman after his death, but others say he replaced Kemalettin?

As to what Batteries were which its for you to sort out?

S.B

PS sorry I notice we done this before and given this by Emrezmen, possibly where I got it?

HQ: Seddulbahir Fort (Major Mahmut Macit)

1st Battalion: Seddulbahir & Ertugrul Forts (Maj. Mehmet Ali)

• 1st Battery: Seddulbahir Fort (1st Lieutenant Sevki - KIA 3.11.14 - then 1st Lt. Hafiz Ali?)
• 2nd Btry: Seddulbahir (1st Lt. Cevdet - KIA 3.11.14)
• 3rd Btry: Ertugrul Fort (1st Lt. Mehmet Sinasi)
• 4th Btry: Seddulbahir (Captain Semsettin)

2nd Bn: Orhaniye & Kumkale (Capt. ?)

• 5th Btry: Orhaniye (Lt. Woermann - KIA 19.02.15 - then Lt. Mehmet Kemalettin before the appointment of Lt. Natz)
• 6th Btry: Kumkale (1st. Lt. Ismail Sezai)
• 7th Btry: Kumkale (Capt. ?)

 

Sources:
-Turkish Gallipoli OH, vol 1 (2012 ed.), p.66 
-Akgün, B. (2018) Boğaz'ın Fedaileri, [The Guards of the Dardanelles] vol 1, p.341

-Turkish General Staff, Askeri Tarih Belgeleri Dergisi [Journal of Military History Documents], Issue 132, Jan 2014, p. 89

Edited 8 August , 2023 by stevenbecker

[michaeldr]

Regarding the gathering of intelligence already mentioned previously:-

The 1889 date shown on Claude's 'Tablo 20 Boğaz Medhal Grubu Tabya/Bataryalari' is probably significant in so far as it follows closely on 
“A German Military Mission under von der Goltz appeared in Constantinople in 1883 and from 1885 the Turks reorganised their coastal batteries and rearmed them with Krupp guns” [from 'Grasping Gallipoli' by Chasseaud & Doyle 2005]

There followed a spate of intelligence gathering, and also some planning, during the next decades, by the Royal Navy, the Army and the Foreign Office. 

The 1907 date on the plan of Sedd el Bahr fort may relate to the intelligence/planning activity spurred on by the 1906 'Taba', or 'Akaba', dispute over the boundary between the Ottoman (Syria) and British (Egypt) empires. 

Chasseaud & Doyle's chapter 3, 'Pre-War Geographical Intelligence' is a fascinating read detailing the very many and varied parties involved and their reports 

[seaJane]

Three of Sed ul Bahir [sic] from.my grandfather's album, 1921-22.

[michaeldr]

Hi Jane, 
Thanks for posting those those photographs
The first appears to be the inside of the Fort during its time as the French HQ
The third one looks like one of the war-time French cemeteries which was later (post war) concentrated into the single French cemetery which we know today.
The middle picture has me beat at the moment and I'm hoping that @Eceabat (Bill Sellars) will happen along soon to put me right on all this.

best regards, Michael

[michaeldr]

1 hour ago, michaeldr said:

The third one looks like one of the war-time French cemeteries which was later (post war) concentrated into the single French cemetery which we know today.

Probably Cimetière de l'ambulance numéro 2’ which was located at the northern entrance to Sedd el Bahr village.

See GWF member b3rn's site here https://sites.google.com/norestforthewicked.net/french-commemoration-gallipoli/home

Edited 9 August , 2023 by michaeldr

[seaJane]

5 hours ago, michaeldr said:

Thanks for posting those those photographs

Glad they're of interest. My grandfather was a CPO (Torpedo Gunner's Mate) in AGAMEMNON off Thessaloniki in May 1916 when she shot down Zeppelin LZ 55, and later involved in the evacuation of Smyrna.

sJ

[michaeldr]

On 09/08/2023 at 07:29, seaJane said:

Three of Sed ul Bahir [sic] from.my grandfather's album, 1921-22.

Hi Jane,

regarding your grandfather's photograph No.2 above https://content.invisioncic.com/r224821/monthly_2023_08/20151201_214508.jpg.2ce4aa33499a6868b3081576e1141be4.jpg 

the ref to Sedd el Bahr threw me at first and I have had to consult some fellow 'Gallipolians' who have all come back with the same answer - The cemetery is Shrapnel Valley at Anzac (not Sedd el Bahr, Helles).

Here's another picture of that same cemetery https://i0.wp.com/farm5.staticflickr.com/4025/4558236659_e977bc87fa_z.jpg which must have been taken only a little while after your grandfather's.

best regards, Michael

[seaJane]

Thanks Michael and apologies for the confusion - glad the troops have rallied round to provide the correct answer!

sJ

[michaeldr]

34 minutes ago, seaJane said:

Thanks Michael and apologies for the confusion

No need to apologise at all; he obviously enjoyed a good tour (c. 1921?) of the battlefields and now you know that he saw more of Gallipoli than just Helles. He must have had a very interesting time, what with the shooting down of the Zeppelin and the post-war occupation of Istanbul. I take it that he was on the Agamemnon at the signing of the armistice (30 October 1918) 

[seaJane]

11 minutes ago, michaeldr said:

I take it that he was on the Agamemnon at the signing of the armistice (30 October 1918) 

He was on Agamemnon 7 July 1914-19 Nov 1917. On 10 Nov 1918 he went onto the books of Theseus until 13 Aug 1919.

For part of 1920 he was on first Blake and then Hecla, tenders to Skilful; 1921-1923 he was on first Blenheim and then Diligence, tenders to Sikh. During the interims he was being administered from Pembroke I so presumably in transit. I haven't followed these ships up yet.

sJ