Turkish mortar units?

[Skarpskytten]

I have been reading Hüseyin Hüsnü Emir's book "Yildirim" (the english version, provided by Bill W: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 0&t=210758) and in Appendix 30, an 8th army report on artillery assets december 20th 1917, there is the following entry:

Grenadier units are as follows:
103rd, 104th, 105th, 106th, 113th, 115th, 116th

I'm gussing that these are indempendent mortar units. Does anyone know anything more about these units - history, TOE, armament. I'm particularly interesed in the Ylidirm "army group" october to december 1917, but also trying to learn more about the turkish army during ww1 in general.

[stevebecker]

Mate,

Can you confirm what page this is in Bill's translation?

"in Appendix 30, an 8th army report on artillery assets december 20th 1917"

British records confirm these TMB units with the Ylidirm ;

20th Corps July 1917

102nd TMB and 113rd TMB

22nd Corps

104th TMB, 105th TMB, 106th TMB and 107th TMB

4th Army HQ

101st TMB and 103rd TMB

I will have to doudle check British records (from Turkish PoW's) but as I understand they were formed from Turkish troops and had between four to six mortars.

They mentioned the types of mortars, but I don't recalled them at present.

I'll get back to you

Cheers

S.B

[stevebecker]

Mate,

British Intell report dated 30 June 1917 gives us these details;

101 to 103 TMB each 6x mortars (formed the 1st Heavy TM Regt)

Old Mantelli guns rebored to 95mm

range about 775 metres (237 yards) this appears out of wack so the range maybe incorrect?

106 and 107 TMB each 4x mortars

each 155mm

range about 600 metres (648 yards)

another report gives 106 TMB had 95mm mortars?

The British show these batteries around June 1917 but they disappear from the British records later in 1917 so I don't know what happened to them?

S.B

[CharlieC]

I think I know what the 95mm guns made from old guns were. They were smooth bore short range fortress guns designed to fire canister shot
(think - very large shotgun). There were a number of these captured at Beersheba - 3 were returned to Australia, 2 survive in Mt Morgan, Qld and
Quorn, SA. (http://landships.info/landships/artille ... rkish.html).

Herr Jaeger, of "German Artillery of World War One" fame identified the 1872 barrel of the Mt Morgan gun as coming from a 9cm (9.15cm actual) Krupp C/64 field gun.

Regards,

Charlie

[Skarpskytten]

Thanks for the extra info. Alas, I cannot say what happened with then, but it would seem that they survived Allenbys offensive at least.

Appendix 30 is on photo P6160404 - it the third page from the end. It's a bit cryptic, but seems to given an overview of 8th army artillery assets in late december.

[stevebecker]

Charlie,

Possibly right, as the prisoner, a Turkish soldier from the 102 TMB, mentioned they had two wheels and towed by a bullock.

When he mentioned Mantelli gun, I thought he may have refered to a 87mm Mantelli gun used as either a mountain or field gun, but that appears incorrect.

I am glad we now have an answer to the question of these old guns, I never put two and two together, always good to have a second pair of eyes.

Cheers

S.B

[Tosun Saral]

Turks say Humbara to mortars. Hüseyin Hüsnü Erkilet mentions in his book Yıldırım 2002 edditon p.363 the Humbara batteries as follows according to a report of Cevad Bey ( Col. Gen. Çobanlı) C of 8th Army dated Dec. 20th 1917.
103rd, 104th, 105th, 106th, 113th, 115th, 116th
Cevad Bey mentions the number of guns that lost in the 2nd chapter of his report
103rd 4 guns, 104th 4 guns, 106th 6 guns, 113rd 4 guns, 115 th 1 gun, 116th 4 guns

[stevebecker]

Mate,

See here

S.B

[stevebecker]

Mates,

Nice photo of Ottoman Mortars

But I can't place here do you blokes remember how to do it?

S.B

[stevebecker]

see here