Hodgson Archives - Page 4 of 4

17 July 20185 December 2018

Wednesday 17 July 1918 – Back to Shoots

After a couple of weeks on other duties, it’s back to shoots today. Greg observes and directs the fire of 323 Siege Battery RGA on a position just south of Merville station, while simultaneously undertaking some counter-battery patrol work.

Log Book

Date: 17.7.18 
Hour: 9.15-12.30 
Machine type: RE8 
RE8: 2526 
Observer: Lt. Hodgson 
Time: 3 hr 15 m 
Height: 3000 
Course/Remarks: CBP & Shoot. Successful. 4 Coopers. 600 rds SA

Diary

Wednesday July 17^th. C.B.P. & Shoot.  4 Coopers.  Did the shoot, but after about half an hour’s firing for effect, battery started using only one gun.

Up from 9.15 to 12.30.  323 SB.

Squadron Record Book

Type and Number: R.E.8.2526

Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Hodgson

Duty: Art Obs 323 S.B. (6” How) on H.B. at K.35.b.78.27.

Hour of Start: 9.15

Hour of Return: 12.30

Remarks: SUCCESSFUL.  Called up 9.38.  K. 9.40 Triangle 9.43. [Triangle Δ means 'wait']  L. 9.55.  G. 9.56.  V. 11.5.  Time G. to V. 1 hr 9 mins.  OBSERVED:  M.O.K.  M.A.3.  3 O.K.  5 Y.  1 Z.  5 A.  8 B.  18 C.  2 D.  9 W.

50 ranging rounds.  3 M.O.K. during B.F.  three hits on house at K.35.b.7.3.  2 pits hit.  Fire at 10.55. and explosion in ranging pit at 11.0.  12.10 sent C.I. (raining).

Shoot by P.  Height 3000’.

MISC INF.  9.30. 4-25 lb bombs dropped K.35.b.4.  All bursts observed.  9.30.  4 E.K.B. S.E. of ESTAIRES.  9.40. fire at L.27.d.1.1. burnt until 10.0.  10.17. explosion at L.7.d.0.2.  11.15 4 E.K.B. N. of ESTAIRES.  11.20. C.W.S. sent X.  11.35. sent U.D.  F.R.  U.L.  Mist.  200 rounds V.G. and 400 L.G. fired into enemy trenches at 1000’.  Vis. fair. Obs. By P. & O.

The house at K.35.b.7.3 was right next to the hostile battery at K.35.b.78.27, just south of the tracks at Merville Station, so it was not surprising that it was hit several times. And maybe it wasn’t such a good idea for the Germans to position a battery next to the station. After all, it would be bound to attract hostile fire, and the likelihood would be that the station as well as the battery would get knocked about.

Merville from a 1:10,000 trench map dated 16 August 1918. Numbered squares are 1,000 yards. Click for larger image. Credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital

For more on shoots, see:

Observation of Artillery Fire – A Shoot

For more on Counter Battery Patrols/CBPs, see:

Counter Battery Patrols and Zone Calls

16 July 20185 December 2018

Tuesday 16 July 1918 – On Photos

Today Greg was ‘on photos’ – on photographic duty. But camera trouble means that only a small proportion of the plates exposed were useful.

Log Book

Date: 16.7.18 
Hour: 12.10-1.15 
Machine type: RE8 
RE8: E27 
Observer: Lt. Hodgson 
Time: 1 hr 5 m 
Height: 6500 
Course/Remarks: Photos.  52 plates exposed, only 19 any good.

Diary

Tuesday July 16^th.  E27.  On photos, took up 54 plates but shutter of camera stuck open after 19^th.  16 of the 19 were serviceable.

Squadron Record Book

Type and Number: R.E.8.27

Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Hodgson

Duty: Photos.

Hour of Start: 12.10

Hour of Return: 13.15

Remarks: 52 plates exposed over Q.A. Q.B. and R.A.

Height 6500’.

12.40. 3 E.K.B. [enemy kite balloon] behind ESTAIRES.  12.45. 5 E.A. [enemy aircraft] over M. square.  A.A. battery firing from approx K.29.c.3.3. [see below]  A.A. active.  Vis. good.  Obs. By P. & O.

Zones QA, QB and RA are all just south or Merville. QA, the westernmost of the three zones, contains the German front line and about 500 yards to the west of it the British front line.

The same view today on Google maps. Much of zone QB is now occupied by Merville-Calonne Airport.

Merville today. Click to go to a zoomable image on Google maps.

The anti-aircraft battery at K.29.c.3.3 is probably feature 51 in zone KD, just underneath the two circles. The site today is in the garden of the rather elegant house at 52 rue de Maréchal Joffre in Merville:

15 July 20185 December 2018

Monday 15 July 1918 – Machine Gun & Kitten

A day of contrasts: Greg does battle with a machine gun post in the morning, and takes a kitten called Snowball up for a test flight later in the day. Then he visits St Omer.

Log Book

Date: 15.7.18 
Hour: 11.45-1.30 
Machine type: RE8 
RE8: 2526 
Observer: Lt. Hodgson 
Time: 1 hr 45 m 
Height: 2000 
Course/Remarks: CBP. 4 Cooper bombs. 650 rds Vickers & Lewis

Date: 15.7.18 
Hour: 5.35-6.20 
Machine type: RE8 
RE8: E27 
Observer: Lt. Hodgson 
Time: 45 m 
Height: 2000 
Course/Remarks: Engine test – Eng OK

Diary

Monday July 15^th.  E27 dud.  C.B.P. 10.30 to 1.30. (Actually 11.45-1.30.)  Eventually took up Martin’s bus as E27 was hopelessly dud.

Managed to find a Hun machine gun firing at us from the ground.

Strafed him pretty badly, but could not make him shut up.  Rotten weather – cloudy & poor visibility.

E27 repaired.  Took her up in the evening for a test with Lt Hodgson as passenger, also kitten Snowball.  Snowball apparently enjoyed the trip but objected to the wind.  Did most of the journey under Hodgson’s coat.

Visited St. Omer.

More details of the patrol, and the location of the machine gun post, are in the Squadron Record Book:

Squadron Record Book

Type and Number: R.E.8.2526
Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Hodgson
Duty: Artillery Patrol
Hour of Start: 11.45
Hour of Return: 13.30
Remarks: 11.55. 4-25lb bombs dropped on K.36.a.5.6.  All bursts observed, two on the railway.
12.15. C.W.S. sent R.A.  [see map below] R.A. kept under observation, but no flashes seen.  
12.15. sent U.L. U.R. U.D.  [Unfit for counter-battery work, artillery registration or photography]
12.30. explosion at Q.3.c.4.7. S. of the siding.  [see map] 
12.33. one flash seen in Q.B.10.  K.K. sent.  No more flashes seen at this place.  
13.10. C.W.S. sent X.  250 rounds V.G. fired into trenches round CALONNE. [see map] 300 rounds L.G. into trenches and back areas, and 100 rounds L.G. at active M.G. post at K.26.c.6.4.  [see maps] 
Height 12/1800’.  E.A. nil.  A.A. normal.  Vis. poor to fair.  Obs. P. & O.

Merville and surroundings. 1:40,000 scale in original. Each numbered square is 1,000 yards. Click for larger image. Credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital

Here is a larger scale map showing the position of the machine gun post at K.26.c.6.4, which is right on the German front line. The British front line is about 250 yards away.

Extract from 1:20,000 map, enlarged. Each numbered square is 1,000 yds. German positions/works in red; British in blue. Machine gun position marked. Click for larger image. Credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital

Nothing more is recorded either of Kitten Snowball or of Greg’s visit to St Omer that evening.

13 July 20185 December 2018

Saturday 13 July 1918 – Just Missed by a Shell

A couple of short Counter Battery/Artillery Patrols today, but Greg’s verdict was “nothing much doing”. Apart from a close encounter with a passing shell, that is.

Log Book

Date: 13.7.18 
Hour: 8.30 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Passenger: Lt Pring 
Time: 40 mins 
Height: 1800 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Nothing much doing

Date: 13.7.18 
Hour: 9.55 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: 4962 [sic, probably 2649 intended]
Passenger: Lt Hodgson 
Time: 1 hr 5 m 
Height: 1800 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Nothing much doing

Diary

Saturday July 13^th 1918. CBP 8-11

8.30-9.10 & 9.55-11.0

Nothing much doing.  Got one fearful bump, machine did a half roll, out of control for a few seconds,

Our artillery very active so pressure bump due to a passing shell.  Height 1800 ft.

As the following extract from the Squadron Record Book shows, at 1800 ft Greg was flying just below the cloud base at 2000 ft. This is at the low end of the heights flown for counter battery work (more typically 3000 ft or above), and well below the 5000 or 6000 ft flown when directing artillery fire in a shoot. At 1800 ft, it could easily have been a passing howitzer shell from a British battery that passed close by the aircraft – possibly one being fired at sub-square K.36.c, south of Merville – see below.

Squadron Record Book

Type and Number: R.E.8.27

Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Pring

Duty: Artillery Patrol

Hour of Start: 8.30am

Hour of Return: 9.40am

Remarks: 
8.40am C.W.S. sent X. 8.45am sent U.L. F.R. U.D. C.20. [Unfit for counter battery work or photography; fit for registration of artillery; clouds at 2000 ft]
8.45am fire at FARM at K.16.b.7.4 [Rennet Farm, north of Merville] burnt for over an hour.

Vis. fair. Obs. By P. & O.

Type and Number: R.E.8.2649

Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt  Hodgson

Duty: Artillery Patrol

Hour of Start: 9.55am

Hour of Return: 11.0am

Remarks: 
10.25am C.W.S. sent K.35 [south of Merville]. Went over to reconnoitre this square.  Flash seen in K.36.c. [also south of Merville] but as this area was being heavily shelled no N.F. [now firing] sent.  
10.15am smoke seen on railway near BAC ST MAUR, suspected train.  Owing to vis, unable to find out which way it was proceeding.

Vis. fair. Obs. By P. & O.