K.S. Savory

[Hugh_A._Halliday]

From the developing data base on aerial DSO awards:



SAVORY, Kenneth Stevens, Squadron Commander, DSO, Royal Naval Air Service - unit ? - Bar to Distinguished Service Order - awarded as per London Gazette dated 29 August 1917.

"In recognition of his services on the night of July 9th, 1917, when a successful attack was carried out against the Turkish-German fleet lying off Constantinople. When the Goeben, surrounded by warships (including submarines) had been located the attack was made from a height of 800 feet. Direct hits were obtained on the Goeben and on the other enemy ships near her. Big explosions took place on board them, followed by a heavy conflagration. The War Office at Constantinople was also attacked, and a direct hit obtained."

NOTE: Aeroplane of 21 December 1921 carried the following item:

"Prize Bounty: A Bounty of £ 350 was awarded for the destruction of the Turkish destroyer Yardigar-I-Milet by the British aeroplane 3124. According to the affidavit of Flight Commander McClelland, on July 9th, 1917, he was on board the aeroplane, which was making a raid on the Goeben at Constantinople. He was accompanied by Flight Commander K.S. Savory, DSO, RAF, the senior officer on board, who is now in West Africa, and Lieutenant P.T. Rawlings, RNVR [since deceased]. From a height of 800 feet they dropped bombs on enemy submarines and destroyers lying close to the harbour wall. As a result, the Turkish destroyer in question was sunk and destroyed. Seventy persons were believed to be on board."

MY QUESTIONS: Can anyone identify the type of aircraft (3124) ? Can the destruction of the destroyer be confirmed (is it, for example, mentioned in any Dictionary of Disasters ast Sea ?). I would hope that anyone with immediate access to the appropriate volume of THE WAR IN THE AIR would be able to provide some guidance.

Hugh
According to my Royal Navy Aircraft Serials and Units, Sturtivant & Page - Air Britain 1992

3124 was a Handley Page O/100.

Arrived in Mudros and joined 2 Wing 8 June 1917.

It was used to bomb the Goeben in Stenia Bay 00:15 10 July 1917 and claimed a hit (the ship was undamaged).

Savory's bar to the DSO is mentioned and F/L H Maclelland and Lt P T Rawlings were awarded DSCs as well.

It was eventually hit by AA and ditched in the Gulf of Xeros near Suvla Bay 30 September 1917. F/L J W Alcock, FSL H R Aird, WO2(F) S J Wise swam ashore and POW. (Alcock of North Atlantic crossing fame?).

[Hugh_A._Halliday]

Good stuff so far - now if we can just puzzle out that Turkish destroyer. Any navy experts out there ?

[Frank_Olynyk]

Hugh,
According to the book by Jacob Rehder, Die Verluste der Kriegsflotten 1914-1918 (as edited and updated by Helmut Sander), published by J F Lehmanns Verlag in 1969 (original apparently 35 years earlier): Jadighar-i-Millet is classed as DD, and noted as a Torpedo Boat Destroyer. It was built in 1909, with a displacement of 620 tons. It was lost of Oct 9, 1917 , near Constantinople, by bombs from British aircraft. The wreck was raised later (no date given). I have no idea why the discrepency between July 9 and Oct 9. I will have to check The War in the Air later.

Frank.

[jempie]

Following the book : PER ARDUA The Rise of British Airpower 1911-1939.

On 10th August 1914, the cruisers Goeben and Breslau hotly persued by the sqaudron of Admiral Troubidge sought refuge in the Dardannels.(pge 58)

From Jyly 1917 onwards bombing raids were also undertaken by a SINGLE Handley Page which had flon 2,000 miles from England in order to do so.On 9th July it attacked the battle-cruiser Goeben at anchor into the harbour of Constantinople, but its 112lb bombs, though several hit her, did little damage.The Turkish War Office and other targets were aldo bombed an d the H-P returned safely.

It carried out two other long distance raids, one o 6th August on warehouses and shipping at Paderma,
on the Sea of Marmara, and another on the 2nd September on Adrianople.

About 30th September 1917:
....a fight on 30th September of that year is memorable for the feat performed by Flight Lieutenant J.W. ALCOCK, afterwards to be the first man to cross the Atlantic....
He forced down into the sea a German single-seater
fighter, himself flying OFFICIALLY a Sopwitch Camel
though in point of fact it had been built to his own design round a BENZ engine taken from a German twin-engined bomber brought down six motnhs earlier in Macedonia.
To make it further short : Alcock was taking a bath when the alarm sounded...that machine was just tested, the motors running warm, and he jumped in and took off! It was 20 miles/h faster than any other British machine! The German he forced down at sea was a named Muller...
BRV
Jempie

.....the same day Alcock took the Handley page on his last flight

[Soderbaum]

Hi

The Handley Page crew missed their intended target on the raid 9-10 July 1917.....but hit a nearby destroyer with the name "Yadighiar-i-Milet"...

This destroyer sunk beacuse of the attack and a number of marine soldiers died..

It was the MOST succesful air attack on ships during the War and it is "very strange" that the crew did not received the Victoria Cross(perhaps the problem was that they were three..?)...

The ship was raised in October 1917 and sent to Constatinopel, but found unable to repair and was scrapped in late 1917...

The detroyer was built in Germany in 1910 and originally named S-166.

Among references is C&C 18/1 with an excellent article by RD Layman, called "Sunk by Aerial action"..

VBR
Gunnar