Commander Samson, 3 Wing RNAS proved that there’s life in the wing yet despite the arrival f 2 Wing, by carrying a successful spotting mission for the Navy. He reports:
*In Ak Bashi Liman,were lying two steamers alongside each other, both ‘ about 200 feet long, three or four tugs and about twenty ‘ dhows busily unloading. I got up to 6,000 feet where I could get a good view both of M.15 and Ak Bashi Liman. ‘ I took care to keep about four miles away from Ak Bashi in order not to arouse their suspicions. When ready I ordered fire. The first shot fell about 800 yards short fortunately behind the hills so that no notice was taken by the Turks. The next shot fell on the beach and killed some Turks. The third shot fell into the sea. We now had got the range. A terrible panic occurred. The tugs that had got dhows in tow cut them off and steamed for the Asiatic shore. The gangs on the beach who were by now well used to aeroplane bombs, dropped everything and fled to the hills. I was trying to get a hit on the two steamers which were still at anchor. The eighth shot hit one. Jopp said,”What correction must I signal?” I said,” Report O.K.” (hit). The ninth shell hit the second steamer. When it is remembered that these two ships were lying alongside each other, the range was 18,000 yards, that hills 800 to 1,000 feet were intervening, and thatM.I5 was just lying with her bows up against ali ttle mark buoy and rolling in the swell, this shooting is really wonderful. One steamer sank and the other got on fire. Whether she finally sank or not I couldn’t say.
airwar19141918 