Does anyone know anything about the map grid systems employed by the
Imperial German Army, and their Air Service on the Western Front? I've been researching
the annotations on German aerial photos - and I've hit a brick wall.4 Armee operated
mainly against the Ypres Salient and used a map grid system applicable to their area. This
system seems to have comprised a series of 1000m squares identified by the letters
"A" to"Y" horizontally (omitting the letters "I" and
"Z"), West to East, and repeated as necessary across their maps. Vertically they
used identification numerals, possibly commencing with "1"at the North coast,
and moving South down their maps to at least "60" South of Ypres.
This system applied to their "Artilleriekarte", and their Air Service in this
area also used this method. See part map below:
6 Armee operated on the Somme, appeared to use a map grid system of
1000m squares, consecutively numbered horizontally from East to West - commencing
at"1"? Vertically they used a sequence of 1000m squares North to South,
typically identified as 3000, 3100, 3200 etc. See part map below:
Why the different grid systems? Does anyone know about these?
Would you care to share this knowledge with us all?
If so please contact Peter Wright, via Andy Kemp
