Panorama pictures from the First World War

In trench warfare, exact knowledge of the manoeuvring area was of major importance. It allowed to define targets for artillery or mortars, track changes in the enemies disposition, and make decisions on the position of own troops in the area.

Photographs were an excellent tool to fulfil these tasks. The so-called "round pictures" or "panorama pictures" were compounded by several single pictures on an elongated panorama, and provided a view of the area just in front of the own position. Panorama pictures were made from a few metres high, directly from the own disposition,  from measuring units, or from illumination and mortar units. They could also be taken from air, with the airship troops' balloons. Sometimes there were also pictures from the enemies' side, taken by rear dispositions in order to record the enemies view on the own disposition.

 

Title: Kommandeur der Luftschiffertruppen der 7. Armee.- Rundbild des Geländes von Verneuil-sur-Serre bis zur Höhe 120 Mont Fendir (Raum Verneuil-sur Serre [Nahaufnahme] - Laon - Barenton-Bugny - Barenton-Cel - Aulnois - Höhe 118 - Höhe 120 Mont Fendir) - 1917

Archive: The Federal Archives

Reference number: BArch PH 18/239

Link to descriptive unit in Archives Portal Europe here

 

 

 

The main purpose of the panorama pictures was to provide a distinct fixed point for a target for the artillery and the mortars. Especially the panorama pictures for artillery and mortars contain a lot of explanations and geographical specifications like remarkable highlights in the area. This kind of panorama pictures stayed in the disposition, even if the unit was redeployed.

This image shows the detail of a panoramic picture from the balloon unit of the airship troops. It shows German and French dispositions near Belgian Lombardsijde.

 

Title: Marine-Fesselballon-Abteilung.- Rundbild der französischen Lombartzyde-Stellung

Reference number: BArch RM 110/644

Link to descriptive unit in Archives Portal Europe here

The bulk of panorama pictures were lost together with other papers of the units because the war, but the Bundesarchiv keeps around 300 of the panorama pictures from First World War.

The image shows the detail of a panoramic picture from the balloon unit of the airship troops. It is the area around the French village Verneuil-sur-Serre and points to the township Barenton-Cel, to a factory and to the elevation of St. Georges with a high of 118 m.

 

Title: Kommandeur der Luftschiffertruppen der 7. Armee.- Rundbild des Geländes von Verneuil-sur-Serre bis zur Höhe 120 Mont Fendir (Raum Verneuil-sur Serre [Nahaufnahme] - Laon - Barenton-Bugny - Barenton-Cel - Aulnois - Höhe 118 - Höhe 120 Mont Fendir)

Reference number: BArch PH 18/239

Link to descriptive unit in Archives Portal Europe here

In particular cases, the panorama pictures show close-ups from villages and cities – in different degrees of destruction. In most cases they define the operational area of the German unit committed at the sector of the front.

The image shows the detail of a panoramic picture from the airship troops. It shows the French village Verneuil-sur-Serre in a distance of 0.5 km.

 

Title: Kommandeur der Luftschiffertruppen der 7. Armee.- Rundbild des Geländes von Verneuil-sur-Serre bis zur Höhe 120 Mont Fendir (Raum Verneuil-sur Serre [Nahaufnahme] - Laon - Barenton-Bugny - Barenton-Cel - Aulnois - Höhe 118 - Höhe 120 Mont Fendir)

Reference number: BArch PH 18/239

Link to descriptive unit in Archives Portal Europe here