Turkish Fifth Army
Encyclopedia
The Fifth Army of the Ottoman Empire
or Turkish Fifth Army was formed on March 24, 1915 and dissolved on October 1918. It was assigned the responsibility of defending the Dardanelles
straits in the World War I
. The original commander of the army was the German
military advisor to the Ottoman Empire, General Otto Liman von Sanders
. The command passed to Vehip Pasha who became responsible for the Helles front while von Sanders still wielded considerable influence.
When the Allied campaign the Battle of Gallipoli
, which aimed to seize the Dardanelles, commenced, the Fifth Army comprised two army Corps
; the III Corps was defending the Gallipoli peninsula and the XV Corps was defending the Asian shore. The XV. Corps, also known as the "Asian Group." In addition, the 5th Division was positioned north of the peninsula under the command of First Army.
The number of divisions involved in the defence of the peninsula expanded to ten and an unattached infantry regiment and a brigade of cavalry before the August Offensive
. In Late Summer 1915, the army was structured as follows:
A further three divisions arranged in the "Asian Group." The four divisions at Anzac made up the III Corps. (6 at Helles, 4 at Anzac) plus additional.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
or Turkish Fifth Army was formed on March 24, 1915 and dissolved on October 1918. It was assigned the responsibility of defending the Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
straits in the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The original commander of the army was the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
military advisor to the Ottoman Empire, General Otto Liman von Sanders
Otto Liman von Sanders
Generalleutnant Otto Liman von Sanders was a German general who served as adviser and military commander for the Ottoman Empire during World War I.-Biography:...
. The command passed to Vehip Pasha who became responsible for the Helles front while von Sanders still wielded considerable influence.
Order of Battle, April 1915
In Late April 1915, the army was structured as follows:- III CorpsIII Corps (Ottoman Empire)The III Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
(commanded by Esat PashaMehmet Esat BülkatMehmed Esad Pasha , known as Mehmet Esat Bülkat after 1934, was an Ottoman general active during the First Balkan War, where he led the Yanya Corps, and in World War I, where he was the senior Ottoman commander in the Dardanelles Campaign.- Life :Mehmed Esad was born into an Albanian family in...
)- 7th Division, 9th Division, 19th Division (commanded by Mustafa KemalMustafa Kemal AtatürkMustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
)
- 7th Division, 9th Division, 19th Division (commanded by Mustafa Kemal
- XV CorpsXV Corps (Ottoman Empire)The XV Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed during the World War I...
(commanded by Colonel Hans KannengiesserHans KannengiesserHans Kannengiesser was a German military officer during World War I. He served with the Ottoman Army during the battle of Gallipoli. As opposed to being a liaison officer with the Ottoman Army, he commanded Ottoman troops in the field including the Ottoman 9th Division...
)- 3rd Division, 11th Division
- Dardanelles Fortified Area CommandDardanelles Fortified Area CommandThe Dardanelles Fortified Area Command or Mediterranean Strait Fortified Area Command or Çanakkale Fortified Area Command was the Ottoman fortified area...
- One aircraft squadronSquadron (aviation)A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
When the Allied campaign the Battle of Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
, which aimed to seize the Dardanelles, commenced, the Fifth Army comprised two army Corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
; the III Corps was defending the Gallipoli peninsula and the XV Corps was defending the Asian shore. The XV. Corps, also known as the "Asian Group." In addition, the 5th Division was positioned north of the peninsula under the command of First Army.
Order of Battle, Late Summer 1915
Battle of Sari Bair
The Battle of Sari Bair , also known as the August Offensive, was the final attempt made by the British in August 1915 to seize control of the Gallipoli peninsula from the Ottoman Empire during First World War.The Battle of Gallipoli had raged on two fronts, Anzac and Helles, for three months since...
. In Late Summer 1915, the army was structured as follows:
- I CorpsI Corps (Ottoman Empire)The I Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
- 2nd Division, 3rd Division
- II CorpsII Corps (Ottoman Empire)The II Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
- 4th Division, 5th Division, 6th Division
- III CorpsIII Corps (Ottoman Empire)The III Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
- 7th Division, 8th Division, 9th Division, 19th Division
- IV CorpsIV Corps (Ottoman Empire)The IV Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms...
- 10th Division, 11th Division, 12th Division
- V CorpsV Corps (Ottoman Empire)The V Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
- 13th Division, 14th Division, 15th Division
- Dardanelles Fortified Area CommandDardanelles Fortified Area CommandThe Dardanelles Fortified Area Command or Mediterranean Strait Fortified Area Command or Çanakkale Fortified Area Command was the Ottoman fortified area...
- One aircraft squadron
A further three divisions arranged in the "Asian Group." The four divisions at Anzac made up the III Corps. (6 at Helles, 4 at Anzac) plus additional.
Order of Battle, August 1916
In August 1916, the army was structured as follows:- I CorpsI Corps (Ottoman Empire)The I Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
- 14th Division, 16th Division
- Dardanelles Fortified Area CommandDardanelles Fortified Area CommandThe Dardanelles Fortified Area Command or Mediterranean Strait Fortified Area Command or Çanakkale Fortified Area Command was the Ottoman fortified area...
Order of Battle, December 1916
In December 1916, the army was structured as follows:- XIV CorpsXIV Corps (Ottoman Empire)The XIV Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.-Order of Battle, 1911 :...
- 57th Division, 59th Division
- Dardanelles Fortified Area CommandDardanelles Fortified Area CommandThe Dardanelles Fortified Area Command or Mediterranean Strait Fortified Area Command or Çanakkale Fortified Area Command was the Ottoman fortified area...
Order of Battle, August 1917, January 1918
In August 1917, January 1918, the army was structured as follows:- XIV CorpsXIV Corps (Ottoman Empire)The XIV Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.-Order of Battle, 1911 :...
- 57th Division
- XIX CorpsXIX Corps (Ottoman Empire)The XIX Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed during the World War I.- Order of Battle, August 1917, January 1918 :...
- 59th Division
- XXI CorpsXXI Corps (Ottoman Empire)The XXI Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed during the World War I.- Order of Battle, August 1917, January 1918, June 1918 :...
- 49th Division
- Dardanelles Fortified Area CommandDardanelles Fortified Area CommandThe Dardanelles Fortified Area Command or Mediterranean Strait Fortified Area Command or Çanakkale Fortified Area Command was the Ottoman fortified area...
Order of Battle, June, September 1918
In June, September 1918, the army was structured as follows:- XIV CorpsXIV Corps (Ottoman Empire)The XIV Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.-Order of Battle, 1911 :...
- 57th Division
- XIX CorpsXIX Corps (Ottoman Empire)The XIX Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed during the World War I.- Order of Battle, August 1917, January 1918 :...
- None
- XXI CorpsXXI Corps (Ottoman Empire)The XXI Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed during the World War I.- Order of Battle, August 1917, January 1918, June 1918 :...
- 49th Division
- Dardanelles Fortified Area CommandDardanelles Fortified Area CommandThe Dardanelles Fortified Area Command or Mediterranean Strait Fortified Area Command or Çanakkale Fortified Area Command was the Ottoman fortified area...
Order of Battle, November 1918
In November 1918, the army was structured as follows:- I CorpsI Corps (Ottoman Empire)The I Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
- 55th Division
- XIV CorpsXIV Corps (Ottoman Empire)The XIV Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.-Order of Battle, 1911 :...
- 49th Division, 60th Division, 61st Division