Information about Turkish units 1919-1923

Discussions on the final era of the Ottoman Empire, from the Young Turk Revolution of 1908 until the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923.
Post Reply
romerj
Member
Posts: 9
Joined: 26 Dec 2013, 21:56

Information about Turkish units 1919-1923

#1

Post by romerj » 26 Dec 2013, 22:10

Hi,

I am looking for information (date and place of creation) of Turkish units during the War of Turkish Liberation.

Erickson (Ordered to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War, p. 209) cites the following units available in January 1919:

49,60,1,10 Kafkas Divs.
55,61 Divs.
23,24,15,5 Kafkas,11,41,56,57 Divs.
3,12,8,11 Kaf. Divs
2,5 Divs.

I'm looking for specific info about the divisions created after the beginning of the Greek offensive from Smyrna.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Osman Levent
Member
Posts: 139
Joined: 17 Sep 2010, 15:40

Re: Information about Turkish units 1919-1923

#2

Post by Osman Levent » 28 Dec 2013, 04:19

Romerj,
According to the War Annals of the Turkish General Staff; the following Divisions were commissioned and / or participated in the War of Independence;
The 1st Cavalry, the 1st Infantry, the 2nd Infantry, the 3rd Cavalry, the 3rd Caucasian, the 4th Cavalry, the 4th Infantry, the 5th Infantry, the 5th Caucasian, the 6th Infantry, the 7th Infantry, the 8th Infantry, the 9th Infantry, the 9th Caucasian, the 10th Infantry, the 11th Infantry, the 12th Infantry, the 13th Infantry, the 14th Cavalry, the 14th Infantry, the 15th Infantry, the 16th Infantry, the 17th Infantry, the 18th Infantry, the 23rd Infantry, the 24th Infantry, the 41st Infantry, the 57th Infantry, the 61st Infantry.
Best Regards, Osman Levend


romerj
Member
Posts: 9
Joined: 26 Dec 2013, 21:56

Re: Information about Turkish units 1919-1923

#3

Post by romerj » 28 Dec 2013, 14:31

Mr. Osman,

Thank you very much.

Just one question, the Turkish forces created their units in correlative order, that is, they first created 4th division, then followed by 6th, 7th, 8th, and so on?

So far I have compiled the following OOB information:

In January 1921 the OB of the 1st and 2nd battles of the Inonu list the following divisions as available:
4, 7, 8 infantry, 1, 2, 3 cavalry

Therefore, these units were created sometime between June 1920 and January 1921

The OB of units participating at the battles of Kütahya- Nasuhçal-Eskişehir (July 1921) lists the following units available:
Infantry: Provisional, 6, 9, 17 Divisions
Cavalry: 4, 14 Divisions, Western Front Cavalry brigade

The OB of the battle of Dumlupinar and the final offensive against the Greeks (August 1922) adds the following units:
Infantry: 14, 16, 18
Cavalry: Provisional

Osman Levent
Member
Posts: 139
Joined: 17 Sep 2010, 15:40

Re: Information about Turkish units 1919-1923

#4

Post by Osman Levent » 28 Dec 2013, 18:38

Romerj,
I do understand the difficulty of Western writers in pinpointing the various units in operation during this period called the War of Independence when information during and after the battles was most scanty. One must understand that the Capital of the Ottoman Empire including the War Ministry having been invaded by the Allies soon after the Armistice signed on 30.10.18; the bulk of the remaining forces in Anatolia refused this "fait accompli" and kept their defensive positions until a new organization in Ankara began to take control of these remaining forces by September, 1919. Consequently, at the time when the Greek Army was allowed to occupy İzmir and environs by May, 1919; most of the Divisions already commissioned by the Empire were to refuse to take orders issued by the War Ministry in Istanbul since it was under the direct occupation of the British, the French etc. Understandably, during this initial period of total chaos which lasted until September, 1919; several regions of the country including İzmir and the Aegean hinterland were easily invaded by the Allies and their local collaborators.
When Ankara became the seat to the resistance movement by late 1919, the following Units had already switched their allegiance to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as the leader of this struggle;
the 3rd Army in Erzerum (mobilized on 02.08.14)
the Eastern Army & the 15. Army Corps in Erzerum (mobilized on 02.08.14) re-organized as the Eastern Front Command
the 3rd Army Corps in Sivas (mobilized on 02.08.14)
the Adana Regional Command in Konya (commissioned on __.02.18) re-organized as the 12th Army Corps
the 14th Army Corps in Bandırma, Western Turkey (commissioned on __.11.18)
the 20th Army Corps in Ankara (commissioned on 09.11.16)
the 2nd Infantry Division in Silvan, in Eastern Turkey (mobilized on 02.08.14)
the 3rd Caucasian Division in Narman, Northeastern Turkey (commissioned on __.03.18)
the 5th Infantry Division in Mardin, Southeastern Turkey (mobilized on 02.08.14)
the 5th Caucasian Division in Amasya, Central Anatolia (commissioned on 05.11.16)
the 9th Caucasian Division in Erzerum (commissioned on 05.11.16)
the 11th Caucasian Division re-organized as the 11th Infantry Division in Van, Eastern Turkey (commissioned on 05.11.16)
the 12th Infantry Division in Horasan, Northeastern Turkey (mobilized on 02.08.14)
the 24th Infantry Division in Ankara (mobilized on 02.08.14)
the 41st Infantry Division in Karaman, Central Anatolia (commissioned on 27.03.15)
the 61st Infantry Division in Bandırma, Western Turkey (commissioned on 22.10.17)

Furthermore, at the date in question i.e. by September 1919;
the 56th Infantry Division in Bursa, Western Turkey (commissioned on 12.03.17)
the 57th Infantry Division in Çine, Western Turkey (commissioned on 28.10.16)
were already engaged independently with the invading Greek Army albeit not taking orders either from Istanbul nor Ankara.

As can be seen from the above dates; the Division ciphers were never in numerical order since even some of the Divisions commissioned by Ankara at later dates were to carry the numbers of former Ottoman Divisions which had been de-commissioned or totally annihilated during the course of First World War.
Best Regards, Osman Levend

romerj
Member
Posts: 9
Joined: 26 Dec 2013, 21:56

Re: Information about Turkish units 1919-1923

#5

Post by romerj » 29 Dec 2013, 20:05

So, all units activated during the struggle for Turkish liberation were based on cadres and units of units that fought during World War One. Most interesting.

Thank you very much

Tosun Saral
Member
Posts: 4079
Joined: 02 Nov 2005, 20:32
Location: Ankara/Turkey
Contact:

Re: Information about Turkish units 1919-1923

#6

Post by Tosun Saral » 07 Jan 2014, 21:42

Units of 1st İnönü Battle: 6-11.01.1921

24th Inf. Div. : 143th R, 32nd R, Art.R.
11st div: 126th, 187th, 70th, Art.R
4th Div: 58th, 132nd, 174th, 2nd Inf R with 3 batts operated at Geyve Region

2nd İnönü

1st Div, 3rd, 4th, 5th, an art. batt. commanded by Lt Cemal Efendi ( Colonel General Gürsel, President of Turkish Republic)
11st: 70th, 126th, 127th, art R
24t: 32, 143, Arttl.R
61st: 159, 174, 190, ArttiR.
3rd Cav Div: 27, 28, 5th
5th Caucasus Div: 10th, Batt. of guards of Turkish National Parliament, 5th Caucasus Artt R

romerj
Member
Posts: 9
Joined: 26 Dec 2013, 21:56

Re: Information about Turkish units 1919-1923

#7

Post by romerj » 08 Jan 2014, 20:54

Mr. Saral

Thank you very much.

Post Reply

Return to “The end of the Ottoman Empire 1908-1923”