These divisions appear to have spent all their war service in and around Constantinople and the Gallipoli Peninsula (with the exception of the 59th).
Does this mean they were comprised of 2nd line recruits while the best manpower remaining at this time (1916/17 onwards) went to reinforce the other fronts?
Tosun has previously posted to the forum messages about the 59th Division and its disbandment that suggests its troops were not of the best quality.
Has anyone any more information on the state of the other divisions?
Thanks,
Martin
Turkish 55th - 57th/59th - 61st Divisions
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territoriale
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Bill Woerlee
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Martin
G'day mate
I will gradually work through all these divisions.
55th Division
Formed at Rodosto 28th September 1916. Joined the 5th Army, at first under the 19th Army Corps, then the 14th Army Corps. It was located in Keshan, thrace in September 1918. Was still in existence in 1919.
Consisted of:
168th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
170th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
171st Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
More to follow.
Cheers
Bill
G'day mate
I will gradually work through all these divisions.
55th Division
Formed at Rodosto 28th September 1916. Joined the 5th Army, at first under the 19th Army Corps, then the 14th Army Corps. It was located in Keshan, thrace in September 1918. Was still in existence in 1919.
Consisted of:
168th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
170th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
171st Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
More to follow.
Cheers
Bill
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Bill Woerlee
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56th Infantry Division
Formed at Smyrna, 28 September 1916, it was added to the 17th Army corps in the 5th Army. It was trained at Beikos near Constantinople. It was still in existence in 1919.
It consisted of:
172nd Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
173rd Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
174th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
Formed at Smyrna, 28 September 1916, it was added to the 17th Army corps in the 5th Army. It was trained at Beikos near Constantinople. It was still in existence in 1919.
It consisted of:
172nd Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
173rd Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
174th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
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Bill Woerlee
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57th Infantry Division
Formed at Adalia, it was in the 5th Army within the Adalia Command and then joined the 21st Army Corps. After disbanding of the 21st Army Corps it was joined to the 17th Army Corps. It was still in existence in 1919.
It consisted of:
135th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
175th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
176th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
Formed at Adalia, it was in the 5th Army within the Adalia Command and then joined the 21st Army Corps. After disbanding of the 21st Army Corps it was joined to the 17th Army Corps. It was still in existence in 1919.
It consisted of:
135th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
175th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
176th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
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Bill Woerlee
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58th Infantry Division
OC: Ali Haidar Bey [Lt. Col. Ali Necip]
Chief operations officer: Capt. Ibrahim
Formed at Medina in December 1916. It was to form the Hejaz Expeditionary Force and to take the place of the previously created Hejaz Expeditionary Force which consisted of the 22nd Infantry Division after two of its regiments were captured - the 128th and 129th Infantry Regiments. The 58th Infantry Division surrendered at Medina in late 1918.
It consisted of:
42nd Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns - CO Lt. Col. Nuri - 4 heavy machine guns
55th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns - CO Lt. Col. Tevfik
162nd Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns - This was believed to be an independent composite regiment based in the Hejaz concentrating at Arabia, Tebuk area in North Hejaz although from Turkish sources clearly part of the 58th Infantry Regiment. This included the 40th MG Coy with 10 heavy machine guns.
130th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns - CO Lt. Col. Süleyman Sevket. It was believed by British Intelligence that the 130th Infantry Regiment formed part of the newly created 58th Infantry Division but in reality it was an independent regiment which was finally absorbed into the 23rd Infantry Division only to be disbanded in July 1918.
7th Battery 6th Field Artiller Regiment, 2 x 4 x 7.5cm old pattern mountain guns.
9th Battery, 2 x 8.7 Mantelli Guns
10th Battery, 4 x 7.85 cm old pattern Krupp guns
11th Battery, 4 x 7.5cm old pattern mountain guns.
2 x 3.7cm guns
1 Telegraph Section
Mule Mounted Infantry Regiment, 7 heavy machine guns
Heavy W/T station
OC: Ali Haidar Bey [Lt. Col. Ali Necip]
Chief operations officer: Capt. Ibrahim
Formed at Medina in December 1916. It was to form the Hejaz Expeditionary Force and to take the place of the previously created Hejaz Expeditionary Force which consisted of the 22nd Infantry Division after two of its regiments were captured - the 128th and 129th Infantry Regiments. The 58th Infantry Division surrendered at Medina in late 1918.
It consisted of:
42nd Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns - CO Lt. Col. Nuri - 4 heavy machine guns
55th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns - CO Lt. Col. Tevfik
162nd Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns - This was believed to be an independent composite regiment based in the Hejaz concentrating at Arabia, Tebuk area in North Hejaz although from Turkish sources clearly part of the 58th Infantry Regiment. This included the 40th MG Coy with 10 heavy machine guns.
130th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns - CO Lt. Col. Süleyman Sevket. It was believed by British Intelligence that the 130th Infantry Regiment formed part of the newly created 58th Infantry Division but in reality it was an independent regiment which was finally absorbed into the 23rd Infantry Division only to be disbanded in July 1918.
7th Battery 6th Field Artiller Regiment, 2 x 4 x 7.5cm old pattern mountain guns.
9th Battery, 2 x 8.7 Mantelli Guns
10th Battery, 4 x 7.85 cm old pattern Krupp guns
11th Battery, 4 x 7.5cm old pattern mountain guns.
2 x 3.7cm guns
1 Telegraph Section
Mule Mounted Infantry Regiment, 7 heavy machine guns
Heavy W/T station
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Bill Woerlee
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59th Infantry Division
Formed at Izmir on 23 October 1916 [an alternative date is 27 April 1916] and was attached to the 5th Army. Early in 1917 the 180th Infantry Regiment was sent to the 6th Army and the 183rd Infantry Regiment, recently raised in Adalia, took its place. The 180th Infantry Regiment was absorbed by other units in Mesopotamia. Later the 180th Infantry Regiment was thought to be reformed at Charkeui for entry into the 60th Infantry Division but eventually a new regimental number was allocated. As to the 59th Infantry Division, it was sent to the Yildirim Army Group in August 1917 but disbanded at Allepo in December 1917 [an alternative date was 22 September 1917] by personal order of Enver Pasha and formed into drafts for other divisions. Apparently it was ineffective due to high rates of sickness and too many young untrained soldiers.
It consisted of:
179th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
180th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns - to be replaced by the 183rd Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
184th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
Formed at Izmir on 23 October 1916 [an alternative date is 27 April 1916] and was attached to the 5th Army. Early in 1917 the 180th Infantry Regiment was sent to the 6th Army and the 183rd Infantry Regiment, recently raised in Adalia, took its place. The 180th Infantry Regiment was absorbed by other units in Mesopotamia. Later the 180th Infantry Regiment was thought to be reformed at Charkeui for entry into the 60th Infantry Division but eventually a new regimental number was allocated. As to the 59th Infantry Division, it was sent to the Yildirim Army Group in August 1917 but disbanded at Allepo in December 1917 [an alternative date was 22 September 1917] by personal order of Enver Pasha and formed into drafts for other divisions. Apparently it was ineffective due to high rates of sickness and too many young untrained soldiers.
It consisted of:
179th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
180th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns - to be replaced by the 183rd Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
184th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
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Bill Woerlee
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60th Infantry Division
Formed at Charkeui [or Canakkale] 7 May 1917 [an alternative date is 17 May 1917] and allocated to the 14th Army Corps from the 5th Army. It remained for the whole of the war at Cape Helles. British Intelligence believed that the 180th Infantry Regiment was reformed after being disbanded in Mesopotamia and added to this division but this was not so. The 60th Infantry Division was still in service in 1919.
It consisted of:
185th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
186th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
187th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
1 Stormtroop Battalion
60th Field Artillery Regiment
Formed at Charkeui [or Canakkale] 7 May 1917 [an alternative date is 17 May 1917] and allocated to the 14th Army Corps from the 5th Army. It remained for the whole of the war at Cape Helles. British Intelligence believed that the 180th Infantry Regiment was reformed after being disbanded in Mesopotamia and added to this division but this was not so. The 60th Infantry Division was still in service in 1919.
It consisted of:
185th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
186th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
187th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
1 Stormtroop Battalion
60th Field Artillery Regiment
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Bill Woerlee
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61st Infantry Division
It was formed on 7 May 1917 [an alternative date is 13 May 1917] at Izmir (Smyrna). It was added to the 14th Army Corps of the 5th Army. It was posted for the duration of the war on the Asianside of the Dardanelles near ancient Troy. It was still in service at Panderma in 1919.
It consisted of:
188th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
189th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
190th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
1 Stormtroop Battalion
61st Field Artillery Regiment
It was formed on 7 May 1917 [an alternative date is 13 May 1917] at Izmir (Smyrna). It was added to the 14th Army Corps of the 5th Army. It was posted for the duration of the war on the Asianside of the Dardanelles near ancient Troy. It was still in service at Panderma in 1919.
It consisted of:
188th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
189th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
190th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
1 Stormtroop Battalion
61st Field Artillery Regiment
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Bill Woerlee
- Member
- Posts: 487
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- Location: Canberra
62nd Infantry Division
It was formed on 17 July 1918 from the Amman Expeditionary Force and posted to the 2nd Army Corps of the 4th Army of the Yildirin Army Group. Afterwards the division took part in operations east of the Jordan, around the Katrani area. It was partially captured and partially destroyed on 18th September 1918.
It consisted of:
73rd Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
75th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
150th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
It was formed on 17 July 1918 from the Amman Expeditionary Force and posted to the 2nd Army Corps of the 4th Army of the Yildirin Army Group. Afterwards the division took part in operations east of the Jordan, around the Katrani area. It was partially captured and partially destroyed on 18th September 1918.
It consisted of:
73rd Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
75th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
150th Infantry Regiment - 3 Btns
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Bill Woerlee
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territoriale
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Bill,
Thanks for posting that information; I am as interested in any information that anyone might have about the quality of troops that made up these Divisions.
Were they kept around Constantinople and the Gallipoli peninsula because they were comprised of the very young and older men, convalescents etc that would have made them the equivalent of garrison divisions?
Alternatively, were they of better quality but the Turkish High Command considered the need to protect these strategic areas more than reinforcing the active fronts in Palestine, Mesopotamia and the Caucasus?
Martin
Thanks for posting that information; I am as interested in any information that anyone might have about the quality of troops that made up these Divisions.
Were they kept around Constantinople and the Gallipoli peninsula because they were comprised of the very young and older men, convalescents etc that would have made them the equivalent of garrison divisions?
Alternatively, were they of better quality but the Turkish High Command considered the need to protect these strategic areas more than reinforcing the active fronts in Palestine, Mesopotamia and the Caucasus?
Martin