Troops transports on the Black Sea

Discussions on the final era of the Ottoman Empire, from the Young Turk Revolution of 1908 until the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923.
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Peter H
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Troops transports on the Black Sea

#1

Post by Peter H » 18 Jul 2007, 09:45

How extensive was the transport of troops to the Caucasus Front by sea?

Erickson relates that in 1916 that the 12th Division,in a convoy escorted by the Breslau, was "dispatched by sea to the Black Sea port of Samsun".

Tosun Saral
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#2

Post by Tosun Saral » 19 Jul 2007, 10:52

Field Marshall Mustafa Fevzi Çakmak "Birinci Dünya Savaşında Doğu Cephesi" (East Front During WW1)

p.113:
It was not possible for us to send the troops from Gallipoli Front after the evaculation of the earea by British to Trabzon by sea in winter time due to weakness of our Navy. We had no control and rule at Black Sea. For that reason we send our troops to Iraq Front.

p.262
On 6th Nov. 1914 6 battleships, 13 destroyers and torpedo boats of the Russian Fleet sailed to Black Sea at 07:45 and entered to the port of Zonguldak. Bombed Kozlu coal mines and Zonguldak, sunk a greek cargoship. During that time 3 Turkish cargo vessels
Mithatpaşs, Bezk-i Alem and Karadeniz were sailing towards to the shores of Georgia with a corgo opf airplanes, pilots and circassian volunteers. Their task was to begin a circassian revolt againts ruling Russians. The vessels had no protection. They were all sunk by Russians.

p.263
On 6th Nov.1914 Battleships Midilli(Breslau) and Hamidiye landed 3000n troops of the 89th Regt. pon Trabzon whom they took from Giresun.
On Nov. 10th 1914 Midilli and Hamidiye took 93th Regt. from the ports of Unye and Ordu and anded then on Trabzon.

p. 264
Towards the end of Nov. several cargo ships with a corgo of artillary guns, war material, wagons, provisions sailed from Istanbul under protection of Hamidiye, Mecidiye and Midilli battleships.

p.265
At the beginning of Dec. Stange Bey with 2 battalions of 8th Regt., a mountain battary, and 100 horsemen sailed towards Trabzon under the protection of Mecidiye, Berk-i Satvet and Pek-i Şevket. But due to Russian mines covering the enterence of Trabzon port they landed on Rize.

p.266
On Dec. 21st 1914 some cargo ships carring ammunition and some troops sailed for Trabzon under protection of Yazuz and Midilli.

p.268
After the defeat at Sarıkamış Enver Pasha ordered the transport of 5th AC by sea on Jan. 1915. He insisted a prompt transport of the AC. But von Sanders and Admiral Souchon refused his order. Souchon insisted that Yavuz was wounded.

p.275
Erzurum was in danger. To support Erzurum with new troops and material Yavuz sailed from Istanbul on Feb. 4th 1916 to Trabzon with a mountain battary, 8 MG detachments (32 MGs), a plane detachment, 1000 rifles, 300 boxes of ammunition, 29 officers, 400 troops on her deck. They landed safely on Trabzon on Feb. 6th 1916.

p.276
Enver Pasha ordered a regiment to be transported by sea to Trabzon promply. But Souchon refused his order. The situation is very serious and hopeless againts clear superiority of the enemy war ships

p.277
On April 1st 1916 Midilli sailed from Istanbul to Trabzon carring 150 troops, 794 boxes of ammu, 5000 rifles, 4 MGs. They landed on April 3rd.

p.279
On April 25th Midilli sailed to Samsun from Istanbul carring 200 troops, ammu and material.

p.280
Between May 30th and June 2 Midilli carried ammu and material to Sinop and Samsun to support 3rd Army.


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Peter H
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#3

Post by Peter H » 19 Jul 2007, 14:42

Thanks Tosun.

Rick Research posted photos of the Goeben transporting Turkish troops here:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18483
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Peter H
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#4

Post by Peter H » 24 Jul 2007, 11:28

The 15th Division was also transported from Costanza Romania to Batum by ship in May 1918.This was of course without the threat of the Russian Black Sea Fleet,then inactive.

Jochen Kruesmann
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#5

Post by Jochen Kruesmann » 28 Jul 2007, 18:20

p. 262:

steamer Karadeniz never sank, but was seized by British authorities at Bombay at the beginning of the war.
Tosun Saral wrote:Field Marshall Mustafa Fevzi Çakmak "Birinci Dünya Savaşında Doğu Cephesi" (East Front During WW1)

p.113:
It was not possible for us to send the troops from Gallipoli Front after the evaculation of the earea by British to Trabzon by sea in winter time due to weakness of our Navy. We had no control and rule at Black Sea. For that reason we send our troops to Iraq Front.

p.262
On 6th Nov. 1914 6 battleships, 13 destroyers and torpedo boats of the Russian Fleet sailed to Black Sea at 07:45 and entered to the port of Zonguldak. Bombed Kozlu coal mines and Zonguldak, sunk a greek cargoship. During that time 3 Turkish cargo vessels
Mithatpaşs, Bezk-i Alem and Karadeniz were sailing towards to the shores of Georgia with a corgo opf airplanes, pilots and circassian volunteers. Their task was to begin a circassian revolt againts ruling Russians. The vessels had no protection. They were all sunk by Russians.

p.263
On 6th Nov.1914 Battleships Midilli(Breslau) and Hamidiye landed 3000n troops of the 89th Regt. pon Trabzon whom they took from Giresun.
On Nov. 10th 1914 Midilli and Hamidiye took 93th Regt. from the ports of Unye and Ordu and anded then on Trabzon.

p. 264
Towards the end of Nov. several cargo ships with a corgo of artillary guns, war material, wagons, provisions sailed from Istanbul under protection of Hamidiye, Mecidiye and Midilli battleships.

p.265
At the beginning of Dec. Stange Bey with 2 battalions of 8th Regt., a mountain battary, and 100 horsemen sailed towards Trabzon under the protection of Mecidiye, Berk-i Satvet and Pek-i Şevket. But due to Russian mines covering the enterence of Trabzon port they landed on Rize.

p.266
On Dec. 21st 1914 some cargo ships carring ammunition and some troops sailed for Trabzon under protection of Yazuz and Midilli.

p.268
After the defeat at Sarıkamış Enver Pasha ordered the transport of 5th AC by sea on Jan. 1915. He insisted a prompt transport of the AC. But von Sanders and Admiral Souchon refused his order. Souchon insisted that Yavuz was wounded.

p.275
Erzurum was in danger. To support Erzurum with new troops and material Yavuz sailed from Istanbul on Feb. 4th 1916 to Trabzon with a mountain battary, 8 MG detachments (32 MGs), a plane detachment, 1000 rifles, 300 boxes of ammunition, 29 officers, 400 troops on her deck. They landed safely on Trabzon on Feb. 6th 1916.

p.276
Enver Pasha ordered a regiment to be transported by sea to Trabzon promply. But Souchon refused his order. The situation is very serious and hopeless againts clear superiority of the enemy war ships

p.277
On April 1st 1916 Midilli sailed from Istanbul to Trabzon carring 150 troops, 794 boxes of ammu, 5000 rifles, 4 MGs. They landed on April 3rd.

p.279
On April 25th Midilli sailed to Samsun from Istanbul carring 200 troops, ammu and material.

p.280
Between May 30th and June 2 Midilli carried ammu and material to Sinop and Samsun to support 3rd Army.

Tosun Saral
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#6

Post by Tosun Saral » 29 Jul 2007, 09:51

Thank you Kruesmann you corrected a mistake made by editors of the book of Fieldmarschal Mustafa Fevzi Cakmak. They stupidly translated the ships name into modern Turkish as "Karadeniz". I found the right name of the ship: "Bahriahmer" . If we translate the word into modern Turkish the name must be "Kızıldeniz" not "Karadeniz"
Bahriahmer = Kızıldeniz = Red Sea


Thank you again.

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:JC ... cd=5&gl=tr

"3 ncü Ordunun keşif ve gözetleme görevleri için iki uçaktan kurulu bir ekip Trabzon'a asker, cephane ve malzeme götüren Bezmialem, Mithatpaşa ve Bahriahmer gemilerine yüklenmişti. Tarıkbinzeyat ve Edremit adıdaki Bileriot uçaklarıyla Yüzbaşı Salim (İlkuçan) ve Fessah (Evrensel) bu birliğe atanmıştı. 6-7 Kasım gecesi Rus savaş gemileri kafileyi yakalayarak batırdı. Denize dökülenler arasında bulunan uçucular Ruslar tarafından esir alınarak Sibirya'ya gönderilmişlerdi."


[The names of the planes on deck were Tarıkbinziyat and Edremit. Pilot Capts. Salim (İlkuçan) and Fessah (Evrensel) were on the board. they were taken POW by Russians.]

Tosun Saral
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#7

Post by Tosun Saral » 29 Jul 2007, 12:52

Story of Bahr-i Ahmer: Original name Roland
ROLAND / BAHRIAHMER 1893
The ROLAND was built by Sir W.G.Armstrong, Mitchell & Co, Walker-on-Tyne in 1893 and was bought on the stocks by Norddeutscher Lloyd [North German Lloyd]. She was a 3,603 gross ton ship, length 345ft x beam 43.8ft, one funnel, two masts, single screw and a speed of 12 knots. There was accommodation for 28-2nd and 800-3rd class passengers. Launched on 1/5/1893, she sailed from Bremen on her maiden voyage to New York on 13/9/1893. On 9/12/1893 she commenced her first voyage from Bremen to South America and on 27/8/1896 started her first run on the Bremen - Baltimore route. She commenced her last N.Atlantic voyage on 15/2/1906 from Bremen to Baltimore (30 round voyages on N.Atlantic) and her last Bremen - S.America voyage on 7/8/1909 (16 S.Atlantic voyages). On 11/11/1910 she sailed on her last Bremen - Havana run (3 round voyages). In 1911 she was sold to a Turkish company who renamed her BAHRIAHMER and on 7/11/1914 she was sunk by the Russian Navy off Eregli, Black Sea. [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.2,p.557]
http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:v1 ... cd=1&gl=tr

pix of Roland:
http://www.cosmoclub.net/ng/ngimages/pc337-ng.jpg

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