Turkish soldier's equipment

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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Mait
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Turkish soldier's equipment

#1

Post by Mait » 07 Apr 2007, 09:40

Hello.

Starting a thread about Turkish soldier's equipment, as the topic is quite obscure for me.

What kind of rucksacks or backpacks were used by Turkish infantry & cavalry?

What kind of waterbottles and canteens were issued to the soldiers?

Were gasmasks used by Turkish soldiers?

What did the Turkish infantryman's boots look like?

What kind of belts and harnesses were used?

Has anyone got data about Turkish field kitchens? I know one in ten men carried a cooking dish with him - has anyone got a better photo of this thing?

Best Regards,

mait.
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Peter H
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#2

Post by Peter H » 07 Apr 2007, 10:13

A Turkish mounted officer in 1918 with the Model 1918 full visor helmet.Issued only to stormtroops or people with connections.

Photo from Helmets of the First World War, by Branislav Radovic.
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Tosun Saral
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#3

Post by Tosun Saral » 07 Apr 2007, 10:53

During which period? Balkan War, WW1, 1919-22, 1923-1940, 1940-60, 1960-2007 ??????

Image with cooking dish is a soldier during Balkan War. Same water bottle was also used during WW1

Mounted officer is not Turkish but German. Turks had no chest pockets on their uniforms. His face is not Turkish.

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Mait
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#4

Post by Mait » 07 Apr 2007, 11:14

Hello Tosun.

Sorry - I forgot to mention that I am interested in WW1 era Turkish equipment.

Do You have any picture of that waterbottle?

Best Regards,

mait.

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Peter H
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#5

Post by Peter H » 08 Apr 2007, 13:52

The Turks adopted their "green" uniform with the Model 1909 Battle Dress?

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emir pasha
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#6

Post by emir pasha » 10 Apr 2007, 19:06

Yes Peter, olive-khaki service dress was adopted in 1909 but even during the Balkan War, there were many units wearing the old blue uniform, especially reserves and territorials.

It's pleasing to draw lists of military equipment and collecting them for sure :) but you may be disillusioned with that of the Ottoman/Turkish forces; especially in the last 20 years of the Empire. Industry was minimal, raw materials were scarce and money was in short supply. Most of the avaliable had to be spent to the weaponry and soldier's comfort came very very down below the list of quartermaster's priorities. Probably, any semblance of a standartly equipped army was achieved in the Galician front, where Austrians and Germans re-equipped the expeditionary corps from head to toe. In other fronts, especially on the middle eastern ones the situation was abysmal, with %99 of the ranks wearing little more than rags, let alone having luxury of the personal kit.

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Mait
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#7

Post by Mait » 10 Apr 2007, 22:30

I completely understand that Turks had great problems with equipping their soldiers during WW1, about the horros of logistics in Ottoman empire and how everything usable was pressed into service.

But I would like to know what was the equipment that was designed to be used by common soldier with the M1909 uniform - boots, shirt, pants, waterbottle, backpack, ammo pouches, bayonet frog, entrenching tools, mess tin, tent piece, greatcloak etc. I completely understand that most soldiers did not get this package or at least not all pieces, but I would like to see and read what the pieces looked like and what they were called. So far i have only found some very blurry photos with no visible details and some general comments that the Turkish equipment was either mostly copied from or looked like german models.

I especially hope that Turkish forum-members have access to that kind of data. So any help would be welcome.

Best Regards,

mait.

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