Turkish Fifth Army

The Turkish Fifth Army was formed on March 24, 1915 with the responsibilty for the defence of the Dardanelles straits after the Ottoman Empire entered World War I. The original commander of the army was the German military advisor to the Ottoman Empire, General Otto Liman von Sanders, who had previously commanded the Turkish First Army in Constantinople. Later in the campaign, command passed to Vehip Pasha who became responsible for the Helles front while von Sanders still wielded considerable influence.

Disposition of the 5th Army at Gallipoli

In early 1915, as the Allied campaign to seize the Dardanelles (Battle of Gallipoli) commenced, the Fifth Army comprised two army corps; the Turkish III Corps was defending the Gallipoli peninsula and the Turkish XV Corps was defending the Asian shore. In addition, the 5th Division was positioned north of the peninsula. The corps contained the following divisions:

• III Corps (commanded by Essad Pasha)
  • 7th Division
  • 9th Division
  • 19th Division
• XV Corps
  • 3rd Division
  • 11th Division

The Fifth Army also contained the Çanakkale Fortress Command and one aircraft squadron.

When the Allies launched their August Offensive in a final effort to capture the peninsula, the number of Turkish divisions involved in the defence of the peninsula had expanded to ten (6 at Helles, 4 at Anzac) plus additional unattached infantry regiments and a brigade of cavalry. The four divisions at Anzac made up the III Corps.

A further three divisions, arranged in the "Asian Group", were responsible for the defence of the Asian shore of the Dardanelles. The Turkish XVI Corps , also known as the "Saros Group", was located north of the peninsula's neck to defend against a landing from the Gulf of Saros.

External links

Turkish Army at Gallipoli