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Second Army (Ottoman Empire)
Encyclopedia
The Second Army of the Ottoman Empire
was one of the field armies
of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the late 19th century during Ottoman military reforms.
Upon mobilization for the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), the second army was split in two; these were named as Eastern Danube Army and Western Danube Army.
and the establishment of the Second Constitutional Era
on 3 July 1908, new government initiate a major military reform. Army headquarters were modernized. The army headquarter established in Adrianople. Its operational area was Thrace, the Dardanelles, and it had units in Europe and Asia Minor. It commanded the following active divisions: The Second Army also had inspectorate functions for six Redif or reserve divisions and one brigade:
The Army also had 34 machine gun detachments.
Additionally, the Second Redif Inspectorate had divisions in the Balkans at: Drama, Serez, Salonika, İştip, Monastir, Uskup, Piristine, Metroviçe, Pirzenin, Yanya, Elbasan, Naslic, and İşkodra. The Fifth Redif Inspectorate in Syria had divisions at: Adana, Antep, Aleppo, Damascus, Jerusalem, Akka, and Tripoli.
When the war started, the Second Army became the Western Army, the equivalent of an Army Group. The troops in Syria were prevented by the Greek Navy from reinforcing the forces in the Balkans.
After the war, the Second Army was reconstituted from those personnel who survived the destruction of the Western Army in the Balkans.. It was first sent to Konya, and later to Syria.
Syria commanding two corps made up of two divisions. The Redif system had been done away with, and the plan was to have reserve soldiers fill out active units rather than constitute separate units. The commander in October 1914 was General Vehip Pasha.
By November 1914, the Second Army was moved to Constantinople and commanded the V and VI Corps, each composed of three divisions. In February 1915 the defense of the Turkish Straits was reorganized. The Second Army had responsibility for the south and east coasts. It later provided troops to the fighting on the Gallipoli Peninsula but did not otherwise have a role.
Second Army
The 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.
In March 1916, the decision was made to deploy the Second Army to the Caucasus Campaign
. The plan was to have the Second Army attack in conjunction with the Third Army
. The Second Army was made up of veterans of the Gallipoli campaign as well as two new divisions. Due to the poor state of the Ottoman rail network, it took a long period of time to move the forces. In the mean time the Russians hit the Third Army, causing heavy casualties on that already battered army, preventing it from cooperating with the Second Army. The Second Army, commanded by Ahmet Izzet Pasha, finally attacked in August with the following divisions:
Also assigned to the army was the 3rd Regular Cavalry Division.
While the XVI Corps commanded by Mustafa Kemal
had success at Bitlis and Mus, the main attacks by the III and IV Corps suffered heavy losses. The Army lost about 30,000 out of 100,000 soldiers. The divisions suffering the losses were both veteran units and the best of the newly created divisions. The Ottoman Army could not afford to lose such men for meaningless gains. As a result the offensive was a major strategic defeat. It was the last major strategic offensive by the Ottomans in the war.
In response to defeats elsewhere, the army had a number of divisions transferred to other areas such as Mesopotamia and Palestine. By December 1916, it was made up of six infantry divisions and one cavalry division.. The army did not play a major role in the war after that.
in Palestine. The army was deactivated in on 4 February 1918. It was later activated and commanded rear area troops including labor units in Anatolia. After the defeat at Megiddo, the army briefly saw front line service commanding three divisions (23rd, 41st, 44th) at the end of the war.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
was one of the field armies
Field army
A Field Army, or Area Army, usually referred to simply as an Army, is a term used by many national military forces for a military formation superior to a corps and beneath an army group....
of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the late 19th century during Ottoman military reforms.
Order of Battle, 1877
In 1877, it was stationed in what is now Bulgaria. It was composed of:- 1st Infantry Division
- 2nd Infantry Division
- Cavalry Division
- field artillery regiment
- fortress artillery regiment
Upon mobilization for the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), the second army was split in two; these were named as Eastern Danube Army and Western Danube Army.
Order of battle, 1908
After the Young Turk RevolutionYoung Turk Revolution
The Young Turk Revolution of 1908 reversed the suspension of the Ottoman parliament by Sultan Abdul Hamid II, marking the onset of the Second Constitutional Era...
and the establishment of the Second Constitutional Era
Second Constitutional Era (Ottoman Empire)
The Second Constitutional Era of the Ottoman Empire began shortly after Sultan Abdülhamid II restored the constitutional monarchy after the 1908 Young Turk Revolution. The period established many political groups...
on 3 July 1908, new government initiate a major military reform. Army headquarters were modernized. The army headquarter established in Adrianople. Its operational area was Thrace, the Dardanelles, and it had units in Europe and Asia Minor. It commanded the following active divisions: The Second Army also had inspectorate functions for six Redif or reserve divisions and one brigade:
- 2nd Army
- 3rd Division, 4th Division, 20th Division, 21st Division
- 2nd Cavalry Division
- 2nd Artillery Division
- Adrianople Fortress Artillery Regiment
- Redif of 2nd Army (name of the division denotes its location)
- 35th Çanakkale Redif Division
- 6th Bandırma Redif Division
- 7th Afyonkarahisar Redif Division
- 8th Konya Redif Division
- 25th Adrianople Redif Division
- 26th Kırcaali Redif Division
- 53rd Kırk Kilise Redif Brigade
The Army also had 34 machine gun detachments.
Order of battle, 1911
With further reorganizations of the Ottoman Army, to include the creation of corps level headquarters, by 1911 the Army was headquartered in Salonika. It now had responsibility for the Balkans and operational control over forces in Syria and Palestine. The Army included two inspectorates, the Second in the Balkans and the Fifth in Syria. The Army at the start of the First Balkan War in 1912 was structured as such: (place names given are ones the Ottomans used at that time)- Second Army Headquarters: Salonika
- V CorpsV Corps (Ottoman Empire)The V Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
, Salonika- 13th Infantry Division, Salonika
- 14th Infantry Division, Serez
- 15th Infantry Division, Usturumca
- 6th Cavalry Brigade, Gevgili
- VI CorpsVI Corps (Ottoman Empire)The VI Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
, MonastirMonastir-Places:Italy* Monastir, Sardinia - a comune in the Province of CagliariOttoman Empire* Monastir Province, Ottoman Empire, a vilayet covering parts of modern Albania, Greece and the Republic of MacedoniaRepublic of Macedonia...
- 16th Infantry Division, İştip
- 17th Infantry Division, Monastir
- 18th Infantry Division, Debre
- 7th Cavalry Brigade, Monastir
- VII CorpsVII Corps (Ottoman Empire)The VII Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.-Order of Battle, 1911 :...
, Üsküp (Skopje)- 19th Infantry Division, Üsküp
- 20th Infantry Division, Metroviçe
- 21st Infantry Division, Yakova
- 8th Cavalry Brigade, Üsküp
- Independent divisions:
- 22nd Infantry Division, Kozana
- 23rd Infantry Division, Yanya
- 24th Infantry Division, İşkodra
- VIII CorpsVIII Corps (Ottoman Empire)The VIII Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
, DamascusDamascusDamascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, Syria- 25th Infantry Division, Dera
- 26th Infantry Division, AleppoAleppoAleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
- 27th Infantry Division, Beyrut
- 9th Cavalry Brigade, Damascus
Additionally, the Second Redif Inspectorate had divisions in the Balkans at: Drama, Serez, Salonika, İştip, Monastir, Uskup, Piristine, Metroviçe, Pirzenin, Yanya, Elbasan, Naslic, and İşkodra. The Fifth Redif Inspectorate in Syria had divisions at: Adana, Antep, Aleppo, Damascus, Jerusalem, Akka, and Tripoli.
When the war started, the Second Army became the Western Army, the equivalent of an Army Group. The troops in Syria were prevented by the Greek Navy from reinforcing the forces in the Balkans.
After the war, the Second Army was reconstituted from those personnel who survived the destruction of the Western Army in the Balkans.. It was first sent to Konya, and later to Syria.
Order of Battle, 1914
At the outset of World War I, the army headquarters was located in AleppoAleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
Syria commanding two corps made up of two divisions. The Redif system had been done away with, and the plan was to have reserve soldiers fill out active units rather than constitute separate units. The commander in October 1914 was General Vehip Pasha.
By November 1914, the Second Army was moved to Constantinople and commanded the V and VI Corps, each composed of three divisions. In February 1915 the defense of the Turkish Straits was reorganized. The Second Army had responsibility for the south and east coasts. It later provided troops to the fighting on the Gallipoli Peninsula but did not otherwise have a role.
Second Army
- VI CorpsVI Corps (Ottoman Empire)The VI Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
- 16th Division, 26th Division
- VIII CorpsVIII Corps (Ottoman Empire)The VIII Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
- 25th Division, 27th Division
Order of battle, April 1915
Second Army- V CorpsV Corps (Ottoman Empire)The V Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
- 13th Division, 14th Division, 15th Division
- VI CorpsVI Corps (Ottoman Empire)The VI Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
- 16th Division, 24th Division, 26th Division
The 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.
Order of battle, 1916
Caucasus Campaign
The Caucasus Campaign comprised armed conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire, later including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Central Caspian Dictatorship and the UK as part of the Middle Eastern theatre or alternatively named as part of the Caucasus Campaign during World War I...
. The plan was to have the Second Army attack in conjunction with the Third Army
Third Army (Ottoman Empire)
The Ottoman Third Army was originally established in the Balkans and later defended the northern and eastern parts of the Ottoman Empire. Its initial headquarters was at Salonica. With the onset of World War I, it moved to Erzurum Fortress. The headquarters was moved to Susehir after the Battle...
. The Second Army was made up of veterans of the Gallipoli campaign as well as two new divisions. Due to the poor state of the Ottoman rail network, it took a long period of time to move the forces. In the mean time the Russians hit the Third Army, causing heavy casualties on that already battered army, preventing it from cooperating with the Second Army. The Second Army, commanded by Ahmet Izzet Pasha, finally attacked in August with the following divisions:
- III CorpsIII Corps (Ottoman Empire)The III Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
- 1st Division, 7th Division, 14th Division, 53rd Division
- II CorpsII Corps (Ottoman Empire)The II Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
- 11th Division, 12th Division
- IV CorpsIV Corps (Ottoman Empire)The IV Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms...
- 47th Division, 48th Division
- XVI CorpsXVI Corps (Ottoman Empire)The XVI Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed during the World War I.- Order of Battle, August 1916, December 1916 :...
, commanded by Mustafa Kemal- 5th Division, 8th Division
Also assigned to the army was the 3rd Regular Cavalry Division.
While the XVI Corps commanded by Mustafa Kemal
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
had success at Bitlis and Mus, the main attacks by the III and IV Corps suffered heavy losses. The Army lost about 30,000 out of 100,000 soldiers. The divisions suffering the losses were both veteran units and the best of the newly created divisions. The Ottoman Army could not afford to lose such men for meaningless gains. As a result the offensive was a major strategic defeat. It was the last major strategic offensive by the Ottomans in the war.
In response to defeats elsewhere, the army had a number of divisions transferred to other areas such as Mesopotamia and Palestine. By December 1916, it was made up of six infantry divisions and one cavalry division.. The army did not play a major role in the war after that.
Order of battle, 1917
In 1917, Mustafa Kemal promoted to be the acting commander of the Second Army. His tenure was brief as he moved on to command the Seventh ArmySeventh Army (Ottoman Empire)
The Ottoman Seventh Army was a large military formation of Ottoman Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although designated as an army, at least by 1918, it was only of corps strength....
in Palestine. The army was deactivated in on 4 February 1918. It was later activated and commanded rear area troops including labor units in Anatolia. After the defeat at Megiddo, the army briefly saw front line service commanding three divisions (23rd, 41st, 44th) at the end of the war.