Die Schlacht von Gallipoli 1915

As part of the military mission of General Liman von Sanders initiallly 42 German officers came to Istanbul until mid 1914. They took different functions as commanders or senior executives and staff in the Ottoman General Staff and the Ministry of War. In the course of 1914, after the begin of war, the total number of German soldiers grew up rapidly in Istanbul. Not only by the crews of the Goeben and Breslau, but also through the creation of the Naval Support Command, which supported the fortress garrisons at the Dardanelles and personnel which were attached to all ships of the Ottoman Navy.

Mid-1915, all of the essential command functions the Ottoman forces were occupied by German officers (see above).

 

According recent research Germans participated in the following German or Turkish commands and units:

 

• The Navy Support Command (Marine-Sonderkommando) (reinforcement of naval coastal artillery in the Dardanelles) 400 German Navy Gunner of all ranks,

• The Navy Landing Division (strengthening of defense in the land battle by machine guns) 300 German Marines,

• The volunteer engineer company (support fort he Turkish trench war at gallipoli) 400 German pioneers from different engineering units of the Eastern and Western fronts

• Squadron 1 (first air forces on Gallipoli), about 150 German pilots, technicians and soldiers

• The Navy Squadron (Seefliegerabteilung) about 100 German pilots, technicians and soldiers

• The field hospital Bighali, about 50 German doctors, nurses,

• The artillery units (defense Suvla) 150 German artillery soldiers

• Other command and staff personnel (Commander V. Army Liman von Sanders and other German corps, divisional and regimental commanders, communication and logistics personnel) 100

 

Thus, a total of 1700 - 1800 German soldiers were directly involved in the fighting at Gallipoli. However, not all at once, but over the period from March 1915 to January 1916 - Personnel compensation included in the calculation.