Die Schlacht von Gallipoli 1915

The Battle of Gallipoli 1915 - i.e. the naval battle of the Dardanelles on 18 March 1915 and the amphibious landing of Allied troops that began on April 25, 1915 - has been deeply imprinted in the collective memory of modern Turkey but also of Australia and New Zealand. Similarly, other nations such as France and the United Kingdom commemorate their participation in the battles and in particular the memory of those who died.

That at the time there was an alliance between Germany and the Ottoman Empire and that German soldiers were also involved in this battle is not well known. This fact is also hardly noted in the history of the former ally, Turkey. The battles on land, at sea and in the air probably directly involved more than 1,000 German soldiers. More than 200 men died during the fighting, and their graves weathered over time and are now not to be found.

This site is dedicated to the wounded and fallen German soldiers from Gallipoli. The stories are told here of the orders and participation in action of the German units at Gallipoli. Wherever possible the names of all German troops of all ranks who were involved in these battles are also included. However, since the currently known and available documents provide only a fraction of the necessary information these pages rely on the participation of all readers. Therefore I am asking for the examination and checking of facts and for any additions which readers can make, so that as many names and their stories can be posted here.

Even though the military cemetery at Tarabya in Istanbul has almost no relationship to the actions at Gallipoli this resting place is allotted a separate chapter. Here the history of the cemetery but also the story of some of the people buried there will be told.

Even before the Battle of Gallipoli the German military mission of Liman von Sanders and the Mediterranean Division had a decisive influence on the Ottoman leadership and military. This is shown in short essays which derive mainly from my book "Gallipoli 1915".

 

Some pages have been translated into English, marked with ENG and may be selected, where available.