World War I naval ships of Turkey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The main goal of the Turkish Navy in 1914 was to maintain a fleet that could contest with the Greek Navy. The reason for this was that the two countries had been having bad relations before the War had started.
The Turkish were further annoyed when the British failed to deliver two dreadnoughts, two scout cruisers and four destroyers that had been ordered by them. Also, as both of the ordered dreadnoughts had in fact been completed, this contributed to Turkey joining the German and Austro-Hungarian side in the Great War.
Despite these drawbacks, the Turkish Navy saw much action against the Russian, British, and French Fleets in the Black Sea, Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara. The main Turkish Navy operation in World War I was the Gallipoli Campaign.
[edit] The Ships of the Turkish World War I Navy
[edit] Dreadnoughts
The two dreadnoughts, Residaye and Sultan Osman I that had been ordered by Turkey, were never given to them despite the fact that they had both been completed in Britain. In August 1914, they were both transferred to the British Royal Navy. They were renamed in the British Fleet as Erin and Agincourt.
[edit] Battle Cruisers
The German battle cruiser SMS Goeben (Yavuz Sultan in Turkish) was transferred to the Turkish Navy in November 1914. She was involved from the 29th of October 1914 till the end of the War bombarding Russian Ports on the edge of the Black Sea. During the Great War she was still largely manned and commanded by the German Navy.
[edit] Pre - Dreadnought Battleships
The two pre-dreadnought battleships, Hayreddin Barbarossa and Turgut Reis, both played a major part in the defense of The Dardanelles during the Gallipoli Campaign. Hayreddin Barbarossa was sunk by the British submarine E-11 whilst on patrol with two destroyers.
[edit] Coastal Defense ships
Mesudiye, the Turkish Navy’s only coastal defense ship, was torpedoed by the British submarine HMS B11, commanded by Lt Norman Holbrook, on the 13th of December, 1914 off Chanak in The Dardanelles. When the submarine got back to base, Holbrook was awarded the Victoria Cross.
[edit] Protected Cruisers
Turkey’s two protected cruisers, Hamadiye and Medjidiye were both two of Turkey’s older-design ships. Medjidiye was sunk in the Black Sea off Odessa while on company with Hamadiye and four torpedo boats from a single Russian mine.
[edit] Light Cruisers
The Turkish Navy acquired during the Great War the light cruiser Midilli (formerly the German SMS Breslau). Midilli was sunk in the Aegean Sea on the 20th of January 1918 whilst with the SMS Goeben from five Allied mines. She served with the SMS Goeben in many raids against Russian shipping and ports from late October 1914.
[edit] Destroyers
Turkey’s eight destroyers, Basra, Samsun, Tasoz, Yarhisar, Gairet-I-Watanije, Jadhigar-I-Millet, Muavenet-I-Millet, and Numene-I-Hamije made up most of its Navy in the First World War. Yarhisar was sunk by the submarine E-11, Gairet-I-Watanije ran aground and was abandoned, and the British pre-dreadnought battleship Goliath downed Muavenet-I-Millet. Samsun could have been lost by the submarine HMS E-11. Turkish records say that she was sunk.
[edit] Submarines and Minelayers
Turkey’s only submarine during the War, Mustecip Onbasi (French Mustecip), was run aground in The Dardanelles on the 30th of October 1915 and captured by the Allies.
Turkey also had several minelayers, Nusret being the most famous. It sunk three Allied ships in a small minefield of 20 mines on the 18th of March, 1915 that it had made ten days beforehand. The British pre-dreadnought battleships Irresistible and Ocean and the French battleship Bouvet were all sunk. The British battle cruiser Inflexible was also badly damaged.
[edit] References
- 2. [2]] - Naval warfare of World War I.
- 3. [3] - Another good reference for World War I naval warfare.
