Çanakkale Araştırmaları Türk Yıllığı (Jan 2010)
Çanakkale Muharebelerinde Gelibolu ve Civarı
Abstract
Settled areas close to combat zones have been affected by each stage of the war. The Gallipoli which is a frontier town took the all the burden of the war in terms of the front of Dardanelles because it is very close to the front and therefore it has been experienced many dark days together with its residents. In this tentative study, it has been generally tried to explain what happened in Gallipoli as a bird’s eye while the war continued around the town. We have also tried to mention about the activities of logistics support units, transitions from the units, health services and hospitals, and the sacrifices of the heroic Turkish commanders, soldiers and the public. The 3rd Army Corps located in Tekirdag at the beginning of the enemy bombardment was taken to Gallipoli later on and assigned with the zone defense of the Dardanelles against the possible landings. Headquarters was located in Gallipoli. General Esat Pasha was the commander of headquarters. 5 th and 7th Divisions were also located in the part of Gallipoli isthmus/ narrow passage. Marshal Liman von Sanders was appointed as the Commander of the 5th Army and the French Consulate building in Gallipoli was allocated as the headquarters and authority. The Marshal came to Gallipoli on the 26th of March in order to start his work and moved to Bolayir on the same day. Both of this movement and also the regulations that he took and intended to take in the district from the first week he came proved that he expected the most of British landings from the Gulf of Saros and the Anatolian coasts. Since then, the Headquarters of the Army and the affiliates was in Gallipoli. The 1st Army Commander, Golç Pasha established his headquarters in Gallipoli. The 19th Division Band was in Gallipoli. The 2nd Light Supply Branch, the 3rd Light Supply Branch, the 2nd Heavy Supply Branch, the 3 rd Heavy Supply Branch, ammunition depots, mobile hospitals, and some part of the warehouses and workshops of the 3rd Army Corps were in Gallipoli. The 5th Army Range Inspectorate was established on 27th March, 1915 in Gallipoli in order to meet the requirements of the 5th Army. The troops sometimes were transferred to Gallipoli by ships, but most of the time it was done by the railway from Istanbul to Edirne and from Edirne to Uzunkopru and then from Uzunkopru to the front over Gallipoli on foot. A food center was established in Gallipoli in order for that the troops coming by the ships can receive hot meals when it is required. Since the flour mills in Tekirdag, Karabiga and Gallipoli were active, there was not a great difficulty for food supplies. One of the range warehouses was located in Gallipoli. The boarding of the 14th Army Corps over the Sarkoy and Gallipoli was seen as appropriate by the Office of the Quartermaster. 36 It was seen as appropriate that the ammunition range line running between Uzunkopru and Gallipoli for the 5th Army continued to operate in the same way previously and the branches given for this purpose was not given for another services. The Ministry of Defense had reported the needed order about the supply of 211 tons of meat which is the requirement of the 5th Army for the month of May to the Lieutenant Governor of Gallipoli previously on the 3rd of May. It had been stated by the answer received from the Gallipoli that that amount would be met, however they should not wait for any further aid for the month of June. It was stated for the reason that the number of population was really decreased due to the transferring of non-Muslim people in Gallipoli to the other places because of the war. Although the seizure procedures were not completed in the other townships and villages of Edirne province, 10.000 cattle including rams, sheep and goats had been provided through the war levies. During the transferring back period, the people which were wounded and needed treatment had been treated after checking by a Sanitary Assistance Committee temporarily existing in Gallipoli and consisting of Army Chief of Medical Staff Sergeant and Army Headquarters Medical Staff and the ones needed treatment urgently as not be able to transfer back were taken from the ship and their referrals were made to the two hospitals in Gallipoli. The bed capacity of the Military Hospital of Gallipoli had been increased from 250 to 1000 before and also a Red Crescent hospital with a 200-bed capacity in the French school and a 150-bed war hospital were opened. These hospitals were moved to Lapseki partially and mostly to Tekirdag upon the bombarding of the Gallipoli centre. The remaining part having 150 beds was in the situation on the 4th of May and left for the emergency cases. The Medical School students, who were employed in the hospitals of Istanbul province for the maintenance of the wounded increasing in number, were brought to Canakkale with the Sungurlu Battalion boarded the Ship of Resit Pasha in April, 1915 and then to Gallipoli under the auspices of the Ottoman destroyer and finally they were distributed to the hospitals.
