The Yildirim Army Group or Thunderbolt Army Group of the Ottoman Empire (

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

: ''Yıldırım Ordular Grubu'') or Army Group F (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

: ''Heeresgruppe F'') was an

Army Group An army group is a military organization consisting of several field armies, which is self-sufficient for indefinite periods. It is usually responsible for a particular geographic area. An army group is the largest field organization handled by ...

of the Ottoman Army during World War I. While being an Ottoman unit, it also contained the

Asia Corps The Asia Corps (German: ''Asien-Korps'' or ''Levantekorps'') was a detachment of the German Army, sent to assist the Ottoman Army during World War I. Pasha I The first German troops despatched to assist the Ottoman Army in 1914 and 1915 were P ...

. Starting in June 1917, the Yildirim Army Group's first commander in chief was the former Prussian Minister of War and Chief of Staff Erich von Falkenhayn. Von Falkenhayn was replaced by General of the Cavalry Otto Liman von Sanders on 25 February 1918. After the Armistice of Mudros on 30 October 1918, Mustafa Kemal took command until the Group's dissolution a few days later.

Tactics

The army group included troops who used the latest Western-Front infiltration tactics; were equipped with close-combat gear, such as

Stahlhelm The ''Stahlhelm'' () is a German military steel combat helmet intended to provide protection against shrapnel and fragments of grenades. The term ''Stahlhelm'' refers both to a generic steel helmet and more specifically to the distinctive Ger ...

s and stick-grenades; and were supported by artillery and machine guns.

World War I

Order of Battle, August 1917

In August 1917, the army group was structured as follows:Edward J. Erickson, ''Order to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War'', Greenwood Press, 2001, , p. 170. * Yildirim Army Group ( Müşir Erich von Falkenhayn) ** Seventh Army,

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

( Mirliva

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, or Mustafa Kemal Pasha until 1921, and Ghazi Mustafa Kemal from 1921 Surname Law (Turkey), until 1934 ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish Mareşal (Turkey), field marshal, Turkish National Movement, re ...

) ***

III Corps 3rd Corps, Third Corps, III Corps, or 3rd Army Corps may refer to: France * 3rd Army Corps (France) * III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * III Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of th ...

**** 24th Division ****

50th Division 50th Division or 50th Infantry Division may refer to: Infantry divisions: * 50th Division (1st Formation)(People's Republic of China) * 50th Infantry Division (German Empire) * 50th Reserve Division (German Empire) * 50th Infantry Division Regina ...

***

XV Corps 15th Corps, Fifteenth Corps, or XV Corps may refer to: *XV Corps (British India) *XV Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I *15th Army Corps (Russian Empire), a unit in World War I *XV Royal Bavar ...

**** 19th Division **** 20th Division *** German Asia Corps ** Sixth Army, Mesopotamia (Mirliva Halil Kut) *** XIII Corps **** 2nd Division **** 6th Division *** XVIII Corps **** 14th Division **** 51st Division **** 52nd Division *** 46th Division with the * 42nd Division * 48th Division * 59th Division ** XX Corps at Huj *** 16th Division *** 54th Division *** 178th Infantry Regiment *** 3rd Cavalry Division ** XXII Corps at Gaza *** 3rd Division *** 7th Division *** 53rd Division

Order of Battle, January 1918

In January 1918, the army group was structured as follows:Edward J. Erickson, ''Order to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War'', Greenwood Press, 2001, , p. 181. * Yildirim Army Group (Müşir Erich von Falkenhayn) ** Seventh Army (Mirliva

Fevzi Çakmak Mustafa Fevzi Çakmak (12 January 1876 – 10 April 1950) was a Turkish field marshal ('' Mareşal'') and politician. He served as the Chief of General Staff from 1918 and 1919 and later the Minister of War of the Ottoman Empire in 1920. He lat ...

) ***

**** 1st Division, 19th Division, 24th Division ***

**** 26th Division, 53rd Division *** 3rd Cavalry Division *** German Asia Corps ** Eighth Army ( Ferik

Cevat Çobanlı Cevat Çobanlı (14 September 1870Mesut Aydın, ''Türkiye ve Irak Hudûdu Mes'elesi'', Avrasya Stratejik Araştırmalar Merkezi Yayınları, 2001p. 53./ref> or 1871 – 13 March 1938) was a military commander of the Ottoman Army, War Minister ...

) *** XXII Corps **** 3rd Division, 7th Division, 20th Division *** 16th Division, 54th Division, 2nd Caucasian Cavalry Division

Order of Battle, June 1918

In June 1918, the army group was structured as follows:Edward J. Erickson, ''Order to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War'', Greenwood Press, 2001, , p. 188. * Yildirim Army Group (Müşir Otto Liman von Sanders) ** Seventh Army (Mirliva

) ***

**** 1st Division, 24th Division, 3rd Cavalry Division ***

**** 26th Division, 53rd Division, 19th Division *** German Asia Corps ** Eighth Army (Ferik

) *** XXII Corps **** 3rd Division, 7th Division, 20th Division *** 16th Division *** 54th Division *** 2nd Caucasian Cavalry Division

Order of Battle, September 1918

In September 1918, the army group was structured as follows:Edward J. Erickson, ''Order to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War'', Greenwood Press, 2001, , p. 197. * Yildirim Army Group (Müşir Otto Liman von Sanders) ** Fourth Army ( Mirliva Cemal Mersinli) ***

II Corps 2nd Corps, Second Corps, or II Corps may refer to: France * 2nd Army Corps (France) * II Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * II Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French ...

( Miralay Galatalı Şevket Bey) **** 62nd Division, Provisional Division x 3 *** Jordan Group **** 24th Division, 3rd Cavalry Division ***

VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to: * VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars *VIII Army Corps (German Confederation) * VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army ...

(Miralay Yasin Hilmi Bey) **** 48th Division, Umman Provisional Division ** Seventh Army (Mirliva

) ***

(Miralay İsmet İnönü) **** 1st Division, 11th Division ***

(Miralay

Ali Fuat Cebesoy Ali Fuat Cebesoy (September 23, 1882Ayfer Özçelik, ''Ali Fuad Cepesoy'', Akçağ Yayınları, 1993, , p. 1. – January 10, 1968) was a Turkish army officer and politician. Early life Ali Fuat was born in September 1882 to father Ismail ...

) **** 26th Division, 53rd Division ** Eighth Army (Ferik

) *** XXII Corps (Miralay Refet Bele) **** 7th Division, 20th Division *** Left Wing Corps ( Oberst

Gustav von Oppen Gustav, Gustaf or Gustave may refer to: * Gustav (name), a male given name of Old Swedish origin Art, entertainment, and media * ''Primeval'' (film), a 2007 American horror film * ''Gustav'' (film series), a Hungarian series of animated short car ...

) **** 16th Division, 19th Division **** German Asia Corps *** 2nd Caucasian Cavalry Division

After Mudros

Order of Battle, November 1918

In November 1918, the army group was structured as follows:Edward J. Erickson, ''Order to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War'', Greenwood Press, 2001, , p. 202. * Yildirim Army Group ( Mirliva

) ** Second Army (Mirliva

Nihat Anılmış Nihat Anılmış (1876 in Filibe (Plovdiv) – May 31, 1954 in Istanbul) was an officer of the Ottoman Army (1861–1922), Ottoman Army and a general of the Turkish Army. See also *List of high-ranking commanders of the Turkish War of Independen ...

) ***

XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to: * 12th Army Corps (France) * XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army * XII (Ro ...

**** 23rd Division ***

**** 41st Division, 44th Division ** Seventh Army (Mirliva

, deputy) ***

**** 11th Division, 24th Division *** XX Corps **** 1st Division, 43rd Division

Yildirim Troops Inspectorate, May 1919

In April 1919,

Şevket Turgut Pasha Shevket Turgut Pasha ( tr, Şevket Turgut Paşa; 1857–1924) was an Ottoman army general with the rank of ''mirliva'' (major general), who also held the governmental title of ''pasha'' (lord). He went to the Prussian military school. Biography ...

and

hold a secret meeting in Constantinople. They prepared a report called "Trio Oath" (''Üçler Misâkı'') and decided to establish army inspectorate for the defense of homeland. In late April, Fevzi Çakmak submitted this report to the Minister of War Şakir Pasha. On April 30, 1919, the War Ministry and Sultan

Mehmed VI Mehmed VI Vahideddin ( ota, محمد سادس ''Meḥmed-i sâdis'' or ''Vaḥîdü'd-Dîn''; tr, VI. Mehmed or /; 14 January 1861 – 16 May 1926), also known as Şahbaba () among the Osmanoğlu family, was the 36th and last Sultan of the O ...

ratified the decision about the establishing of army inspectorates that had been accepted by the Chief of General Staff And then the First Army Troops Inspectorate (stationed in Constantinople,

), the Yildirim Troops Inspectorate (stationed in Konya, Cemal Mersinli, later Second Army Inspectorate) Inspectorate, the Ninth Army Troops Inspectorate (stationed in Erzurum,

, later Third Army Inspectorate) was formed. Additionally, the Rumeli Military Troops Inspectorate (

Nureddin Pasha Nureddin Ibrahim Pasha ( tr, Nurettin Paşa, Nureddin İbrahim Paşa; 1873 – 18 February 1932), known as Nureddin İbrahim Konyar from 1934, was a Turkish military officer who served in the Ottoman Army during World War I and in the Turkis ...

) would be established and the XIII Corps would be under the direction of the Ministry of War. In May 1919, the army inspectorate was structured as follows:Zekeriya Türkmen, ''Mütareke Döneminde Ordunun Durumu ve Yeniden Yapılanması (1918–1920)'', Türk Tarih Kurumu Basımevi, 2001, , pp. 110–111. * Yildirim Troops Inspectorate (''Yıldırım Kıt'aatı Müfettişliği'', Konya, Inspector: Ferik Cemal Mersinli) **

(

Niğde Niğde (; grc, Νίγδη; Hittite: Nahita, Naxita) is a city and the capital of Niğde province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey at an elevation of 1,299 m. In 2017 the city population was 141,010 people. The city is small with plenty ...

, Miralay Selâhaddin Bey) *** 11th Division *** 41st Division *** 7th Cavalry Regiment *** 20th Cavalry Regiment ** XX Corps ( Ankara, Mirliva

) *** 23rd Division *** 24th Division ** XVII Corps (Smyrna, Mirliva

Ali Nadir Pasha ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...

, transferred from the First Army Troops Inspectorate after the Occupation of Smyrna) *** 56th Division *** 57th Division

References

External links

{{Ottoman Forces during World War I Army groups of the Ottoman Empire Military units and formations of the Ottoman Empire in World War I