The Turkish Artillery in 1878

 

 

 

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

Total

 

Istanbul

Shumen

Bitolya

Erzurum

Damascus

Bagdad

Sanaa

 

Field Artillery

Artillery regiments

3

1

1

1

1

1

=

8

Batteries

horse

9

3

3

3

3

3

=

24

field

27

9

9

9

9

9

5

77

mountain

2

1

4

1

1

1

1

11

machine guns

1

1

1

1

1

1

=

6

Whitworth guns sections¹

7

6

7

6

7

6

5

44

Officers, NCOs and soldiers

6911

2436

2769

2436

2436

2465

941

20 365

Animals

horses

1834

636

712

637

637

637

150

5244

draught horses

5526

1926

1926

1926

1926

1926

750

15 906

gun horses

188

64

64

64

64

64

=

508

mules

293

119

281

119

119

119

79

1129

Guns

4 pdr guns

108

36

36

36

36

36

30

318

6 pdr guns

108

36

36

36

36

36

=

288

mountain guns

12

6

24

6

6

6

6

66

Whitworth guns

14

12

14

12

14

12

10

88

machine guns

6

6

6

6

6

6

=

36

2nd line

wagons

ammunition wagons

74

26

26

26

26

26

10

214

ammunition boxes

192

96

384

96

96

96

96

1056

carts

37

13

13

13

13

13

5

107

baggage carts

37

13

13

13

13

13

5

107

field forges

37

13

13

13

13

13

5

107

3rd line ammunition wagons

443

155

195

155

155

155

60

1318

Fortress Artillery

Fortess artillery

regiments²

3

1

1

1

=

=

=

7

battalions

12

4

4

4

=

=

=

28

companies

96

20

21

12

3

=

5

157

men

14 400

3000

3150

1800

450

=

750

23 550

guns

500

1253

731

574

149

=

204

3411

Workers

regiments

2

=

=

=

=

=

=

2

companies

48

=

=

=

=

2

=

50

men

7200

=

=

=

=

300

=

7500

Redif

1st line

753

1353

2524

984

2045

2060

=

9719

2nd line

1216

3871

1638

1736

753

2509

=

11 723

3rd line

8274

7797

4681

1565

370

1603

=

24290

 

Artillery Weapons

Field artillery

4 pdr (8 cm) bronze guns system Wahrendorf (called Belgian system in Turkey)

6 pdr (9 cm) bronze guns system Wahrendorf (called Belgian system in Turkey)

4 pdr (8 cm) steel guns system Krupp (the inner tube was the same as in Wahrendorf guns)

6 pdr (9 cm) steel guns system Krupp (the inner tube was the same as in Wahrendorf guns)

4 pdr (8 cm) steel guns with double wedge breech mechanism (as above)

6 pdr (9 cm) steel guns with double wedge breech mechanism (as above)

4 pdr (8 cm) steel mantel guns

6 pdr (9 cm) steel mantel guns

4 pdr (8 cm) steel hooped guns

6 pdr (9 cm) steel hooped guns

14.66 mm ten barrel Gatling machine guns

Mountain artillery

3 pdr steel muzzle-loader guns system Whitworth

5.5 cm bronze guns system Krupp (built by Tophane Arsenal)

Fortress artillery

9 cm smooth-bore cast iron German guns M. 1832

9 cm smooth-bore bronze German guns M. 1842

12 cm smooth-bore bronze German short guns M. 1862

12 cm breech-loader bronze rifled guns system Krupp

15 cm bronze mortars

15 cm smooth-bore bronze iron German guns M. 1858

15 cm breech-loader bronze rifled guns system Krupp

21 cm breech-loader bronze rifled mortars system Krupp

21 cm breech-loader hooped steel rifled guns system Krupp

23 cm cast iron mortars

23 cm bronze mortars

23 cm breech-loader hooped steel rifled guns system Krupp

27 cm breech-loader hooped steel rifled guns system Krupp

28 cm cast iron mortars

28 cm smooth-bore cast iron howitzers

 

Remarks :

1. every chasseurs battalion had a mountain artillery section with two Whitworth guns.

2. 1st fortress artillery regiment was assigned to the Bosphorus forts, while 2nd and 3rd fortress artillery regiment to the Dardanelles forts.

3. for the Redif around 1200 guns were stored in the depots at Serai-Burnu.

Source :

“Notes sur l’artillerie turque”, Revue Militaire Suisse 22 (1877), pp. 377-384; 413-419

PRISHTEPA S. B.: “ Турецкая армия в войне 1877-78 гг.”, Сержант 21 (4/2001), p. 3-11