Ottoman Fleet in 1914 (original) (raw)
The Navy of the Ottoman Turks, 1914
In January 2001 Berndt Langensiepen (Langensiep@aol.com), the author of The Ottoman Steam Navy 1828-1923 (Conway Maritime Press, 1992) has provided some corrections to the tabular data below - certainly the table must treated cautiously, until better information is provided:
- Messudiyeh (Mesudiye) was not an capital ship, it was an guard-vessel without heavy guns
- Muin-i-Zaffer was a stationary training vessel, same as Idjlalieh
- Tir-i-Mujgan was a barracks-vessel
- Reschid Pasa was not a warship, belong to the Ottoman S.S.I.
- Mithat Pasa was a transport not a hospital vessel. The 3 real hospital vessels are missing in the list.
The following has been contributed by "Boris Broadside" (bbroadside@imagina.com).
The following tables apply as much as possible to the Ottoman Fleet in 1914. The practical efficacy of these vessels varies quite a bit. Turgut Reis is said to have been practically worn out by the end of the First World War; Medjidieh spent a lot of time in Russian hands, being dismantled and re-armed; the last two vessels in the chart were relegated to training duties, indicating either that they were unfit for battle or that the Turks put an inordinate emphasis on training. On the other hand, Goeben proved herself worthy in actions both in the Black Sea and near Greece, and survived the war still serviceable. Note that many of the older ships were rebuilt in European ports in the early 20th Century.
Turgut Reis and Hairedin Barbarossa are German-built sisters and are probably in the same class as Brandenburg and_Worth_. Goeben was sister to Moltke; Breslau was name ship of a class including Stralsund et al.Medjidieh was built in Philadelphia.
TT stands for torpedo tube(s)
Capital Ships
| Name | Displacement, tons | Armament | Speed, knots | Launch Date | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sultan Selim (ex-Goeben) | 22,600 | 10 x 11", 12 x 5.9", 4 x 19.7" TT | 25 | March 1911 | Survived into the 1970s |
| Messudiyeh | 10,000 | 2 x 9.2", 12 x 6" | 16 | 1874 | Torpedoed in 1914 |
| Turgut Reis (ex-Weissenburg) | 9901 | 6 x 11", 8 x 4.1", 2 x 18" TT | 17 | 1891 | Survived WWI |
| Hairedin Barbarossa (ex-Kurfurst Frederich Wilhellm) | 9900 | 6 x 11", 8 x 4.1", 2 x 18" TT | 17 | ca. 1891 | Torpedoed in 1915 |
| Midillu (ex-Breslau) | 4570 | 12 x 4.1", 4 x 19.7" TT | 27 | 1911 | Mined in 1918 |
| Medjidieh | 3300 | 4 x 5.1" (Russian) | 22 | 1903 | Mined and captured in 1915, returned in 1918 |
| Muin-I-Zaffer | 2362 | 4 x 5.9", 6 x 3", 1 x 14" TT | 15 | 1869 | Survived WWI |
| Idjlalieh | Existed but was "utterly useless" at end of war | ||||
| Tiri-Mujghian (ex-Pembroke Castle)* | 4052 | 8 x 3 pdr. | 14 | 1883 | Survived WWI |
| Hamidieh* | 3830 | 2 x 5.9", 2 x 18" TT | 22 | 1903 | Survived WWI |
| * indicates a training ship |
Destroyers and Gunboats
| Type | Built at | Number at war start | Displacement, tons | Armament | Speed, knots | Built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Destroyers | Schichau | 4 | 607 | 2 x 3.4", 3 x 18" TT | 27 | 1909 |
| Bordeaux / Creusot | 3 | 270 | 1 x 12 pdr., 2 x 18" TT | ca. 28 | 1906-1907 | |
| Krupp | 1 | 200 | 6 x 6 pdr., 2 x 14" TT | 1894 | ||
| Torpedo Gunboats | Krupp | 2 | 1014 | 2 x 3.9", 3 x TT | 22 | 1906 |
| Gunboats | St. Nazaire | 5 | 502 | 2 x 3.9" | 14 | 1912 |
| Schneider-Canet | 1 | 500 | 4 x 9 pdr. | 14 | 1907 | |
| La Seyne | 3 | 413 | 3 x 3" | 14 | 1911-1912 | |
| Creusot | 3 | 210 | 2 x 3 pdr, 1 x TT | 12 | 1907 | |
| Constantinople | several | 198 | 4 x 12 pdr., 2 x 14" TT | 1908 | ||
| miscellaneous | 7 | 120-200 | 1903, 1906, et. al. |
Torpedo Boats
| Name Ship | Built at | Number at war start | Length, feet | Armament | Built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drach | Ansaldo | 4 | 167 | 2 x 1 pdr., 2 x 14" TT | 1905 |
| Ak-Hisar | Ansaldo | 3 or more | 165 | 2 x 1 pdr., 2 x 18" TT | 1902-1904 |
| Sivri-Hisar | Creuisot | 4 | 124 | 2 x 1 pdr., 3 x 18" TT | 1906 |
Other Vessels
| Type | Number at War Start | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Training Ships | 2 | Tiri-Mujghian and Hamidieh from the capital ships table |
| Transports | 6 | Includes 4458 ton Reschid Pasha |
| Depot Ships | 2 | |
| Motor Launches | 22 | Includes 18 Thornycroft-type with 140 h.p. motors (11 knots). 9 launches remained in 1918 |
| Mine Sweepers | 2 | |
| Mine Layers | 4 | 364-3056 tons. |
| Hospital Ships | 1 | Midhat Pasa. Torpedoed in 1915 |
| Yachts | 9 | Includes 2 Royal Yachts. Some lightly armed. 180-1075 tons. |
Source: Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I, Military Press/Crown Publishers, New York, NY, 1990.
Last Updated: 15 January, 2001..
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