Dardanelles Fortified Area Command


The Dardanelles Fortified Area Command or Mediterranean Strait Fortified Area Command or Çanakkale Fortified Area Command Müstahkem Komutanlığı or Akdeniz Boğazı Müstahkem Mevki Komutanlığı or Çanakkale Boğazı Müstahkem Mevki Komutanlığı or Çanakkale Müstahkem Mevki was the Ottoman fortified area command and was formed to defend against attacks on the Dardanelles from the Aegean Sea.
After the founding of Turkey, the protection of the fortified position on the Dardanelles was entrusted to the 1st Corps, based in Çanakkale. The 2nd Corps, based in Gallipoli, defended the Gallipoli Peninsula against land attacks. The 1st Corps was abolished in 1947, and the Dardanelles Fortified Area Command was abolished in 1949. Since then, the Dardanelles Strait Command, established under the auspices of the Turkish Naval Forces, has guarded the position.

Formations

Order of battle, 1911

With reorganizations of the Ottoman Army, to include the creation of corps level headquarters, by 1911 the fortified area command was headquartered in Çanakkale, under the command of II Corps. The Dardanelles Fortified Area Command in 1911 was structured as such:
Dardanelles Fortified Area Command, Çanakkale
  • 3rd Heavy Artillery Regiment
  • 4th Heavy Artillery Regiment
  • 5th Heavy Artillery Regiment
  • Independent Heavy Artillery Regiment
  • Torpedo Detachment
  • Mine Detachment
  • Wireless Detachment

Order of battle, December 1912

In December 1912, the area command was structured as follows:
Dardanelles Fortified Area Command
  • 3rd Heavy Artillery Regiment
  • 4th Heavy Artillery Regiment
  • 5th Heavy Artillery Regiment
  • Independent Heavy Artillery Regiment
  • Torpedo Detachment
  • Underwater Mine Detachment
  • 27th Infantry Division
  • Provisional Infantry Division
  • Afyon Redif Division
  • Çanakkale Redif Division
  • Erdemit Redif Division
  • Kavak Detachment
  • Menderes Detachment

Order of battle, 1915

The Dardanelles Fortified Area was first-class fortified area, the commander of this fortified area was given the corps' authority. It was headquartered in Çanakkale. The formation of the fortified area in 1915 was as follows:
Dardanelles Fortified Area Command, Çanakkale
  • 2nd Heavy Artillery Brigade, Çimenlik Tabyası
  • *3rd Heavy Artillery Regiment
  • *4th Heavy Artillery Regiment
  • *5th Heavy Artillery Regiment
  • Fortress Engineer Company
  • Engineer Construction Company
  • Communication Company
  • Mine Detachment
  • Searchlight Detachment
  • Fortified Area Ammunition Depot Detachment
  • Bolayır Ammunition Depot Detachment
  • Sea Transportation