Naval Shipping In The Sea of Marmara During The Çanakkale Battles

Abstract

Having failed in penetrating the Çanakkale Strait on 18 March 1915, the Entente Powers attempted to reach their target through Gelibolu with an amphibious operation followed by a land operation between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916. In this context, the Entente Powers planned a special naval operation and secretly trans-ferred a large number of submarines to the Sea of Marmara in order to prevent the Ottoman State from reinforcing the Çanakkale Front. With submarine nets and mine barriers that were set up at the narrow passes of the Çanakkale Strait, and the ships in the Sea of Marmara, the Ottoman Navy paralyzed the submarine operations of the Entente Powers. Naval shipping to the Çanakkale Front from İstanbul and Marmara ports was escorted by the Ottoman Navy. By taking advantage of the opportunities that arose, offensive action against enemy naval units and enemy naval shipping were conducted. In this context, Sultanhisar torpedo boat which neutralised the Australian AE-2 submarine with its gun torpedo attacks on 30 April 1915; the Muâvenet-i Milliye destroyer which sank the English Goliath armored battleship on the night of 13 May 1915.