Turkish Airforce
Initial stages
Main article: Ottoman Air Force
The history of Ottoman military aviation dates back to between June 1909 and July 1911.[10] The Ottoman flight squadrons participated in the Balkan Wars (1912–1913) and World War I (1914–1918).[2][11] The fleet size reached its apex in December 1916, when the Ottoman aviation had 90 active combat aircraft. Some early help for the Ottoman Air Force came from the Imperial German Fliegertruppe (known by that name before October 1916), with future Central Powers 13-victory flying aceHans-Joachim Buddecke flying with the Turks early in World War I as just one example.[12] The General Inspectorate of Air Forces (Kuva-yı Havaiye Müfettiş-i Umumiliği) trying to reconstruct itself on July 29, 1918 had no personnel, but only remained as a title on paper.[2]
After the end of World War I and the occupation of the Ottoman Empire by the Allies in 1919, some Turkish aviators tried to build new units in Istanbul, İzmir, Konya, Elazığ and Diyarbakır with planes left over from World War I and tried to bring together flight personnel.[2] During the Turkish War of Independence, Turkish pilots joined the Konya Air Station (Konya Hava İstasyonu). With the formation of the Grand National Assembly (GNA) by Mustafa Kemal and his colleagues on April 23, 1920, in Ankara, and the reorganization of the army, the Branch of Air Forces (Kuva-yı Havaiye Şubesi) was established under the Office of War (Harbiye Dairesi) of the GNA.[2] A few damaged aircraft belonging to the GNA were repaired, and afterwards used in combat.
On 1 February 1921, the Branch of Air Forces was renamed as the General Directorate of Air Forces (Kuva-yı Havaiye Müdüriyet-i Umûmiyesi) at Eskişehir and on 5 July 1922 reorganized as the Inspectorate of Air Forces (Kuva-yı Havaiye Müfettişliği) at Konya.[2][13]
Inspectorate of Air Forces
After the proclamation of independence and sovereignty with the Treaty of Lausanne and the establishment of the Republic of Turkey on 29 October 1923, approaches were made to form a modern Air Force. Originally consisting of 3 normal and 1 naval aviation units, and an air school, the number of units was increased to 10 normal and 3 naval aviation units.[14] Starting in 1924, personnel were sent abroad for flight education.[14] In 1925 the Air School was reestablished in Eskişehir and its first students graduated in that same year.[14] The Inspectorate of Air Forces was reorganized as Undersecretariat of the Ministry of Defense in 1928 and new schools were found for non-pilot personnel.[14] Some personnel were sent to the United Kingdom and France for training; others were sent to the United States and Italy in 1930.[14]
On July 1, 1932, air regiments were considered to be a separate combat arm and started training its own personnel.[14] The Turkish aviators began to wear blue uniforms from 1933.[14]
Sabiha Gökçen became the first female fighter pilot in military history in 1937.[15] Another key event in 1937 was the establishment of the Air War College (Hava Harp Akademisi).[14]
Air Force Command
By 1940, Turkish air brigades had more than 500 combat aircraft in its inventory, becoming the largest air force in the Balkansand the Middle East.[14] The growing inventory of air brigades required another structural change, which was made in 1940.[14]The Air Undersecretariat under the Ministry of National Defense for logistical affairs and the General Staff for educational affairs were united to form the Air Force Command (Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı) in 1944.[14] Thus, the Air Force became a separate branch of the Turkish Armed Forces.[16] The first Commander of the Turkish Air Force was General Zeki Doğan.[16]Turkey did not enter World War II on the side of the Allies until February 1945. However, the Turkish Armed Forces went on full alert and were prepared for war following the military alliance between neighbouring Bulgaria and the Axis Powers which was formalized in March 1941, and the occupation of neighbouring Greece by the Axis Powers in April 1941. Within a year, Turkey's borders were surrounded by German forces in the northwest and west, and Italian forces in the southwest. The Turkish Air Force made daily reconnaissance flights over Bulgaria, Greece, the Greek Islands in the Aegean Sea, and the Dodecanese Islands which then belonged to Italy, to monitor the positions of the Axis forces. The large cities in western Turkey were darkened at nights, and anti-aircraft guns and searchlights were deployed for defence against possible enemy planes. Almost all available money in the Turkish Government Treasury was used to purchase new weapons from any available provider in the world. The Turkish Air Force received large numbers of new aircraft in this period, including Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I/V/IX/XIX, Curtiss Falcon CW-22R/B, Fairey Battle-I, Avro Anson-I, Hawker Hurricane I/II, Morane-Saulnier M.S.406, Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk, Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk, Westland Lysander-I, Consolidated B-24D Liberator B-24, Bristol Blenheim IV/V, Bristol Beaufort, Bristol Beaufighter Mk.I/X, Focke-Wulf Fw 190-A3, Martin 187 Baltimore, De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito Mk.III/IV, Douglas B-26B/C Invader, P-47D Thunderbolt and Douglas C-47A/B Dakota.
Main article: Ottoman Air Force
The history of Ottoman military aviation dates back to between June 1909 and July 1911.[10] The Ottoman flight squadrons participated in the Balkan Wars (1912–1913) and World War I (1914–1918).[2][11] The fleet size reached its apex in December 1916, when the Ottoman aviation had 90 active combat aircraft. Some early help for the Ottoman Air Force came from the Imperial German Fliegertruppe (known by that name before October 1916), with future Central Powers 13-victory flying aceHans-Joachim Buddecke flying with the Turks early in World War I as just one example.[12] The General Inspectorate of Air Forces (Kuva-yı Havaiye Müfettiş-i Umumiliği) trying to reconstruct itself on July 29, 1918 had no personnel, but only remained as a title on paper.[2]
After the end of World War I and the occupation of the Ottoman Empire by the Allies in 1919, some Turkish aviators tried to build new units in Istanbul, İzmir, Konya, Elazığ and Diyarbakır with planes left over from World War I and tried to bring together flight personnel.[2] During the Turkish War of Independence, Turkish pilots joined the Konya Air Station (Konya Hava İstasyonu). With the formation of the Grand National Assembly (GNA) by Mustafa Kemal and his colleagues on April 23, 1920, in Ankara, and the reorganization of the army, the Branch of Air Forces (Kuva-yı Havaiye Şubesi) was established under the Office of War (Harbiye Dairesi) of the GNA.[2] A few damaged aircraft belonging to the GNA were repaired, and afterwards used in combat.
On 1 February 1921, the Branch of Air Forces was renamed as the General Directorate of Air Forces (Kuva-yı Havaiye Müdüriyet-i Umûmiyesi) at Eskişehir and on 5 July 1922 reorganized as the Inspectorate of Air Forces (Kuva-yı Havaiye Müfettişliği) at Konya.[2][13]
Inspectorate of Air Forces
After the proclamation of independence and sovereignty with the Treaty of Lausanne and the establishment of the Republic of Turkey on 29 October 1923, approaches were made to form a modern Air Force. Originally consisting of 3 normal and 1 naval aviation units, and an air school, the number of units was increased to 10 normal and 3 naval aviation units.[14] Starting in 1924, personnel were sent abroad for flight education.[14] In 1925 the Air School was reestablished in Eskişehir and its first students graduated in that same year.[14] The Inspectorate of Air Forces was reorganized as Undersecretariat of the Ministry of Defense in 1928 and new schools were found for non-pilot personnel.[14] Some personnel were sent to the United Kingdom and France for training; others were sent to the United States and Italy in 1930.[14]
On July 1, 1932, air regiments were considered to be a separate combat arm and started training its own personnel.[14] The Turkish aviators began to wear blue uniforms from 1933.[14]
Sabiha Gökçen became the first female fighter pilot in military history in 1937.[15] Another key event in 1937 was the establishment of the Air War College (Hava Harp Akademisi).[14]
Air Force Command
By 1940, Turkish air brigades had more than 500 combat aircraft in its inventory, becoming the largest air force in the Balkansand the Middle East.[14] The growing inventory of air brigades required another structural change, which was made in 1940.[14]The Air Undersecretariat under the Ministry of National Defense for logistical affairs and the General Staff for educational affairs were united to form the Air Force Command (Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı) in 1944.[14] Thus, the Air Force became a separate branch of the Turkish Armed Forces.[16] The first Commander of the Turkish Air Force was General Zeki Doğan.[16]Turkey did not enter World War II on the side of the Allies until February 1945. However, the Turkish Armed Forces went on full alert and were prepared for war following the military alliance between neighbouring Bulgaria and the Axis Powers which was formalized in March 1941, and the occupation of neighbouring Greece by the Axis Powers in April 1941. Within a year, Turkey's borders were surrounded by German forces in the northwest and west, and Italian forces in the southwest. The Turkish Air Force made daily reconnaissance flights over Bulgaria, Greece, the Greek Islands in the Aegean Sea, and the Dodecanese Islands which then belonged to Italy, to monitor the positions of the Axis forces. The large cities in western Turkey were darkened at nights, and anti-aircraft guns and searchlights were deployed for defence against possible enemy planes. Almost all available money in the Turkish Government Treasury was used to purchase new weapons from any available provider in the world. The Turkish Air Force received large numbers of new aircraft in this period, including Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I/V/IX/XIX, Curtiss Falcon CW-22R/B, Fairey Battle-I, Avro Anson-I, Hawker Hurricane I/II, Morane-Saulnier M.S.406, Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk, Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk, Westland Lysander-I, Consolidated B-24D Liberator B-24, Bristol Blenheim IV/V, Bristol Beaufort, Bristol Beaufighter Mk.I/X, Focke-Wulf Fw 190-A3, Martin 187 Baltimore, De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito Mk.III/IV, Douglas B-26B/C Invader, P-47D Thunderbolt and Douglas C-47A/B Dakota.
Aircraft
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I/V/IX/XIX,
Curtiss Falcon CW-22R/B,
Fairey Battle-I,
Avro Anson-I,
Hawker Hurricane I/II,
Morane-Saulnier M.S.406,
Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk,
Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk,
Westland Lysander-I,
Consolidated B-24D
Liberator B-24, Bristol
Blenheim IV/V,
Bristol Beaufort, B
ristol Beaufighter Mk.I/X,
Focke-Wulf Fw 190-A3,
Martin 187 Baltimore,
De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito Mk.III/IV,
Douglas B-26B/C Invader,
P-47D Thunderbolt
Douglas C-47A/B Dakota.
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I/V/IX/XIX,
Curtiss Falcon CW-22R/B,
Fairey Battle-I,
Avro Anson-I,
Hawker Hurricane I/II,
Morane-Saulnier M.S.406,
Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk,
Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk,
Westland Lysander-I,
Consolidated B-24D
Liberator B-24, Bristol
Blenheim IV/V,
Bristol Beaufort, B
ristol Beaufighter Mk.I/X,
Focke-Wulf Fw 190-A3,
Martin 187 Baltimore,
De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito Mk.III/IV,
Douglas B-26B/C Invader,
P-47D Thunderbolt
Douglas C-47A/B Dakota.