Yildirim Army Group

The Yildirim Army Group or Thunderbolt Army Group of the Ottoman Empire (Turkish: Yıldırım Ordular Grubu) or Army Group F (German: Heeresgruppe F) was one of the army groups of the Ottoman Army. It was formed during World War I.

Order of Battle, August 1917
In August 1917, the army group was structured as follows:

with the
 * Yildirim Army Group (Müşir Erich von Falkenhayn)
 * Seventh Army, Syria (Mirliva Mustafa Kemal Atatürk)
 * III Corps
 * 24th Division
 * 50th Division
 * XV Corps
 * 19th Division
 * 20th Division
 * German Asia Corps
 * Sixth Army, Mesopotamia (Mirliva Halil Kut)
 * XIII Corps
 * 2nd Division
 * 6th Division
 * XVIII Corps
 * 14th Division
 * 51st Division
 * 52nd Division
 * 46th Division
 * 42nd Division
 * 48th Division
 * 59th Division
 * XX Corps at Huj
 * 16th Division
 * 54th Division
 * 178th Infantry Regiment
 * 3rd Cavalry Division
 * XXII Corps at Gaza
 * 3rd Division
 * 7th Division
 * 53rd Division

Order of Battle, January 1918
In January 1918, the army group was structured as follows:


 * Yildirim Army Group (Müşir Erich von Falkenhayn)


 * Seventh Army (Mirliva Fevzi Çakmak)
 * III Corps
 * 1st Division, 19th Division, 24th Division
 * XV Corps
 * 26th Division, 53rd Division
 * 3rd Cavalry Division
 * German Asia Corps


 * Eighth Army (Ferik Cevat Çobanlı)
 * XXII Corps
 * 3rd Division, 7th Division, 20th Division
 * 16th Division, 54th Division, 2nd Caucasian Cavalry Division

Order of Battle, June 1918
In June 1918, the army group was structured as follows:


 * Yildirim Army Group (Müşir Otto Liman von Sanders)


 * Seventh Army (Mirliva Fevzi Çakmak)
 * III Corps
 * 1st Division, 24th Division, 3rd Cavalry Division
 * XV Corps
 * 26th Division, 53rd Division, 19th Division
 * German Asia Corps


 * Eighth Army (Ferik Cevat Çobanlı)
 * XXII Corps
 * 3rd Division, 7th Division, 20th Division
 * 16th Division
 * 54th Division
 * 2nd Caucasian Cavalry Division

Order of Battle, September 1918
In September 1918, the army group was structured as follows:


 * Yildirim Army Group (Müşir Otto Liman von Sanders)


 * Fourth Army (Mirliva Cemal Mersinli)
 * II Corps (Miralay Galatalı Şevket Bey)
 * 62nd Division, Provisional Division x 3
 * Jordan Group
 * 24th Division, 3rd Cavalry Division
 * VIII Corps (Miralay Yasin Hilmi Bey)
 * 48th Division, Umman Provisional Division


 * Seventh Army (Mirliva Mustafa Kemal Atatürk)
 * III Corps (Miralay İsmet İnönü)
 * 1st Division, 11th Division
 * XV Corps (Miralay Ali Fuat Cebesoy)
 * 26th Division, 53rd Division


 * Eighth Army (Ferik Cevat Çobanlı)
 * XXII Corps (Miralay Refet Bele)
 * 7th Division, 20th Division
 * Left Wing Corps (Oberst Gustav von Oppen)
 * 16th Division, 19th Division
 * German Asia Corps
 * 2nd Caucasian Cavalry Division

Order of Battle, November 1918
In November 1918, the army group was structured as follows:


 * Yildirim Army Group (Mirliva Mustafa Kemal Atatürk)


 * Second Army (Mirliva Nihat Anılmış)
 * XII Corps
 * 23rd Division
 * XV Corps
 * 41st Division, 44th Division


 * Seventh Army (Mirliva Ali Fuat Cebesoy, deputy)
 * III Corps
 * 11th Division, 24th Division
 * XX Corps
 * 1st Division, 43rd Division

Yildirim Troops Inspectorate, May 1919
In April 1919, Şevket Turgut Pasha, Cevat Çobanlı and Fevzi Çakmak hold a secret meeting in Constantinople. They prepared a report called "Trio Oath" (Üçler Misâkı) and decided to establish army inspectorate for the defense of homeland. In late April, Fevzi Çakmak submitted this report to the Minister of War Şakir Pasha. On April 30, 1919, the War Ministry and Sultan Mehmed VI ratified the decision about the establishing of army inspectorates that had been accepted by the Chief of General Staff And then the First Army Troops Inspectorate (stationed in Constantinople, Fevzi Çakmak), the Yildirim Troops Inspectorate (stationed in Konya, Cemal Mersinli, later Second Army Inspectorate) Inspectorate, the Ninth Army Troops Inspectorate (stationed in Erzurum, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, later Third Army Inspectorate) was formed. Additionally, the Rumeli Military Troops Inspectorate (Nureddin Pasha) would be established and the XIII Corps would be under the direction of the Ministry of War. In May 1919, the army inspectorate was structured as follows:


 * Yildirim Troops Inspectorate (Yıldırım Kıt'aatı Müfettişliği, Konya, Inspector: Ferik Cemal Mersinli)
 * XII Corps (Niğde, Miralay Selâhaddin Bey)
 * 11th Division
 * 41st Division
 * 7th Cavalry Regiment
 * 20th Cavalry Regiment
 * XX Corps (Ankara, Mirliva Ali Fuat Cebesoy)
 * 23rd Division
 * 24th Division
 * XVII Corps (Smyrna, Mirliva Ali Nadir Pasha, transferred from the First Army Troops Inspectorate after the Occupation of Smyrna)
 * 56th Division
 * 57th Division