National Experiences - British Commission for Military History

330 ai r p o w e r in 20 t H Ce n t u ry do C t r i n e s a n d em p l o y m e n t - nat i o n a l ex p e r i e n C e s
dots had run back
over that green
patch- the others
had passed away
into the world of
darkness” 15 .
After heavy
conflicts the
Turkish Army
stopped the Allied
Power’s
advance on the
peninsula in June
1915. Under the
command of the
Fortress Area
command the 1st
Aircraft Company
was transferred to the 5th Army at the end of June. Such an organisational
amendment was not enough to efficiently utilize the air power performing in a small
area nearby Çanakkale town on the Anatolian side. At the end of July 1915 the airport
was moved to a new place nearby Galata on the European side so as to ensure
that the reconnaissance reports were quickly conveyed to the headquarters. From the
new airport in Galata the Company continued to carry out reconnaissance missions
on the off-shore islands which were seized by the enemy.
At this stage after the enemy powers achieved to hold their ground and advanced
in Sedd-el Bahr, the English 3rd Fleet formed a small airport there to overcome the
problem of range. As this area, which was within the range of the Turkish artillery
were exposed to heavy gunfire as soon as an aircraft landed, it was not used after
June 1915 except for the emergencies. 16
In July-August 1915 German Naval Flight Company subordinate to the General
Command of the Straits was formed in Cape Nara on the Anatolian side of the Strait
of Çanakkale with the naval airplanes Gotha WD1 and Gotha WD2 coming from
Germany; the English reinforcement was achieved towards the end of August 1915
by the arrival of R.N.A.S 2nd Fleet at the area. 17
Anafartalar Group Commander Colonel Mustafa Kemal.
15 Kinross; pp. 100-104.
16 Whistler, p. 234.
17 The Air War, Air Battles in the Battles of Çanakkale, p. 87.