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Constantinople or Istanbul, the capital and the largest city of the Ottoman Empire, was subject to several air raids during the WWI by the British from 1916 to 1918.
History
[edit]The bombing had a strategic background. Many times civilians were also wounded and killed. The British Forces organized their air forces and deployed them to strategic areas in the air hinterland of Istanbul, namely the Aegean Islands, and organized the squadrons that would perform fight and bombing missions from there. Thus the Minister of War Enver Pasha sent a note threatening England due to the airstrikes and civilian casualties.[1]
The bombings led to the establishment of an electric line to the Air Force Command to speed up communication, to transfer more experienced pilots to the Aircraft Company,[1] establishment of ?stanbul Muharebat-? Havaiyye Komutanl??? (Istanbul Command of Air Defense), and the Ottoman government acknowledgment that the danger is much greater than previously believed.[2]
The government took measures to protect the civilian population from the bombing, but in many cases it failed; this caused greater censure of the government by the people. A clever reconnaissance network was created, which followed the following principle: when enemy aircraft approached, the city fell into darkness so that the Turkish projector and its lights could identify the aircraft. The 9th Aviation Squadron took responsibility for chasing and engaging enemy aircraft. This contributed to minimal damage to the city during July–August 1918.[2] On August 13, the empire created new directives aimed at the active protection of the population. Citizens were obliged to be more careful and to beware of espionage activities. The commission Tetk?k-i Hasarat Komisyonu was created to help the civilians and restore their damaged property. According to British reports, while Istanbul was vulnerable to air strikes, the British were not able to create the atmosphere of fear and panic they expected among the public.[1]
During the war, the Ottoman cities of Trabzon,[3][4] ?zmir[5] and Giresun[6] were also bombarded.
Chronology
[edit]| Date | Air Force | Area | Victims | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 July 1917 | two British planes | Istanbul from the west, ?stiniye | 30 sailors killed,
10 injuries |
the British wanted to cause damage to the Ministry of War building, destroying the aircraft hangars at Ye?ilk?y, sinking the warship Yavuz. Although the first two targets were bombed, the last one was missed.[2] |
| 9 March 1918 | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown[7] |
| 7[2] or 9 July[7] 1918 | five bombing raids | Zeytinburnu, the train station in Haydarpa?a, the Golden Horn, Selimiye, Davutpa?a Barracks, Gülhane Gardens | unknown | instead of running, civilians came out to the streets to see the fallen bombs[2] |
| 23 July 1918 | seven British planes | Hask?y, Ye?ilk?y | injured people in Ye?ilk?y | houses in Hask?y were damaged[7] the airstrike was two months after Sultan Mehmed VI Vahdeddin ascended the throne[8] |
| 27 July 1918 | two British planes | Istanbul Electric Factory, Tersane, Ka??thane, Galata bridge | 5 or 6 killed,
many injured |
not reported in newspapers due to censorship[7] |
| 20 August 1918 | four bombs | Ayvansaray, Esirkap?, Fener, Beyaz?t, Eyüp, Karagümrük, Ye?ilk?y | 5 injuries | 1 shop, 4 houses, and a wall were damaged, the attack lasts 15 minutes[9] |
| 22 August 1918 | nine bombs | Samatya, Beyaz?t, Eyüp, Karagümrük, Pangalt?, Hask?y, Ayasofya | 2 killed,
6 injured |
one shop, two hamams, two walls, 9 houses damaged[10] |
| 25 or 27 August 1918 | unknown | unknown | 1 child killed,
11 civilians injured |
propaganda brochures were also dropped[8] |
| 26 August 1918 | two planes | Bak?rk?y, Hask?y, Eyüp, Beyaz?t, Emin?nü, Unkapan?, Aksaray, Karagümrük | 2 injuries | 8 houses, one wall, one hotel, one coffeeshop and one inn were damaged[11] |
| 27-28 August 1918 | 17 bombs | Hask?y, Kalenderhane, üsküdar, Kas?mpa?a, Bahriye Garden | 3 killed
17 injured |
12 houses, one hamam, one bakery shop, one wall were destroyed, a wounded British aviator was captured, Ottoman air attack was launched to Tassos and Lymni, destroying 3 aircraft[12] |
| 13 September 1918 | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown[7] |
| 20-21[2] or 22–23 September | 13 bombs | unsuccessful | none | the two planes were destroyed, a British pilot was captured[13] |
| 18 October 1918 | first wave - seven planes
second wave - five planes |
Beyaz?t, üsküdar, Emin?nü, Galata, Unkapan?, Fatih, Samatya, Karak?y, Aksaray, ?ehremini, Karagümrük, Fener, Kumkap?, Kas?mpa?a, Eyüp, Hask?y, Pangalt?, Arnavutk?y, Beyo?lu | 50-70 civilians killed,
100-200 civilians injured |
the most serious air strike[8] the Sultan sought refuge in a mosque, since he was exposed to the bombings while going to the Friday prayer.[2] |
| 25 October 1918 | six British planes | unsuccessful | none | Captain Faz?l Bey from the 9th Squadron incapacitated a British observer.[2] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Kurt, Emin; Güvenba?, Mesut (2018). Birinci Dünya Sava??'nda ?stanbul'a Yap?lan Hava Sald?r?lar? [Air Raids on Istanbul in World War I]. Istanbul: Türkiye ?? Bankas? Kültür Yay?nlar?. ISBN 978-605-295-369-3.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Air Defense". Turkey in the First World War. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
- ^ Tetik, Ahmet; Kiper, Sema; Seven, Ay?e; Demirta?, Serdar (2005). Birinci Dünya Sava??n'da Do?u Cephesi Harekat? [The Eastern Front During the WWI] (PDF). Ankara: Genelkurmay Bas?n Evi. p. 38.
- ^ Bal, Mehmet Akif (2011). "Trabzon'un Rus Donanmas?nca Bombard?man? ve Bombard?man?n Trabzon'a Etkileri (1914-1916)" [The Bombardment of Trabzon by the Russian Navy and the Effects of the Bombardment on Trabzon (1914-1916)]. Atatürk Ara?t?rma Merkezi Dergisi. 27 (81): 545–576. eISSN 2667-5420. ISSN 1011-727X.
- ^ Bakacak, Alper. "I. Dünya Sava??nda ?zmir Bombard?man? (5-9 Mart 1915)" [Bombardment of Izmir in World War I (March 5–9, 1915)] (PDF). ?a?da? Türkiye Tarihi Ara?t?rmalar? Dergisi: 5–27.
- ^ Yüksel, Ayhan (2014). "Birinci Dünya Sava?? Y?llar?nda Giresun" [Giresun during the years of World War I]. Karadeniz ?ncelemeleri Dergisi. 17 (17): 55–70.
- ^ a b c d e Sel?uk, Mustafa (2014). "Birinci Dünya Sava??n'da ?tilaf Devletleri'nin ?stanbul'a Y?nelik Hava Taaruzlar?" [The Allied Powers' Air Attacks on Istanbul in World War I]. Marmara Türkiyat Ara?t?rmalar? Dergisi: 101.
- ^ a b c "ISTANBUL DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR YEARS | History of Istanbul". istanbultarihi.ist. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
- ^ Sel?uk 2014, p. 102.
- ^ Sel?uk 2014, pp. 102–103.
- ^ Sel?uk 2014, p. 103.
- ^ Sel?uk 2014, p. 103-104.
- ^ Sel?uk 2014, p. 104.
- 1910s in the Ottoman Empire
- World War I strategic bombing by populated place
- Aviation in World War I
- Aerial operations and battles of World War I
- Aviation in Turkey
- History of Istanbul
- 1910s in Istanbul
- Psychological warfare
- Military operations of World War I involving the Ottoman Empire
- Military operations of World War I involving the United Kingdom
- Airstrikes conducted by the United Kingdom
- Ottoman Empire in World War I
- Anti-Turkish sentiment