CHAPTER 1: Winter and Summer Uniforms

CHAPTER 2: Greatcoats and Cold Weather Gear

CHAPTER 3: Personal Equipment

CHAPTER 4: Rank Insignia

CHAPTER 5: Security Soldiers

CHAPTER 6: Flags

CHAPTER 7: Drummers and Music Corps

CHAPTER 8: Seshaneci: Foot Chasseurs and Chasseurs-a-Cheval

CHAPTER 9: Cavalry

CHAPTER 10: Artillery

DARDANELLES CHANAK KALEH-SI CASTLE BOMBARDS (1853)

The great Turkish bombard, commonly called Dardanelles guns were in operation from as early as 1464, till the Crimean war. In 1868, one was acquired from the Turkish Government by Britain, and still survives to this day. These guns saw action against British ships in 1807. Following 1807, it is known that the fortress placement of the Dardanelles guns underwent a considerable redesign, this is discussed on the facing page. The Dardanelles guns still in service on the eve of the Crimean war, were over 387 years old, and had been in continuous military service as a deterrent to an attack from the Dardanelles on Constantinople. After 1807, and by 1850, the Dardanelles guns were mounted on a new fortress carriage design. The carriage design was documented in a series of illustrations first appearing in 1850 (Illustrated London News, 1850; 1851; 1853), which were all based on an 1853 (correctly 1850) dated painting of Dardanelles Chanak Kaleh-Si Castle (Asiatic side) bombards (O’Reilly, 1853). The later illustrations did not entirely follow the original painting; however, these show that the Dardanelles guns were moved onto sleds that recoiled along massive wooden slide mounts.

The new Dardanelles guns carriage design, introduced for the first time allowing the cannon to recoil, as previously the placement of the cannon abutted a massive stone wall to stop the gun from moving when firing. The new design was based on typical Western European fortification mounts for heavy cannon from the 18th century. In the case of the bombards, the new mounts were massively upscaled. Measurements for the cannon carriage: The gun was 17 feet, and 2½ inches; with a bore 24½ inches, firing a 700-pound stone (granite) shot. The carriage was 17 feet, and 10½ inches long, with a height of two feet, and six inches (Illustrated London News, 1850). The carriage slide was 40 feet, and nine inches long, with a height of one foot, and nine inches.

BELOW: Illustrates the post-1807 position of the great cannon, and its remount on large wooden cradles and slides, which remained in used during the Crimean war era. The massive stone balls were maneuverer up to the muzzle level via a large wood block ramp, or by block and tackle suspended from a swing crane, hauling the ball up to the gun muzzle in a heavy net. Embrasure iron doors are opened when the gun is fired. The cut-away view shows the stone shot, wooden plug, and powder chamber.

CHAPTER 11: Engineers’ Brigade

CHAPTER 12: Navy and Egyptian Squadron

CHAPTER 13: Egyptian Contingent

CHAPTER 14: Tunisian Contingent

CHAPTER 15: Anglo-Turkish Contingent

CHAPTER 16: General Beatson’s Horse, and Osmanli Horse Artillery

CHAPTER 17: Bashi-Bazouks

CHAPTER 18: Arab Regiment

CHAPTER 19: Post-Crimean War Anglo-Turkish Contingent (1857)

CHAPTER 20: Ottoman Cossack Regiments

CHAPTER 21: Zaptiye: Mounted Police

TURKISH ARMY ORDER OF BATTLE IN THE CRIMEA

ROMANIAN CRIMEAN WAR UNIFORMS