Bergmann Offensive

Turks had 227 thousand men (At the time, Turk Army tend to have available soldiers 70% of sum (160,000) approximately) on paper but Turk lost huge number of their troops due to illness, frostbite and desertion before reaching battlefield. 34th Division of 11th Corps had initially 12,000 men but Commander of 34th Division Ali İhsan Pasha could bring only 8,000 men. 33rd Division (initial number isn't mentioned in sources but it is close to 34th Division) decreased to 3,000 soldiers. At the beginning of the Battle of Sarikamish, Turkish forces was 90,000 soldiers. 40,000 soldiers came from 10th Corps. 9th Corps was 28,000 and 11th Corps 22,000 soldier. 13th Corps came from Baghdad and it could bring only 2,000 soldiers. 37th Division was sent to Bayazit against Oganovski's forces. Considering Turkish losses was 11,800 in Bergmann Offensive, We can estimate that Turkish Army was 62,000 soldiers in Bergmann Offensive. As for Russian side, Muratoff and Allen gave vague numbers. They said that "at an average of 1000 men per battalion, Caucasian Army amounted to about 100,000 infantry, 15,000 cavalry (117 sotni) and 256 guns". Muratoff and Allen also said that Plastun (3 Plastun Brigade: 18 battalion) and Turkistan battalions (21 Battalions) was rarely above 800 men and 39th and 20th (16 battalions both) infantry division, after mobilization, became 25-30% above normal strength. Amount of normal strength isn't mentioned but it is probably 1000 men. In Bergmann Offensive, initially Russian had 39th, 20th Divisions (40,000-42,000 infantry), 5 Battalions of 1st Plastun Brigade (3,500 infantry) and 36 sotni (4,000 cavalry) and 120 guns. On the 15th, 4th Turkistan Rifle Brigade arrived. Strength of 4th Turkistan Rifle Brigade isn't mentioned by Muratoff and Allen but it constituted half of the Turkistan Army Corps (21 battalions, 42 guns). In conclusion, Russians started battle with 45,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalry and 120 guns. They gained 7–8,000 strong reinforcement on 15 November. On the other hand, Turkish 17th Division caught Battle on 17 November. Consequently, both side had approximately 50,000 soldiers with equal gunpower (120 Russian guns against 128 Turkish guns). == From Turkish Side ==

On 1 November, Russians crossed the border and started the move on Erzurum. The Ottoman frontier guards couldn't detect the power of the Russian forces because they were killed, routed or captured abruptly by Russians. 3rd Army commander Hasan İzzet Pasha assumed that a Russian offensive with superior forces had started. He ordered XI Corps to retreat Erzurum without learning the magnitude of the Russian army. XI Corps retreated hastily to Erzurum in two days. Hasan İzzet Pasha sent 2nd Cavalry Division (1300 swords) to reconnoitre. On 4 November, Cavalry Division's commander lieutenant colonel Yusuf İzzet fought against Russian troops successfully in Köprüköy village. It was observed the Russians as 8 infantry battalions and one cavalry regiment. Hasan İzzet planned to rout this vanguard force and retreat again to the Erzurum fortifications. 7 November was a rainy and foggy day. Two divisions of XI Corps moved from Hasankale. The Russians were supposed to be east of Köprüköy, but they came to Badicivan village 10 kilometers northwest of Köprüköy. One regiment of XI Corps fell into heavy Russian rifle and artillery fire. This regiment started to escape disorderly and panic passed to other Ottoman troops. All XI Corps ran off to Hasankale. Ottoman officers regrouped XI Corps before long and sent back them to the Russians, but in this day, the Ottomans couldn't make any progress. On the second day the Ottomans forced the Russians to retreat from their forward trenches. After the Ottoman victory of 8 November, Hasan İzzet's German chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Felix Guse, said to Hasan İzzet: "The best retreat is retreat after gaining success. We have been successful... If Russia attacks us with superior forces, it will be hard to hold in these trenches and retreat to Erzurum". Hasan İzzet accepted Guse's proposal and ordered to write a retreat decree. XI Corps commander Galip Pasha said "I will resign if this decree applies. There is no reason for retreat. This decision demoralizes our soldiers". This decree was cancelled and the next day more positions were captured. Battles continued until 21 November. In the following days, The Ottomans tried to encircle the Russians with 29th Division in the north and 33rd Division in the south. On 17 November, 33rd Division was just 3,000 soldiers strong, and was defeated by Przevalski's superior forces. 29th Division coincided inconvenient terrain; accordingly, they were stopped easily by the Russians. Also 29th Division didn't move away much from its main army. In fact, Hasan İzzet make encirclement on paper for convincing Enver. Willing Retreat On 21 November, the Ottomans regained 30 kilometers but Hasan İzzet decide to retreat 15 kilometers as he had received exaggerated information about Russian troops toward Narman. He withdrew all armies on the night of 21 November. A terrible blizzard showed up. Hundreds of soldiers died from hypothermia and presence of Ottoman troops decreased by 50%. Russia didn't anticipate the Ottomans would retreat, because the Ottomans had successfully fought for 2 weeks. Ziya Yergök said: "If Russia would make use of this retreat, they could capture all our army with just one cavalry division". IX Corps commander Ahmet Fevzi Pasha criticized Hasan İzzet for this unnecessary retreat. Hasan İzzet Pasha wanted approval from Enver Pasha to dismiss of Ahmet Fevzi Pasha by making the argument that "Although he is commanding one of the most privileged Corps of 3rd Army, he is pessimistic about the result of the war". Enver Pasha gave the approval and Ahmet Fevzi Pasha was both dismissed and retired. 34th Division commander Ali İhsan Pasha was appointed IX Corps commander by Hasan İzzet Pasha. This retreat caused intrigue against Hasan İzzet Pasha. Enver Pasha wanted to see the situation on the scene. The council of ministers suggested that he should stay in Istanbul and send a proxy in his place, as he was minister of war and vice-generalissimo. Enver Pasha sent second chief of staff Hafiz Hakki Pasha instead of himself, but a few days later he also went to the Ottoman 3rd Army. This arrivals led to Sarikamish outflanking manoeuvre and pitched battle. == References ==