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A SHORT GUIDE TO

BY OLE NIKOLAJSEN (2012)

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A SHORT HISTORY OF THE T.C. Bahriye Havaciliği Komutanliği The Ottoman Navy Flying Service was established on June 27, 1914 and planned to operate 15 Nieuport Hydroavions ordered in France. However, lack of trained personnel and aircraft early in the war prevented the service from operating independently and its personnel served at Gallipoli with the ‘German Navy Seaplane Group’. In June 1916 three Gotha WD2s were given to the service and its first operational unit, 1nci Deniz Tayyare Boluğu (1st Seaplane Company) was formed. On its transfer from Istanbul to Izmir two of its aircraft had to force-land on the water and one was seized by the British. Later the unit used its aircraft for reconnaissance of the Anatolian coastline. In May 1917 2nci Deniz Tayyare Boluğu was formed at Ereğli on the Black Sea coast and later in March 1918 3ncu Deniz Tayyare Boluğu at Batum. When during the War of Independence it was possible to smuggle out five Gotha WD13/15s from a depot, the service was re-established in July 1921 at Amasra on the Black Sea coast. With the war having been won the force in February 1923 moved to Güzelyali south of Izmir as the main threat now came from the Aegean Sea. New equipment was received already in 1924/25 and in 1928 the Navy Flying Organisation got more operational independence with the formation of the IV. Deniz Tayyare Taburu (the 4th Seaplane Battalion) at Guzelyali. The unit was renamed the 5th battalion in 1932 and in 1934 its capabilities were greatly expanded with the delivery of Southampton seaplanes especially modified for bombing and torpedo attack. During 1943 the large seaplanes had been worn out and the torpedo attack mission was taken over by land-based aircraft. Gradually the Navy Flying organisation dwindled to a flight of Walrus seaplanes called ‘Deniz Kurmay Kitaati’ (Navy Command Flight). This flight disbanded in 1946, with the withdrawal of the remaining three Walrus. In 1971 Turkey was offered, via NATO, a number of anti-submarine aircraft of the type S-2 Tracker. It was then decided to reorganise the former Navy Flying Organisation like it was before, e.g. the aircraft were maintained and flown by air force personnel, but the operational control rested with the navy. The first unit to be created was 301 Filo at Etimesğut on October 18, 1971. It adopted the name ‘Marti’ and started training on four ex Royal Netherlands Navy S-2As which had started to arrive in June. At the same time operational equipment in the form of twelve S-2Es was bought in the USA. They were delivered in early 1972. With the arrival of the S-2Es the unit moved to the 6th Air Base at Bandirma. Meanwhile a second unit, the ‘Deniz Helikopter Skvadron’ (Sea helicopter squadron) was formed at the Güvercinlik Army Airfield on August 15, 1972 under the auspices of the Army. In October this unit received its equipment in the form of three AB204B/ASs. The unit was to provide ASW operation around the Dardanelles and from Navy ships. The unit was renamed ‘Deniz Helikopter Birlik’ (Sea Helicopter Unit) in February 1973 and the first landing on a ship was made in September. From mid 1973 the old Kocaeli airfield, from where Beaufighters were flown in 1948-49, near Izmit was selected to be the new Naval Air Base. The helicopter unit relocated to here in May 1973 and in 1976 the 301 Filo followed. At this time the base was renamed ‘Gengiz Topel’ after a pilot killed in action on Cyprus in 1964 and on August 4th 1976 the Deniz Hava Üs Komuntanliği (Naval Air Base Command) was formed. The helicopter unit was at this time renamed 351 Filo. The years between 1977 and 1980 saw the addition of seven ex US Navy S-2Es and three AB.212ASWs and in the late eighties 11 more S- 2Es and twelve AB212ASW were received. Today the 301 Filo flies six TB.20s in the training role while waiting for new equipment to replace the Trackers which were grounded in 1993. From 351 Filo helicopters are allocated to Naval Districts according to operational needs and detachments are based onboard frigates and supply ships. An order for four SH-60B’s signed in 1997 had been delayed by the US Congress but was effectuated in 2002 being followed by an additional 4 and later from 2011 onwards by 8 more . Thus the Navy has finally introduced its new SH-60B helicopters and a replacement for its S-2E maritime recce aircraft, in the form of six locally built CN235MSA’s has been introduced now being updated to Meltem 2 standard. Shortly 10 ATR-72MP/ASW will supplement the CN.235s incorporating the same Meltem equipment.

T.C. SAHIL GÜVENLIK KOMUTANLIĞI – The Turkish Republican Coast Guard The TC.SGK was formed as a unit under the Jandarma in 1982 and became an individual command on 24 June 2003. Initially the force operated on small vessels, but in 1992 three Jet Ranger helicopters were handed over from Jandarma stocks. The Coast Guard is now a well equipped force with its new AB412EP helicopters and CN235MPA search planes.

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S.N. Aircraft Type code Entry wfu Quantity picture

1 Curtiss F (90HP Curtiss O) 1914 1915 1

2 Nieuport Type VII Hydroavion 1914 1914 1

3 Nieuport Type VI 1914 1914 1

4 Gotha WD.2 1916 1917 3

5 Gotha WD.1 1917 1917 1

6 Gotha WD.12 1917 1917 2

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7 Gotha WD.13 1917 1924 8

8 Hansa-Brandenburg NW 1917 1918 2

9 Sablatnig LVG SF.5 1918 1918 5

11 Gotha WD.15 1921 1924 1

10 Grigorovich M-5 1918 1918 1

12 Savoia 16Bis/M 1924 1938 20

13 Savoia 59 1928 1938 8

14 Rohrbach Ro.IIIa RODRA 1926 1934 2

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15 Supermarine Southampton II 1933 1944 6

16 Supermarine Walrus Mk.II 1938 1947 6

17 Grumman S-2A Tracker 1971 1986 4

18 Grumman S-2E Tracker 1972 1996 30

19 Agusta-Bell AB.204B/AS 1972 2006 3

20 Agusta-Bell AB.212AS 1976 current 15

21 Agusta-Bell AB.212 (ex. Army) 2006 current 2

22 Socata TB.20 Trinidad 1995 current 8

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23 CASA/TAI CN.235M-100MSA 2001 current 6

24 Sikorsky S-70B-8/ Seahawk 2002 current 16

25 ATR-72MP/ASW 10

Artists drawing

25 different aircraft in 98 years 168 individual aircraft into inventory

T.C. SAHIL GÜVENLIK KOMUTANLIĞI – The Turkish Republic Coast Guard

1 Agusta-Bell AB.206A 1992 1998 3

2 Maule MX-7-235 1993 1996 1

3 Agusta A.109A-II 1999 2011 1

4 Casa/TAI CN.235M-100 MPA 2001 current 3

5 Agusta-Bell AB.412EP-SAR 2002 current 14

5 different aircraft in 30 years 22 individual aircraft into inventory

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