Akbaş arms depot raid

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Coordinates: 40°11′02″N 26°21′23″E / 40.18389°N 26.35639°E / 40.18389; 26.35639
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40°11′02″N 26°21′23″E / 40.18389°N 26.35639°E / 40.18389; 26.35639

Akbaş arms depot raid
Part of the
Adrianople Vilayet
Result Victory of the movement
Belligerents  France
 United Kingdom
 Ottoman Empire Kuva-yi MilliyeCommanders and leaders United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland George Milne Köprülü Hamdi Bey
Dramalı Rıza BeyStrength Garrison: 3 Ottoman and 6 French soldiers[1]
200 British soldiers[2] 30 menCasualties and losses 9 soldiers captured (later released) None

The Akbaş arms depot raid was one of the actions of the Kuva-yi Milliye during the Turkish War of Independence. Led by the militia leader Köprülü Hamdi Bey and Dramalı Rıza Bey, the raid was conducted on the night of 26–27 January 1920.

Background

Born in 1886 or 1888 in Köprülü (now

First World War. After the Armistice of Mudros and the consequent Allied invasion of the Ottoman territories, Köprülü Hamdi Bey started to organize resistance movements in the Asian part of the Marmara Region. Dramalı Rıza Bey, born in 1890 in Drama, was also active in organizing the resistance in the same area with his friend Köprülü Hamdi Bey.[citation needed
]

The Akbaş arms depot was located at the Akbaş

First World War, the French troops took control of the depot. The British were planning to send these arms and ammunition to the White Army in Russia. Köprülü Hamdi Bey and Dramalı Rıza Bey, trying to preempt this, planned a raid against the depot. In case the raid would result in a success, the weapons would be used by the Kuva-yi Milliye. The mission was dangerous, because Allied ships were patrolling the Dardanelles and local Greeks were reporting every suspicious circumstance to the Allies.[4] In order to gain information about the depot, the surroundings and the defence measurements, Köprülü Hamdi Bey ordered his friend Dramalı Rıza Bey, dressed as a local villager, to travel to the area and to gather information. Dramalı Rıza Bey managed to gather significant information about the arms depot, he even managed to enter the depot disguised as a local egg and fruit vendor.[4] Returning with useful information, Hamdi Bey and Rıza Bey started to plan the raid.[citation needed
]

The Akbaş arms depot was located near Eceabat.

The Raid

On the night of 26–27 January, Dramalı Rıza Bey along with 30 Turkish militias on barges and small boats crossed the Dardanelles from the Asian side. On arrival on the European side, some men were ordered to cut off the telephone lines. Most of soldiers of the depot garrison were sleeping. Therefore, the whole garrison was quickly overwhelmed and taken prisoner without any casualties.[5] The weapons and ammunition were rapidly loaded on the barges and boats. Köprülü Hamdi Bey was waiting in the steamboat, Bolayır, at Bergos, his task was to pull the barges and boats back to the Asian side.[5] By setting up a small fire, Hamdi Bey was given the signal to come to the Akbaş bay. Once the barges and boats were pulled to the Asian side, the arms and ammunition were transported to the interior areas. The captured Ottoman (Artillerymen: Major Bahri Bey, Mülazım Hulusi and Osman who were under the command of the French) and French soldiers were later released and sent back to the depot on a small boat.[6]

Aftermath

On 28 January a telegraph was sent to

Constantinople.[7]

Damad Ferid Pasha was the mastermind behind Anzavur's attack, travelled to Constantinople to assassinate him.[8] But he was arrested by the police in Constantinople and sentenced to death by hanging. He was executed on 12 June 1920.[8][9]

Notes

  1. ^ See Adnan Sofuoğlu in Sources section
  2. ^ Zeki Çevik, 2006, page 18.
  3. ISBN 3894846089
    , page 113. (in German)
  4. ^ a b Zeki Çevik, 2006, page 13
  5. ^ a b Zeki Çevik, 2006, page 15.
  6. ^ Zeki Çevik, 2006, page 16.
  7. ^ a b Zeki Çevik, 2006, page 17.
  8. ^ a b c d e Zeki Çevik, 2006, page 20-21
  9. ^ Dramalı Rıza Bey ve Kuzey Batı Anadolu Kuva-yı Milliye Mücadelesindeki Hizmetleri Archived 2013-04-18 at archive.today Atatürk Research Center (in Turkish)

References

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