Miralay (Colonel) Sami Bey (c. 1916) Yüzbaşı M. Sabri Efendi – Operations officer
Military unit
The 37th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Ottoman Empire. It was primarily deployed on the Caucasus Campaign during World War I. The division was formed in 1914 as part of the Ottoman Army's structural reorganization and remained active in eastern Anatolia until the end of the war.
The 37th Division was established in late 1914. It consisted of officers and soldiers recruited mainly from Erzurum and nearby provinces. By 1916, the division was subordinated to the 9th Army.
Division Structure (1916)
109th Infantry Regiment
110th Infantry Regiment
111th Infantry Regiment
37th Artillery Battalion
Ammunition and supply units
Caucasus Campaign and Engagements
Between 1915 and 1917, the 37th Infantry Division was actively engaged on the Caucasus front. During the Erzurum Offensive (1916), the division was tasked with repelling Russian attacks. Positioned near Köprüköy, Narman, and Tortum, the unit suffered from intense artillery barrages and heavy Russian assaults, eventually forcing a withdrawal.
As with other Ottoman units, the 37th Division experienced substantial casualties and ammunition shortages during the fighting. Harsh winter conditions, typhus, and inadequate supply lines further weakened the division's combat effectiveness.
Following the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, hostilities on the Caucasus front diminished significantly. The division was reassigned to defensive positions near Erzincan and Bayburt.
Captain (Yüzbaşı) M. Sabri Efendi – Operations officer (as recorded in military archives)
Archival Records and Assessment
According to 1916 war reports from the ATASE Archives, the division’s strength dropped by as much as 40% during the defense of Erzurum. In some regiments, the number of soldiers fell below 500, and artillery units were withdrawn to reserve due to lack of ammunition.
Edward J. Erickson characterized the division as “one of the Ottoman units that were well-trained but forced to fight with inadequate support.”
Post-war
In 1918, following the Ottoman Empire’s withdrawal from the war and the signing of the Armistice of Mudros, the 37th Infantry Division was disbanded. Its personnel were either demobilized or reassigned to local forces.
References
Erickson, Edward J. Ordered to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War. Greenwood Press, 2001.
Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri Tarihi, Volume III: The First World War, General Staff Publishing House.
ATASE Archives – 1916–1917 reports and orders related to the 37th Division.
Uyar, Mesut. Osmanlı Askerî Teşkilatında Yenileşme. Turkish Historical Society Publications.
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Ottoman Empire