Ottoman Compiled Research Notes

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here it is, please note we havn't done the Nizam Reforms yet, they will be added later

After doing some Revision, maybe this should be final Artillery Roster:

62lb Balyemez Siege Gun
16lb Sahi Gun
3.5lb Abus Gun
3lb Horse Artillery
14lb Ottoman Sahi Gun
8lb Ottoman Sahi gun
36lb Bacalupka
6lb French Field gun


Ottoman Cavalry

Deli Horsemen (use ETW model, much more accurate then NTW)
Akinci Scouts (make limited number)
Arab Cavalry
Timariot Sipahi
Sipahi Oglans
Garipler (light cavalry, very skilled warriors)
Timarli Sipahi
Silahtar Guard

Ottoman Infantry

Re'aya (i was going to put fellah, but fellah were used in egypt)
Bashi Bazouk
Sekban
Yerliyye Janissary (extremely low quality)
Derbend Muhafizi (ask Dee Jay about this)
Ottoman Tufkechi
Haydut Irregular
Bosnian Sharpshooter
Cemaat Janissary
Boluk Janissary
Bostanci/Sekban Janissary


Nizam Jedid will be added later, but first we will finalise this recruitment order

atm i will just copy and paste.

Strictly speaking, because i am sure most people will want to hear about the Infantry, it is like this:
Re'aya are peasant levy, really only used if they are last option and if town is under attack, extremely cheap, come in superior numbers, some with guns, others with pitchforks.

Bashi Bazouk: sometimes Mercenaries, other times just bandits joining up with the army, extremely rowdy, good shots with their tufenk musket, except take long times to reload. these guys were so rowdy, they had to be disarmed by force after a battle/campaign. this sometimes would result in Bashi Bazouks getting executed

Sekban: Provincial soldiers with extremely low training, they are the empires conscripts. they were hired in times of crisis and sometimes went without pay.

Yerliyye Janissary: The corrupt, thuggish and Janissaries in name only. extremely low quality, they only became janissaries to extort money from the state. these were definetly not actual janissaries.

Derbend Muhafizi: Ottoman Militia, somewhat trained, they actually only played part in defensive roles, and if the army was short on men, these guys would be called up.

Ottoman Tufkechi: Ottoman regulars, training was pretty average, accuracy was better then most europeans due to the tufenk, some of the tufenks found today are rifled, though we only know they were used in Russo-Ottoman war 1806-1812. unfortunatly, the russians didnt make good notes on this war, neither did the ottomans, as 1 week after the war finished, Napoleon invaded russia

Haydut Irregular: Balkan Sharpshooter, good accuracy, average reload, very fast and were the main reason why Austria built up an impressive light infantry force.

Bosnian Sharpshooter: sharpshooters hailing from Bosnia, not much is known, except they were mostly muslims seeking to join in the war.

Cemaat Janissaries: Low quality Janissary, some training, minority, but still significantly corrupt.

Boluk Janissaries: Janissary force, well trained, excellent individual fighters, lacked certain drill, did use fire and advance like tactics. not much corruption in this corp, though there were still some

Bostanci Janissaries: Elite Janissaries, extremely well trained, trained everyday and fought with Rifled Tufenks up to 2.16 metres long, hence their extreme accuracy. their large arms made it easier for them to reload then most of the europeans. however, their tufenks were not easy to fire standing up. try to get them to kneel when they fire

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Can you add historical sources and screenshots of units?

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as said, i will copy and paste my notes, furthermore, some of the sources i read are from Turkey, some from Greece. sometimes i discard both because they just are not always reliable. anyway, this was my research notes compiled on the Ottoman Artillery:

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Ok guys, so in order to group all my information in one spot, to allow T.C and Bethencourt to have quick access to Historical research, i have decided to group all my research here. Everyone can submit research here and only comment if it is in regards to Research. Submit all research on Ottomans here please

I will start by the Abus Gun, an Ottoman Light Howitzer

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"Each regiment of foot artillery was made up of l0 cannons; four of the older, heavy Balyemez and Sahi cannons, two of the older, lighter Abus guns and four of the new French-designed field guns... each of which came in a bewildering range of sizes. The Balyemez were massive, long-range guns...Sahi was the Ottoman word for "field," and therefore Sahi artillery meant simply field artillery... The Abus guns were a form of howitzer and came in 10- and 7centimeter diameter bores. The French-design guns were known as SuratTopcusu (speed artillery) because of their greater mobility."

Surat Tocusu, which is translated to speed Artillery, is actually Horse Artillery, but back then, the language of the Ottomans did not have a word for Horse Artillery.

this is how the Abus Gun worked

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Abus guns were a short-barreled artillery machine that fired shots about the size of a human fist. They also had many varieties of artillery, from large siege bombards to the mobile Abus guns in question. Though light enough to carry, they needed to be equipped with a tripod of sorts. This movability was opposed to locating them in a guarded artillery emplacement, where versatility of the weapon would have been considerably restricted.

Now onto other forms of Artillery, the Balyemez

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Guns called balyemez are recorded throwing balls in a wide range of weights: 25, 30, 40, 50, and even 60 okka. Most common, however, were pieces throwing 10-40 okka, with the majority at the lower end of the range. Late seventeenth-century inventories list 39 balyemez of 14-22 okka throw-weight in the fort at Baghdad, and new pieces of 11-14 okka cast at Tophane. A ball of 11 okka would weigh around 31 pounds. As seen above, European siege guns were usually 24-pounders, so the Ottoman battering pieces were slightly larger. In addition to their larger size, Ottoman guns were reported to load more powder than European weapons.

1 oka weighs approx 1.3 kg, and that equates to 2.86 pounds. Now the Ottomans armies were mostly Siege armies, which made them so effective at taking and holding fortresses. because of the lack of lighter artillery, they would generally suffer in open combat.

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European military historians long held that the Ottomans favored size over mobility in forging cannon in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Ottoman guns were all thought to be huge, and some notable ones were. Accordingly, they argued that the size of these guns explained the Ottoman lack of effective field pieces. Recent scholarship incorporating a wide variety of Ottoman sources has shown that the Ottomans were not deficient in artillery. Gábor Ágoston has demonstrated that the Ottomans had the same breadth in their artillery parks as did contemporary European states. He argues that the Ottoman emphasis on sieges in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries led them to develop artillery best suited to that purpose, rather than more-mobile guns for use on the battlefield. Even though large guns were necessary for sieges, Ágoston’s investigation into castle inventories and the production records of the cannon foundry at Istanbul, the Tophane, shows that the Ottomans could and did produce small guns, and did not inappropriately emphasize cannon of large size.

so contrary to popular belief, the Ottomans did have small field guns, but these were less important then Siege guns. it should also be noted, there was no standardization in the Artillery of the Ottoman empire. so 1 Balyemez does not = another balyemez. but for the mod to show this, the Balyemez can be the middle of the variations. so 10-40 will be 25 Oka, which is approx 71.5 pounds.... ok a bit too much, make it 22 Oka to make it approx 64 pounder.

now among other large artillery pieces

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Among the other large guns often found in siege batteries was the bacaluþka, possibly the equivalent of the gun called the basilisk in the West. It is not surprising that the Ottomans would adapt European names for their cannon as the technology of gun casting, and in many cases the guns themselves, were of European origin. The bacaluþka took large shot, variously reported at 11, 14, 16, 18, and 20 okka. On average these guns fired a ball of 16 okka.



The large gun called þayka was another type associated with sieges, but usually on the defensive side. Again, there is some confusing nomenclature. There was also an Ottoman boat called þayka. Cannon used on these boats may have adopted this name, and later the same name may have been applied to guns used on land. The þayka came in varying sizes, with truly enormous pieces throwing as much as 80 okka balls. The larger varieties of þayka were mounted in fortresses and used to fend off sieges.

80 okka is approx 180.8 pounds.
the Bacalupka is 16 okka so approx 36.2 pounds, also a siege gun.

the Ottoman Field guns, which were not really used en masse, only to be used as counter battery fire also varied in weight of shot.

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Smaller-sized artillery also had its place in Ottoman siege trains. Smaller guns could be set up as counter-batteries to fire upon the defensive guns on the fortress ramparts or used against enemy troops. The kolumburna—clearly the Western culverin— was in use by the Ottoman army for both sieges and field engagements. These guns were reported to throw 11 okka balls, but guns of this type described by Fýndýklýlý Mehmed Aða in the Silahtar Tarihi were smaller, using shot of 3-9 okka. The þakaloz was another small gun in frequent use. It was a light gun throwing shot of 2-5 okka. Murphey states that the zarbuzan or zarbzan was the most common type of Ottoman cannon. This name was given to very small pieces, throwing only 1 or 2 okka.

so we should use 6-7 okka so that this is effective the "mid range" of the variations. or you could use different weights for different guns. this is roughly 17.16-20.02 pounds.

this is just interesting information that should also be noted

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In addition to cannon, the Ottomans used a variety of other gunpowder weapons in sieges. Mortars, called havayý, were common, as were a variety of bombs, called humbara or kumbara. These were either launched from mortars, or thrown by hand. A separate corps of the army, the humbaracýyan, or bombardiers, was responsible for these devices. As seen above, the Janissaries established musket batteries in the trenches to fire on enemy troops and to repel sorties. Ottoman muskets were longer than European small arms, and of smaller caliber. The iron was of high quality, so the Janissaries could load them with more powder, thus shooting farther than European weapons.

Next post, Ottoman Reforms under Selim 3

References:
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=...page&q&f=false
http://maviboncuk.blogspot.com/2004/...-big-guns.html
http://ottomanmilitary.devhub.com/bl...man-artillery/
and various background knowledge i got from various sources a long long time ago

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Ottoman artillery reforms

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Ottoman Artillery Reforms under Selim 3

Ottoman Artillery corps was one of the largest in the world. the Artillery was effectively divided by 2 different areas. The Imperial Army, and the Provincial army (the provincial army will be discussed in greater detail later.)

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The Ottomans were among the very first European powers to introduce artillery into their armies. During the Napoleonic Era they maintained a large artillery force both in the Imperial anny and in the various local armies of the provincial governors.

now the Modernisation of the Ottoman artillery was started in 1973, and the man trusted with this job, was Mustafa Reshid Effendi. He was in charge of the New Ottoman Batteries and the Royal Ordnance factory in Istanbul. (btw, there is much Debate whether it is called Istanbul or Constantinople, its name was only formerly changed to Istanbul by M. Kemal) Now forgive me, i got a book called Artillery: an illustrated history of its impact, and i cant copy and paste, so here is just what it says about Ottoman modernization in the Artillery

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In 1793, Selim Named Mustafa Reshid Effendi head of the Ottoman Artillery, the Topijis, as well as the royal ordnance foundries and arsenals... The Ottoman artillery was subsequently expanded and reorganised into 25 regiments, each consisting of 115 men and officers and placed under the overall command of an officer known as Topiji Bashi

it also mentions that the advisers were Prussian and French and that each artillery piece was manned by 10 men. this is what made them such excellent gunners, even though their guns were not uniform.

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Selim reorganized the 23 existing artillery regiments and added two more for a total force of 25 units, each with a total complement of 115 officers and men. He also ordered the adoption of the Prussian drill system. About half of these regiments were stationed in and around Istanbul with the rest in the provinces.

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The expansion of the corps went ahead rapidly and by the end of 1796 there were 2,875 well- trained cannoneers stationed at the Tophane along with an additional company of 115 men stationed at Levend Chiftlik to assist the new Nizam-i Jedid army. In 1806 the force numbered 4,910 men who were reputed to be by far the ablest fighting men among the old established corps.
At right, pictured is one of the new French-designed guns introduced into the Ottoman ammy in the 1790s. These were known as Surat Topcusu, or speed artillery, because of their high mobility. This gun measured about 10 feet from the tip of the barrel to the end of the trail. Detail of ammo box built into the seat of the cannon carraige at left, wheel detail at right.

there is often a confusion over the spelling Nizam-i Cedid and Nizam-i Jedid. this is Translation error as the Ottomans used Arabic alphabet, not the Latin, the Cedid is by modern Turkish, Jedid is by direct translation.
besides that, these Ottoman elite corps should be noted.

now the Topiji Bashi was the authority of all Artillery, he was able to rule over all artillery without opposition, only the sultan could stop him from his plans.

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The entire force was under the direction of an officer known as a Topiji Bashi. His authority over the corps was absolute, not only in Istanbul, but in all the fortresses and garrison towns of the empire, which he supplied with artillery stores and ammunition. He was also head of their respective magazines.

Now the Ottomans artillery was mostly out of Bronze, so Empire total wars models are mostly correct. the New Army however created more casualties as the Ottomans were now getting close to fight, something which they were not used to.

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It was reported in 1793 by a French military observer that "the Turks have founded only bronze cannon and their army and navy have no other." It is therefore assumed that all the Balyemez, Sahi and Abus cannons were of bronze.
One Boluk (squad), usually consisting of l0 men, was assigned to each gun. Each gun was given its own special sign or mark which was painted on the muzzle and sewn on the uniforms of the men assigned to it. With the exception of this painted design, Ottoman guns were as plain as possible, without the least omament.
The best gunner in each Boluk was appointed as cannon master (Top Ustasi) and the next ablest as his assistant (Yamaq). The l0 cannon masters in each regiment were arranged in a numbered hierarchy from one to l0, with the first cannon master commanding the others during battle. Each regiment was also assigned 30 orderlies (Mulazim) who assisted the regular soldiers and replaced them when vacancies occurred.
Since the older Balyemez and Sahi cannons were extremely heavy and bulky, they were usually kept in trenches some distance from the actual fighting. However the new French guns and the lighter Abus guns were quick enough to keep up with the infantry and were often placed in the thick of battle.
This, naturally, resulted in increased casualties so in 1796 each battery was assigned an additional 20 soldiers whose job was to defend the guns in the field. While they were primarily riflemen, they were also cross-trained as artillery men so they could take over for dead or disabled gunners.

Here we do see that the Ottoman Artillery was infact, some of the best in the world

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To keep the units in top form, they were required to practice once each week with live ammunition. British military observers, watching one of these artillery practice sessions in Istanbul in 1799, were impressed with the Topijis' skill.
Commenting on the practice, a member of the British artillery unit remarked that, "The artillery-men succeeded much better than our officers had been led to expect. The Turkish artillery-men beat down the target several times, and their mortar practice was by no means contemptible." This is fair praise considering that the British were considered among the best gunners in the world at this time.
While the Topijis were well trained and enthusiastic, their performance as gunners remained poor during the period due to the erratic quality of the inferior gunpowder with which they were supplied.

rather then saying the Ottoman inferiority was not because of the quality of the gunners, it was actually the inferior gunpowder which caused problems.

an Ottoman Gunner

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so really, the Ottomans need reforms for the Artillery that correspond to lighter Field guns, more men in arty unit, better gunpowder and standardisation.

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Perhaps just use the howitzer model for the abus gun? Alternatively, could you get me some pics - I know some people who can make artillery models.

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Artillery was not modern in any remarkable way - the guns will be large, slow and cumbersome, yet of a good range.

there should be some small field guns like 12 pounders, but nothing less then 8 pounder.

We'll make a special projectile for the Ottomans. Better range, less power.
Although a bit late, we'll give the Ottomans lots of reform techs.

the reform techs probably would have went along if Selim wasnt deposed. but shouldn't Ottoman guns have more power? the greater strength of their gun over western counterparts. accuracy should be decreased for Balyemez guns. Ottoman 12 pounder should be more accurate over western 12 pounders and quicker reload, but not faster than 9 pounder.

As the techs progress, artillery will become more mobile. Perhaps battery size should increase as documented?
Perhaps a higher misfire chance for Ottoman guns due to bad quality powder?

the Balyemez should be fixed artillery, Sahi and anything below that should be mobile, but still cumbersome because of its heavy calibre. instead of misfire, make less accuracy

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Sipahi's quality decreased at this time, but they were still dangerous compared to other cavalry

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Ottoman Cavalry

Ottoman cavalry was always divided into 6 divisions (before 1828) and was their greatest weapon. considered by some, the most elite cavalry in the world, just behind the Polish winged hussars. the Elite of these 6 divisions was the Sipahi (also known as Sphai, Sapahi) the Sipahi were the largest cavalry division and were mostly made up of ethnic Anatolian's (cant call them turks, turks means peasant/rabble.) Sipahi's were also seasoned warriors. the only way to become a sipahi was to prove yourself in battle. sons of Sipahi's would not take up the rank of "sipahi" and would also first be told to prove himself in battle. if Sipahi's were unruly, or fled from the field of battle, they would lose their position which is seen in 1596, where all the ottoman cavalry ran away from the Hungarian artillery at the Battle of Mezö-Keresztes. Sipahi were the backbone of the Ottoman elite cavalry and were one of the most feared in all of Europe.

The sipahi were also required to train a certain number of cavalry as well in time of war. these trained cavalry would be known as Celebus. the Celebus were effectively armoured cavalry and although lower quality then the Sipahi, they were still a force to be reckoned with. Sipahis were more effectively known as "Timarli Sipahi" as not everyone called a sipahi was an elite cavalry man. this is seen with the Timariot's who were also known as sipahi by some. the Timariots were largely irregular cavalry and would mostly just raid and pillage enemy borders. since they could not go toe to toe with european regular cavalry due to their technological superiority. their tactics revolved around something like this.

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The Turkish sipahi cavalry were considered to be without peer. They were ready at any moment on the command of the sanjak beys to leave their fields and join in battle. Failure do so would mean loss of their position. Although the ranks were not hereditary, the son of a deceased spahi might be given a small amount of land for his needs. He would then have to prove himself in battle to earn a tamir or zaimet. There were also mounted soldiers at a lesser rank than spahi, and the spahis of the Porte in Constantinople, “the men of the sultan,” who formed a separate corps. In the seventeenth century the number of feudal spahis dwindled, and, like the janissaries, the spahi also began to hire substitutes, some of whom were unscrupulous adventurers. Spahis were no longer suited for all-year duty against the modern European artillery. At the Battle of Mezö-Keresztes (1596) against Hungary they left the field en masse. The sultan dismissed thirty thousand spahis, turning a large group of nobles into landless malcontents and further increasing the problems of the empire.

The Sipahi eventually became the largest of the six divisions of the Ottoman cavalry, and were the mounted counterpart to the Janissaries, who fought on foot. The duties of the Sipahis included riding with the sultan on parades and as a mounted bodyguard. In times of peace, they were also responsible for the collection of taxes. The Sipahis, however, should not be confused with the Timariots, who were irregular cavalry organised along feudal lines and known as "sipahi"s colloquially. In fact, the two formations had very little in common.

now when i say 6 divisions of Cavalry, there were more likely 4 divisions with 2 sub divisions. the 6/4 divisions doesnt mean that the ottomans only had 6/4 divisions, they were household cavalry. another one of the 6 divisions was the Silahdar Guard. these would accompany the Sultan everywhere and were some the most strongest men the empire had to offer. they had no loyalty except to the sultan and Quran. Unfortunately, not much else is known about them besides being the sultans body guards and strong hardy warriors. however what i do know is this, the way of recruiting Silahdar would be to send those who applied for them on Suicide missions. those that survived a suicide mission would be promoted to Silahdar and those that died, their families would recieve compensation.

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Silahtars (which means weaponmasters) were chosen among the best warriors in Ottoman Empire. Any Ottoman soldier committed a significant deed in battlefield may have been promoted to Silahtar division. Although usually members of other mounted units, like Timarli Sipahis or other less prestigious four divisions of Kapikulu Sipahis promoted this way. Infantry soldiers had to enlist as serdengecti (literally means giver of his head) and survive suicide missions to join Silahtar division. If a janissary ever became a silahtar, other members of division with cavalry background despised him and former comrade janissaries considered him as traitor, but because the position and wealth of a silahtar was so attractive, janissaries and other soldiers still enlisted for suicide missions.
Commander of the Silahtar division was the Silahtar Agha. He was official weaponmaster of the palace and close personal aide of the sultan, who helps him to don his armor. He also was liaison officer who supervises the communication between the sultan and the Grand Vizier.

the Garip (or gurba) division is not something i know much of. Garip meant poor in Ottoman but im not sure that it meant they were "poor" as they were household troops. i think the Garip rather meant poor equipment or that was lighter then the other Kapikulu corps.

Ulufeci are also less known as they rarely did "big things" for the empire. Ulufeci means "one who is salaried" so im guessing they were cavalry who were given regular pay.

It should be noted though, the Garip and Ulufeci were divided in 2 sub divisions, the Division of right and Division of left. they would be sent to the flanks in the event that a particular flank needed reinforcing.

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srry, only source i could find on the net that had any reference to the other Ottoman cavalry
http://www.militaryarchitecture.com/...sh-spihas.html

Ottoman Akinjis were considered the Light cavalry of the time. they were highly efficient and professional raiders and scouts. the austrians created the Hussars in order to defeat these raiders because of their nuisance and ability to out manouver the heavier austrian cavalry. each akinji was equipped with 2 horses so that when they go on their raids, they can use the 2nd horse to carry plunder and prisoners for interrogation. Strict islamic laws prevented them from killing innocents or else they get court marshaled (tbh, they were just beheaded.) after Mohacs in 1526, the Ottomans used Akinjis for penetrating lines of the enemy to make way for the very heavy cebelus to take over and enlarge the gap. Akinjis were armed with Spear, Mace, Sword and shield. Furthermore, Akinjis were known for the zealousness and high morale. if an Akinji proved himself, they would be awarded a timar or a piece of land and this would entitle them to to join the presitious 6 divisions of cavalry.

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The akinji usually set off on a raid each equipped with two horses, and were organised in units of tens, hundreds and thousands. As the Ottoman light cavalry the akinji carried a sword, a shield, a scimitar a lance and a mace. Leaders called sanjak bey (provincial leaders) commanded them. Casual raiding became a less frequent occupation as the empire grew and by the time of the battle of Mohacs in 1526, the akinji were well accustomed to being employed for penetrating enemy territory ahead of the main Ottoman Army. They would secure bridges and take prisoners for interrogation.



The akinji bands roamed far and wide, and never were they more enthusiastic than when they marched with the Sultan in the vanguard of his army as they hoped to be rewarded for their skill by promotion to the ranks of the regular army. It was every horseman's dream to enrol in the permanent army and receive the stipend known as a timar that would free him from economic worries and allow him to concentrate on war. He would then also be the recipient of a certain number of imperial taxes himself, even though the Ottoman Sultan owned all the land. In one particularly bloody assault a single timar was awarded and then re-awarded eight times after the previous recipients died fighting. At the siege of Belgrade the Janissaries stormed the walls over a moat filled with dead akinji.

Deli horsemen were also largely irregulars but were used as "battering rams." in Ottoman Turish, Deli means Mad Head and were well known for their fearless attributes and no regard for life. they were ussually equipped with a lance but carried a sabre incase combat got in close range. the Deli were reliable and fit and also scared their enemies. the Deli horsemen would be employed in their hundreds and were cheap, reliable cavalry.

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It is worth noting the additional presence in the marches of the sipahis (free cavalrymen) who were loyal to the local bey. The Sipahis were invariably Muslim Turks. They were scattered across the empire, always on the move from billet to billet, and from billet to the front line. Even madmen had their own regiment: the deli, or maniacs, the 'riskers of souls' who allowed themselves to be used as human battering rams.

The "deli" in "deli cavalry" means "mad head" in Turkish. They were horsemen recruited from the frontiers who had extreme courage and fool-hardiness in
battle. They were colorful in the way the Argentine gauchos and American cowboys were. To inspire fear in their enemies they wore extreme clothing: eagle feathers, eagle wings, lion or snow leopard pelts, trousers made from bear or wolf skin, and pointy yellow boots that had foot-long spurs

i think thats it for European Based ottoman cavalry. im not sure if mamlukes should carry carbine though, iirc they each would carry 2 pistols, lance and sword and were very effective. Napoleon commended their bravery into charging European squares.... but also their stupidity for not bowing down to the french. and battle of Mount Thabor, the Ottomans were about to win but french reinforcements arrived at the "nick of time" and were able to cut down a large amount of ottoman soldiers.

this will be last update for about 2 weeks.

(i also forgot Cossacks :O)

[panzer 4]

here are some pictures of the Cavalry

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Ottoman Infantry:

Ottoman Tufekci Musketeers:

These were the main force of ottoman regulars, used volley fire for first sign of combat, but then undisciplined fire where each man would pick a target and were able to bear down accurate, but slow fire on the advancing enemies at a greater range. Armed with Tufenk Musket and sword, they were definetly a force to be reckoned with at long range, and in melee (against other infantry) didnt adopt the Bayonet as it was seen as a dishonorable weapon and that it was labeled "Cheap Importations from the west." Very well suited for sieges, not helpful for Open land combat, where the Ottomans generally got decimated, remember Ottoman Armies are suited for sieges. not much is known on their quality in Europe, but the Iraqi Bashar was very happy at their performance from defending Iraq from the Wahabi raiders and defeating Persian raiding parties. Napoleon did comment on the high quality of musketry of Ottoman forces, but did not specify who was shooting. Tufekci Musketeers were recruited from 1 in every 20-30 households and married men, single son families and only children were not allowed to join. formed the flanks of the attack, but were decimated in close combat between 40-80 yards. although they were accurate, their musket took a considerably longer time to reload then the european musket. Furthermore, Contrary to popular belief, the tufekci did not fight in a "horde" like fashion, but rather, fought as individuals, where every man was trained individually. each of their men fired at individual targets, whereas europeans would fire en masse. this is what made them excellent marksman and were able to take down their enemies at such a great range.

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http://books.google.com.au/books?id=...20wars&f=false

the Janissaries
accurate marksman and individual fighters, deadly at long ranges, and even more deadly in melee. there were 3 different Categories of Imperial Janissaries:
the Cemaat (assembly troops/frontiers)
comprised of 101 Ortas, were tasked with guarding the most important fortresses in the empire and were of lesser quality then their high brethren. due to their lack of experience, they are less reliable in combat then the Beylik/Boluk and Segban. preferred to get into melee then shooting.

Boluk/Beylik Janissaries
these were the real janissaries, only 61 Ortas and were armed with standard equipment, 1 Tufenk, usually rifled, 1 or more pistols, Scimitar and extremely high quality gunpowder which would give off white smoke, rather then black. most of these wore blue coats and were effectively an armed block, fired in volleys but each man picked an individual target, most armies knew Ottoman tactics and concluded a direct assualt on this division would be complete suicide.

Segban Janissaries
most prestigious corps, only 34 corps and were highly efficient, provided most of the officers for every other janissary corps. little is known because they didnt take part in any conflict in this period, excpet for Russia 1806-1812, which is so little known.

Janissaries were very well adept at buidling defences and their reloading skill was on a par with european regulars, even though their musket was much larger. However, there is a problem all historians agree upon, the corruption within the corps, Provincial governors raised their own Janissary corps who would take money from the state because they had the title "janissary". these Janissaries, who the austrians called "provincial janissaries" were just bad quality all around and were only willing to fight, provided they would get paid. not very islamic and very unorthodox to the original corps, they were definitely stealing from the government. (make this a technology to clean up the corps, upkeep is halved and quality is increased)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=...page&q&f=false
http://sehir.academia.edu/GunhanBore...lem_of_Origins
"Firearms: A global history to 1700" by Kenneth Chase, Cambridge University Press.
"Firearms have been in use since the beginning of the dynasty, and field armies in battle formation have found them convenient and useful to carry along...Since muskets have been transmitted to China, these weapons have lost their effectiveness...In battle formation, aside from various cannon such as the "three generals," the breach loading swivel gun, and the "hundred-league thunder," nothing has more range or power than the Ottoman musket. The next best is the European one."
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...38#post9478138

[panzer 4]

Thats all my notes, i am now just waiting for my co-reseachers reply if i am allowed to use his research notes

[Ziuk]

Ntw3 period : 1809-1815

What were main causes of defeat in Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812)?

Did ottomans units have yellow uniforms?

[panzer 4]

Ntw3 period : 1809-1815

What were main causes of defeat in Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812)?

Did ottomans units have yellow uniforms?

well there were janissaries that wore yellow, but the majority wore red or blue, sometimes a mixture of both. since EiC is from 1805-1812, and NTW 3 is 1809-1815, it wouldn't really matter much as the Ottoman armies didnt really change much in this period. it only got under radical changes after 1826, and again in 1828

Maybe Bostanci Wore yellow

[panzer 4]

k Dee Jay has allowed me to use his notes, all credit goes to Dee Jay on these ones:

Here is my knowledge of the Ottoman Cavalry.

They fought very much like an irregular cavalry force, did not use tight formations, and fought in deep ranks. Also, the common weapon for all Ottoman cavalry was the lance, pretty much every horseman in the Ottoman Army (regualr and irregular) fought with the lance as their primary weapon.

REGULAR CAVALRY

So, the best of the Regular Cavalry were the Silahtar and Sipahi Oglans. These troops were considered as guard units by many and were well trained in the tactics, but like all Ottoman cavalry fought in their loose, deep, mod-like formations. They were only armed with a lance and wore armor. These were the heaviest cavalry of the army, and were only recruited from local lands.

There was also the Ulufeciler and the Garipler, these men fought as the medium cavalry of the army, and also used the lance as their primary weapon and fought like all the other cavalry in the army. The difference between the 2 is that the Ulufeciler are paid troops, maintained by their governers and recruited from local areas, and the Garipler are mercenary troops recruited from regions close to the empire.

The last of the regular cavalry are the Sipahis of the Porte, I dont know much about these units.

HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY

I dont know much about any of these units, but they were very small and elite, and usually never used in combat. Sultan’s Mounted Life Guard, Memlük of the Sadrazam (Grand Vizier), Memlük of the Grand Seignoir, Memlük of Constantinople (Istanbul), Gönüllü Cebeli, Koruma Cebeli are all the Ottoman household units, Sultan's Mounted Life Guard being the best.

IRREGULAR CAVALRY


The first two that I will mention are the Yörük and Humidie, they were both a Volunteer unit used in the same way as Russian Cossack Cavalry, in my view that are pretty much identical. The only difference between the two is that they were recruited from different regions, Yörük being trained from their European holdings (Balkans, Greece, that kind of area), but I'm not sure where the Humidie were trained from. These men used lancers like all other troops, were armed with multiple pistols and usually a musket.

There are also theTımarlı Sipahi, they are men recruited and trained by Sipahi Oglans (this has been mentioned above). They were armed with a lance, 2 swords, multiple pistols (usually 2) and a musket (fully loaded ).

The Djellis are a very light, irregular cavalry force, recruited mainly from the Balkans and areas near there. The most famous of the units are the Deli Horseman. They all carried a lance as their favoured weapon, a musket, multiple pistols (usually 2), and a sabre.

Next up is a super famous unit, know as Memlük. They usually had 2 Memlük Servent-at-Arms troops that followed them into battle, and mopped up the opponent after the devistating cavalry charge. Memlük were armed with 2 javelins, 2 pistols, a carbine and a scimitar.

Arab Cavalry is the last unit on my list, they were recruited from Bedouins and were armed with a musket, a sabre, and a long-spear (not a lance, a long-spear).

NIZAM-I-CEDID CAVALRY

The only cavalry troop recruited in the Nizam-I-Cedid armies were Lancers. They were armed with only the lance, had no armor. They used the European tactics, fighting in much tighter formations, and thinner ranks.

I think thats all I know

I tried to make it breif

Hope I tought you something

I got some info on the Akinji and the Celebus:

Akinji were first created in the 16th Century, they were exactly as you described above, but according to some text writen from back then by Ottoman commentators, by 1630 it was suggested only 2,000 of these troops left. There is also no reference to them being in Ottoman service in the 18th Cantury. So a good guess would be that they would have died out by the Napoleonic era.

As for the Celebus (or Cebelüs) they were definently around in the 16th and 18th century, but due to the domination of fire-arms throughout this time, their need became less relavent. There is also no reference to these troops during the Napoleonic times.

Here is my knowledge of the Ottoman Infantry

Compared to European armies, the Ottoman Infantry fought like irregulars. Their army was split into the regulars and the irregulars. They always fought in very deep and loose formations. Their common firing tactic was fire and advance, they would do this unit they reached close enough to the enemy, then they would charge with their swords.

REGULAR INFANTRY

The Regular Infantry of the army were called Janissary.

They were split into 3 levels, or grades; Cemaat Janissary, Benluk Janissary, Bostanci Janissary.

Cemaat Janissary were the lowest grade of the regular infantry, but they were still fierce fighters. There training was not equal to a French Fusilier, but they were better warriors. The Cemaat Janissary were also split into their regular units, and light units (they only had a few light units). There was no particular uniform for the Janissary, they just wore what was in style, and what they liked

Benluk Janissary were a big step above the Cemaat Janissary, in society and in their training. These troops defended many important places of the Empire. They were armed with the same equipment as the Cemaat, a musket and a sabre/sword/scimitar, but of higher quality. They had the same uniform as the Cemaat, but of better quality.

Bostanci Janissary are the best foot troops of the Empire, they are a single unit formed to protect the General in battle. They were armed with the same equipment as all Janissary, but these guys had the best. These men were dressed in bright yellow clothes, and used the same tactics as the other Janissaries.

IRREGULAR INFANTRY

The first one I will cover are the Fellah. They are the lowest level of troops in the empire, they are just simple peasents impressed into a governors service. I think they would be lucky to cary a fire arm.

The Re'aya are peasent sharpshooters, used as skirmishers and attached to Janissary units. They were armed with a musket and some type of meele weapon (axe, club, sword).

Sekban are Irregular troops, recruited from governors in times of crisis, usually served without pay. They were usually mercenaries, and these troops existed in the Empires European holdings (greece, balkans, moldavia, that kind of place.)

Derbend Muhafızı are the Empires form of Militia. They were recruited by governors, and usually existed in the empires Europeans holdings.

The last is the Levend, these troops are the Empires Marine troops, they are probably the best of the irregulars, used for sea-borne invasions. Used in the Mediteranian (I cant spell) and European area of the Empire. They usually used a musket and some type of meele weapon.

All these troops did not have a particular uniforms or arsenal.

NIZAM-I-CEDID INFANTRY

These troops were trained in European tactics, and were armed and trained in the same way. There were many units across the Empire. It's not like in the vanilla game how they are divided into Light, Line, and Rifle units, there are just the one type. There were usually a few troops in the unit that were armed with rifles, and all the Nizam-I-Cedid infantry units were usually trained for Light-Infantry tactics anyway.

[[N]Fullin]

This looks like a monumental job to do and Iam afraid we will not make it in time for the new upcoming version my friend...we are talking about redoing the whole faction from scratch.
Although it is my intention to do it, we need to aim lower right now.
Please check our Ottoman roster and point out what is out place and what is right.
Give us some new interesting units to add (2 or 3) and lets aim to a more realistic overall general improvemt on the roster.
As soon as we have that done , i can concentrate effort , time , and resources in achieving this ultimate Ottoman force you have kindly suggested.
Ive already store all these notes and we will be working on them soon. But for now , please give something i can do for the army in 15 days.

Yours
Lord fullin

[panzer 4]

k, just add ottoman Tufkechi as main Ottoman Infantry, accuracy should be between 26-30 (because of Tufenk) and range increased by 10. reload must be about 35-40

make the Cemaat Janissaries (give them guns) very low quality, to represent corruption, give Beylik somewhat better with accuracy of 27-33 but reload of 45

and then give the Bostanci about 30-39 accuracy (rifled tufenk) but must be kneeling down to shoot. make reload about... 40-45

just shove the cemaat to the left of the roster, Beylik can be better then Ottoman Tufkechi and Bostanci on the far right of the roster.

just make Ottoman Tukechi the basic unit. and see if you can add the Segban i Cedit (ottoman provincial troops) reliable considered how quickly they were called up.

[[N]Fullin]

Now this I can do for next version!

Thank you

Where there any kind of Dragoons or dragoons like units?

[panzer 4]

Now this I can do for next version!

Thank you

Where there any kind of Dragoons or dragoons like units?

hmm... if they were, they were irregular, though i do know Deli Horsemen ussually carried 2 pistols, and a musket, and Mamlukes carried multiple pistols and a carbine.

[Prince of Essling]

k Dee Jay has allowed me to use his notes, all credit goes to Dee Jay on these ones:

Here is my knowledge of the Ottoman Cavalry.

They fought very much like an irregular cavalry force, did not use tight formations, and fought in deep ranks. Also, the common weapon for all Ottoman cavalry was the lance, pretty much every horseman in the Ottoman Army (regualr and irregular) fought with the lance as their primary weapon.

REGULAR CAVALRY

So, the best of the Regular Cavalry were the Silahtar and Sipahi Oglans. These troops were considered as guard units by many and were well trained in the tactics, but like all Ottoman cavalry fought in their loose, deep, mod-like formations. They were only armed with a lance and wore armor. These were the heaviest cavalry of the army, and were only recruited from local lands.

There was also the Ulufeciler and the Garipler, these men fought as the medium cavalry of the army, and also used the lance as their primary weapon and fought like all the other cavalry in the army. The difference between the 2 is that the Ulufeciler are paid troops, maintained by their governers and recruited from local areas, and the Garipler are mercenary troops recruited from regions close to the empire.

The last of the regular cavalry are the Sipahis of the Porte, I dont know much about these units.

HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY

I dont know much about any of these units, but they were very small and elite, and usually never used in combat. Sultan’s Mounted Life Guard, Memlük of the Sadrazam (Grand Vizier), Memlük of the Grand Seignoir, Memlük of Constantinople (Istanbul), Gönüllü Cebeli, Koruma Cebeli are all the Ottoman household units, Sultan's Mounted Life Guard being the best.

IRREGULAR CAVALRY


The first two that I will mention are the Yörük and Humidie, they were both a Volunteer unit used in the same way as Russian Cossack Cavalry, in my view that are pretty much identical. The only difference between the two is that they were recruited from different regions, Yörük being trained from their European holdings (Balkans, Greece, that kind of area), but I'm not sure where the Humidie were trained from. These men used lancers like all other troops, were armed with multiple pistols and usually a musket.

There are also theTımarlı Sipahi, they are men recruited and trained by Sipahi Oglans (this has been mentioned above). They were armed with a lance, 2 swords, multiple pistols (usually 2) and a musket (fully loaded ).

The Djellis are a very light, irregular cavalry force, recruited mainly from the Balkans and areas near there. The most famous of the units are the Deli Horseman. They all carried a lance as their favoured weapon, a musket, multiple pistols (usually 2), and a sabre.

Next up is a super famous unit, know as Memlük. They usually had 2 Memlük Servent-at-Arms troops that followed them into battle, and mopped up the opponent after the devistating cavalry charge. Memlük were armed with 2 javelins, 2 pistols, a carbine and a scimitar.

Arab Cavalry is the last unit on my list, they were recruited from Bedouins and were armed with a musket, a sabre, and a long-spear (not a lance, a long-spear).

NIZAM-I-CEDID CAVALRY

The only cavalry troop recruited in the Nizam-I-Cedid armies were Lancers. They were armed with only the lance, had no armor. They used the European tactics, fighting in much tighter formations, and thinner ranks.

I think thats all I know

I tried to make it breif

Hope I tought you something

I got some info on the Akinji and the Celebus:

Akinji were first created in the 16th Century, they were exactly as you described above, but according to some text writen from back then by Ottoman commentators, by 1630 it was suggested only 2,000 of these troops left. There is also no reference to them being in Ottoman service in the 18th Cantury. So a good guess would be that they would have died out by the Napoleonic era.

As for the Celebus (or Cebelüs) they were definently around in the 16th and 18th century, but due to the domination of fire-arms throughout this time, their need became less relavent. There is also no reference to these troops during the Napoleonic times.

Here is my knowledge of the Ottoman Infantry

Compared to European armies, the Ottoman Infantry fought like irregulars. Their army was split into the regulars and the irregulars. They always fought in very deep and loose formations. Their common firing tactic was fire and advance, they would do this unit they reached close enough to the enemy, then they would charge with their swords.

REGULAR INFANTRY

The Regular Infantry of the army were called Janissary.

They were split into 3 levels, or grades; Cemaat Janissary, Benluk Janissary, Bostanci Janissary.

Cemaat Janissary were the lowest grade of the regular infantry, but they were still fierce fighters. There training was not equal to a French Fusilier, but they were better warriors. The Cemaat Janissary were also split into their regular units, and light units (they only had a few light units). There was no particular uniform for the Janissary, they just wore what was in style, and what they liked

Benluk Janissary were a big step above the Cemaat Janissary, in society and in their training. These troops defended many important places of the Empire. They were armed with the same equipment as the Cemaat, a musket and a sabre/sword/scimitar, but of higher quality. They had the same uniform as the Cemaat, but of better quality.

Bostanci Janissary are the best foot troops of the Empire, they are a single unit formed to protect the General in battle. They were armed with the same equipment as all Janissary, but these guys had the best. These men were dressed in bright yellow clothes, and used the same tactics as the other Janissaries.

IRREGULAR INFANTRY

The first one I will cover are the Fellah. They are the lowest level of troops in the empire, they are just simple peasents impressed into a governors service. I think they would be lucky to cary a fire arm.

The Re'aya are peasent sharpshooters, used as skirmishers and attached to Janissary units. They were armed with a musket and some type of meele weapon (axe, club, sword).

Sekban are Irregular troops, recruited from governors in times of crisis, usually served without pay. They were usually mercenaries, and these troops existed in the Empires European holdings (greece, balkans, moldavia, that kind of place.)

Derbend Muhafızı are the Empires form of Militia. They were recruited by governors, and usually existed in the empires Europeans holdings.

The last is the Levend, these troops are the Empires Marine troops, they are probably the best of the irregulars, used for sea-borne invasions. Used in the Mediteranian (I cant spell) and European area of the Empire. They usually used a musket and some type of meele weapon.

All these troops did not have a particular uniforms or arsenal.

NIZAM-I-CEDID INFANTRY

These troops were trained in European tactics, and were armed and trained in the same way. There were many units across the Empire. It's not like in the vanilla game how they are divided into Light, Line, and Rifle units, there are just the one type. There were usually a few troops in the unit that were armed with rifles, and all the Nizam-I-Cedid infantry units were usually trained for Light-Infantry tactics anyway.

Glad to see the notes I passed to DeeJay in his social group for his original abortive NAOW mod are being used!

[panzer 4]

Glad to see the notes I passed to DeeJay in his social group for his original abortive NAOW mod are being used!

i have no say in this and if you want to complain, then tell deejay

[Prince of Essling]

i have no say in this and if you want to complain, then tell deejay

I am not complaining - just making a point!

[Ziuk]

What were main causes of defeat in Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812)?

Do you have any sources about size of ottomans units?