"Ottoman OOB's" Topic

Need some help in locating something, anything, on the Ottoman Turks armies Order of Battle during the Napoleonic era. Either fighting the French or fighting the Russians. I've had no luck whatsoever on the google express. Your help will be appreciated.

I do not remember were I found these but here it goes.

1790-1826

Europe

1. Infantry
99th Djeemat Janissary Orta: 2000 Dervishes
55th Djeemat Janissary Otra: 1000? weapons instructors
6 Djeemat Chasseur Janissary Ortas (35th, 39th, 44th, 64th, 68th & 71st)
@ 500 skirmishers
93 other Djeemat Janissary Ortas@ 500 men on average
59 Benluk Janissary Ortas@ 500 men average
31st Benluk Marine Janissary Orta: 5000 men
with 2 regular skirmish Bttns@ 500 men, rifles, regular trained
60 Boluks (companies)@ 100 Rayas rifle armed skirmishers attached to Janissaries
34 Segban Acemi Oglan trainee Janissary Ortas@ 300 men on average
500 Coroudjis Guard Janissaries "foresters" – skirmish capable
500 Solak Guard Janissaries (Benluk Ortas 60-63) – skirmish capable
12,000 Bostanci Guard Infantry
1st Nizam-i-Jedid Regiment: 2 Bttns@ 1200 men, (1799-1807)
1 Topiji Battery: 10x 6pdr guns
2nd Nizam-i-Jedid Regiment: 2 Bttns@ 1200 men (1800-1807)
10 other Nizam-i-Jedid Regiments@ 2 Bttns@ 750 men (1804-07 in Anatolia)
5000 other Nizam-i-Jedid infantry (1806-1808 in Balkans)
6 Nizam-i-Segban Regiments@ 2 Bttns@ 800 men (1808 only)
3000 Yamak Auxiliary fortress guards
10,000 Rumeli mountian irregulars
15,000 Greek Martolos (Derbents)
25,000 Anatolian Sekhans
25,000 Albanian Sekhans
2000 Moldavian skirmishers mounted on mules
2000 Bulgarian Derbents
6000 Croat mountain irregulars
1000 Greek Kapoi guards
3000 Transylvanian Haiduk irregular infantry
2000 Moroccan Sekhan mercenaries
3000 Anatolian mountain irregulars
3000 Anatolian Derbents
15,000 occasionally allied Greek infantry of Ali Pasha of Janina (List T7N)
Allied Bosnian army (List T9N)
2. Cavalry
50,000 Anatolian Sipahis (on paper – poor local militia from 1807)
10,000 Albanian Sipahis (on paper – poor local militia from 1807)
20,000 Rumeli Sipahis (on paper – poor local militia from 1807)
15,000 Yoruks (Anatolian, Rumeli, Bosnian)
300+ Macedonian Yoruks
8000 Silahtar (ex-Guard) Suvarileri heavy cavalry
10,000 Sipahi Oglan Guard Suvarileri heavy cavalry
5000 Left & Right Ulefeciyan Suvarileri medium cavalry
5000 Left & Right Gureba Suvarileri medium cavalry
10,000 Sipahis of the Porte trained lancers
400 Sultan's Mounted Life Guard heavy cavalry
100 Guard Mamelukes of the Grand Vezier lancers
100 Guard Mamelukes of the Grand Seignoir lancers
500 Guard Mamelukes of Constantinople lancers
100 Gonullu Guard Djellis
100 Life Watch Guides Guard Djellis
18,000 Syrian light cavalry
10,000 Kurdish Light Horse (24 regiments)
6000 Bosnian, Serb and Croat Djellis
3000 Kurdish Djellis
2000 Anatolian Turkish Djellis
2000 Ukrainian Cossack mercenaries
4000 Wallachian light cavalry
10,000 Tarter light cavalry
5000 Transylvanian light cavalry
1000 Egyptian Mamelukes
4000 Nizam-i-Jedid regular lancers (4 or 6 units, 1800-1808 only)
10,000 Kerchalies mounted infantry (Rumelia/Bulgaria) in units of 1000 men

3. Artillery and Engineers
Topijis (regular artillery):
25 Foot Batteries@ 1 Section: 4x French 6pdr field guns
or 4x Turkish 4pdr or 8pdr or 14pdr Sahi field guns
1 Section: 4x 60-120pdr Balyemez old heavy guns
1 Section: 2x 8pdr, 14pdr, 20pdr or 25pdr Abus howitzers
3 (in 1808-12) (5 by 1815) Sultan's Guard Horse Batteries@ 10x 6pdr guns (1808+)
4+ French mercenary Foot Batteries@ 6x 6pdr guns (1807+)

Humbaraci (regular mortar corps, 1793+)
1 Siege Btty: 10x 25" mortars, 190 gunner-engineers
1 Siege Btty: 10x 14" 200pdr mortars, 190 gunner-engineers
1 Siege Btty: 10x 8½" 25pdr mortars, 190 gunner-engineers
1 Siege Btty: 10x 5½" mortars, 190 gunner-engineers
1 Siege Btty: 5x 8pdr Abus and 5x 14-20pdr Abus howitzers, 190 gunner-engineers

250 Lagimcilar engineers
# pontoon bridges
45? provincial batteries@ 2-4-6-10x guns from 4pdr Sahi to 120pdr Balymez
2 Russian deserter batteries@ 10x 12pdr guns (eastern Anatolia)

Dardenelles coastal artillery: 7 bttys each side sharing 253 guns and 15 mortars
Istanbul coastal artillery: 6 bttys@ 10x 800lb fixed waterline guns
Artillery Barracks: 24x 10" Culverins (120pdrs?) on carriages
Palace: 1 Spanish battery (Spanish crews)

4. Notes
a) Janissary Ortas are organised into 2 wings each of 5 companies.
b) Most other infantry are organised into Ortas of 300-500 men, and formed into groups ("brigades") of 1-6 Ortas, 1200 men being an average group strength.
c) Most cavalry are organised into Ortas of 10 squadrons, each squadron nominally of 100 men. Light cavalry tend to be in regiments of 400-500 men, Tarters and Djellis regiments up to 800 men strong.
d) Only the Nizam-i-Jedid/Segbans, Marine Janissary skirmishers and limited numbers of (about 1 in 6 units) Albanian and Anatolian Sekhans are trained in European style column-line-square tactics.

e) About one-third of Albanian Sekhans can be uprated to Arnauts, which are skirmish capable.

1. Mameluke Army July 21st 1798
Battle of Embaba ("Battle of the Pyramids").
Estimated Egyptian deployments:

West Bank East Bank
Murad Bey Ibrahim Bey
5100 Mamelukes 2000 Mamelukes
12000 Mameluke Foot Servants 400 Guard Mamelukes
300 Guard Mamelukes 5000 Mameluke Foot Servants
2000 Maghrebi Sekhans 18000 Fellahin
1000 Bedouin Foot 1000 Bedouin foot
2000 Bedouin cavalry
Abu Bekir Pasha, Ottoman Governor
Embaba fortified camp
4 batteries@ 10 guns (old type, Albanian gunners)
500 Janissary infantry
600 Mamelukes

2. Notes
a) Mamelukes were usually in regiments of 1000 cavalry with 2000 foot servants, who in theory followed up collecting discarded weapons and finishing off any wounded.

b) Fellahin were in 'battalions' of about 1000 men.

c) Sekhan infantry and Janissaries were in Ortas of 1000 men usually, 10 companies to the Orta. Each Orta has a Left & Right Wing, each of 5 companies, these generally equating to European battalions. Bedouin gathered together fighting in bands of 300-400 men.

d) Only Mamelukes, Sekhans, and Janissaries can form close order lines and columns, all the rest are loose order irregulars. No infantry can form square.

e) Murad was defeated, 2000 Mamelukes fleeing south, 3000 being killed, 1000 troops captured. Ibrahim Bey on the east bank fled with bodyguard Mamelukes and others to Syria, taking the Ottoman Pasha with him.

f) This order of battle has been derived from and cross- referenced with several contemporary and modern sources, including one Egyptian translation, so is most likely the most correct version produce to date in English.

g) See List AR6N for more details of the Egyptian army of
the period, and weapons carried by each troop type.

Also try: link

Wow. Many Thanks.

Its very hard to get info on these especially for specific battles….

The porshion for "Battle of the Pyramides"
July 21st 198 Embaba, Egypt, should read as follows

1. Mameluke Army July 21st 1798

Battle of Embaba ("Battle of the Pyramids").
Estimated Egyptian deployments:

West Bank

Murad Bey
5100 Mamelukes
12000 Mameluke Foot Servants
300 Guard Mamelukes
2000 Maghrebi Sekhans
1000 Bedouin Foot
Abu Bekir Pasha, Ottoman Governor

Embaba fortified camp
4 batteries@ 10 guns (old type, Albanian gunners)
500 Janissary infantry
600 Mamelukes

East Bank
Ibrahim Bey
2000 Mamelukes
400 Guard Mamelukes
5000 Mameluke Foot Servants
18000 Fellahin
1000 Bedouin foot
2000 Bedouin cavalry

2. Notes
a) Mamelukes were usually in regiments of 1000 cavalry with 2000 foot servants, who in theory followed up collecting discarded weapons and finishing off any wounded.

b) Fellahin were in 'battalions' of about 1000 men.

c) Sekhan infantry and Janissaries were in Ortas of 1000 men usually, 10 companies to the Orta. Each Orta has a Left & Right Wing, each of 5 companies, these generally equating to European battalions. Bedouin gathered together fighting in bands of 300-400 men.

d) Only Mamelukes, Sekhans, and Janissaries can form close order lines and columns, all the rest are loose order irregulars. No infantry can form square.

e) Murad was defeated, 2000 Mamelukes fleeing south, 3000 being killed, 1000 troops captured. Ibrahim Bey on the east bank fled with bodyguard Mamelukes and others to Syria, taking the Ottoman Pasha with him.

f) This order of battle has been derived from and cross- referenced with several contemporary and modern sources, including one Egyptian translation, so is most likely the most correct version produce to date in English.

g) See List AR6N for more details of the Egyptian army of the period, and weapons carried by each troop type.

Here is a list of my updated References that I use.

References for Napoleons Campaign in Egyptian and Holy Land

Books on Napoleon's Campaign in Egyptian and Holy Land:

* Napoleons Egyptian Campaigns 1798-1801, MAA 79, Michael Barthorp, Osprey Pub. Ltd. 1978, ISBN 0-85045-126-4

* French Soldiers in Egypt 1798-1801, Warrior 77, Terry Crowdy, Osprey Pub. Ltd. 2003, Terry Crowdy, ISBN 1-84176-628-3

* Bonapart in Egypt, J. Christopher Herald, 1962

* Uniforms of the French Revolutionary Wars 1789-1802, Phillip J. Haythornthwaite, Blanford Press 1981 ISBN 0-4137-0936-7

* Napoleonic Uniforms Vol. 1, John R. Elting, Macmillan Pub. Co.1993, ISBN 0-02-897115-9

* The Ottoman Empire and the Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815, William E. Johnson, Nelson Enterprises 1988.

* The Crescent Among the Eagles, Johnson, William E., Nafziger Press, 1994. ISBN: 1585450065

* Armies of the Ottoman Empire 1775-1820, MAA 314, David Nicolle, Osprey Pub. Ltd. 1998, ISBN1-85532-697-3

* The Campaigns of Napoleon, David Chandler, MacMillian Pub. Co. 1966, ISBN 0-02-523660-1

* Memoirs of Napoleons Egyptian Expedition 1798-1801, Captain Joseph-Marie Moiret, Greenhill Press, ISBN 1-85367-449-4

* Napoleon In The Holy Land, by Nathan Schur, Greenhill Books March 17, 2006
ISBN-10: 1853673455, ISBN-13: 978-1853673450

* The Blue Nile, Alan Moorhead, Perennial 2000, ISBN 0-06-095640-2

* Guns in the Desert, General Jean-Pierre Doguereau"s, Praeger 2002, ISBN 0-313-32-32512-X

* The French Expedition to Egypt, M.J. Miot, Worly Pub. 1997, ISBN 1-869804-47-3

* Armies of the Napoleonic Era, Otto Von Pivka, Taplinger Pub. Co. INC, 1979, ISBN 0-8008-5471-3

* Napoleon's Mercenaries, Guy C. Dempsey, Greenhill Press 2002, ISBN 1-85367-488-5

* Le Armee Francaise, ETV Services 1998, On Military Matters onmilitarymatters.com

* Journal of the Late Campaign in Egypt by Thomas Walsh, 1803 (Republished by Gregg International Pub. Ltd Westmead 1972 ISBN 0576 171115

* The French Expedition into Syria 1799 by General Berthier, Worley Pub. 1990 by ISBN 1-869804-18-X
* Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt, Nina Burleigh, July 2006, Pub.: Morrow/Avon, William Morrow & Company, ISBN: 0-06-059767-4
* The Discovery of Egypt: Vivant Denon's Travels with Napoleon's Army, Terence M. Russell, March 2006, Publisher: Sutton Pub., Limited, ISBN: 0-7509-4145-6
* Napoleon in Egypt, Abd al-Rahman al- Jabarti, Markus Wiener Pub., ISBN 1-55876-338-4 (hard cover) ISBN 1-55876-337-6 (paperback)

* Napoleon's Egypt: Invading the Middle East, Juan Cole, Palgrave Macmillan, (August 7, 2007), ISBN-10: 1403964319, ISBN-13: 978-1403964311
* NAPOLEON'S CAMPAIGN IN EGYPT (Vol 1) French Armies, Grant, C. S. Partizan Press, 2006, ISBN: 978-1-8581818-524-8
* NAPOLEON'S CAMPAIGN IN EGYPT (Vol 2) BRITISH & ALLIES, Grant, C. S., Partizan Press, 2007, ISBN: 978-1-8581818-552-1
*The Battle of The Nile, Oliver Warner, Macmillan co.1960, ASIN: B0000CKTIR\
* Abercrombie and Moore in Egypt, First Empire Publishing 2004, ISBN: 0952630435
* Narrative of the British Expedition to Egypt: Carefully Abridged from the … by Sir Robert Thomas Wilson. 1803: link
* State of Egypt, After the Battle of Heliopolis, Reynier, G and J Robinson 1802, link

Napoleon in Egypt, Paul Strathern, Pub.: Jonathan Cape May 3, 2007,
ISBN-10: 0224076817, ISBN-13: 978-0224076814

Napoleon in Egypt. Irene A. Bierman, Ed., Reading, UK: Garnet Publishing Ltd., 2003.
ISBN 0-86372-299-7, ISBN-10: 0863722997, ISBN-13: 978-0863722998
Poesie der Kreigskunst: Oder, Feldzug der Franzosen in Egypten in den Jahren …. 1824: link
A Short History of the Naval and Military Operations in Egypt, 1780 to 1802", Lt.Col. Sir John M. Burgoyne L'Expédition d 'Égypte 1798-1801, par Clément de la Jonquière 1899, ISBN-10: 1421245043, ISBN-13: 978-1421245041
Guerre d'Orient. Campagnes d'égypte et de Syrie, 1798-1799: Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de Napoléon, dictés par lui-même à Sainte-Hélène, et publiés par le général Bertrand. Tome 1 by Napoléon Bonaparte ISBN-10: 1421239108, ISBN-13: 978-1421239101, ISBN-13: 978-0543948502
Mémoires sur L'expédition d'Egypte, par Jean-Gabriel de Niello Sargy, Officier de Correspondance, attaché a l'état-major general, P. Belfond (1984), ISBN-10: 2714416837
ISBN-13: 978-2714416834

Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt, Nina Burleigh, Harper (November 27, 2007), ISBN-10: 0060597674, ISBN-13: 978-0060597672,

Web sites with info:
The Napoleon Series: napoleon-series.org

Histofig: link

Napoleon.org: napoleon.org

French Occupation Period: touregypt.net/hfrench.htm

Museum des ancient costumes Turks of Istanbul. link

Description de l'Égypte descegy.bibalex.org

Funcken, Les armes et uniformes de la période révolutionnaire jusqu'au Consulat (1788 – 1804)
link
Flags and Standards:
Warflags: France, Great Briton. warflag.com

Napflags: France, Great Briton. link

Histofig: Ottoman. link

French Flags: Free Flags. drapeaux.org/Accueil.htm

Military Flags of the World 1618-1900, Terence Wise Blandford Press 1977, ISBN 0-7137-0824-7

Drapeaux of the French Army Line & Light Infantry, 1794-1804 tmg110.tripod.com/frarmy4.htm

Magazine Articles:
* Napoleon in Egypt, By Melanie Sue Byrd, Napoleon Magazine # 13

* Napoleon in Syria, By John Dunn, Napoleon Magazine # 15

* Napoleon & the French in Egypt, By Coley E. Cowan, Command Magazine Issue 52

* Battle of the Pyramids, by John Dellinger, Military History Magazine, April 1998

* Napoleon Saves the Day at Mount Tabor, By James W. Shosenberg, Military History Magazine, April 1999

* Final French Triumph in Egypt, By Eric Niderost, Military History Magazine, August 1999

* Striking at Britain Indirectly through an Expedition to Egypt, Introductory Guide the Age of Napoleon

* Ottoman Empire, by John Dunn, Introductory Guide the Age of Napoleon

* The French Campaign in Egypt, 1798-1801, Part I, Stephen Ede-Borrett, Wargames Illustrated #34, July 1990

* The French Campaign in Egypt, 1798-1801, Part II, Stephen Ede-Borrett, Wargames Illustrated #35 August 1990

* The French Campaign in Egypt, 1798-1801, Part III, Stephen Ede-Borrett, Wargames Illustrated #36, September 1990

*The British Army in Egypt, Stephen Ede-Borrett, Wargames Illustrated #42, March 1991

* An Egyptian Episode, Arthur Harman, Miniature Wargames #68, January 1989

* The Campaign on the Nile 1798-1799, Richard Gilby, Miniature Wargames #75, August, 1989.

* Death on the Nile, Part I, Gary Hughes, Wargames Illustrated #113, February 1997

* Death on the Nile, Part II, Gary Hughes, Wargames Illustrated #115, April 1997

* Death on the Nile, Part I, Gary Hughes, Wargames Illustrated #118, July 1997

* The Battle of Aboukir 1799, Mark Bevis, Miniature Wargames #144, March 1995

* Middle East Disaster, The Battle of El Hamad, Egypt, April 21st 1807, Miniature Wargames #173, October 1997

Every source listed with * in the Reference is in my personal library.

All those sources you listed have OOB info?
Or are you saying there is info on the Ottomans in each of those references?

There is bits in each.

I am trying to combine it all to put together a decent OOB for the period.

Robert Henry

Since I first published William's work back in the 1980s, George Nafziger has released in the 1990s a much more expanded, revised and batter version of William's book. I no longer have any copies left in stock but george does. A great book with a lot of data and few illustrations.

As listed above:
The Ottoman Empire and the Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815, William E. Johnson, Nelson Enterprises 1988.

* The Crescent Among the Eagles, Johnson, William E., Nafziger Press, 1994. ISBN: 1585450065

Thanks guys, lots of great information.

Add this one:

Memoir of a campaign with the Ottoman army in Egypt, from February to July 1800, John Philip Morier, Published by Printed for J. Debrett, 1801, Original from Oxford University, Digitized Nov 9, 2007

link

hi all- how would the Fellahin/Mameluke foot servants/ Bedouin foot be armed?

Was wondering if I could use my medieval arab warbands for the mass of these? and then just paint up about 25% more as musket armed troops?

also would if any of the Bedouin and Mameluke cavalry still be lance armes- was wondering if any of my Arabs and Turks could fill in here as well. Also what sort sort of % of the Mameluke may still be armored?

11th ACR
I applaud your research :-) It is not easy is it ? I know, as I'm putting finishing touches to an Ottoman wars scenario book for the General de Brigade series.
I'd be interested to know if you have a decent Ottoman OOB for Alexandria. I found that a tough nut to crack…

I only ran across this old post, but think its worth bringing back to peoples minds with the resurgence of interest in all things Ottoman during the Napoleonic wars and latter during the Greek War of Independence

Good call -I'm just putting together a DBN 28mm Ottoman force for use against the Russians 1806 -12. My understanding so far is that this would be a more European force than those that confronted Napoleon in Egypt. I imagine there wouldn't be big units of arab looking Fellahin armed with swords and spears?