Abstract:

The Battle of Gallipoli is one of the First World War fronts most studied by both Turkish and foreign researchers. However, aviation activities did not attract enough attention in this multiplicity of research. Aviation activities that took place during the Çanakkale War were mostly featured in popular studies and could not be properly studied. Most of these insufficient studies did not have resource richness and tried to be evaluated with limited resources. In this study, the activities of the Ark Royal aircraft carrier, which constituted the Alliance's air force, and its seaplanes in the first phase of the Çanakkale War will be examined. Sixty-one days from the date of Ark Royal's arrival in Çanakkale on February 17, 1915, including the day of the naval war on March 18, 1915, was examined. During this review; British, German and Turkish military archive documents and all Turkish history studies and British official publications and foreign publications on all aspects of the Çanakkale Wars were examined. During this examination, the most accurate information was tried to be reached by comparing the information obtained from foreign archives and publications with Turkish sources.