The 57th Infantry Regiment (Turkish: 57'nci Piyade Alayı or Elli Yedinci Piyade Alayı) or simply 57th Regiment (Turkish: 57 nci Alay or Elli Yedinci Alay) was a regiment of the Ottoman Army during World War I. In response to the landing at Anzac Cove of Australian and New Zealand forces on 25 April 1915 the 57th Regiment counterattacked, slowed the Allied advance and lost about half of its personnel. Mustafa Kemal later noted that the 57th Regiment was "a famous regiment this, because it was completely wiped out".
History
Establishment
The 57th Infantry Regiment can trace its establishment back to either 9 December 1880 or 25 December 1892 depending upon the sources. It was formed as part of the 29th Brigade of the 15th Division. Its first commander was Colonel Mehmet Rıza from Istanbul who was soon after succeeded by Colonel Mehmet Izzet.
Italo-Turkish War and Balkan Wars
The regiment deployed to Tripoli with 71 officers and 1,642 non-commissioned officers and enlisted men in 1896. It participated as part of the 5th Tripoli Division in the Italo-Turkish War, which began on 29 September 1911. After the war ended in October 1912, the 57th Regiment was first sent to Acre in Palestine and assigned to the 8th Corps.
At the commencement of the First Balkan War while the 2nd Battalion was distributed to other units the rest of the regiment remained intact and was assigned to the 19th Infantry Division which was part of the VII Corps of the Vardar Army. Initially it was stationed at Bilaç ve Berana. At the commencement of the war the regiment was structured as follows:
Commanding officer: Colonel Sami
1st Battalion. Commanded by Major İsmail Hakkı
3rd Battalion. Commanded by Captain Mustafa Nuri
The regiment commenced wartime operations with 35 officers, 2,223 non-commissioned officers and enlisted men and 40 animals. It suffered 17 casualties. It participated in the Battle of Kumanovo on 23–24 October 1912 and the Battle of Monastir on 16 to 19 November 1912. Following the Ottoman defeat in the war the regiment returned to Istanbul.
World War 1
Following the end of the Balkan wars the Ottoman army went through a major reorganization. During this process the 57th Regiment may have been disestablished as sources record the regiment as being established on 1 February 1915, in Tekirdağ (Rodosto) as part of the 19th Division, which was being raised by Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal and receiving its regimental colours (sancak) on 22 February 1915.
On 23 February 1915, Major Hüseyin Avni succeeded Miralay Şemi Bey as commander of the regiment.
Gallipoli Campaign
The regiment was training at Rodosto when in response to the perceived threats to the Dardanelles the III Corps of which the 19th Division was part was assigned the task of reinforcing the Gallipoli Peninsula. As a result the 57th regiment received orders on the 21 February 1915 to transfer with the 19th Division to Gallipoli. On 25 February, the regiment arrived at Eceabat (Maydos) by steamship, though its battalions were missing their fourth companies. There was a request for the regiment to be assigned to the 5th Army, but Mustafa Kemal was successful in insisting that the 57th Regiment stay under his command.
By April 1915, the 19th divisional headquarters and divisional units were stationed on the Yeldegirmeni Plains near Bigalı, a small village on the Gallipoli Peninsula off to the east beyond the main ranges, while the actual regiments were encamped further south around Maltepe and Mersintepe. The regiment was then involved in training until 24 April.
The regiment was structured as follows at the commencement of the Gallipoli campaign:
Commanding officer - Kol Aghassi (Major) Major Hüseyin Avni. 1st Battalion. Commanded by Captain Ahmet Zeki (In response to the 1934 Surname Law his family adopted the surname "Soydemir"). 2nd Battalion. Commanded by Captain Mehmed Ata (In response to the 1934 Surname Law his family adopted the surname "Ercikan"). 3rd Battalion. Commanded by Captain Ali Hayri (In response to the 1934 Surname Law his family adopted the surname "Ariburuni"). 57th Machine Gun company with four 7.65 mm Maxim MG09 machine guns, organized into two platoons and employed in pairs or supporting platoons. The regiment had a strength of 49 officers, 3,638 non-commissioned officers and enlisted men with 377 animals, 2,288 rifles as well as its machine guns.