Page 321 - Airpower in 20th Century - Doctrines and Employment

turkIsh AIr cAmpAIgns durIng the bAttles of ÇAnAkkAle mArch 1915 - JAnuAry 1916 321

ducted many reconnais-
sance flights over the
enemy area long before
the British aircraft car-
rier Ark Royal came to
the area. When the Brit-
ish War Council ordered
the navy to conduct an
operation against the
Strait of Çanakkale, the
Ark Royal was hastily
deployed to the area.
The Ottoman army, Blériot (Ertuğrul).
found itself unprepared
in the battle, requested
Germany to provide support to its combat force. Pilot First Lieutenant Erich Serno,
who has been serving in German air units since 1991, was assigned to the German
military mission in İstanbul and charged with the task of restructuring the Yeşilköy
Flight School. First Lieutenant Serno was promoted to the rank of captain, as applied
to all German officers serving within the Ottoman army at that time. He became
officially commander of the Flight School, but he was given the responsibility of
restructuring the whole aviation organization of the Ottoman Army at the same time.