World War I naval ships of the Ottoman Empire A naval race had developed in the Aegean after the end of the Balkan Wars , with the Ottoman government ordering several ships , including two dreadnoughts , in Britain . In the event , with the outbreak of World War I , these ships , including further two scout cruisers and four destroyers , were confiscated and pressed into service with the Royal Navy . This disappointed the Ottomans , contributing to their joining the Central Powers in the Great War . Despite these drawbacks , during World War I the Ottoman Navy saw much action against the Russian , British , and French fleets in the Black Sea , Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara . The ships of the Ottoman Navy in World War I . Dreadnoughts . The two dreadnoughts , and that had been ordered by the Ottoman government , were never handed over despite the fact that they had both been completed in Britain . Prior to this occurrence , " Sultân Osmân - ı Evvel " had been constructed by Armstrong Whitworth for the Brazilian Navy in 1911 under the name due to naval rivalries with Argentina . These were eventually resolved in 1913 . After the conflict Brazil turned down its order , but the Armstrong Whitworth company did not scrap the ship as it could be sold to other potential customers , among them the Ottoman Empire . In August 1915 , they were both transferred to the Royal Navy . They were renamed in the British Fleet as and . Battle cruisers . The German battlecruiser was transferred to the Ottoman Navy in November 1914 and renamed to " Yavûz Sultân Selîm " . She was involved from 29 October 1914 till the end of the war in bombarding Russian ports on the Black Sea coast . During the Great War , she was still largely manned and commanded by the German Imperial Navy . She remained in the Turkish Navy after the war , was renamed " Yavûz Selîm " in 1930 and then " Yavûz " in 1936 , refitted twice soon after this in 1938 and 1941 and scrapped in 1971 . Pre - dreadnought battleships . The two pre - dreadnought battleships , and , both played a major part in the defense of the Dardanelles during the Gallipoli Campaign . " Barbaros Hayreddin " was sunk by the British submarine whilst on patrol with two destroyers . Coastal defense ships . , the Ottoman Navy ’ s only coastal defense ship , was torpedoed and sunk by the British submarine , commanded by Lt . Norman Holbrook , on 13 December 1914 off Chanak in the Dardanelles . When the submarine got back to base , Holbrook was awarded the Victoria Cross . Protected cruisers . Two Ottoman protected cruisers , and , were both about 10 years old . " Mecidiye " was sunk in the Black Sea off Odessa while in company with " Hamidiye " and four torpedo boats from a single Russian mine . She was refloated by the Russians and renamed in June 1915 , later being returned to the Ottoman Navy in May 1918 after the Germans captured Ukraine . Light cruisers . The Ottoman Navy acquired during the Great War the light cruiser " Midilli " ( formerly the German ) . She served with the SMS " Goeben " in many raids against Russian shipping and ports from late October 1914 . " Midilli " was sunk in the Aegean Sea on 20 January 1918 whilst with the SMS " Goeben " by five Allied mines . Destroyers . The Ottoman Navy eight destroyers - four ( , , , ) , four ( known as " Schishau " class , ex - German S 165 class : , , and ) . " Yarhisar " was sunk by the British submarine December 1915 , " Gayret - i Vataniye " ran aground October 1916 and was abandoned , " Yâdigâr - ı Millet " was bombed by British aircraft July 1917 , raised and scrapped . Torpedo boats . Old torpedo boat " Berk Efşân " Submarines . Only operational submarine of the Ottoman Empire during World War I , , was the former French , which ran aground in the Dardanelles on 30 October 1915 and captured . She was returned to France in 1918 . Minelayers . The Ottoman Navy also had several minelayers , being the most famous . Her mines laid on 8 March 1915 sank three Allied ships in a small minefield of 20 mines on 18 March 1915 . The British pre - dreadnought battleships and and the French battleship were all sunk . The British battle cruiser was also badly damaged . Armored Gunships . The ironclad was built in 1867 - 71 at Blackwall , one of a group of 7 ships . Rebuilt in 1904 - 07 by the Italian Naval Shipyards Ansaldo of Genoa , she was of little military value by 1914 . A sister unit , the was sunk in Beirut during the Italo - Turkish War . Order of Battle , 1914 . On October 27 , 1914 , the main naval ships of the Ottoman Navy was organized as follows :