Infantry Division, Aleppo 27th Infantry Division, Beyrut 9th Cavalry Brigade, Damascus Additionally, the Second Redif Inspectorate had divisions in the Balkans at: Drama, Serez, Salonika, İştip, Monastir, Uskup, Piristine, Metroviçe, Pirzenin, Yanya, Elbasan, Naslic, and İşkodra. The Fifth Redif Inspectorate in Syria had divisions at: Adana, Antep, Aleppo, Damascus, Jerusalem, Akka, and Tripoli. When the war started, the Second Army became the Western Army, the equivalent of an Army Group. The troops in Syria were prevented by the Greek Navy from reinforcing the forces in the Balkans. After the war, the Second Army was reconstituted from those personnel who survived the destruction of the Western Army in the Balkans. It was first sent to Konya, and later to Syria. Order of battle, 1914 At the outset of World War I, the army headquarters was located in Aleppo Syria commanding two corps made up of two divisions. The Redif system had been done away with, and the plan was to have reserve soldiers fill out active units rather than constitute separate units. The commander in October 1914 was General Vehip Pasha. By November 1914, the Second Army was moved to Constantinople and commanded the V and VI Corps, each composed of three divisions. In February 1915 the defense of the Turkish Straits was reorganized. The Second Army had responsibility for the south and east coasts. It later provided troops to the fighting on the Gallipoli Peninsula but did not otherwise have a role. Second Army VI Corps 16th Division, 26th Division VIII Corps 25th Division, 27th Division Order of battle, April 1915 Second Army V Corps 13th Division, 14th Division, 15th Division VI Corps 16th Division, 25th Division, 26th Division The XVI. Corps, also known as the "Saros Group", was located north of the peninsula's neck to defend against a landing from the Gulf of Saros. Order of battle, 1916 In March 1916, the decision was made to deploy the Second Army to the Caucasus Campaign. The plan was to have the Second Army attack in conjunction with the Third Army. The Second Army was made up of veterans of the Gallipoli campaign as well as two new divisions. Due to the poor state of the Ottoman rail network, it took a long period of time to move the forces. In the meantime the Russians hit the Third Army, causing heavy casualties on that already battered army, preventing it from cooperating