The air war was a minor, but significant aspect of the Gallipoli campaign. Aircraft were used mainly for reconnaissance and artillery observation. During the naval attack of the
Dardanelles in March 1915, planes were used to identify Turkish positions and spot the fall of shot from battleships firing on Turkish forts.
Land-based aircraft and seaplanes were used for photo-reconnaissance prior to the landings at Gallipoli. During the campaign itself one of the more successful aerial endeavours was the use of kite balloons tethered to naval ships. The balloons were more reliable than planes and were particularly effective at observing movement of enemy ships.
Unopposed at first, Allied aircraft soon found themselves in combat with Turkish aircraft as both sides attempted to control the air. In August the first aerial torpedo attack was made on a Turkish ship. The air war continued over the peninsula until the final troops were withdrawn in early 1916.
