on 2 october 1917, he activated the new eighth army, commanded by kress von kressenstein, and deployed it along with the seventh army, commanded by mustafa kemal to the yildirim army group. seven infantry division and one cavalry division already serving in the region, formed the recently activated ottoman eighth army. they were the 3rd, 7th, 16th, 26th, 27th, 53rd and 54th infantry divisions and the 3rd cavalry division.