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My Reminiscences of East Africa

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My Reminiscences of East Africa My 'Reminiscences of East Africa .J General VOII Lettow-Vorbeck. [f'runJi:spiect. :My nEMINISCENCES I OF EAST AFRICA :: CJ3y General von Leitoto- Vorbeck With Portrait. 22 Maps and Sketch.Maps. and 13 Vraw;ngs 13y General von Lettoui- Vorbechs Adjutant LONDON: HURST AND BLACKETT. LTD. PATERNOSTER HOUSE, E.C. f I I I I ,.\ I PREFACE N all the German colon.ies,t~ough but a few d~ca~es old, a life I full of promise was discerruble. \Ve were beginning to under• stand the national value of our colonial possessions; settlers and capital were venturing in; industries and factories were beginning to flourish. Compared with that of other nations, the colonizing process of Germany had progressed peacefully and steadily, and the inhabitants had confidence in the justice of German administration. This development had barely commenced when it was destroyed by the world war. In spite of all tangible proofs to the contrary, an unjustifiable campaign of falsehood is being conducted in order to make the world believe that the Germans lacked colonizing talent and were cruel to the natives. A small force, mainly composed of these very natives, opposed this development. Almost without any external means of coercion, even without immediate payment, this force, with its numerous native followers, faithfully followed its German leaders throughout the whole of the prolonged war against a more than hundredfold superiority. When the armistice came it was still fit to fight, and imbued with the best soldierly spirit. That is a fact which cannot be controverted, and is in itself a sufficient answer to the hostile mis-statements. It has not been possible for me to give an exhaustive account of the operations of the German East African Protective Force. The existing material is insufficient, much has been lost, and even now I am unacquainted with various events, the actors in which have not yet returned home. My own records have for the most part been lost, and I had not the leisure to prepare a detailed description of the cam• paign in East Africa in addition to my other duties. My account is therefore necessarily incomplete. In the main I must rely upon my memory and on my personal experiences. Errors in detail are un• avoidable. But in spite of this, the followingaccount may not be without value, nor perhaps without interest, since it shows how what is up to the present the greatest drama in our colonial history was enacted in the head of him who was destined to conduct the military side of it. I have endeavoured to set down my recollections of East Africa as they actually are, and thus at least to present what is subjectively correct CONTENTS PART I EVENTS PREVIOUS TO THE ARRIV.A;LOF THE Sourn AFRICANS PAGE CHAPTER I.: BEFORE THE OUTBREAK OF WAR . 3 Reflections on the duties and purpose of the Protective Force. Details of the defensive capacity of the Colony. Distribution. armament and training of the Force. Military employment and nient9.l.attitude of the natives. Economic .....alue.of the country, and furtherance of th~mic-pou-er of the natives. Horse-breeding and hunting. Several tours of inspection. National propaganda on the part of subsequently hostile :\Iissions in the neighbouring territories. CHAPTER II.: THE BEGI}<~ING OF THE WAR IS Arrival of news of mobilization. Participation in the war or neutrality? The strength of the Protective Force and the English casualties. The English Consul and his activity. The Governor of the Colony, the supreme military authority. and the defence of the coastal towns. Preparations for mobilization. Lines of com• munication, maintenance and supplies. Sanitation. Malaria. CHAPTER III.: THE FIRST ACTIONS . 27 Bombardment of the wireless tower at Dar-es-Salaam. Xegotia• t ions for capitulation by the civil authorities. The Konigsberg and the Moue, Capture of Taveta. Transfer of the main I;OOy to the Xorthern Railway. Xew telegraphic communications. Bom• bardment of Bagarnoyo. Attack on the British Uganda Railway. Attacks on British Karunga on Lake Xyassa. Guerilla warfare in the Xorth. CHAPTER IV.: THE ),iOVDfBERACTIOXS AT TAXGA 35 Reconnaissances at Tanga. Appearance of an English landing corps. Concentration of all available troops. First combats at Ras-Kasone. Reconnaissance in abandoned Tanga. The sur• roundings of the probable field of battle. Disposition of the com• panies. The hostile landing. The attack.Unfavourable situa• tion of the defenders.Counter-attack by the reinforcements. Headlong flight of the enemy. Failure of the pursuit. Harass• ing the enemy at the landing-place. Enormous English losses. The trained bees. Negotiat ions for release of the wounded. Great booty. Our own losses. In the hospitals. Simultaneous events at Longido Mountain. CHAPTER V.: AWAITI:r-;GFURTHER EVENTS 49 Withdrawal of the troops to New Moshi. Work at Head• quarters. ~Iotor transport versus carriers.Reconnaissances by motor. Supply and transport. Roads on the lines of com• munication. The burden of work and the joy of work. Abundant supplies. The starving Lieutenant. The joys of Sunday sport. Meat supply for the troops. CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER VI.: FURTHER HEAVY FIGHTING IN THE NORTH- EAST. 56 Advance of hostile forces at jassini. Reconnaissance in view of a possible battle. Advance of the German Companies against the English positions. Surprise and surrounding of the entrenched enemy. Bad fighting of the Arab Corps.Gallant defence by the enemy. Difficult situation of the attackers. The enemy hoists the white flag. CHAPTER VII.: GUERILLA WARFARE AND FURTHER PREPARATIONS Necessity for economizing men and stores. Care of the wounded. A wireless message from home. Raids in the Longido district. " A damned good piece of work." Despatch of patrols to destroy the railway. Suffering and death in the steppe. Arrival of a relief ship. Feverish manufacture of ammuni tion. An advance near Oldorobo Mountain. Abundance of raw material and lack of finished articles. New industries to supply our needs. Road• making. Increase in numbers and fighting value of the troops. CHAPTER VIII.: AWAITING THE GREAT OFFENSIVE. ENERGETIC USE OF THE TIME AVAILABLE 73 CHAPTER IX.: THE SUBSIDIARY THEATRES OF WAR. GUERILLA WARFARE ASHORE AND AFLOAT UNTIL NEW YEAR, 1916 . 82 Hostile Masai attack on Lake Victoria. The Konigsberg on the Rufiji. 'Her glorious-end. Another success near Kilimandjaro. Determined attacks on the English railway. Attack and occupa• tion of the English Camp on Kasigao Mountain. The enemy's measures for protecting the railway. Fighting in the bush. Con• sideration of the possibility of resisting an attack by large hostile forces. Preparations for retiring to the South. Removal of stores. Determined defence of the position on Oldorobo Mountain. The new Mungu, PART II THE CONCENTRIC ATTACK BY SUPERIOR FORCE.S From the arrival of the South African Troops to the loss of the Colony) CHAPTER I.: THE ENEMY'S ATTACK AT OLDOROBO MOUN- TAIN 103 Several advances by the enemy. The fantastic armoured cars. The artillery combat. The South African troops. Alleged cruel orders by the enemy. Reinforcement of the enemy near Mount Longido. Fight with an Indian patrol. Chivalry of the white officers. Our brave Askari and the misleading of the English. CHAPTER II.: FURTHER ADVANCE OF THE ENEMY AND THE ACTION AT REATA 108 Spies at work. The routes of the enemy's advance. Possibilities of defence.The enemy attacks at Kitovo Mountain. The strong CONTENTS x_ PAGE position on the line Reata-Kitovo. The Konigsberg's gun. Reconnaissance by hostile cavalry. The enemy's attack and attempt to surround us. Occupation of new defensive positions. The enemy's withdrawal to Taveta. After the battle. Renewed forward movement by the enemy. Headquarters at Neusteglita. A second relief ship. CHAPTER III.: RETREAT BEFORE OVERWHELMINGHOSTILE PRESSURE II9 Plans and considerations. Active attempts at reconnaissance by the enemy. Preparations for fighting. An attack on the hostile screen of patrols. Heavy losses. Fresh heavy attacks by the enemy (arst March). Failure of the counter-attack. An alarmist report: the enemy behind us. Retreat to Kissangire. The alarmist report proves to be false. Good spirits of the troops. Condition of the civilian population. Combat and surrender of the 28th Company at Lokisale (5th April). Bringing up auxiliaries. Concentration of the troops on the Central Railway. CHAPTER IV.: THE EXElIY'S ADVANCEIN THE AREA OF THE N ORTHERN RAILWAY 129 Departure for Korogwe. At Handeni. Ne'Yt'"SfromGermany. Obstacles on the road. The swollen river. On horseback and by light railway to Kimamba. Reconnaissance south of Kondoa. Lines of communication and commissariat. In touch with the enemy. In position. The enemy seems to be evacuating his positions. An unexpected fight in the night. Our heavy losses. Successful patrols. Artillery duels. Obtaining supplies from the country. Failure of an attack by the enemy. CHAPTER V.: BETWEEN THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL RAILWAYS 140 The enemy advances on the whole northern front. Simultaneous attacks from the South.Slipping away and outflanking the enemy. Looking for the enemy's weakest point. The smart patrol leader. The enemy's aerial activity increases. Further advance to the South by General van Deventer. \Veak German forces resist on a long line. Fighting near the Central Railway. Reconnaissances. Heavy fighting with the advancing enemy. On the Wami River. CHAPTER VI.: CO:STINUOUSFIGHTIXG NEAR THE RUFIJI 149 Hostile attacks from the south-west. \Vhat will the enemy do ? An attempt to surround us. The action at Mlali. Retreat to Kissaki.The moral effect of our retreat. The Boma of Kissaki. Securing our cattle supply. Defeat of the enemy on the 7th Sep• tember. Annihilation of another hostile detachment. German humanity-e-English gratilua.~=- A-surprise attack at Dutumi (9th September)." Dulumi mUst be abandoned. CHAPTER VII.: HOSTILE ATIACKS IN THE SOUTH-EASTOF THE COLOXY I~9 Our unfavourable position at Kilwa.
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