38 JOMSA Portuguese Forts in Angola

that period and also on the flag of the monarchy. NAULILA: MILITARY SIGNIFICANCE Connecting the ribbon drape to the medal is a suspension As World War I raged in Europe, Portugal remained device called a swivel pin and arm. Unlike the British neutral. In the Portuguese colony of Angola there was suspension device, the Portuguese do not use an ornate tension due to the fact that the Germans in their colony claw to attach to the medal but instead use a simple pin to the south, German Southwest Africa, were rumored to which attaches to a metal ring (arm). This suspension be planning an attack on Portuguese Angola. The rumors device allows the medal to rotate so one can view both included statements that the Germans were encouraging sides of the medal. natives to revolt in Angola despite the fact that in 1886 Portugal and Germany had signed an agreement which Two silver bars are mounted on the medal ribbon are. settled the border between Angola and German Southwest The top bar, in its proper precedence, is a campaign bar Africa. The Germans, for their part, feared an assault by for southern Angola. Stamped on this regulation bar (10 the British from South Africa and sought secure access mm x 35 mm) are the words SUL DE ANGOLA, 1914- to one of Portugal’s Angolan ports. Portugal’s republican 1915, (Figure 4), in raised letters and numbers. This is an government responded by engaging in a fort building example of a Type II bar as the Type I bar would have an program along the border between Angola and German SUL DE ANGOLA, 1914 1915. Southwest Africa. On October 19, 1914 Dr. Schultze-Jena, a German District Officer, and a party of German Army officers, illegally crossed the border into Angola. The reasons for the crossing given by German and Portuguese sources are varied and contradictory, but a few of the reasons were: 1. The Germans were searching for a missing food convoy. 2. The Germans were trying to capture a fleeing native chief who stole German supplies. Figure 4: The two clasps on the Portuguese Campaign 3. The Germans were trying to capture a deserter. Medal. 4. Dr. Schultze-Jena wanted to negotiate a non- The second bar (5 mm x 36 mm) is an unauthorized aggression treaty. wound bar that meets the criteria established by 5. Dr. Schultze-Jena wanted to negotiate a food supply regulations for size, but the engraving on the bar and the route to an Angolan port. absence of a date are contrary to those same regulations. Decree 2940, Article 2 states that bar lettering and borders It will probably never be known what the real reason must be raised numbers and letters. The bar bears the was for the border crossing. The German party was word NAULILA. It is possible that rather than being an stopped by a Portuguese military patrol commanded by unauthorized wound bar it is a “battle” bar denoting a Alferes Sereno and taken to Fort Naulila. Unfortunately, single battle rather than a campaign over a large area. the German’s Danish translator was not good at his Portuguese regulations and decrees refer to the design profession. Confusion soon occured and shots rang and creation of campaign, raid and wound bars. I would out.3 Dr. Schultze-Jena, Lieutenant A. Losch, Second contend that this is a new category of bar, a “battle bar” Lieutenant K. Roeder and two German civilians were that represents involvement in a documented battle that killed. took place on December 18, 1914. Bars such as MANGUA (August 17-20, 1915), and CUAMATO (August 26, The Governor General of German Southwest Africa 1907) appear to be examples of similar bars. Further responded quickly to the “Incident at Naulila” by information about Portuguese medal bars can found in Dr. dispatching Commander Oswald Ostermann to Angola Humberto Nuno Oliveira’s excellent article, “World War I to conduct a punitive military expedition. On October Portuguese Campaign Bars” (JOMSA, July-August 2005). 31, 1914 Ostermann’s forces destroyed Portugal’s Fort Cuangar and massacred most of its inhabitants. This action was followed by the destruction of four more 38 JOMSA Portuguese forts in Angola. Finally, Major Victor Franke, Jose Alves Rocadas, however was shaken, and despite the commander of a large colonial militia force called the the fact that the Germans in Naulila were not pursuing Schutztruppe (numbers vary from 500 to 2,000 men), the Portuguese forces, he ordered all Portuguese troops planned to attack and destroy Fort Naulila thus bringing in southern Angola to withdraw further to Fort Humbe the final reprisal against the Portuguese for the death of thus abandoning all of southern Angola. Dr. Schultze-Jena. There are many consequences of the battle of Naulila, The battle of Naulila pitted Portuguese and German troops the most immediate for Portugal was the power vacuum of almost equal strength against each other along the in southern Angola created when its troops withdrew. In banks of the Cunene River. Major Franke had planned his addition, the Germans took thousands of rifles and rounds attack carefully with one German column moving north of ammunition from Fort Naulila and gave them to the along the Cunene River under Von Water while Major native tribes to intice them to revolt against the Portuguese. Franke led the other column up the Oncancua road, thus The ensuing revolt led to a protracted campaign of more hitting Fort Naulila in a surprise pincer movement. The than a year before the Portugal were able to regain Portuguese cavalry patrols detected Von Water’s column southern Angola. The second consequence was the blow coming from the direction anticipated. However, the to Portuguese pride. The fact was that the Portuguese Portuguese forces were in for a nasty surprise when Major army had fought hard and bravely for four hours before Franke’s force, undetected, attacked from the east at about withdrawing in an orderly manner. The “battle” was 4:30 in the morning. The Germans had an advantage of more of a skirmish and could be termed a draw! German newer and better equipment. In particular, the Germans propaganda postcards from World War I that can be found enjoyed superiority in their six mountain artillery guns on eBay depict retreating Portuguese native troops and and numerous machine guns. Another disadvantage for exploding Portuguese soldiers. This propaganda must the Portuguese was Fort Naulila itself as it was not a stone have been successful as a few summaries of the battle fortified compound but a series of dirt berms that were state that the Portuguese soldiers ran,4 which of course is built to provide minimal defense against native attacks. not supported by lengthy first-hand Portuguese accounts The fort really was not a strong defensive position that such as that by Jorge Deyllot.5 Third, the battle of Naulila could stand up to six mountain guns. was the final act by the Germans that caused Portugal to lean toward aiding and then joining the allies on March The battle of Naulila was fiercely fought over four 9, 1916. The final result of the battle was the brutal acts hours and was marked by a series of episodes. First, the of German troops and their government that portrayed German mountain guns methodically took Fort Naulila Germany as an aggressor, a violator of international law, apart and wrecked havoc on Portuguese troops, both a bully and brute, and finally as a rogue state. One must native and European. Second, a company of native remember that Germany and Portugal were not officially troops fighting with the Portuguese broke and ran in at war before, or immediately after, the battle. Portugal a panic from the German guns but the Portuguese was maintaining neutrality when its territory was violated European infantry, cavalry and artillery men at three by the Germans during the Naulila incident, the Cuangar guns held. Third, at 6:00 a.m. a German shell hit and Massacre, and the battle of Naulila. Germany clearly destroyed the Portuguese ammunition dump, wounding violated international law by invading Angola and also many Portuguese soldiers and creating a shortage of violated the Hague Conventions for treatment of prisoners ammunition. Fourth, Lieutenant Marques, on seeing the by hanging and shooting the Portuguese, European and ammunition dump blow up, ordered “fix bayonets” and native soldiers at Cuangar and Naulila. The Germans led a valiant, but unsuccessful, charge at the German also used a clearly marked Red Cross vehicle to hide lines. Fifth, at 8:15 a.m. Lieutenant Aragon and Ensign an artillery piece, another violation of international law. Serrano led a cavalry charge into the German rear area in an attempt to capture the deadly German artillery guns, Naulila: International Legal Significance which the Germans saved by utilizing machine guns to decimate the Portuguese cavalry. Finally, at 9:15 a.m. At the conclusion of World War I the Treaty of Versailles after four hours of heavy fighting the Germans launched created an international tribunal where nations with an infantry assault that took Fort Naulila. Contrary to disputes could submit their cases for arbitration. Portugal, reports in some English language sources, this does not on August 15, 1920, exercised its right to arbitration appear to be a rout as Portuguese forces successfully by the tribunal by making claims against Germany withdrew across the Cuene River to Fort Dongoena. The for damages caused during the Naulila incident - the overall Commander of all Portuguese units in Angola, destruction of five Portuguese forts in Angola and the Vol. 64, No.

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