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Remembered Today:

Origin of Q.F.12 PR. 8 CWT., 10/1916 at Ngominji – 11/1916 Lupembe?!?


Holger Kotthaus

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Origin of Q.F.12 PR. 8 CWT., 10/1916 at Ngominji – 11/1916 Lupembe?!?

 

 

 

Last week, remaining parts of a British Q.F.12 PR. 8 CWT. were found at Lupembe / Njombe district / Tanzania.

01.JPG.23168599252f03d7ec6bb971bab70b20.JPG

02.JPG.a8f60cfb69b6b9e63ae92dd7957e8252.JPG

 

 

 

 

(Do not allow to confuse; the gun barrel isn´t installed upside down)

03.JPG.b36fc37cdd11e4b2dd9cdd2ac4ac3d84.JPG

 

 

 

 

As far as I know, this gun was captured on 31st October 1916 by Germans at Ngominji and lost again two

weeks later, on 14th November at Lupembe.

 

A German war diary mentioned, that these captured guns are Navy guns from the British cruiser HMS Hyacinth.

Can anybody confirm this Information?

 

Regards

Holger Kotthaus

 

 

Quote

 

On the 29th October a small post at Ngominyi was compelled to surrender to a very superior strength of the

enemy after a resolute and gallant defence.  Two naval 12 pounder guns lost here were retaken by us in

 

the course of operations almost immediately afterwards.  Captain Clerk, commanding the post, was killed.

Original source: http://www.25throyalfusiliers.co.uk/east_africa_despatch_3.html

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Terry,

 

 

Thanks for this helpful reference. I found also in the log of the HMS Hyacinth the following:

 

 

Quote

14 September 1915

 

From Port Natal To Zanzibar

Lat -17.6, Long 40.3

12 prs. guns crews at loader. G.L. at 6’ loader. Refitting wind sails, etc.

 

 

12 October 1915

 

Mombasa

Lat -4.05, Long 39.68

Making boats covers, dismounting 12 pr. guns, painting ship, etc.

 

 

8 May 1916

 

Zanzibar

Lat -6.2, Long 39.2

5:35am: Commenced coaling.

5:50am: MANICA sailed.

6:45am: CHILDERS arrived.

12:40pm: CLAN SUTHERLAND arrived.

4:00pm: Disembarked 100 rounds of shrapnel.

4:55pm: KHALIFA arrived.

5:00pm: Embarked 100 rounds of lyddite.

5:28pm: CHILDERS sailed.

 

 

16 May 1916

 

On Southern Patrol

Lat -9.9, Long 40.4

Examining 12 pr. mountings, rattling down rigging, refitting fenders, turning out blocks, making boats canopy, repairing windsails, etc.

 

 

14 October 1916

 

Kilwa Kisiwani

Lat -8.97, Long 39.55

9:15am: Landed 2 Midshipmen with 2 Lewis guns crews for service on shore.

Transferred Field Gun Carriage and ? to (Whaler H.M.S) CHILDERS.

 

9:50am: CHILDERS sailed.

10:30am: Landed fire engine.

 

 

31 October 1916

 

Zanzibar

Lat -6.2, Long 39.2

8:00am: Disembarked 12 pr. gun carriage and ammunition.

4:20pm: S.S. GLENDENE berthed alongside.

 

 

The last record from the 31. October 1916 couldn´t match really with the 12 PR Guns at Ngominyi,

because Captain Clerk and his force are encircles by Captain Wintgens since the 26. October 1916.

 

 

In my opinion the entry from 12th October 1915 in Mombasa listed the most obvious explanation for

this 12 PR 8 CWT Gun. The German source mentioned this loss, because of no ammunition and to

less porters for this Gun and I assume the British winner installed this Gun later near the Lutheran

Lupembe church. The Pastor told the Gun was at that time directly under the tree of the photo below.

 

04.JPG.361eabe761aeb644b7a9c46ee009a9d3.JPG

Regards

Holger Kotthaus

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Harry,

Many thanks for remembering me about your excellent written article. I also read in the past the discussion in the GWF:

 

 

 

 

 

Ten years ago I came across with statements about two British Navy Guns from the HMS Hyacinth which were used at Ngominyi.

The German Sergeant d.R. Pfeiffer, platoon-leader from the 8. F.K. reported in his War diary:

Quote

 

“October 31, 1916. In those days, our weapons have had a great success. On the Ubena Street near Ngominji we came across a

fortified camp with a radio station and 2 guns, as well as about 150 riflles. On the 26th of October we surrounded with 300 rifles

and six machine guns, and now a hot battle broke out. . . . The next morning, at five o'clock, the attack began. In the meantime,

we were hurrying through the hiding-place, and with `hurra´ and blazing horns we rode the steep mountain. A great deal of noise

and shouting is the chief thing in the storm, so that the Askari does not come to their senses. I've had again great luck and took

with my platoon both enemy guns - naval guns from the English cruiser Hyacinth. In the period of 1 ½ hours the whole hostile

position was in our hands. . . .

Original German online source, (translated): http://digi.landesbibliothek.at/viewer/image/AC10724635/95/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another German source confirmed then the calibre with the British calibre 7,6-cm (12-pounder 8-cwt QF)

Quote

 

“. . . .Our artillery had been completely consumed, the Battery Vogel had had to destroy and bury one of the guns taken at

Ngominji, since only 100 shots were available for both, because of the ever-pressing carrier. After the consumption in the

various battles, only 30 shells remained. Lupembe could not be conquered; but they were sent as farewell greetings to the

English positions, as well as seventy storeys, which had been taken from our own South West African protection group,

against the original owner. Of the ones captured at Ngominji, they followed the other 30, but they used to go other ways than

the gunner assigned them, since they were too small a millimetre in the calibre. This former English artillery was also destroyed;

a revolver cannon had already been destroyed . . . “

Original text source (translated): Wilhelm Arning; Kampf um Deutsch - Ostafrika

 

 

 

Chris Dale started at the AHF last year with the question about the gun-type which are then and still today at Lupembe:

Artillery gun near Njombe in Southern Tanzania

 

https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=73&t=225705&sid=00b8f4079c3a29c01a088f7159af6828

 

 

In my opinion a: 12-pounder 8-cwt QF Royal Navy Landing Gun, together with the other results the same gun with the

current location at Lupembe was used before at Ngominyi. Furthermore, the indication in the log from the HMS Hyacinth,

that 12-pounder guns were already dismounted in November 1915 in Mombasa, I asked myself if the photo below showed

the usage of these guns during the fights at Mombo on the Northern railway, near Korogwe in May 1916? But I don’t know

how many 12-pounder were used during the east African campaign by the British forces.

 

5966113512f3b_12-pounder8-cwtQFRoyalNavyLandingGunatMombo.png.e8a798151565b27f6cd68c3df455c8cf.png

 

Original photo source: https://www.illustratedfirstworldwar.com/item/past-pangani-river-picturesque-scenes-of-the-british-operations-in-the-iln0-1916-1014-0005-001/#

 

 

Regards

Holger Kotthaus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12-pounder 8-cwt QF Royal Navy Landing Gun at Mombo.png

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