Loyal North Lancashires in East Africa

[bushfighter]

Trees now soften the fort's military lines.

But there is a darker side to Ikoma's history during the Great War.

[bushfighter]

Ikoma Fort inner area & corner tower

As the British advanced into German East Africa in the Spring of 1916 the Schutztruppe withdrew from Ikoma.
The British then garrisoned the area with isolated detachments of King's African Rifles, Indian Imperial Service troops & locally raised African Scouts.

[bushfighter]

Zebra near Ikoma

But whoever garrisoned Ikoma was not short of meat.
Vast herds of game provided fresh daily rations.

[bushfighter]

Wildebeeste near Ikoma

Wild flowers pattern the grassy feeding grounds.

[bushfighter]

Elephant near Ikoma

But patrols had to be constantly aware of dangers from larger animals.

[bushfighter]

Route of the Wintgens-Naumann raid

In early 1917, whilst the British were compressing the Schutztruppe into the very south of German East Africa, Captain Max Wintgens mounted what became a spectacular raid north into British-held territory.
Near Tabora Wintgens contracted typhus & was captured by Belgian troops.

Captain Heinrich Naumann then took over command of the raiding force. He marched north towards Mwanza then veered northeast & captured Ikoma Fort from the British garrison. He then inflicted the heaviest defeat of Belgian forces during the campaign on the allied troops who were pursuing him.

Naumann then moved east to threaten British East Africa in the Lake Magadi region (causing consternation amongst the rear-echelon elements, pacifist-minded BEA administrators & war-dodgers all safely ensconced in Nairobi) before raiding the Tanga railway line south of Moshi.

Naumann finally ran out of ammunition & was captured on 02 October 1917 seventy-five miles southeast of Kondoa Irangi.

Both Wintgens & Naumann held the Iron Cross First & Second Class.

[bushfighter]

The concluding comments on the Wintgens-Naumann raid from van Deventer

General van Deventer's despatch, published on Friday 5 April 1918 in the Fourth Supplement to The London Gazette of Tuesday 2nd April 1918, gives the official British account of the raid.

The South Africans, having been successful raiders themselves a couple of decades previously, showed perhaps more understanding of the Schutztruppe raiders' efforts than did the British.

Lettow, in his retrospective "Reminiscences" is not wildly enthusiastic, stating:
"It is to be regretted that this operation, carried out with so much initiative & determination, became seperated so far from the main theatre of war as to be of little use."

However, anyone who has operated behind enemy lines will recognise & appreciate the strengths of character, leadership & tactical awareness demonstrated by Wintgens & Naumann. They drew pursuing British troops away from the important battles being fought along the Lukuledi River in the south of GEA.

Edward Paice's "Tip & Run" includes a lively account of the affair.

[bushfighter]

GEA postcard of the Serengeti Plains

Naumann's raiding party was around 500 men strong with 12 Maxim Guns & 2 light field guns.
As he approached the Lake Victoria area Naumann crossed the territory of the Wasukuma tribe, who had always been enthusiastic Askari & porters for the Schutztruppe.
Around 100 former Askari joined up again with Naumann's raiders.

[bushfighter]

Belgian troops on the march in German East Africa.
Postcard printed in London but used for Belgian occupation troops in GEA & franked with Belgian Congo postage impression.

After Naumann crossed the Central Railway the British troops chasing him were rested & Belgian assistance was requested.

The Belgians provided their IV, VI, XI & XIII battalions, each 500 rifles strong.

When Naumann did not attack Mwanza Major J. Drought, formerly of "Drought's Troop" of the EAMR (the remnants of Ross' Scouts - see Posts #355 & 356) who commanded British irregulars (the "Skin Corps") in the Lake area, guessed that Naumann's next target was Ikoma.

Drought tasked a former big-game hunter Lieutenant J.A. Sutherland, East Lake Border Police, to track Naumann. Sutherland followed the raider's trail accompanied by 100 ELBP levies & four local Boer farmers acting as guides.
Major Larsen's Belgian XIII battalion caught up with Sutherland on route to Ikoma.

Drought had ordered Sutherland & Larsen not to attack Naumann until Drought & his Skin Corps & the Belgian VI battalion arrived on the scene.

[bushfighter]

Reverse of Belgian military postcard used in German East Africa

[bushfighter]

Ikoma Fort corner tower

When Naumann arrived at Ikoma he quickly captured the fort from the small British garrison.

Then, leaving a small detachment to defend the fort, he took the bulk of his raiding party into the Serengeti & out of sight.

Larsen & Sutherland arrived at the fort, saw the small German detachment inside, & then despite Drought's orders they attacked.

This was Naumann's moment. He appeared in the allied rear & decimated the attackers.

[bushfighter]

Ikoma Fort headquarters offices

Larsen's Belgian battalion lost 60 Askari killed, 11 wounded & 41 Askari & 2 Belgians captured.

The British lost 70 Askari & 3 Europeans killed & one European missing.

The Schutzetruppe lost one Askari & one carrier killed & one German & 2 Askari wounded.

The missing British European was Lt J.A. Sutherland, East Lake Border Police, last seen alive after his capture when two Schutzetruppe Askari took him inside the fort.
Sutherland's fate is not known. Naumann denied ever seeing him.

Naumann had now gained 138 rifles & 25,000 rounds of ammunition from the Allies.

[Theo]

Ikoma Fort headquarters offices

Larsen's Belgian battalion lost 60 Askari killed, 11 wounded & 41 Askari & 2 Belgians captured.

The British lost 70 Askari & 3 Europeans killed & one European missing.

The Schutzetruppe lost one Askari & one carrier killed & one German & 2 Askari wounded.

The missing British European was Lt J.A. Sutherland, East Lake Border Police, last seen alive after his capture when two Schutzetruppe Askari took him inside the fort.

Sutherland's fate is not known. Naumann denied ever seeing him.

Naumann had now gained 138 rifles & 25,000 rounds of ammunition from the Allies.

I'd just like to say how much I am enjoying Bushfighter's posts and the wonderful series of photographs which accompanies them

[Guest Bill Woerlee]

Theo

Let me join with you in agreeing that Harry has produced a thread that is spectacular in the presentation of pix, brimming full of information that would have taken much time and effort to collate and put together in a coherent manner to make it an enjoyable read.

So Harry, great kudos mate - this is an excellent production. I have enjoyed the thread since post #1.

This presentation has certainly put life into a forgotten campaign, one that I was interested in personally for many reasons but did not have the resources to investigate it in such depth. It is wonderful to see it laid out in front of us - not only the story but the sights and evocative feelings that must have occurred while the men marched through a very alien environment.

There is only one thing that I am curious about - the Ikoma Fort headquarters offices has a cable TV satellite dish in front of it - I was wondering if that was how the men amused themselves in their off time during this campaign?

Thanks Harry.

Cheers

Bill

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

I must also agree, a great read can't wait for it in book form?

I have had a soft spot for this campaign following my reading some years ago of the fiction book "The Ghosts of Africa" by William Stevenson.

keep up the good work

S.B

[ShirlD]

Add my appreciation and thanks too Harry. I miss it when you are off researching, but then it is worth the wait

Cheers

Shirley

[bushfighter]

Eroded granite boulders above dwellings.
On a kopje near Lake Victoria.

Lads & lasses
Thank you for the encouragement.

My camera is a little IXUS 60 that I bought very economically in Dubai. I am constantly amazed at how well the images come out, but Africa is kind to amateur photographers.

Often I stray from the thread title, & Ikoma is an example. But why not? It is all so interesting & photogenic, & it is not just the battlefields that haven't changed since the Great War - massive swathes of Africa just haven't changed, nor have the daily lives of the inhabitants.
I know now that the answer is to plan more than one book!

I am a believer in using the maximum number of relevant images to support a presentation (these days reading is not as popular as it was during the Great War years - some modern role-models actually brag about not reading books) so I'm considering using a CD of dvd with a book to contain supplementary images, lists & tables, & to keep the book production cost down.
(A recent book I bought: Alexander Binda's "The Saints" has a good dvd with it that provides the human aspect & enhances the book.)

One interesting question is: "When do you stop researching & concentrate on production?". There's always something more to find out.
For example yesterday I tried to identify the other three Europeans killed with Lt. Sutherland at Ikoma. I found two kia on the same day who were awarded Belgian honours, which is an excellent indicator, but further research has to wait until later or I wouldn't be producing on a daily basis.

WARNING
If you explore Ikoma Fort be very careful - some wooden floors are rotten & dangerous to stand on.

Regards
Harry

[bushfighter]

Lake Natron

Naumann & his victorious raiders marched on to Lake Natron, & threatened Nairobi. (Naumann was hoping that a Somali incursion into northern BEA would tie-up local British defence forces, but the KAR & BEA police units near the northern border handled the situation easily enough.)

The Allies investigated the disaster at Ikoma. The Belgians court-martialled Major Larsen.

Survivors stated that the Schutztruppe had killed many Allied wounded & prisoners.

(After his capture Naumann was sent to UK & stood trial in 1918 for the murder of Lt. Sutherland at Ikoma & for "cruelty to native women" - rapes near Lake Victoria committed by some of his officers. He was sentenced to death, commuted to seven years' imprisonment, but returned to Germany in November 1919. He was the only Schutztruppe member to be accused of "war crimes". Naumann was a brilliant raider but his ruthlessness was "over the top", even for such a remote & immense theatre as East Africa.)

[bushfighter]

Lt Bock von Wulfingen in Arusha Fort in 1906

Bock became active in the Lake Victoria area in 1914 & 1915.

As a Captain based in Mwanza he led the Schutztruppe attack on Kisii, BEA (but not as energetically as Lettow would have liked) on 12 September 1914, where he was wounded.

On the Kagera River Line (south of the Uganda border) in November 1914 Bock commanded the force that occupied Kyaka Fort & pushed the British north of the Kagera.

On 15 August 1916 Bock was commanding the defence of Bagamoyo on the GEA coast.
The Royal Navy landed a Royal Marine party led by Captain R.H. Thomas RM which captured Bagamoyo.
Both Bock & Thomas were killed in action during a British bayonet charge on the last trenches that the Schutztruppe defended.

[bushfighter]

Moshi CWGC Cemeteries, Tanzania

The WW2 Cemetery is on the left.

The WW1 Cemetery is straight ahead.

The WW1 Indian Memorial lies behind the WW1 Cemetery.

A German WW1 Memorial lies to the left of the CWGC WW1 Cemetery.

[bushfighter]

German colonial map of the Moshi-Taveta-Kahe area

Follow on from Posts: #151 & #427

As Major General M.J. Tighe's British 2nd Division consolidated its capture of the Latema – Reata position west of Taveta, Brigadier-General J.L. van Deventer kept his Flanking Force moving west from Lake Chala.

[bushfighter]

Marunga German colonial church (Mamba Mission)

On 12 March 1916 the 9th South African Infantry & the 28th Mountain Battery occupied Mamba Mission in the Kilima Njaro foothills above Himo.

[bushfighter]

Colonial Buildings at Mamba Mission (now a girl’s school)

[bushfighter]

Looking south from Mamba Mission to the North Pare Mountains. (OH Sketch 26). Latema-Reata to the left. Himo River directly below.

[bushfighter]

The old bridging point over the Himo River west of Taveta.

Van Deventer moved onto the Himo River to secure the crossing point.

From the Official History: “At the Himo River, which was about 40 feet wide with steep banks 20 feet high, the bridge had been destroyed by the enemy, leaving only the remains of the stone abutments. Ox-drawn traffic was able to ford the stream; a wooden trestle bridge was built , & during the next few days the girder bridge (lattice-girder work, specially made by the Bombay Sappers & Miners’ Bridging Train) originally intended for the River Lumi (at Taveta) was brought up & erected on new abutments.”