History of the World War, Volume 2 (of 7) : $b An authentic narrative of the world's greatest warMarch, Francis A., Jr.
History
History of the World War, Volume 2 (of 7) : $b An authentic narrative of the world's greatest war
March, Francis A., Jr.
World War, 1914-1918
Germany lost more than a million square miles of territory in Africa as
a direct consequence of General Botha’s bold action. These are divided
in four great regions, Southwest Africa, Kamerun, Togo and East Africa.
Togoland as this region is popularly known extends from the north
shore of the Gulf of Guinea into the interior and is bounded by French
and British colonies. By a joint attack of French and British forces,
beginning the second week in August, 1914, the German power in this
rich domain was completely broken, and the conquest of Togoland was
complete on August 26, 1914. The military operation was of a desultory
nature, and the losses negligible in view of the area of 33,000 square
miles of highly productive land passed from German control.
The fighting in the great region of Kamerun was somewhat more stubborn
than that in Togoland. The villages of Bonaberi and Duala were
particularly well defended. The British and French fought through
swamps and jungle under the handicap of terrific heat, and always with
victory at the end of the engagement. The conquest of the Kamerun was
complete by the end of June, 1915. In addition to the operations by the
British and French a combined Belgian and French force captured Molundu
and Ngaundera in the German Congo.
The raids by General Botha on German Southwest Africa commenced on
September 27, 1914. A series of brilliant strategic actions resulted in
the conquest of a region once and a half the size of the German Empire
at the time the Great War began. A British description of the operation
states:
The occupation of Windhoek was effected by General Botha’s North
Damaraland forces working along the railway from Swakopmund. At the
former place General Vanderventer joined up with General Botha’s
forces. The force from Swakopmund met with considerable opposition,
first at Tretskopje, a small township in the great Namib Desert fifty
miles to the northeast of Swakopmund, and secondly at Otjimbingwe,
on the Swakop River, sixty miles northwest of Windhoek. Apart from
these two determined stands, however, little other opposition was
encountered, and Karibib was occupied on May 5th and Okahandja and
Windhoek on May 12th. With the fall of the latter place, 3,000
Europeans and 12,000 natives became prisoners.
The wireless station--one of Germany’s most valuable high-power
stations, which was able to communicate with one relay only, with
Berlin--was captured almost intact, and much rolling stock also fell
into the hands of the Union forces.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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