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
The advance from the south along the Luderitzbucht-Seeheim-Keetmanshoop
Railway, approximately 500 miles in length, was made by two forces
which joined hands at Keetmanshoop. The advance from Aus (captured on
April 10th) was made by General Smuts’s forces. Colonel (afterward
General) Vanderventer, moving up from the direction of Warmbad
and Kalkfontein, around the flanks of Karas Mountain, pushed on
after reaching Keetmanshoop in the direction of Gibeon. Bethany had
previously been occupied during the advance to Seeheim. At Kabus,
twenty miles to the north of Keetmanshoop, and at Gibeon pitched
battles were fought between General Vanderventer’s forces and the
enemy. No other opposition of importance was encountered, and the
operations were brought to a successful conclusion.
The stiffest fighting in all Africa came in German East Africa. It
began in late September, 1914, and continued until mid-June, 1915.
The Germans, curiously enough, commenced the offensive here with an
attack upon Monbasa, the terminus of the Uganda railway and the capital
of British East Africa. The attack was planned as a joint naval and
military operation, the German cruiser Koenigsburg being assigned to
move into the harbor and bombard the town simultaneously with the
assault by land. The plan went awry when the presence of British
warships frightened off the Koenigsburg. The land attack was easily
checked by a detachment of the King’s African Rifles and native Arabian
troops until the detachments of Indian Regulars arrived upon the scene.
The enemy thereupon retreated to his original plans.
British reprisals came early in November, when the towns of Tanga
and Gassin were attacked by British troops. The troops selected for
this adventure numbered 6,000 and carried only food, water, guns and
munitions. No protection of any kind nor any other equipment was taken
by the soldiers. Reinforcements to the German forces delayed the
capture of Gassin until January. A garrison of three hundred men was
left there and this in turn was besieged by three thousand Germans.
After a stubborn defense the Germans recaptured the town. A union of
two British forces was accomplished early in June, 1915. One of these
cut through German East Africa along the Kagera River and the other
advanced on steamers from Kisumu. They met the enemy on June 22d and
defeated it with heavy casualties. Later General Tighe, commanding the
combined British forces, was congratulated on the completeness of his
victory on June 28th, by General Kitchener.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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