Birds -- Tanzania; World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Tanzania
There is one point of view that I would like to put before readers in
estimating the debt that those of us _who live_ in Africa owe to these
men—and that is this: when once the coastal belt was reached, and after
the departure of General Smuts and practically all his South African
fighting troops, it became apparent that European infantry, generally
speaking, could no longer compete on even terms with the native soldier.
The handicap of climate became too great. The European could no longer
stand marching under a load, and more than that, the continual fever and
sun sapped the “essential guts,” so that it became _almost_ impossible
for white troops to meet the German-African troops—led, of course, by
trained and well-fed German officers and N.C.O.s—with any fair prospect
of success. Such a fact boded ill for the future prestige of the white
race. Yet it may be said that the Fusiliers soared triumphant even over
this handicap; and they can boast, without fear of contradiction, that
up to the very end no German field company would look with other than
apprehension to meeting the 25th on even terms. I have always felt that
the prowess and endurance of these fine men during these last months have
done more to uphold our prestige and ensure the firm future of our rule
than is likely to be adequately realised.
An estimate of the campaign as a whole is scarcely yet possible. It will
probably be years before a just view can be taken of a side-show that
is believed to have cost more money and many more lives than the whole
of the South African Campaign. Many mistakes were made, and it is more
than possible that the lion’s share of what credit posterity may have
to bestow will fall on Von Lettow and his comrades. Yet there were many
factors which caused the task which Generals Tighe, Smuts, Hoskins, and
Van Deventer did eventually accomplish, to be of almost unparalleled
difficulty.
The question asked very often, and one which is likely to be of
interest to posterity, is: How were the Germans able to prolong their
resistance and, in fine, to make such a determined struggle against
our very superior forces? In answer the following points seem to merit
consideration.
In the first place the enemy had in the person of Colonel Von Lettow
an outstanding personality, and a soldier whose merit it is hard to
over-estimate. It will, moreover, always form one bright spot on the
blackened German escutcheon that in his operations during the campaign,
personally speaking, his conduct was as clean as it was efficient.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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