Following
the route of General Smuts’ advance with the 1st and 3rd
British Divisions between 18th May and 15th June 1916
Required Reading:
Official
History of the War Military Operations East Africa
August 1914 – September 1916 compiled by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Hordern.
Rough Guide
Map of Kenya and Northern Tanzania.
Rough Guide
and Lonely Planet Guide to Tanzania.
Three internet articles:
Introduction
Should
you be driving from Moshi to Korogwe on the highway between Nairobi
and Dar Es Salaam
then you can either drive fast, hopefully avoiding even faster trucks and buses
plus the occasional speed trap, or else you can leisurely follow a battlefield
tour route of an interesting military advance.
The
Rough Guide map of Kenya and
Northern Tanzania covers the route. The page and Sketch numbers in brackets refer
to the Official History. Accommodation
along the route is not plentiful but can be located in the Rough Guide and
Lonely Planet guide books to Tanzania. These two books should also be used to determine
the seasonal weather conditions that you are likely to meet. This article is designed to assist a guide
who is making a reconnaissance of the route, and who makes his or her own time
and distance appreciations. Unless 4WD
is mentioned, a normal two-wheel drive vehicle is perfectly adequate.
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| Rough guide map of Pangani Valley route |
The military background
After
the declaration of war Britain
had opened hostilities against German East Africa with an attack by the Royal
Navy on Dar Es Salaam, German East Africa (GEA –
now named Tanzania)
on 8th August 1914. The
military commander in GEA, Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, responded with the
seizure of Taveta across the border with British East Africa (BEA – now named Kenya). The Germans then mounted foot-patrol raids
with their African infantry companies from Taveta against the Uganda Railway
that ran from Mombasa on the BEA coast inland to
Lake Victoria.
Until reinforcements arrived in the form of Indian Expeditionary Force
‘C’ the British defended their territory using Askari (soldiers) of King’s
African Rifles units recruited from BEA, Uganda
and Nyasaland, plus a handful of locally
recruited European units.
The
British then despatched Indian Army Expeditionary Force ‘B’ to invade GEA at
Tanga. After two days of heavy fighting
the British re-embarked, although they could have remained in occupation of
Tanga as the Germans themselves had withdrawn.
Force ‘B’ sailed up to Mombasa
to join the other troops in BEA. During
1915 London
forbade further invasions of GEA and the Germans held the initiative and
mounted more raids against the Uganda Railway.
South Africa agreed to participate in
the East African campaign after her successful invasion of German South West Africa in 1915.
Two South African divisions were sent to BEA and the South African
General J.C. Smuts was appointed to be theatre commander. He was tasked with invading and capturing
GEA. The invasion commenced in March
1916 and the British seized Moshi south of Mount
Kilimanjaro. Fierce
fighting took place at Kahe before the heavy seasonal rains closed down
operations during April (Sketch 26). In
mid-May a British advance started down the Pangani
Valley from a start line on the Ruvu River
that runs into the Pangani south of Kahe.
The opposing forces
Smuts
had sent most of his South African troops through Arusha to seize Kondoa Irangi
(Sketch 28), and von Lettow had responded by speed-marching up there with
several field companies. Major Kraut
defended the Pangani valley with seven companies and two batteries (page
287). Smuts re-configured his 1st
and 2nd Divisions into three columns (page 289). The River Column, a brigade of Indian and
British units, advanced through the thick thorn bush alongside the Pangani River.
Centre Column, basically an Indian Army brigade, advanced down the road
that followed the route of the Usambara Railway running from Moshi to Tanga. Eastern Column, a 3rd King’s African
Rifles (3 KAR) battle group, advanced overland from Mbuyuni in BEA towards Same
on the Usambara Railway, aiming for a gap in the Pare Mountains that flanked
the northeastern side of the Pangani Valley (Sketch 31). Four battalions plus supporting sub-units
were tasked to be reserves.
The
British had constructed a military railway line from Voi in BEA through Taveta
to Kahe (Sketch 4), where it joined the Usambara Railway. Kraut’s plan was to withdraw down the railway,
ripping up the tracks as he went. German
guns were mounted onto railway wagons to provide very mobile fire support. At all times the Germans worked to an excellent
logistical plan, falling back onto prepared positions and supply dumps. In comparison Smuts, a very successful
guerrilla commander in the South African War, had no time whatsoever for
conventional military logistics. The consequences of this were that his men
often went on half or quarter rations, as supplies from railheads had to be
carried by African porters who themselves were malnourished and vastly
over-tasked. Smuts’ logistical failings
were to kill many more of his men than the enemy ever did. Apart from living in a hostile densely-bushed
environment housing predatory wild animals, the British troops were exposed to a
variety of malignant tropical diseases which their under-nourished bodies could
not resist.
Driving South from the Ruvu River
As
you cross the Ruvu River you see the Northern Pare
Mountains looming high on
your left – a natural boundary for the advancing troops (image 1). The road runs straight and flat down to
Lembeni (page 290) where you have a good opportunity to see the railway running
below the Southern Pare Mountains (image 2).
Most features of the Usambara Railway are as they were in the Spring of
1916.
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| Image 1 - Looking east up the Ruvu River at Kifaru |
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| Image 2 - The Usambara Railway at Lembini |
At
Same further down the road an interesting option is presented. You can continue straight on down the tarmac
road towards Bwiko, or you can turn left on a bush road through the Ngulu Gap (image
3) and then follow the bush road as it runs below the northeastern slopes of
the Usambara Hills. On 27th
May Smuts diverted troops from Centre Column (page 290) onto this route where
they met up with the 3 KAR Column from Mbuyuni (Sketch 31). As you bounce down this route you get the
feeling of being in the real Africa, and the
villages of Zerizeri and Gonja have hardly changed since 1916 (images 4 &
5). South of Gonja you cross the Shegulu Bridge which the Germans had demolished
(page 292) and have a good view of Lasa Hill which the British turned on the
east (page 292). Soon you drive
alongside Mkomazi Station (image 7) where the enhanced KAR Column met up with
the diminished Centre Column on 31st May 1916. Then turn right (north) up the highway.
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| Image 3 - Looking east to the Ngulu Gap |
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| Image 4 - Zerizeri Village |
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| Image 5 - The bush road near Gonga |
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| Image 6 - Lasa Hill ahead with the SouthernUsambara Mountains on the left |
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| Image 7 - Mkomasi Station looking south |
The action at German Bridge
Whether
you drive straight down the highway from Same, or if you went behind the mountains
on the bush road and then turned north, pull off the highway into a campsite on
the west where the mountains, road and railway all squeeze together. The reason for the squeeze is quickly seen as
the Pangani River has swung in towards the mountains
(Sketch 31). You are at the site of the
fight at German Bridge (page 291). A low ridge running from the mountain appears
to be the vital ground (image 9) which 130 Baluchis and 27 Indian Mountain Battery outflanked on the slopes above, whilst 2nd
Rhodesia Regiment made the frontal assault.
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| Image 8 - The Pangani River at German Bridge |
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| Image 9 - The battlefield at German Bridge |
The action at Mkalamo
Drive
onwards down the highway through Bwiko to Mombo. If you have 4WD or a very sturdy 2WD vehicle
you can divert west on a rough track to the Pangani at Mkalamo, and then go
onwards to Handeni if you wish, following the route of Centre and River columns. This track is the old German trolley line
(page 294) that Kraut moved most of his troops and supplies down (Sketch 32). Even if you don’t go through to Handeni at
least try to reach Mkalamo where a very stiff fight in deep bush took place on
9th June 1916 resulting in 48 British casualties (page 296). You bounce along into the real Africa again and pass under Mafi Hill where German
gunners engaged a British aircraft (page 296 & image 10) and then drop down
onto the river (image 11). Interpret the
battlefield yourself (Sketch 33) remembering that dense bush obscured the view
of most of the participants, and that in 1916 the river was much wider and
deeper (page 295 footnote 3). Here 130
Baluchis was leading and had a very savage fight at close-quarters. Talk to the inhabitants of the local
hamlet. You might meet a nice elderly
chap who can show you a tree under which a mound of cartridge cases were
found. This was probably where a German
machine gun was sited on a tree platform.
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| Image 10 - Mafi Hill from the fromer trolley line |
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| Image 11 - Mkalamo battlefield across the Pangani River |
Return
to Mombo where a cool, interesting diversion is to drive north up into the
hills to the old German administrative centre of Wilhelmstal, now named Lushoto
(Sketch 32). Several examples of
original German colonial architecture are still standing, including the church.
The fight for Zuganatto Bridge
From
Mombo carry on down the highway towards Korogwe (Sketch 32). This route was taken by 3 KAR battle group whilst
the remainder of Smuts’ men moved down the trolley line. About 27 kilometres south of Mombo look for a
parking place on the south of the road adjacent to a railway bridge over the
Pangani (image 12). This bridge was
dropped by the Germans as they withdrew in early June (page 298). Walk over the bridge and down the track to
Mauri (Sketch 34). Mauri Station (image
13) was a British railhead once the bridge had been repaired, and you get the
definite feeling that not much has changed since Smuts’ men arrived here.
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| Image 12 - Mauri Bridge |
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| Image 13 - Mauri Station |
Now
follow the highway down to Korogwe, noting Fundi Hill on your left and the part
that it played in the German defence (page 299), and swing right with the
highway towards Dar Es Salaam (Sketch 34).
You will immediately see a bridge so park off the highway. Now survey the battlefield at Zuganatto Bridge (page 299) where 3 KAR took the then
wooden structure from the south and Lieutenant Baron Eric von Otter, 3 KAR, won
his Military Cross. The supports to the
old bridge piers can be seen in the river (image 14), and the high ground that
3 KAR seized can be noted beyond.
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| Image 14 - Zuganato Bridge today with the old brideg supports showing on the far bank |
Look
around Korogwe station and visualise the scene of demolition that the British
found (pages 299 & 300) before they established an important railhead here.
Onwards from Korogwe
If
your destination is Dar Es Salaam
then continue down the highway. However
if you want to reconnoitre a really interesting and unspoiled larger battlefield then take the road to Tanga
(pages 60 to 96 and Sketches 9 to 11). When
driving to Tanga an interesting excursion is to drive up into the Southern
Usambara Mountains to see the old German Research Centre at Amani (4WD
definitely needed). Whatever your
movements now, you are unlikely to quickly forget the beautiful Pangani Valley (image 15) where a disciplined
and well-led German withdrawal slowed down a considerably stronger British
force.
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| Image 15 - The Pangani Valley at dawn |
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| Map showing early operations in German East Africa |
SUGGESTED
FURTHER READING:
Tip and Run:
The Untold Tragedy of the Great War in Africa by
Edward Paice
My Reminiscences of East Africa by General von
Lettow-Vorbeck.
The
2nd Rhodesia
Regiment in East Africa by Lieutenant Colonel
A.E. Capell.
Marching on Tanga by Francis Brett Young.
Star and
Crescent, Being the Story of the 17th Cavalry from 1858 to 1922,
Appendix IV by
Major F.C.C. Yeats-Brown.
The Desert
and The Green by
The Earl of Lytton.
The King’s
Africa Rifles by
Lieutenant Colonel H. Moyse-Bartlett.
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