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Battle of Tanga |
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Tanga, German East Africa - 1914 Introduction: Following the outbreak of WW1, the British were concerned about the German naval threats to various sealanes. The fast cruiser "Konigsberg" was based on the African East Coast, which threatened the Indian Ocean. In addition, the British sought to wrest the German colonies, including Togoland and German West Africa. Expeditionary forces were despatched to East Africa from India. IEF B was designated for the attack on Tanga, the second largest port in German East Africa. The occupation of Tanga was seen as a prelude to an attack on Dar-es-Salaam, the capital and largest port. IEF C was sent to British East Africa (now Kenya), with the aim of pinning the German East African forces around Kilimanjaro. IEF C arrived too late to prevent transfer of the bulk of German forces from Kilimanjaro to Tanga (though in campaign mode, this might be an interesting scenario). The German policy toward their East African colony was mixed. The Governor, Dr Heinrich Schnee, sought to prevent any conflict at all. The military would primarily defend the interior, mainly because the upland region was better suited to farming (there was no Tsetse fly) and was the main area of European settlement. Accordingly, Tanga was left largely undefended, though connected by railway to the interior (an 18 hour train journey). Lt-Col Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck was the military commander, who adopted a more aggressive stance. He saw his role as tying up as many allied troops as possible in East Africa, and therefore away from the Western Front. He had raised up and trained new units in preparatin for war, believing very much in the 'offensive spirit' so beloved of Haig. IEF B arrived off Tanga in the early hours of Nov 2, 1914. The Cruiser HMS Fox then sailed into the harbour and demanded the total surrender of Tanga, which the Germans declined. This took the British completely by surprise. On the night 2/3 Nov, 13th Rajputs and 61st King George's Own Pioneers landed at a muddy beach east of Tanga, which was protected by coral reef and mangroves. It took most of the night to land these forces. An abortive attack took place early on 3 Nov. Subsequently, the remaining British forces landed for a further assault on Tanga. Meanwhile, the Germans managed to transfer a substantial defensive force back from Kilimanjaro. The objective of the British forces was the capture of the railway station. Designer's Notes:
British and Imperial Forces Order-of-Battle and Scenario Notes German Forces Order-of-Battle and Scenario Notes Scenario Created by: Robert Dunlop (2004)
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