Armies in East Africa 1914-1918
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Peter Abbott / Raffaele Ruggeri
overview
One of the least-published campaigns of the Great War was that fought in East Africa by forces of colonial troops – British Empire, Belgian, Portuguese and German. Short of resources, many European, African and Indian soldiers recorded epics of endurance as they hunted the outnumbered but brilliantly led German colonial forces across a disease-ridden wilderness. The achievements of Paul von Lettow Vorbeck – the last German commander in the field to lay down his arms – brought him fame and respect comparable to that won by Rommel in World War II. The events and the forces are described here in concise detail, and illustrated with rare photographs and striking colour artworks.
contents
· Strategic background - colonial east and central Africa in 1914 · Von Lettow-Vorbeck and his aims · First phase: British repulse at Tanga - German attacks on Uganda, Congo, Rhodesia, Mozambique · General mobilisation by both sides · Second phase: co-ordinated Allied offensive of 1916 · Bush fighting - weapons, tactics, logistics · Final phase: Lettow-Vorbeck's expedition into Mozambique and Rhodesia · Wartime developments in the armies - the King's African Rifles · Evaluation of the forces involved · Uniforms: German, British, Belgian, Portuguese