Togo 1914.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something about it to share........................................

The 1914 war in Togo as seen by a German combatant.

From the beginning of the war in Europe (*), it was clear in Togo that the British and French would conquer our colony. The signs were in the information that reached us of movements of the English troops on our western border and of the French on our northern and eastern borders.

We made our defense preparations in time. The Europeans went to do exercises with the native reservists, border guards and policemen were mobilized. A number of white cadres from the administration were ordered to join the native companies (there was one company in Lomé (160 men) and as far as I know four others (100 men in peacetime) in other places: Misahohé, Sokode, etc.).

A company was also organized with the Europeans, called the European Company. All the Germans who had not been assigned to native companies gathered there. In this company there were many men who belonged to the "Landsturm" or "emergency reserve" and therefore knew nothing about military affairs.

Therefore, some young men who had been soldiers volunteered for the native companies because they had a better chance of facing the enemy. (In fact, the European Company, which was later posted to Atakpame and carried out military exercises there with zeal and courage, never saw combat.)

To the Lomé company - called "Oberleutnant Mans Company" came, for example, the Reserve Lieutenants Schmidt and Kloppenberg, the Reserve Sergeants Major Stoeber and Lent, the Infantry Sergeant Bolnei and Reservist Machine Gun gunner Klempp. Thus six colonial officials made up this company.

When, in early August, the British, advancing from the west along the coast, sent us an ultimatum to surrender Lomé within 24 hours, we did so without resistance. Because we had the most important task of the defense of Kamina, the big and important radio station (opened in July 1914, it had the capacity to link directly with Germany). And also, it would be a shame to destroy Lomé with the beauty of its buildings such as the Government Palace, administrative buildings, churches, missions, factories.

We ourselves took advantage of those 24 hours of delay and one after another the trains left in the direction of Kamina loaded with people, provisions and war material.

Only religious Catholics and Protestants and married people - these by order of the governor - remained in Lomé. However, many families were allowed to come with us, the men to fight and the women as nurses for the "Red Cross". The Mans Company left Lomé last (on August 7 before 6:00 p.m.). All of us were sad to go and leave Lomé without resistance, and move away from the enemy instead of closer to it.

(*) France declared war on Germany on August 3, Great Britain on August 4.

Sources: https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/ex ... /24344.pdf

Greetings. Raúl M :carapoker:.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more.................................................... ............

The 1914 war in Togo as seen by a German combatant.

Soon we were at Kamina, the European company went to Atakpame, as has been said, for exercises, fortifications, etc.

Kamina had become relatively well fortified: there were good, deep trenches; The firing ranges had been cleared and so on. But the biggest problem was this: Kamina is on a plain dominated by heights. And also: the distance between the outer (radio?) towers was more than a kilometer, and it was very difficult to defend that perimeter.

After four days (August 11, 1914), the Mans Company advanced south towards Sagada, from where the French troops were said to be coming, and we undertook a hard march towards Aklamé (or Kramé, a site now abandoned), west of Mono, at the height of Tado - in German: Achlame), About 60 km in 21 hours, and we established a good defense position, but the French did not get there, and we returned to Kamina (August 15, 1914 ).

At the same time, two companies (Leutnant Schlettwein and Leutnant der Reserve Schuppius, under the general authority of Hauptmann Pfaehler) had also proceeded south by train. When they reached Agbelouvé, there were two or three volleys of shots. Instead of clearing the surroundings, they continued on. Between Agbelouvé and Tsévié; There was an accident and about ten cars went off the rails or flipped over. The companies continued on foot to Tsévié, where there were some enemy, who were expelled after a short battle. Suddenly, on horseback, came Dr. Sengmüller, Leutnant der Reserve, who told Hauptmann Pfaehler that the English were at Agbelouvé (a company of the Gold Coast Regiment under Captain Potter). When our troops reached Agbelouvé, they were attacked from all sides. Unfortunately, night fell (August 15-16, 1914).

Soon Hauptmann Pfaehler was killed, along with five other Germans, Dr. Sengmüller and Dr. Kolsdorf seriously wounded. Under the unexpected violence of the fire, it was impossible to keep at bay (drive) the black troops, who seemed to have lost their spirits. When the white officers ordered the charge and surged forward, the blacks did not follow, and even continued to fire wildly, though their leaders were in front of their guns. The end of this unfortunate night fighting was a disorderly retreat to the north.

Sources: https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/ex ... /24344.pdf

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more.................................................... ............

The 1914 war in Togo as seen by a German combatant.

No information about the two companies had been received on Kamina since their departure. Only the white driver who brought the empty train back could relate that he and the train had come under intense fire when, on their way back, they had crossed Agbelouvé. His black driver had been killed and another seriously injured.

The driver reported him to Kamina as quickly as possible, from the Gamé station (via the telephone line adjoining the railway and still working), I thought. When this news reached Kamina, we had hardly arrived from our hard march to Aklamé, when I received the following order: "Sergeant Major Stoeber will march 30 men by train to Notsè. You will establish contact with the forward companies. You will hold Notsè and maintain communication phone call with Kamina."

I reached Notsè at midnight and immediately posted patrolmen and scouts to the south. The next morning (August 16) they returned, and with them the remnants of the two companies. It was thus that I was informed of Agbelouvé's unfortunate night combat, described above. I made my report to Kamina and was ordered to take the survivors with me, destroy the railway south of Notsè, and return to Kamina.

This was done. In the afternoon we leave Notsè. We reached Kra (today Wahalla - in German: Chra), we destroyed the bridge over the Kra river, as we did with all the other bridges further south. At four in the morning (August 17) we arrived at Kamina. In the afternoon, I received the following order: "Go back to Kra and try to establish contact with the enemy, to clarify the situation to the south."

With 20 men, I reached Kra at midnight. Once again I posted sentinels, sent patrolmen and scouts to Notsè and beyond. I soon learned that the English had reached Gamé, and some time later that their vanguard, four whites and six blacks on bicycles, had been seen in Notsè.

This fact was reported to Kamina. Soon (August 19) a train arrived with the Governor on board (Acting: the Duke of Mecklenburg was on vacation in Europe), Major von Doering, and the Mans and von Raaven Companies (who were not at the Agbelouvé defeat) . It was decided to take a defensive position on the southern edge of the village of Kra, which is located on top of a hill. About 600 m further down is the Kra River (the slope is really low, but the marshy bottom of the river represents a significant obstacle).

We install a good position between the railway and the road, as well as on both sides. We made trenches for the shooters in a kneeling position; We cleared the firing ranges by cutting down the bushes and cornfields, and we hid our trenches with the grass, and so on.

Sources: http://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl ... /24344.pdf

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more.................................................... ............

The 1914 war in Togo as seen by a German combatant.

On the third day after the arrival of the two companies (August 22), the patrols reported that a train had arrived at Agbatitoè and the enemy vanguard was almost within reach. Shortly after, the English and the French (1) began to fire in front of our entire front. But they received a well-ordered fire from our trenches. Our three machine guns did their job excellently, and their morale effect was a boost to our troops, just as their morale and actual effect was a deterrent to the enemy (as I heard the British and French say later at Kamina).

But the English also had an effect, if not real, at least moral, with their gun. At first we thought it was all over and that cannon would bury us. The second grenade fell 15 meters beyond our trenches, between the tracks and the road, showering us with dirt, pebbles and sand. But I don't remember anyone being killed or injured by those shells - about 40 all day. Suddenly we received dangerous shots on our left wing. Fortunately, reinforcements soon arrived from Kamina by train. It was von Pappart company (the last German company able to fight), which immediately made a violent counter-offensive and repelled the enemy from our left flank.

I think about 2 hours had passed when von Raaven, whose company was on the right wing, was wounded. I received orders from Oberleutnant Mans, who was commanding the fight, to take his place. As I ran, I found Von Raaven in the village. At this moment a grenade from the cannon fell at his feet without exploding, nor did it harm him. Shortly after, the white machine gunner Klempp was killed. When night came, the shooting stopped.

During the night, when we were ordered to withdraw, we were not satisfied with it, because our position had been very good, and our losses very light. We had two white men dead and one wounded, and about ten black soldiers dead or wounded (2). We all thought it would have been better if all our troops, especially the European Company, had come to fight in the trenches to the last man (3).

The von Pappart Company left by rail, the von Raaven and Mans Companies by road. We meet the next day at the Amou and Amoutchou rivers. The bridges, as elsewhere, were destroyed.

(1) Approximately 300 British under Major Bryant and about 150 Senegalese troops under Captain Castaing. Therefore, the troops are numerically equal (450 men on each side).

(2) While the Franco-British lost 23 dead (including the Scottish Lieutenant Thomson and the French Second Lieutenant Guillemard, buried there) and 55 wounded.

(3) What the author did not know - and von Ooering knew - was that Major Maroix's French were approaching Kamina from the northeast, which was undefended.

Sources: http://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl ... /24344.pdf
http://www.gettyimages.ae/detail/news-p ... id79659751

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more.......................................

The 1914 war in Togo as seen by a German combatant.

We slowly fell back towards Kamina. This meant the end of the fighting. When we arrived at Kamina four days after the battle of Chra (Aug 26), all nine radio antennas were lying on the ground, and the power station was on fire (Sabotaged on the night of Aug 24-25).

Governor von Doering informed us that he had capitulated to the English (On the same day, August 26) on account of the excessively large force of the enemy. We distribute the money to the black soldiers and let them go.

In the afternoon the French reached Kamina and then withdrew. The next day the English and the French entered.

There were about 150 Germans (Actually 206, with 800 natives, 940 rifles, 3 machine guns) in this place, since the European company had come from Atakpame to Kamina. They took us to Atakpame, and then two days later to Lomé. From Lomé, most of the German prisoners were taken to England.

Sources: https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/ex ... /24344.pdf
http://www.ilelongue14-18.eu/?Kamina-an ... go&lang=en

Cheers. Raúl M .