German Ostafrika battlescene

[italwars]

Just find this beautiful and realistic painting depicting a battle between German Askaris and natives in DOA..there are, for the fans of the German Colonial military history (like me), some interesting details to study....from the shape of officers helmets, the soldiers headgears without any cover  and from the cut of native troops ' uniforms the battle should refers to  an early period ..maybe Wissman Truppe'? ...the tunic seem designed in a navy fashion..usually depicted in various sources but in white... in this case, they had been washed with a kaki dye...probably that was true...

[Plynkes]

Nice pic!

The original Swahili askari of the DOAG, who were later incorporated into the Wissmanntruppe as the "Swahili Company" wore those white "naval" style uniforms.

There were also so-called "Zulu" askari in the Wissmanntruppe (actually Ngoni recruited in Portuguese East Africa) and they had a very similar uniform that was dark blue. However, they are reported as wearing a khaki version of this uniform in action. This would seem to be what we are looking at in your picture (however, in photographs they wear an odd cone-shaped fez without a tassle, unlike the ones in the painting).

There were also Sudanese askari, veterans of the Anglo-Egyptian Army, and they continued to wear the khaki uniform they had worn in service of the British, however with a grey cloth wrapped around the fez. This became the basis for the later Schutztruppe uniform, which was very similar.

[italwars]

Nice pic!

The original Swahili askari of the DOAG, who were later incorporated into the Wissmanntruppe as the "Swahili Company" wore those white "naval" style uniforms.

There were also so-called "Zulu" askari in the Wissmanntruppe (actually Ngoni recruited in Portuguese East Africa) and they had a very similar uniform that was dark blue. However, they are reported as wearing a khaki version of this uniform in action. This would seem to be what we are looking at in your picture (however, in photographs they wear an odd cone-shaped fez without a tassle, unlike the ones in the painting).

There were also Sudanese askari, veterans of the Anglo-Egyptian Army, and they continued to wear the khaki uniform they had worn in service of the British, however with a grey cloth wrapped around the fez. This became the basis for the later Schutztruppe uniform, which was very similar.

you are true......also, probably, some uniforms were intermixed even among same unit..this pict represent the rebel leader Abushiri just before his execution by the German authorities ..and the Askaris sport two kinds of different uniforms...so the period is around1888- 1889...probably the painting refers also to that period...Askaris, probably from Wissman Truppe , fighting against swaili influenced african tribesmen allied to arab slavers

[Neidhart]

Long time Lurker, had to post because I have seen this painting before.

It is "Soldaten in Afrika" (soldiers in africa) by Themistokles von Eckenbrecher (yupp, that's an actual name you would have in the Kaiserreich) from 1896. It was painted after Themistokles travelled to Tansania (German East Africa) in 1892. His son had joined the german army by 1895 and was deployed in Namibia (German South West Africa). The painters main moitves were postcards and ships for the navy thus he would be heavily influenced by these uniforms.
By 1896 germans were crazy for all things colonial, this was the time of the infamous "negro villages" inside zoos and the german colonial fair with live exehibition of africans in "tribal" gear. A lot of promotional picture cards were also collected depicting colonial themes but these were created by artists who mostly were more craftsmen then artists and had never seen the depicted scenes in person.
So Themistokles painting is created with some knowledge of actual scene and some knowledge about uniforms in general. It caters to the popular demand of his time and thus may not depict an actual event. Because of his professional ties to the navy and personal to a cadet in south west africa he might have painted some uniforms that were not 100% correct for the theatre whilst depicting a style of fighting that seems a lot more reasonable than the bayonett charge of european troops we see in a lot of colonial military paintings. The fighting style of the natives on the other hand,... well he was a man of his time and if we grew up in 19th cent. europe "wild negros charging from the bushes" would have been a good depiction of an abstract enemy to us too.

[italwars]

. well he was a man of his time and if we grew up in 19th cent. europe "wild negros charging from the bushes" would have been a good depiction of an abstract enemy to us too.

My god..such a sermon just for a colonial painting Maybe useful for miniatures and games .🥴.but at least they were so lucky to grew up without the cheap, useless and toxic do-gooders of today..

[Diablo Jon]

I didn't read it as a sermon I thought Neidhart's post was useful and interesting and helped put the picture in context and explain why the picture looked like it did. All historical pictures (and documents) are more useful if you understand the ethics and morals of the time it was created IMO.

[Plynkes]

Steady on, Italwars. It wasn't a sermon, it was an interesting and informative post, with a single comment you found objectionable. Let's all of us just dial back on the politics a bit, please. 

[Macunaima]

My god..such a sermon just for a colonial painting Maybe useful for miniatures and games .🥴.but at least they were so lucky to grew up without the cheap, useless and toxic do-gooders of today..

I’ll take antiviral shots and decent food in exchange for putting up with those do-gooders, thanks. Oh, and having the free cash and time to be able to have a hobby like painting miniatures, too.

[Plynkes]

Okay, that's enough. No more of this or the thread gets locked.

[vodkafan]

I am confused with all the different types of Askari. I have a small force of German seebatallion and wanted to add some Askari for East Africa games, don't know what to go for?

[Plynkes]

As far as I know the only deployment of the Seebatallion in East Africa was during the 1905-07 Maji-Maji rebellion. So you want Schutztruppe rather than DOAG or Wissmanntruppe Askari in that period. Which is to say the Coppplestone or Brigade ones (the guys with covered fezzes with neck-flaps). You could also use some irregulars on the German side (maybe use Ruga Ruga or tribal gunmen figures).

The Ngoni were heavily involved in the Maji-Maji, so they make an easy to acquire tabletop foe for the campaign. The rebellion was pretty widespread and quite lengthy,  the actions in it tended to be horribly one-sided, though.


Unfortunately the Seebataillon didn't really see much action. They were given the task of manning garrisons to free up the Askari to go campaigning. But you can always "what-if" it (I really don't know why they are such a common and popular inclusion in Ostafrika armies, they barely did anything there).

[FlyXwire]

Vodkafan, if you transition to WWI Ost Afrika, you'll have a ready supply of available minis from Brigade Games (assuming 28mm).

Some good OA uniforms, history, and units/studies sources -

http://www.germancolonialuniforms.co.uk/

http://www.kaiserscross.com/40020.html

http://25throyalfusiliers.co.uk/welcome.html

http://cgsc.cdmhost.com/utils/getfile/collection/p4013coll3/id/259/filename/260.pdf

Also, you couldn't go wrong with the Osprey Combat series book - King's African Rifles Soldier versus Schutztruppe Soldier, by Gregg Adams (good tactical immersion).

[Plynkes]

Vodkafan, if you transition to WWI Ost Afrika, you'll have a ready supply of available minis from Brigade Games (assuming 28mm)...

Some good suggestions in those links there. Unfortunately the Great War leaves even less for your Seebatallion to do than the earlier period. They served in China and on the Western Front (in different uniforms of course - bloody typical!), but weren't involved in the African campaign.

[vodkafan]

Thanks Plynkes and FlyXwire,
Ashamed to say you have more doubled my knowledge already 

[FlyXwire]

No shame at all my friend.....we're learning as we go.