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Author Topic: WW1 Africa  (Read 5542 times)

Offline Plynkes

  • The Royal Bastard
  • Elder God
  • Posts: 10212
  • I killed Mufasa!
    • http://misterplynkes.blogspot.com/
Re: WW1 Africa
« Reply #15 on: July 14, 2012, 11:38:50 AM »
Here's some for the random encounter table...

"We had a rather trying time. Our Company Commander went out with myself and another subaltern and about forty men. We crossed the Mungo river in canoes and then did a long and very difficult march all through the night in dense forest country. However the guides managed it is beyond comprehension. About five in the morning, when it was just getting light, our advance party were on the point of stumbling on the German outpost when what should happen but an elephant suddenly walked in between and scattered both our opposing parties in all directions. I was in the rear of our little column and was left in bewilderment, all our carriers dropping their loads and everyone disappearing into the bush. After a few minutes we got our men together and our scouts went forward again to find the Germans had bolted from their outpost, but soon returned and opened fire on us." The Great War in West Africa, Brig. Gen. E.H. Gorges

It is accompanied by a delightful illustration of an elephant chasing some askari. On the following pages are similar depictions of bees and apes doing the same.  :)





There is an account (I think in the EAMR book) of an officer of the Mountain Battery at Longido creeping forward to scout enemy positions only to be greeting by a burst of enemy machine gun fire. He immediately dived for cover into the bushes only to find he had landed on a rather surprised and now disgruntled leopard. His comment on the business was to declare that East africa was,

"No country for pukka soldiering."





Another anecdote from the same book tells of how one chap who fancied himself as a sportsman returned to camp to proudly announce how he had shot five buffalo. He was soon followed by a red-faced, irate "Dutchman" demanding to know who was the murderer who had shot his best trek oxen.





Lions were a problem too, both holding up the advance of scouts at times, and also a menace to the horses and mules of the EAMR. A rhino disturbed a gang of troopers who were washing naked at a watering hole. The place was surrounded by thorny bushes, and their only means of escape was to leap into them, clad only in their birthday suits. OUCH! Finally, even that noble creature the giraffe managed to hamper the war effort...

I'll leave this last sum as an exercise for the reader:

Giraffe+field telegraph lines= ?

Sadly this led to an order for them to be shot on sight.  :(
With Cat-Like Tread
Upon our prey we steal...

Offline VonAkers

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 329
Re: WW1 Africa
« Reply #16 on: July 18, 2012, 10:37:36 AM »
Hi
Highly recommend "Battle for the Bundu"
A great read and does not present  a traditional Anglophile ( we won the war and wrote the history )view of things, ie none of this  yes we strolled over bagged some huns and were home before tea "sort of stuff .
Cheers

Offline Stecal

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 308
    • Pictures of my minis
Re: WW1 Africa
« Reply #17 on: July 18, 2012, 02:01:35 PM »
Yes,  Battle for the Bundu is probably the book you are looking for.  It describes quite a few actions at the company, Bn & Brigade level (von Lettow's entire army = a brigade).  I was surprised at some of the almost classic trench war actions later in the campaign as well as the Germans dug in and had to be budged with classic siege warfare until slipping away after delaying for a month or two.
Clear the battlefield and let me see
All the profit from our victory.

Offline axabrax

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Re: WW1 Africa
« Reply #18 on: July 18, 2012, 02:32:01 PM »
Second Farwell's 'The Great War in Africa' and Ross Anderson's 'The Forgotten Front'

Offline Red Sveta

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 232
Re: WW1 Africa
« Reply #19 on: July 21, 2012, 06:39:00 PM »
Thanks. I was looking at Battle of Bundu on Amazon but it seems to be expensive at the moment. I was also wondering if this conflict could be played in 10mm with a base being a platoon/company or are the battles better played at skirmish levels with larger figures?

 

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