Clash in March 1917 at St. Moritz Mission in South-West of GEA

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Re: Clash in March 1917 at St. Moritz Mission in South-West of GEA

#31

Post by stevebecker » 15 Jan 2017, 04:06

Mate,

Thank you again, amazing

S.B

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Re: Clash in March 1917 at St. Moritz Mission in South-West of GEA

#32

Post by Tanzania » 15 Jan 2017, 15:48

Sometimes it´s not bad to review own statements a second time. Yesterday I wrote and posted on the previous page:
. . . for me it´s also not clear, if, and when, which British unit, and how far they followed the Detachment Wintgens to the North-east direction, eastern of Lake Rukwa!?
See the different Red arrows within the yellow squares on both following British maps.
Image
Image
First I didn´t be aware that the lower map shows the `Situation on 20th January 1917´(bottom left) , but the `Clash at St. Moritz´ took place on 20th March 1917. Due to this, the British activities wasn´t pictured there.
Is there records known of Lieut.-Col. R. E. Murray´s Southern Rhodesia Column between 26. March and 15. April 1917?

Regards Holger
.
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984


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Re: Clash in March 1917 at St. Moritz Mission in South-West of GEA

#33

Post by Tanzania » 23 Jan 2017, 20:45

Another British map from 1920 show the movement of Wintgens Detachment up to the 22nd May 1917, when Wintgens had to left the Detachment and gone hard infected with Typhus into Belgian imprisonment at Lukalanga. This position was pictured wrong on the map below. Lukalanga wasn´t south-west, but rather South south-east from Tabora. Boell mentioned for this location: Wilanga
(?) / Lukalanga. Both places couldn´t be found anymore on current maps.
Image
Original Source: https://archive.org/details/bookofhistorywor02thomuoft
The Book of History, The World´s Greatest War, Volume 2, (Volume XIV), The events of 1917 and summary,
The events of 1918, The armistice and the peace treaties, Holland Thompson, London 1920 / 21, page 965.

The same official British work in 1920, enlarged the strength of the Schutztruppe with more than 300% in October 1914, up to 34,000.
Altogether, the German European and Askari forces from Schutztruppe and Police include in autumn 1914, not more than 7,258.
. . . In all, we may place the number of troops organized under the German colors by October, 1914, at 30,000 natives and 4000 Germans.
Image

Cheers Holger
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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Re: Clash in March 1917 at St. Moritz Mission in South-West of GEA

#34

Post by Chris Dale » 23 Jan 2017, 23:37

“. . . In all, we may place the number of troops organized under the German colors by October, 1914, at 30,000 natives and 4000 Germans. ”

British propaganda was (and still is) often making up large numbers, excuses or stories to account for their own losses. That is a particularly good example.

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Re: Clash in March 1917 at St. Moritz Mission in South-West of GEA

#35

Post by Tanzania » 07 May 2017, 20:55

Clash in March 1917 at St. Moritz Mission (Galula) in South-West of GEA (Part VIII)
In his published book on the campaign in GEA, 1st Lieutenant Ludwig Boell listed a separate section, with 9 pages (323-332) for the time period from the 6. February to the 2. October 1917 for events of the Detachment Wintgens-Naumann. A new, so far unused primary source makes it possible to complete the, above listed three parts. The original unpublished manuscript for the above-mentioned book could be seen in the German Federal Archive in Freiburg. Boell had listed here in File No.N14/31 for the same time period for the Detachment Wintgens-Naumann, substantially more extensive, with 88 pages (2156-2244).
Image
The following 8 pages, which cover the eleven days from the 20th to the 31st March 1916 are in English translated. In my opinion it is always noticeable here very clearly, how sober and factual, without any pathos or otherwise, in other sources
usual defamation of the opponent's, Ludwig Boell resumes almost neutral and documentary his summaries on these events.
FILE NO. N14 / 31 – CHAPTER 27
_______________________________________________________________________________
PAGE – 2162 –

. . . Lieutenant-Colonel Murray, with the help of the patrols of the vanguard on the 11th of the evening, had lost contact with the enemy. In the endeavour to prevent an invasion into British territory or to avoid dodging to Bismarckburg, he had send the vanguard of Lieutenant-Colonel Tomlinson on the great road to Bismarckburg, and had even followed with the Northern Rhodesia Police and 1./1.K.A.R. from the fork to Alt-Utengule. On the 17th March, the Patrol Neumann, in the morning of the Jumben Malamba, came in contact with a forwarded detachment of Lieutenant-Colonel Tomlinson, at noon the Patrol Wahle on the majority. Both patrols were shattered, from the first one Askari, from the second patrol 2nd Lieutenant Wahle and the second European were captured wounded by the opponent.
PAGE – 2163 –
Material-Petty-Officer Neumann arrived on 17th March in the evening with a part of his patrol in St. Moritz. On the 18th, Captain Wintgens sent the 8. F.K. In the direction of the battlefield, to occupy a mountain-pass south of Nguluke, to clear up and to pick up own scattered of the clash. One and a half hours after departure, the Company came upon a messenger who delivered the report of the battle of the Patrol Wahle. Sergeant-Major Mueller sent the Petty-Officer Dautz with several Askaris towards Malamba - Mwesiimpja four hours before. The battlefield of the Patrol Neumann was found on 18.3. free from the enemy. Petty-Officer Dautz gathered scattered Askari of the Patrol Wahle, but was attacked on the 19th and was captured wounded with one Askari.
On the basis of the clashes of 17th (March), Lieutenant-Colonel Murray had made the following decision: Two companies of the Rhodesia Native Regiment and a company of the Northern Rhodesia Police turn off at Mwesiimpja from the main road and go to St. Moritz, the majority of the Northern Rhodesia Police march to Itaka and should take then the direction north and win the area west of the mission, the 1./1.K.A.R. remain at Alt-Utengule, clear up north and north-west, and are ready to intervene. Since the Lupa and the Ssongwe were currently only to be crossed on bridges, Lieutenant-Colonel Murray hoped to either encircle the Detachment Wintgens at St. Moritz or push them back to the southeast.
When, on the 19th (March), in the late evening, Askaris of the Patrol Wahle send a report to St.
Moritz that Dautz was attacked by a strong enemy, Captain Wintgens send . . .
PAGE – 2164 –
. . . order to the 8. F.K to come back immediately. In the course of the morning of the next day it became clear that a British detachment of two or three companies was on the way, which the patrol Wahle had used. Because, on the right bank of the Ssongwe, nothing of the opponents had been found, Captain Wintgens had ordered only one patrol at the steep descent, and withdrew the vanguard company to St. Moritz. The teams of the C.K. were divided on the 26. F.K. and B.K.
At noon a message arrived from the 8. F.K. that on the 19th March an enemy patrol in the march to Itaka was observed. 2:30 in the afternoon, Captain Wintgens marched into the direction of the reported enemy to attack him. About 4:00 in the afternoon, he struck 5 to 6 km south of St. Moritz on the marching opponents, who had left his retinue in a 4 km rear camp. After a brief fierce battle the enemy was defeated by the 26. F.K. and B.K. and driven back in the direction of Mwesiimpja until dark. 3 M.Gs., 50 rifles, and 30,000 cartridges were captured, 1 European was killed in action, 3 European wounded and 2 unwounded captured, 3 Askaris wounded, 2 unwounded captured. In the afternoon the, from the south coming 8. F.K. had recognized the enemy camp on the road to St. Moritz, descending from the mountains, and had turned off to the west. When the combat noise
began, the company turned to him immediately, but arrived only after the end of the battle. With her and M.G.K. Captain Wintgens went back in the evening to the mission, the 26. F.K. . .
PAGE – 2165 –
. . . and B.K. remained on the field of battle, which they searched thoroughly on the next morning. There were still found 1 fallen and unwound European, five fallen and two wounded Askari. The Platoon Hansen of the 26. F.K., who was sent to determine the remaining of the opponent found 9:00 am in the morning about 4 km from the battlefield an English hospital where apart from the medical staff and boys 4 European, Captain James and 3 Sergeants, and 16 Askari were wounded and 3 Askari were unwound together with a, on the 19th March wounded German Askari. Soon afterwards, a peace envoy (Lieutenant Trole?) arrived at the hospital to arrange the return of the British wounded. In the afternoon it was found that the enemy had entrenched himself 2 km south of the hospital. In the evening Captain Wintgens ordered withdraw of the 26. F.K. and B.K. after the combat and gave the 8. F.K. order to fire on the enemy position at night by a patrol, and to attack in the morning. The patrol which was sent in advance shelled the enemy position at 10:00 pm, but due to
the missing knowledge of the Scout, the Company missed the correct way in the complete darkness, so that Sergeant-Major Mueller was holding. Only at daybreak the 8. F.K. get back on the right path and found an intact M.G. with 4000 cartridges together with a wounded Askari. The total losses of the Column Tomlinson in the fight on 20.3. included at least two Europeans killed, 22 wounded, 5 unwound captured. The prey increased to 4 M.Gs., 35 000 cartridges. At
10:00 am, Sergeant-Major Mueller attacked the enemy . . .
PAGE – 2166 –
. . . position surprisingly from the south. He did not succeed in breaking into the trenches, but he could bring the company into a more favourable position, 20 to 50 meters before the enemy fortifications. According to the fire, the enemy was estimated at about 200 rifles and 3 M.Gs. On the report of this, Captain Wintgens directed with the majority from the St. Mission to the British hospital, and ordered the 26. F.K. and B.K., to surround the opponent after nightfall. After the replacement by the B.K. the 8.F.K. moved away to the majority. On the 23rd of March the British tried to break through the enclosure without success, but the part of B.K. lost 2 Europeans and 1 Askari dead and also from the 26. F.K. one Askari was killed in action.
On the 23rd, the last scattered Askari of the Patrol Neumann met at the same time, and reported that a hostile company was approaching through the mountains of Itaka on St. Moritz. Captain Wintgens, investigate in this, and also in the direction of Mwesiimpja. Since the area east of the Ssongwe was free from the enemy, Captain Wintgens decided to go back to the east by the Ssongwe in time, and to cross the Lupa in order to return north-west on its north bank. A patrol, which he had sent on the direct road to Iwungu, had reported that the Ssongwe was very broad and deep after the mouth into Lake Rukwa, and the transition was therefore very lengthy. On the other hand, Lieutenant-Colonel Murray had changed his plan as a result of the setback which Tomlinson had suffered, and ordered the N.R.P. . .
PAGE – 2167 –
. . . back to his position at Mwesiimpja to support Lieutenant-Colonel Tomlinson. First a company of the N.R.P. arrived with which Lieutenant-Colonel Murray advanced on the 25th to the north of Naluwe. Another company, N.R.P. had already begun the march on St. Moritz from Naluwe, and turned off on the way to the east. Initially Wintgens continue with the enclosure of Tomlinson´s Column. On the night of the 23rd to the 24th and on the 24th, the enemy developed a lively activity. On the 25th it becomes quieter. The hope that the opponent would, as a result of lack of food or ammunition did not come true. When, on the evening of the 25th, a patrol announced that a relief department of about 200 men
north of Mwalebe had arrived, Hauptmann Wintgens decided to make a last attempt with hand grenades at night. When this was not successful, he stopped the enclosure on the 26th, and took a position south of the Mission, which was expanded in the next few days. On the 27th March, a patrol determined that the enemy had arrived a position on the Itaka Street, two hours before St. Moritz, but on the 28th this position was found abandoned. On this day, the transport of the sick and food was begun in the direction of Mawanda´s.
At the same time, the 1./1.K.A.R. commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Baxter arrived by Lieutenant-
Colonel Murray
, who had now gathered his whole force 12 km south-southeast of the mission. His plan was to cut the retreat from the Detachment Wintgens . . .
PAGE – 2168 –
. . . to the east, and to put himself in the possession of the bridge at St. Moritz for this purpose. On the afternoon of the 29th he advanced with the N.R.P. and the K.A.R. to the battlefield from the 20th, about 6 km south of the Mission, to attack on the 30th. Lieutenant-Colonel Tomlinson with his two companies of the R.N.R. remained in his camp to secure the supply.
On the afternoon of the 30th, the field-watch, a quarter-hour south of the position at the Mission was pushed back after a short resistance by the N.R.P. under Captain Fair. The position was occupied from the Ssongwe River to the road from the 8. F.K., west of the road from the 26. F.K. Towards 1:00 pm the opponent went against the position of the 8. F.K. before, but could be strike back against the M.G. fire, so Captain Fair decided to stop the attack.
In the meantime Captain Wintgens had ordered the 26th F.K. and B.K. to a west-wide, comprehensive counter-attack, which was not very effective, since the enemy had already started the backward movement and was received by the majority. After all, the enemy suffered a loss of 4 dead and 15 wounded. In the night, enemy patrols advanced against the position which started with gun-fire. Lieutenant-Colonel Murray saw his intention thwarted, as the German M.Gs. dominated the apron and the German position was a strong bridgehead. He confined himself to including this bridgehead in a semicircle and to shell constantly. On the afternoon of the 31st, a German patrol, going south on the east bank, made a fire attack on the M.G. on the right English wing.
PAGE – 2169 –
Captain Wintgens ordered, to leave the positions quietly after dark. The 26th F.K. received order to disguise the march, to destroy the bridge, and to follow on the 1.4. in the evening. The Company took position, about 1000 meters to the east of the bridge and left at the bridge only a post. Informed by the abounded wounded British in St. Moritz, however, the British were already informed at the night about the departure of the Germans, so that they were already in the Mission 5:00 am. At two o'clock in the afternoon, the German post made a fire attack on a detachment which advanced against the bridge; the destruction of the bridge could only be carried out in part. A patrol still standing on the west bank was scattered 5:00 pm, 2 Askari missing. After dark, the 26. F.K. left and arrived at 2:30 pm at Mwanda's. The passage of the majority over the Lupa, somewhat below the mouth of the Sira, barked only by bark-dugouts, which were already made earlier, had been much delayed, so that the 26th F.K. On the 2.4. North-east of Mwanda´s. In the afternoon, 3:00, the enemy vanguard company appeared at Mwanda's, and started a combat with the German post.
It was observed from the post, sent by to the edge of the plateau, that the enemy, with the strength of eight companies, followed the track of the Detachment Wintgens at 2:00 pm, and at 6:00 pm camped about 3 hours before the transition point over the Lupa. On the evening of the 2.4. the crossing of the majority was finished. During the night the 26. F.K. crossed; the last German post only on the morning of the 3rd.
Detail section of the original map, which was attached to Ludwig Boell’s Book with the area around the `Clash of St. Moritz´.
Image
P.S.
How conscientious and precise Boell has pursued his life task, shows, among other things, the following. As already explained,
the British historian Charles Hordern and Ludwig Boell had extensive contact with each other since 1939, before Hordern published his official work during the Second World War in 1941. Hordern acknowledged this collaboration with (at this time, Major) Ludwig Boell also in the Preface V of his book: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id= ... 9;size=200
The detailed knowledge of Boell was so extensive that even in a number of original maps, which had been received by Hordern,
he not only supplemented the exact location of the German Companies, but even corrected the positions, not just Belgian and Portuguese units, but even British units. (As far as I know, Hordern, as Lieutenant-Colonel of the Royal Engineers did not participate in the campaign in DOA.)
A number of original maps, drawn by Boell, and sent as copies to Hordern, are also in the Individual documents of the main file
N14. In one case, already after the third correction run, Hordern wrote to Boell: `` I Hope the dispositions of the German forces are now approximately correct?´´ Image
These maps material, partly supplemented and corrected by Ludwig Boell, appeared then also in Hordern’ s book.
Now, I begin to understand slowly why Ludwig Boell needed more than 30 years for his book.
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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Re: Clash in March 1917 at St. Moritz Mission in South-West of GEA

#36

Post by Tanzania » 26 May 2017, 12:58

Let me add two photos of the main actor of this thread: Captain Max Wintgens

»Wintgens with family in hospital Rubengera«
Rubengera was a station of the Bethel missionary society, which was established in 1907, not far from Lake Kiwu.
After the beginning of the war Rubengera becomes also a Military hospital for all involved parties. On 4th October
1914 Capt. Wintgens and 2nd Lt. Lang were severely wounded during the fights near Kissenji in Ruanda. The Photo
without date it's probably taken in November or December 1914 at Rubengera on the eastern shore of Lake Kivu.
Wintgens-1.png
Original Photo Source: »Ostafrikas Heldenkampf« Pastor und Missionar Karl Roehl, Berlin 1918
http://dfg-viewer.de/show/?tx_dlf%5Bid% ... e5114509a8

The five persons left to right:
1.) . . . Mrs. Kelch ( ? )
2.) . . . Mrs. Wintgens (Imprisonment as nurse on 19.9.1916 at Tabora – Detachment Wintgens)
3.) . . . 2nd Lieutenant d.R. Emmerich Lang (Killed in action 29.10.1916 at Ngominji – Detachment Wintgens)
4.) . . . Surgeon-Major Dr. Richard Wolff (Imprisonment 2.10.1917 at Luita-Berg – Detachment Naumann)
5.) . . . Captain Max Wintgens (Imprisonment 21.4.1917 at Wilanga / Lukalanga – Detachment Wintgens)




»Max Wintgens, though increasingly sick, remained on the loose until mid 1917«
Unusual Photo from Edward Paice book: TIP && RUN
Just a guess; but because of the `P´ of the first, and the Double-barrelled Elephant-rifle of the last Askari,
maybe a Pre-War photo, captured by the White Fathers in Ruanda during the retreat of Wintgens Detachment.
Wintgens-2.png
Wintgens-2.png (471.25 KiB) Viewed 2294 times

Original Photo Source: Archives of the Society of Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers)
Missionari d'Africa, Via Aurelia 269, 00165 Roma Italia:
http://www.africamission-mafr.org/archivesdocgb.htm
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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Re: Clash in March 1917 at St. Moritz Mission in South-West of GEA

#37

Post by Tanzania » 15 Jun 2017, 16:06

The last stand of the Detachment Naumann on Luita-Berg on 2nd October 1917


In the meantime the theme of the original title of this article has expanded `slightly´ (like usual). Therefore, I supplement
something here to the last position of the `Detachment Rwanda-Wintgens-Naumann'. Years ago, I leave in various sources
about the end of this restless Detachment on the Luita mountain on 2nd October 1917 in the South of the Masasi-steppe.

After a long search, the geographical position of Luita Mountain could be found and visited last week. Before we started
with text passages from German and British primary sources, let me add some pictures for a better understanding from there.

(Because of the limited Internet access here in Tabora, I have to split all in a few smaller posts.)

Image

Original source: http://www.sahistory.org.za/sites/defau ... -_1919.pdf
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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Re: Clash in March 1917 at St. Moritz Mission in South-West of GEA

#38

Post by Tanzania » 15 Jun 2017, 16:12

View of Naumann´s last position with a cross-country tread and first time shown the online location of the Luita-Berg.
Image
Original source: https://mapcarta.com/12657046/Map



The same 2D-terrain-section-view with the Luita-Berg on Google
Image
Original source: https://www.google.de/maps/@-5.6795428, ... a=!3m1!1e3



Scenic overview on the area from the pure south. Right on the horizon the Kilimanjaro with Shira-, Uhuru- and Mwawenzi-peak.
Image
Original source: https://www.google.de/maps/@-5.7674923, ... a=!3m1!1e3
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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Re: Clash in March 1917 at St. Moritz Mission in South-West of GEA

#39

Post by Tanzania » 15 Jun 2017, 16:24

From the outset, we classified the Luita-Berg only as a `Sounding-target´. That means this location would be only a detour,
without time for deeper investigations on site or to climb on these mountains.


On the good track from Kongwa in the South to Zoissa Village, in the northern direction of Kibaya.
Image
Source: Own photo in June 2017


After 45 kilometres the Luita-Mountains come into view
Image
Source: Own photo in June 2017
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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Re: Clash in March 1917 at St. Moritz Mission in South-West of GEA

#40

Post by Tanzania » 15 Jun 2017, 16:34

Sketch of Luita Berg from Alfred J. Hiramo (?) in 1920 . . .
Image
Original source: http://www.sahistory.org.za/sites/defau ... -_1919.pdf


. . . and the comparison with the situation nowadays.
Image
Source: Own photo in June 2017
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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Re: Clash in March 1917 at St. Moritz Mission in South-West of GEA

#41

Post by Tanzania » 15 Jun 2017, 16:42

Next morning in Zoissa Village . . .
Image
Source: Own photo in June 2017


. . . and on the hike from Zoissa Village to the bottom of Luita-Berg, respectively Naumann´s last position on the Eastern saddle.
Image
Source: Own photo in June 2017
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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Re: Clash in March 1917 at St. Moritz Mission in South-West of GEA

#42

Post by Tanzania » 15 Jun 2017, 17:01

When we arrived at the bottom of Naumann´s last position, it became more clear that our decision was correct, not to rise on the
mountain due to time constraints.
Image
Source: Own photo in June 2017


View from the bottom of the Eastern saddle to the western direction with Lt. Col. Morris Camp in the right foreground.
Image
Source: Own photo in June 2017


At Midday we went back to Zoissa Village with a new impression under which circumstances all involved parties acted there at that time.

Cheers Holger Image
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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