Order of Battle DOA 1914-18

[Chris Dale]

I've been contacted by a guy designing a computer wargame of the German East African campaign 1914-18. He's asked me "Do you have any information (or know a place to look for it) for the various sides' orders of battle at the "start" of 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918 (either January or after end of Rain season in April or May). I found enough information for 1914, but did not stumble on the other years".

Can anyone help? I realise it's a very big question but even rough answers would help make the game more accurate.

Cheers
Chris

[Tanzania]

Good morning Chris

Of course, there exists enough Information about different ”Order of Battle(s) GEA 1914-1918”.

However, I do not know whether all this information is available in one source for all battles and
skirmishes, for all years, online or in analogy format. Probably not.

But there is a difference between a proof of the strength of all units in the respective year or the
Order of Battle for a specific battle. There have of course been several battles and skirmishes at
the same time within a year.

It would be helpful to ask this guy if he have any idea, which year and which battle. It would also
be helpful to find out how deeply he wants to go into detail, troop units, units, total strength,
positions with the enemy and his own units, etc.

For example, the British Military historian Charles Hordern have some `Order of Battle´ raised,
for 1914-1916 and which are online available:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id= ... =1up&seq=1

Cheers Holger

[Tanzania]

The book from, "Paul the Benevolent" (as First-Lieutenant Erich Müller used to called him) is also online
available. The different fights are shown and described as sketches. Maybe a help as an introduction.

My reminiscences of East Africa, Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck,
British Version: Hurst and Blackett Ltd., page 98, London 1922.
https://ia802708.us.archive.org/8/items ... ttuoft.pdf



By the way; - this, and many other books, are blocked (forbidden) in Germany via Project Gutenberg.
https://block.pglaf.org/germany.shtml

[sarcasm] The arguments are of course the copyrights, and not the pressure of the German
government to follow the ``political correctness´´ and to re-educate the population. It also has
absolutely nothing to do with the fact that all street signs with this name in Germany have been
removed. In his book, this typical Prussian officer did not sufficiently appreciate the legitimate
rights of women, gender, disabled and non-European foreigners. [/sarcasm]

(No comment).jpg

Cheers Holger

[AvalonDigital]

Many thanks for the information (I just managed to login)

I was thinking some list of units was available somewhere in any kind of compendium so there was no need to read a whole book to get every single company or bataillon...

The plan is to allow to quickly create the setup for 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918 for my future digital game (Heia Safari)

[Tanzania]

Bonjour Avalon,

Welcome to the AHF. Funny; - A French and a German discuss the East African campaign of the 1st WW in English.

To get an objective overview of what was happening, you would have to read not just one book, but dozens.
Africa, and especially East Africa, was only a secondary theatre of war during the 1st World War with very special backgrounds and proportions.

While hundreds of thousands were involved in a battle in Europe, in Africa in most cases there were only company-strength battles.

I still don't have a clear idea of how you want to implement this in the game if the outcome of a fight in the past was actually determined.

Could that mean that in your game the `Entente Cordiale´ has to lay down its arms on November 25th, 1918, and the German Empire receives the mandate over the opposing colonies; - Interesting 'what-if' idea.

(Certainly there would have been no Nazis and also no Second World War with 60 million deaths.)

If you are interested, I could send you a list of German and enemy units for a specific engagement or battle; - However, you will still have to read through other documents.

If you know what year and what battle, send me a message and I'll send you a list.

Cheers Holger