German losses DSWA 1914-15

[Peter H]

From: http://www.klausdierks.com/FrontpageMain.html

The German Schutztruppe (3 497 men, of whom 1 331 have been killed) surrender to SA troops near Khorab (situated 500 km from Swakopmund at the Swakopmund-Tsumeb railway line).

Governor Seitz is allowed to stay at Grootfontein and moves later, until the end of World War One, to a farm in the Khomashochland. The Schutztruppe commander, Erich Victor Carl August Franke, is interned on Okawayo, northeast of Karibib.

The reservists of the Schutztruppe are allowed to go home. The active troops as well as the police are interned at Aus (1 552 soldiers and policemen who are guarded by approximately 600 South Africans). Here in a virtual no mans land east of Aus and north of the railway line to Seeheim, the prisoners-of-war construct a model camp, utilising their meagre resources. They are kept imprisoned until April 1919. When the Great Flu epidemic struck in October and November 1918 the average number of prisoners is 1 438 and the guards around 600. A total of sixty guards and sixty-five prisoners die during the epidemic.

Dr Dierks figures suggest that:

4,828 Germans had served in the Schutztruppe., i.e 3,497 surrended,1331 dead.This suggests a nearly one third death rate.Medical facilities for the wounded would have been primitive at best as well?

Of the 3,497 that surrended,1552 were regulars(interned) and 1945 were reservists(released).

Interesting that the Spanish Flu also claimed 65 German Pows.

[Chris Dale]

Hi Peter,
Thanks for the information. You're right a one third death rate sounds very high indeed. I'm sure there's some figure that's not been included, possibly POWs captured before the final surrender?
Cheers
Chris

[|AXiN|]

While this is far from an area I can claim knowledge on, the wording of the document suggests to me that the Schutztruppe was originally 3497 men and 1331 of them were dead at the time of surrender, meaning 2166 went into captivity, and only 614 were reservists.

[Chris Dale]

You're right it does read that way. I'm just wondering if they made a mistake somehow as the figure seems so high.
Cheers
Chris

[Peter H]

While this is far from an area I can claim knowledge on, the wording of the document suggests to me that the Schutztruppe was originally 3497 men and 1331 of them were dead at the time of surrender, meaning 2166 went into captivity, and only 614 were reservists.

Agree,reminds me not to post too late at night.

The Deutscher Kolonial-Atlas mit Jahrbuch 1918 has this to say on potentional German manpower in DSWA 1914:

In Deutsch-Südwestafrika the white Schutztruppe of almost 1,800 men, in addition the police force of 500 white dependents could be disposed of. In addition reservists c. 3,500 strong could be mobilized from the settler population.

This is about 5,800 men.Add Maritz's 700 Boers and your talking about 6,500 men available in uniform.

The remnant force in mid 1915 of 2164 men suggests that the bulk of the reservists had already surrended.These reservists most likely had been in static defense roles,were too old to march thru the bush and desert etc.I assume these men were held in captivity and then pardoned after July 1915.

Maritz's Boers had obviously scattered as well by early 1915.