Artillery in the colonies 1914

[Timm Haasler]

Hi Chris,

A really nice image of a gun of the Marine Feld Batterie and thanks for the interesting links. Below I have attached another image from a field exercise in Tsingtau. I'm not sure if the gun is one of Marine Feld Batterie, because it is a very small gun. Is it possible that the gun belonged to one of the landing platoons of the heavy cruisers that were sited at Tsingtau?

Best regards,
Timm

[Tanzania]

Good morning Timm,

I think Chris can answer your question in a better way, if you post a bigger section.

I am not an expert in this, but it raised the question if these guns belonged to the landing platoons of the Cruisers;
who provide general the draught animals? I expected that horses are not on the ships.

Cheers Holger

[Chris Dale]

Yes, a bigger picture would be great if possible.

The Marine Feld Batterie at Tsingtao used Mules and Chinese ponies, both locally sourced... you're right Holger not many horses were ever taken from Germany to China by ship.

Cheers
Chris

Notice the mules' large ears!

[Chris Dale]

Chinese pony... note also the curved artillery sword, showing him to be from the Marine Feld Batterie.

[Timm Haasler]

Hi Chris,

Sorry for my late reply. Here is the larger scan of the same scene, showing the gun.

Best regards,
Timm

[Chris Dale]

Thanks for posting the larger picture. Very interesting. I don't think they are Marine Feld Batterie, which was a unit attached to the III. Seebataillon. From the uniforms, I would think they are naval sailors, Matrosen. I'm not sure what the gun is. Does anyone else know more?
Cheers
Chris

[danebrog]

Would suggest a 6-cm Boots-Landungskanone?

[Bildberichter]

Some of the German Colonial pieces identified:

4,7-cm Krupp Desert Gun:



Seen here in DOA:





This was probably an older model breech loader that fired a common shell with a bag of black powder as propellant.

[Bildberichter]

3,7-cm Krupp Schnellfeuerkanone (quick firing gun) L/30 on Krupp-Grusonwerke carriage:



In the colonies:







These guns used common and case shot with a smokeless powder charge in a brass cartridge:

[Bildberichter]

It seems there was also one of these guns photographed in the Rufidji River Delta mounted on a different type carriage, but the original DOA and Krupp catalogue photos are not very clear...

[Bildberichter]

4,7-cm (3 pd) Hotchkiss quick firing gun on naval cone or other fixed mounting:
(These came from the tug “Adjutant”)



In DOA:







These also used smokeless propellant and brass cartridge cases:

[Bildberichter]

6-cm- Bootslandungskanonen L/21 quick firing gun on naval landing carriage with or without a shield:
(Brought to DOA by SS Rubens in 1915)



In Africa:









This was also a quick firing gun with brass cartridge ammunition, but the shells were not fixed to the cartridge cases:






(Not a colonial photo!)

[Bildberichter]

6 and 6.5-cm Krupp Mountain and Desert guns:

Krupp made a variety of these, and since the colonial photos of these guns are non existent or not very clear we can only speculate which models they were...

[danebrog]

Excellent contribution, Bildberichter!
FINALLY the mysterious 4.7-cm gun is identified (as Wuestenkanone)

One of the Krupp 3.7-cm QF guns captured in 1914 survived and is now on display in front of the Mangochi police office
Will add some suff about that soon

all the best
Olli

[danebrog]

Holger Kotthaus and me spent several years at the Panzer Archiv Forum to trace the fate of the guns during the war. Unfortunately most of the information collected there is lost due to an unannounced and sudden shutdown in May 2018

Artilleriebestand Schutztruppe DOA 1914 – 1918

A-At hand in 1914
8 x 3,7 cm Revolverk „Hotchkiss“
11 x 3,7-cm SK „Krupp"
2 x 4,0-cm SK „Krupp“
3 x 4,7-cm SK
2 x 6,0-cm-Kolonial-Kanone „Krupp“
10 x Feldkanone C/73
36

B-reactivated guns
1 x 6,5-cm Gebirgskanone
1 x 15-cm Ringkanone „SMS Bismarck“
2

C-From Navy / Blockade Runners

„SMS Königsberg“
1 x 6-cm-Bootslandungskanone – 05.08.1914
2 x 8,8-cm-SK – 05.09.1914
10 x 10.5 cm SK – ab Juli 1915

"SMS Möwe" – 05.09.1914
3 x 3,7 cm Revolverkanone

"SS Rubens" (Sperrbrecher A / Kronborg) – 18.02.1915
2 x 6-cm- Bootslandungskanonen

"SS Marie" – 16.03.1916
2 x 7,5-cm-Gebirgskanone Krupp L/14 M1912
4 x 10,5-cm Feld-Haubitze m.98/09
22

D-captured guns
3 x 4,7-cm-Kanonen Hotchkiss*** "Adjudant" – 06.02.1915 Rufiji
2 x 7,62-cm-Maxim-Nordenfeldt (brit) -- 29.10.1916 Ngominji
1 x 7,0-cm-St. Chamond** (belg) -– 14.09.1916 Itaga
2 x 7,0-cm- Schneider-Canet 1906 (port) -- 01.12.1916 Newala,
1 x 3,7cm Hotchkiss RK (portugiesisch) -- 10.12.1916 Tschianga
1 x 7,5-cm Vickers-Maxim QF 2,95“ Pack Howitzer (brit) -- 16.10.1917 Njangao
1 x 3,7-cm Kanone (port) -- 01.12.1917 Namapa POA
1 x 4,5-cm „Leichtgeschütz“ (port) -- 17.07.1918 Mubeya POA
1 x 3" Stokes Mörser (brit) -- 22.07.1918 Nyamirue POA
13

E-captured - not used
1 x 7,0-cm-St. Chamond (belgisch) blown up – 14.09.1916 Itaga
2 x 7,0-cm- Schneider-Canet 1906 (portugiesisch) w/o breech – 01.12.1916, Newala,
2 x 7,0-cm Gebirgskanone (britisch) left behind – 01.05.1918 Koronje POA
2 x 7,0-cm- Schneider-Canet 1906 (portugiesisch) w7o breech – 01.06.1918, Kokosani POA
7

TOTAL 80


Verlustliste

Date- Type- Location

1914
05.Aug - C/73 -- Dar es Salaam
05.Aug - C/73 -- Dar es Salaam
13.Aug - 4,0-cm -- Sphinxhaven „Herrmann“
09.Sept - 3,7-cm SK -- Kaporo
09.Sept - 3.7-cm SK -- Kaporo

1915
06.Mär - 3,7-cm Hotchk -- Speke-Golf „Muansa“
21.Mär - 10,5-cm SK -- Kahe
23.Juni - C/73 -- Bukoba
26.Dez - 3,7-cm Hotchk --Tanganjika „Kingani“

1916
09.Feb - 3,7-cm Hotchk -- Tanganjika „Hedwig“
09.Feb. - 4,7-cm -- Tanganjika „Hedwig“
22.Mär - 6,0-cm -- Latema Nek
16.Mai - C/73 -- Njawarongo
18.Mai - 10,5-cm SK -- Kondoa-Irangi
06.Juni - 6,0-cm -- Mombo
06.Juni - 4,7-cm -- Sane-Paß, Langenburg
10.Juni - 3,7-cm SK -- Ukerewe
10.Juni - 3,7-cm SK -- Ukerewe
15.Juni - C/73 -- Gitega
15.Juni - 3,7-cm Hotchk -- Kwediboma b. Pongwe
15.Juni - 3,7-cm Hotchk -- Misungwi/Bukoba
24.Juni - 3,7-cm SK -- Lukigura
26.Juni - 6,5-cm -- Niakassu
03.Juli - 6,0-cm -- Kato
03.Juli - 4,7-cm -- Busirajombe
14.Juli - 10,5-cm SK -- Muansa
15.Juli - 4,7-cm -- Segera-Berg
24.Juli - 10,5-cm Haubitze -- Malangali
28.Juli - 4,0-cm -- Kigoma
28.Juli - 3,7-cm Hotchk -- Kassaba
28.Juli - 3,7-cm Hotchk -- Kassaba
01.Aug - 15-cm RK -- Dar es Salaam
15. Aug - 10,5-cm SK -- Bagamojo
15.Aug - 3,7-cm Hotchk -- Bagamojo
24.Aug - 8,8-cm -- Mlali
30. Aug - 10,5-cm SK -- Morogoro
02.Sept - 10,5-cm SK -- Korogwe
11.Sept - 3,7-cm SK -- Dutumi,
11.Sept - C/73 -- Dutumi
14.Sept - C/73 -- Tabora/Itaga
14.Sept - C/73 -- Tabora/Itaga
18.Sept - 10,5-cm SK – Tabora/Itaga
22.Sept - 3,7cm SK -- Tabora/Sikonge
22 Sept - 3,7cm Hotchk -- Tabora
22.Sept - 7,0-cm (belg) -- Tabora
30.Okt - 6,0-cm -- Mkapira
01.Nov - 7,6-cm -- (brit) Ngominji
07.Nov - 3,7-cm – Revolverk Malangali
17.Nov - 7,6-cm – (brit) Lupembe
26.Nov - 10,5-cm Haubitze – Ilembule

1917
01.Jan - 10,5-cm Haubitze -- Tschimbe
15.Jan - 10,5-cm SK -- Kibata
24.Jan - 8,8-cm SK -- Likuyu
11.Mär - 3,7-cm Hotchk (port) -- Mingojo/Rovuma
01 Apr - 3,7-cm SK -- St. Moritz (Rukwa-See)
01.Aug - 7,0-cm (belg) -- Mpopa
09.Aug - 3,7-cm SK -- Ssoissa
09.Aug - 3,7-cm SK -- Ssoissa
15. Aug - 3,7-cm Hotchk -- Mpepo
06.Okt - 7,0-cm (port) -- Mbemkuru
16. Okt - 4,7-cm -- Njangao
16.Okt - C/73 -- Luwegu
27.Okt - 10,5-cm SK -- Mahiwa
28.Okt - 10,5-cm SK -- Massassi
17.Nov - 10,5.cm Haubitze -- Njambindinga
17.Nov - 7,5-cm (brit) -- Njambindinga
18.Nov. - 7,5-cm -- Kitangari
28.Nov - 6,0-cm -- Rovuma
28.Nov - 3,7-cm SK – Rovuma

1918
01.Mai - 7,5-cm -- PEA
22.Mai - 3,7-cm SK (port) -- Makoti
??.Juli - 4,5-cm (port) -- Kokosani
31.Okt - 3” Stokes (brit) -- Fife
25.Nov - 7,0-cm (port) – Abercorn

known surviving guns today
10,5-cm SK – Jinja (Uganda)
10,5-cm SK – Mombasa (Kenia)
10,5-cm SK – Pretoria (South Africa)
8,8-cm SK – Johannesburg (South Africa)
3,7-cm SK – Mangochi (Malawi)
7,6-cm (Brit.) – Lupembe (Tanzania)
unknown makeshift – Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)