PROGRESS OF THE EAST AFRICAN CAMPAIGN

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 64, 15 March 1916, Page 5

PROGRESS OF THE EAST AFRICAN CAMPAIGN

GERMANS DRIVEN 'FROM THE BRITISH FRONTIER. NATIVE TROOPS FUSE BEFORE THE BAYONET. The High Commissioner cables under date of London, March 14:— The British commander in East Africa, General Smuts, reports that an action commenced on Saturday against the German position in the Kitovo Hills, west of Taveta, where an obstinate struggle was continued Until midnight with wavering fortunes. The hills are densely wooded and steep, and are held by the enemy in strong force. A portion of the positions was taken and retaken several times. There was a final attack with the bayonet, and two parties, led by Colonel Freeth and Major Thompson, securing a hold maintained it until reinforced in the morning, when the German native troops were seen streaming away towards Kahc, in a south-westerly direction. y During the engagement, the Kitovo Mounted Brigade was engaged in clearing the foothills north-east of Kilima Njaro of the enemy's forces which were cut off from the main body by the rapid British advance. The movements in progress bar the retreat of these isolated-forces -westward. A strong column from the direction of Longsdo has appeared on the Ai-usha Moshi Road, at the rear of the main German concentration. The enemy, in consequence, is retreating southwards towards the Usambara railway. The pursuit is being continued. The failure of the first campaign against German East Africa, due to inadequate forces being landed and to grave misconceptions as to the strength and munitionment of the Germans, was followed by a raid upon British territory to the north, several of our frontier posts being captured. General Smith Dorrien's appointment to the command of the campaign was signalised by a large increase in the number of troops available, and he Ifad the" enemy on the run towards the frontier when illness compelled him to relinquish liis command. As might have been expected, General Smuts is throwing a great ideal of energy into the campaign, and he is rapidly clearing the frontier preparatory to sweeping the enemy back. The rainy season is just commencing in East Africa, and from now on the problem of transport will be a difficult one.- A traveller who recently arrived in Xatalfrom Zanzibar gave some in-' teresting details of the campaign. Hβ said that in Nairobi it was not now expected that any German attack would be organised against British territory. The nearest scene of hostilities to Nairobi—a piece called Kajiado—was seventy miles away, being a station on the branch line on the Uganda railway, and the Germane had Vieen driven away from that place. The traveller, however, had little information regarding the actual operations. ■ As far : as he could gather there were 3,500 Europeans and about 10,000 Askaris, or trained tribeemen. The Europeans had all gone through a military training between the ages of 18 and 21 years, but they were mostly settlers, and it is hardly likely that they would run the risk of losjng their farms by giving effective opposition. It was difficult to definitely ascertain, but it was estimated that the European troops included about a thousand regulars.- Some of the Askaris made good soldiers, but it was not anticipated -that they would make much of a stand against white troops. They had been driven to fighting by force by the Germans, and had been told that the British were beaten. But th.c traveller was confident that, after the first defeat they sustained, the Askaris would desert or surrender.