GERMAN BASE CAPTURED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16022, 14 September 1915, Page 8

GERMAN BASE CAPTURED

EAST AFRICA*" CAMPAIGN.

TWO DAYS' FIGHTING.

CONDITIONS IN THE TROPICS.

A brilliant success achieved by the British forces engaged in the campaign against the Germans in East Africa was announced by the Government Press Bureau at the end of June. The official message stated that as the enemy's troops had been active at the Uganda border, to the west of Victoria Nyanza, it was decided to destroy their base at Bukoba, on the western shore of the lake. Detachments of the Royal Fusiliers, the Loyal North Lancashires, and the King's "African Rifles, under Brigadier J. M- Stewart, left Kisum, and, aided by armed steamers, met with Brilliant success. The fort, the wireless station, many boats, and two machine-guns were destroyed. A field gun and many rifles were captured. Particulars of these operations have been given by a former resident of Waihi, who is serving with the 25th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, in a letter written to his wife while in hospital at Mombasa for a minor operation. ,He states that the attack on Bukoba was* made by 300 men of the Royal Fusiliers, and similar detachments of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, King's African Rifles (natives with white officers), East African Mounted Rifles, mountain battery, and the guns of the three ships that conveyed the force across Lake Victoria Nyanza. "Our biggest ship's gun was a 4.7," he continues, "but, unfortunately, we had no bluejackets to handle them, and the soldiers were not accustomed to swaying platforms, so that their firing was erratic. After two days' fighting we took the place, thanks to the; simply splendid snooting of the mountain battery. "Thirteen men were killed and a similar number wounded, most of, the casualties being due to snipers. They used every kind of forbidden ammunition," the letter states. "Finally, on the, second day, we had to advance across a fairly open plain bisected by a swamp, with a small river in the centre, and they had good cover in the reeds and bananas. We blew up their wireless station, burned the Government buildings, comprising prison and post office, and the governor's house. Every house had stacks of ammunition in it; we destroyed 32,000 rounds of small arm ammunition alone, besides shells galore for their big gun, which we took, though they had taken away the breech-piece." The concluding portion of the letter suggests a striking contrast between the conditions of this campaign and of others in which British forces are engaged. "The climate here is wonderful, considering it is so very close to the line," the writer remarks. "The heat is tempered by the prevailing winds blowing off the shows of Kilimangaro, 19,000 ft high. We are some 90 miles away, but it does not look so far. The plain and the vegetation are drying and becoming yellow, though when we first came here the wild flowers of all sorts and colours were splendid, and the wild honeysuckle had a lovely perfume. We are right on the big game reserve, and buck and antelope of all sort* and sizes are in herds, not to mention herds of zebra, ostriches, buffalos lions, leopards—but not elephants—l and lots of small game, but we common soldiers are not allowed to shoot worse luck." '