Battle of Gurin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Gurin
Part of the Kamerun campaign in World War I
Date 29 April 1915 Location Gurin, Nigeria Result British victory
Belligerents
British Empire British Nigeria	Germany German Kamerun
Commanders and leaders
Cap. Derek Pawle  † Lt. Joseph F. J. Fitzpatrick	Cap. von Crailsheim Cap. Schipper
Strength
42	350–400
Casualties and losses
13	45

The Battle of Gurin happened on April 29, 1915. It was part of the Kamerun campaign during World War I. The battle took place in Gurin, which was then part of British Nigeria. This area was very close to the border with German Kamerun.

This fight was one of the biggest times that German forces entered the British colony. In the end, the British successfully pushed back the German attack.

Why the Battle Happened

By April 1915, most British soldiers were in southern and central Kamerun. This left a large part of the Nigerian border with the German colony almost unprotected.

Before this battle, German forces had tried to capture the main German outpost in northwestern Kamerun. This happened during the First Battle of Garua in August 1914, but they failed. Because of this, the German soldiers in the area could move around quite freely.

Captain von Crailsheim was the German commander at Garua. He used this freedom to lead several raids into British Nigeria. In late April, Captain von Crailsheim's group joined with a smaller group led by Captain Schipper. Their goal was to attack the village of Gurin. Gurin was located just inside the Nigerian border.

The village of Gurin had one round fort to protect it. A group of 42 men, mostly police officers, defended the fort. Their leader was Captain Derek Pawle.

The Battle Begins

The battle started at sunrise on April 29, 1915. The German force surrounded the fort at Gurin and began their attack.

Early in the fight, the British commander, Captain Pawle, was killed. This meant that Lieutenant Joseph F. J. Fitzpatrick had to take over and lead the fort's defense. The Germans used five machine guns. These powerful weapons caused damage to the fort's defenses.

Even though the Germans had many more soldiers and better weapons, they could not capture the fort at Gurin. Around midday, after seven hours of fighting, von Crailsheim and his soldiers left Gurin.

The British lost 13 men in the battle. This was about 30% of their total force. The German side lost 40 African soldiers and 5 European soldiers.

What Happened Next

After the battle, Captain Schipper took the wounded German soldiers south. Captain von Crailsheim led the rest of the German troops back to Garua. British forces tried to stop the returning German units, but they were not successful.

The battle was technically a loss for the Germans. However, von Crailsheim did manage to cause many casualties for the British. He also surprised British military leaders by crossing deep into their territory.

The fight at Gurin made the Allied commander in western Kamerun, Colonel Cunliffe, worried. He was concerned about how easily the German force at Garua could move around. Allied forces had not seriously fought the German garrison there since the First Battle of Garua in August 1914.

The Battle of Gurin led to another attempt by British and French forces to finally capture the German forts at Garua. This later conflict became known as the Second Battle of Garua.