Battle of Kibata facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Kibata
Part of East African Campaign
Date 14 October 1916 – 6 January 1917 Location Kibata, German East Africa Result British victory German withdraw
Belligerents
German Empire German East Africa	British Empire  United Kingdom  South Africa  India Nyasaland
Commanders and leaders
Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck	Jan Smuts Henry O'Grady
Strength
Unknown	Unknown

The Battle of Kibata was an important fight during World War I. It took place in East Africa, near a town called Kilwa. This battle was part of a larger effort by the British to control German East Africa, which is now Tanzania.

British forces, led by General Jan Smuts from South Africa, wanted to stop German soldiers from moving further south. The battle lasted for several months, from October 1916 to January 1917. In the end, the British won, and the German troops had to retreat.

What Happened at Kibata?

On October 14, 1916, British soldiers arrived at Kibata. They found the fort there empty because the German soldiers had already moved to the nearby hills.

German Attack on Kibata

On December 6, 1916, the main German army, led by General Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck, attacked Kibata. They pushed the British soldiers out of their smaller outposts. The British troops had to fall back to two strongholds, called redoubts, on Picquet Hill, just north of Kibata.

The German army used powerful guns to bombard these British redoubts. One of their big guns came from a sunken German warship called the SMS Königsberg. After the shelling, German soldiers tried to attack the redoubts directly. However, the British defenders fought hard and pushed them back.

Trench Warfare in Africa

One German group dug themselves into a position on the western side of Picquet Hill. This spot was named the "Lodgement." By this time, the British soldiers were well dug-in too. They had built trenches and defenses on a series of small hills near Kibata.

The German troops, however, had heavy artillery on the higher hills surrounding the area. The fighting became very intense, much like the trench warfare seen in Europe. Even new British recruits quickly learned how to survive the constant shelling.

British Counter-Attack

On the night of December 15, 1916, British forces launched their own attack. They targeted the German Lodgement position near their redoubts. For the first time in East Africa, British soldiers used Mills bombs, which were hand grenades.

The German soldiers were forced to retreat. Soldiers from the King's African Rifles, supported by machine gunners, then took control of the Lodgement.

End of the Battle

On January 1, 1917, two large British howitzer guns arrived at Kibata. These powerful guns belonged to the 14th Howitzer Battery. Their arrival meant that the Germans no longer had hope of destroying the British forces there.

What Happened After Kibata?

A few days after the howitzers arrived, the German army began to pull back. They moved six of their nine fighting groups away from Kibata. These troops were sent north to help fight General Smuts' main British army, which was trying to cross the Rufiji River.

On January 6, 1917, Brigadier General Henry de Courcy O'Grady ordered a full advance. The Askari soldiers from the King's African Rifles quickly took control of the hilltops that the Germans had previously held. This marked the end of the Battle of Kibata, with a British victory.