Battle of Latema Nek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Latema Nek |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the East African Campaign (World War I) | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
|
|
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Major Georg Kraut |
 Major-General Wilfrid Malleson Brigadier-General Michael Tighe |
||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1,500–2,000 3+ machine guns |
5 battalions | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 70+ killed | 270 killed, wounded or missing | ||||||
The Battle of Latema Nek was an important fight during the East African Campaign in World War I. It took place in March 1916. British and South African forces fought against German colonial troops in what is now Tanzania.
Setting the Scene
After an earlier battle at Salaita, General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, the leader of German forces in German East Africa, made new plans. He moved his soldiers to the Latema-Reata Hills. These hills were on the path to a town called Kahe.
Major Georg Kraut led about 1,500 to 2,000 German colonial soldiers, called Schutztruppe, at these new defences. The area was tough to attack. There were two hills with a low pass, or "nek," between them. Thick bush covered the hills, making it hard to move. The open plains below offered no cover, so attackers would be easy targets.
The First Try
The attack on Latema began on March 11 at 11:45 AM. Brigadier-General Malleson led the British forces. He had many different groups of soldiers, including the King's African Rifles and the Baluchis.
General Malleson ordered his men to attack Latema Hill straight on. It was impossible to go around the sides because of the very thick bush and a swamp. The British soldiers faced heavy fire from German rifles, machine guns, and small cannons. They were forced to pull back. Because of illness, General Malleson was replaced by Brigadier-General Michael Tighe. The attack started again at 2 PM but was stopped about 1,000 yards from the German lines.
The Second Try
At 4 PM, more soldiers arrived. These were the 5th South African Regiment. The new commander, General Tighe, ordered a second attack to start at 5 PM. This time, the Rhodesian Regiment led the way.
Again, the attacking soldiers could not reach their goal. They suffered many losses, including the commander of the King's African Rifles. Some small groups of attackers reached the top of the hills as it got dark. But German counter-attacks pushed them back. General Tighe sent in half of the 5th South African Regiment as backup. Even with these new soldiers, the British forces had to retreat again.
General Jan Smuts, the overall commander, sent the 7th South African Regiment to help. They arrived around 8 PM. A new plan was made: the two South African Regiments, who were fresh, would attack the Nek at night using bayonets.
The Final Push
The third and last attack began at 9:15 PM. It was very dark, making the fight even harder. The 5th Regiment led the charge, with the 7th Regiment right behind them. This time, the South Africans fought their way up both hills. They pushed the Germans back to the Nek itself.
In the darkness, many soldiers got lost and went back to their starting points. But some soldiers from the King's African Rifles and the Rhodesians, who had been separated earlier, rejoined the fight. Two officers, Lieutenant-Colonel Freeth and Major Thompson, managed to hold onto the tops of Latema and Reata hills.
General Tighe couldn't see what was happening in the dark. Fearing many losses, he ordered a retreat at 4:20 AM. However, when patrols went to tell the soldiers to pull back, they found Freeth and Thompson holding the hills. The Germans had already started to retreat! General Smuts sent more soldiers to secure the area.
What Happened Next
After the battle, the German forces pulled back to Lake Kahe to set up new defences. Lieutenant-Colonel Freeth and Major Thompson were given special awards, the Distinguished Service Order, for their brave actions. General Tighe stayed in command of his division. The British had won an important victory.
