Battle of Mahiwa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Mahiwa
Part of East African campaign (World War I)
Indian mountain battery in action at Nyangao against Mahiwa
Date 15–18 October 1917 Location Mahiwa, German East Africa Result German victory
Belligerents
German Empire German East Africa	British Empire  India Nigeria  South Africa
Commanders and leaders
Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck Kurt Wahle	Sir Jacob van Deventer
Strength
3,000 men	5,000-6,000 men
Casualties and losses
500–600 killed and wounded	2,700 killed and wounded

The Battle of Mahiwa was a major fight during World War I in East Africa. It happened between German forces and soldiers from the British Empire. This included troops from South Africa and Nigeria.

The battle took place in October 1917, near a place called Mahiwa in what was then German East Africa. German General Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck led his troops against an army commanded by British Lieutenant General Jacob van Deventer.

The Germans won this battle, causing many losses for the British forces. However, the Germans also lost a lot of their own soldiers. This forced them to leave their positions and keep fighting a different kind of war.

Why the Battle of Mahiwa Happened

Before the battle, a German force led by Kurt Wahle was separated from General Lettow-Vorbeck's main army. The British saw this as a chance to trap Wahle's soldiers.

Their plan was to send Nigerian troops to attack Wahle from the side. Then, a larger group of British soldiers would attack from the front. This way, they hoped to surround the German force.

How the Battle of Mahiwa Unfolded

On October 15, three groups of Nigerian soldiers attacked Wahle's troops at a place called Nyangao. General Lettow-Vorbeck quickly sent more German soldiers to help Wahle.

These extra German troops fought hard against the Nigerians. The Nigerian soldiers soon faced being surrounded and suffered many losses.

A bigger British force arrived to attack the Germans from another direction. But the Germans were ready. On October 16, they moved back about 2 miles (3 km) to a ridge at Mahiwa and dug in.

The Germans held their ground against the new British attacks. On October 17 and 18, they even launched their own counter-attacks. This forced the British to retreat, having lost many soldiers.

What Happened After the Battle of Mahiwa

The British forces were defeated and had heavy losses. They lost over 2,700 soldiers. This was a very tough defeat for them.

General Von Lettow-Vorbeck's German army also suffered significant losses. They lost between 500 and 600 soldiers. This was more than 30% of their fighting force.

The Germans had very few supplies left. After four days of fighting, they had used almost all their modern ammunition. This meant they had to start using older rifles that needed different, less powerful cartridges.

With low supplies and fearing another attack, General von Lettow-Vorbeck decided to leave German East Africa. He planned to invade Portuguese East Africa instead. He hoped to capture supplies from the Portuguese army there to keep his forces going.