Tabora offensive

Tabora Offensive
Part of the East African Campaign of World War I

Map of the Tabora Offensive
DateApril–September 1916
Location
Tabora, German East Africa
(modern-day Tanzania)
5°01′00″S 32°48′00″E / 5.0167°S 32.8000°E / -5.0167; 32.8000
Result Allied victory
Belligerents

Belgium Belgium

 British Empire

 German Empire

Commanders and leaders
Belgian Congo Charles Tombeur
Belgian Congo Frederik-Valdemar Olsen
Belgian Congo Philippe Molitor
South Africa Charles Crewe		 Kurt Wahle[1]
Max Wintgens[2][a]
Erich von Langenn-Steinkeller[2]
Strength
Belgian Congo Force Publique:
- 12,000 soldiers[b]
South Africa Lakeforce:
- 2,800 soldiers
- 10,000 porters[c]		 Schutztruppe:
- c. 8,000 soldiers[d]
- Unknown number of porters

The Tabora Offensive (April–September 1916[1]) was an Anglo-Belgian offensive into German East Africa, which ended with the Battle of Tabora in the north-west of German East Africa (modern-day Tanzania), it was part of the East African Campaign in World War I. The forces of the Belgian Congo crossed the border with German East Africa and captured the port city of Kigoma and the city of Tabora (the largest town in the interior of the German colony). In August a smaller Lake Force under the command of the South African brigadier general Crewe, launched a parallel attack from Uganda, also aimed at taking Tabora.[e][5] The completion of the Tabora Offensive not only left much of the Ruanda-Urundi territory under Belgian military occupation but gave the Allies control of the important Tanganjikabahn railway.[6][7]

  1. ^ a b Tucker 2014, p. 1529.
  2. ^ a b Paice 2009, pp. 224–227, 242–243.
  3. ^ a b Strachan (2004), p. 152.
  4. ^ Strachan (2004), p. 150.
  5. ^ Strachan, H. (2001). The First World War: To Arms. I. New York: Oxford University Press.
  6. ^ 1916–1917 "Tabora-Mahenge, The Congo and the war", klm-mra.be
  7. ^ Paice, E. (2009) [2007]. Tip and Run: The Untold Tragedy of the Great War in Africa (Phoenix ed.). London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 978-0-7538-2349-1.


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