CHAPTER XII

LUKULEDI

The position at this moment was approximately as follows. After the taking of Nahungu on the 28th September it had become evident to the British Command that it was not possible to feed and supply all the troops assembled in that area, and the Nigerian Brigade was accordingly given a week’s rations, and with Major Pretorius acting as its guide, was bidden to march across country, by such tracks as it could find, to join up with “Linforce” on the Lindi-Massassi road. This was a somewhat perilous adventure, for, though the Nigerian Brigade carried with them only a week’s rations, it was anticipated that this cross-country march would probably occupy a period of at least ten days. The area about to be traversed, moreover, was very little known, and no exact information was forthcoming concerning the numbers or the disposition of the enemy’s troops between the Mbemkuru River and the Lindi-Massassi road. In Major Pretorius, however, the Nigerians possessed a tower of strength. This remarkable man, who in peace-time had been a professional elephant-hunter, not only knew the highways and byways of British and German East Africa more intimately than any other living soul, but had established over the native population a species of hypnotic influence. Though von Lettow-Vorbeck had placed a price upon his head, and though from time to time some unusually daring person had the hardihood and the imprudence to attempt to earn it, the gang of native toughs and scalawags whom he gathered around him and who aided him in his scouting, regarded him with an almost superstitious reverence and served him with unshakable fidelity. On this occasion he piloted the Nigerians across country, by footpaths and through the bush, for a distance of more than fifty miles as the crow flies, and brought them safely to their destination, though in the course of their march they had one very severe encounter with the enemy in which one of their battalions sustained heavy casualties.

Ever since they began their march inland from Lindi, the troops composing “Linforce,” with which the Nigerian Brigade had now joined up, had experienced persistent and very effective resistance from the enemy in the difficult, hilly country through which the Lindi-Massassi road runs; and at the time of the arrival of the Nigerians they had only succeeded in progressing along this highway for a distance of about thirty miles from their base. The enemy troops opposing them, like those which were resisting the advance of “Hanforce,” were based upon von Lettow-Vorbeck’s General Headquarters, which, as we have seen, were established at Massassi; and to the security of this place the advance of the converging British columns was now presenting a constantly increasing menace.

Von Lettow-Vorbeck, at the time of the arrival of No. 1 Column at the mission station at Mnero, was reported to be at Ruwanga, a spot in the centre of the base of a roughly isosceles triangle whereof the sides are formed respectively by the Mbemkuru River and the road from Mbemba to Ruponda. He was said to be occupying a strongly fortified position, and to have with him not less than ten companies of troops. The nearest British force was No. 2 Column of “Hanforce,” which was operating to the left and east of No. 1 Column; and it was confidently anticipated that von Lettow-Vorbeck would reinforce Ruponda now that that important food depôt was threatened by the occupation of Mnero.

On the arrival of No. 1 Column at the last-named place, on the 9th October, the 25th Cavalry pushed on towards Ruponda, and at 8 p.m. the Gold Coast Regiment followed in their wake, with orders to support them and to get as near to Ruponda as might prove to be possible. The rest of the Column was to march at 2 a.m.

At 1 a.m. on the 10th October the native guides with the Gold Coast Regiment reported that Ruponda village, which was said to be occupied by the 8th Schutzen Company, was only a short distance ahead. No trace of the 25th Cavalry was found, however, and it was supposed that they must have left the main road and that they must be camping somewhere in the bush.

At 5 a.m. orders were received by the Gold Coast Regiment to march upon Ruponda at 5.30 a.m., acting as the advanced guard of the column, and about the same time touch was at last obtained with the 25th Cavalry, who reported that Ruponda was occupied by the enemy and was being held against the column’s advance. This was confirmed shortly afterwards when the advanced guard of the Regiment was fired upon as it drew near to the village; and I Company and the Pioneer Company thereupon moved forward to the attack, the remainder of the Regiment simultaneously making a flanking movement in order to occupy some high ground on the north-east of Ruponda.

As the attack developed, however, the Germans were found to be few in numbers, and while I Company continued to engage them, the rest of the Regiment pushed round the right flank of the enemy’s position to seize some high ground and to prevent any possible reinforcements from Ruwanga joining up with the little force in occupation of Ruponda. This movement was carried out, no opposition being met with, and as the position was found to be a good one for defensive purposes, No. 1 Column advanced and formed a camp upon the high ground which the Gold Coast Regiment had occupied.

I Company was still engaging a small party of the enemy, and the 129th Baluchis were sent to the village to clear up the situation. The Germans then withdrew, and the large stocks of native foodstuffs which had been accumulated at Ruponda fell, practically undefended, into the hands of the British. The casualties amounted to one man of I Company killed.

From the 10th to the 16th October inclusive, No. 1 Column remained encamped at Ruponda, sending out patrols in all directions to reconnoitre the surrounding country, digging water-holes, and performing other similar duties. At noon on the 10th October a small party of the enemy, consisting of about forty men with a machine-gun, sniped the camp for about half an hour, inflicting a few casualties; and once or twice the patrols from Ruponda came into touch with enemy scouting parties.

The German correspondence captured at this place showed that the state of things in the enemy camp was very far from happy. Von Lettow-Vorbeck appears to have inspired all his subordinates with fear, but the admiring affection with which he is believed to have been regarded by his _Askari_ does not seem to have been shared by many of even the more senior of his European subordinates. As was to be expected in the circumstances in which the Germans had now so long been living, food bulked big in their thoughts and in their imaginations; and as a topic it filled a wholly disproportionate space in much of the correspondence captured. As the large stocks of native food-stuffs seized by the British at Nangano and again at Ruponda clearly showed, the _Askari_ were for the most part well fed and well cared for; but cassava and maize and millet, which will perfectly content an African, form a sadly monotonous and unsatisfying diet for white men who have to make of them their staple for many months on end. The Germans waxed almost lyrical in their correspondence when at long intervals fortune sent a pig or some such infrequent luxury their way; but they devoured them in haste, like the Israelites of old, and wrote in terms of the most explicit dispraise of the disgusting greediness, the gross selfishness, and the predatory character of their Chief. No food was apparently secure when that energetic person had got wind of its existence. For the rest, the correspondence showed that all the European rank and file in the German camp were sick unto death of this protracted and, in their opinion, futile resistance; that their dread of von Lettow-Vorbeck and of the prompt and exemplary punishments to which he on occasion resorted, alone chained them to their duty; and that in spite of their Commander-in-Chief’s great influence over the _Askari_, the native soldiers, too, were heartily weary of the war, and had of late been deserting in large numbers. Every one concerned, except von Lettow-Vorbeck himself, appeared, indeed, to be ripe for surrender; and it is a wonderful tribute to the energy, to the force of character, and to the resolution of this man that, with such sentiments prevailing all around him and growing daily more and more intense, the campaign was maintained up to the date upon which, a year later, the Armistice was signed, purely and solely _because he so willed it_.

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On the 16th October the 2nd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment of the King’s African Rifles, with a detachment of the Pioneers of the Gold Coast Regiment, left Ruponda and marched down the Massassi road, about thirteen miles to Chingwea, there to prepare a camp and develop the water supply in anticipation of the advance of No. 1 Column. No. 2 Column was at this time operating on the left of No. 1 Column, and was reported to be at a place some ten miles north of Ruwanga; and word was also received that “Linforce” had advanced down the Lindi-Massassi road as far as Mtama, which is nearly thirty-three miles from Lindi, and had expelled the enemy from the former place.

On the 17th October, No. 1 Column, to which a company of the Gold Coast Regiment, under Major Shaw, acted as advanced guard, left Ruponda and marched to Chingwea, without incident. On the following morning a start was made at 5.30 a.m., the mission station at Lukuledi, about twelve miles further down the road, being the objective on that day.

The Gold Coast Regiment formed the advance-guard on this occasion, B Company, under Captain Methven, preceding the main body, from which at the outset it was separated by a distance of about 400 yards. B Company at this time was not quite 160 strong, including 4 officers—Captain Methven, and Lieutenants Woods, Baillie and S. B. Smith—and 1 British non-commissioned officer, Colour-Sergeant Cuneen. It was accomplished by Captain Gush, a member of the West African Medical Staff. With B Company there also went the 7th Light Armoured Car Battery, which consisted of two Rolls-Royce cars, each of which was armed with a machine-gun and was manned by an officer and two men, all of whom were Europeans. These cars were surmounted by armour-plated turrets, in which the machine-guns were placed; and the driver was similarly protected, the only vulnerable spot being the narrow window through which he looked when driving the car. The bonnet was also protected by armour, but the wheels, which were furnished with pneumatic tyres, were exposed to any fire that might be brought to bear upon the vehicle. At a later date cars of this description were provided with patent tyres of a special character, which were not capable of being punctured.

At a point about three miles from the camp the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Regiment of the King’s African Rifles had overnight established a post, and from here that Regiment now entered the bush on the right side of the road. Its instructions were to make a wide sweeping movement to the west and south in such a manner as to enable it to deliver an attack upon the mission station at Lukuledi from the rear and right flank of that position, which should be timed so as to synchronize with the arrival of the Gold Coast Regiment in front of it.

As soon as the 1st Battalion of the 3rd King’s African Rifles had taken to the bush, the Gold Coast Regiment continued its march down the road, B Company being still a few hundred yards ahead. As Captain Methven advanced, he sent out patrols to the right and left to explore the numerous paths which here ran criss-cross on both sides of the main road; and after he had advanced some miles upon his way, he deployed his company, the two armoured cars keeping, however, to the main road. The country through which he was passing is for the most part open bush with low scrub, scattered trees and much grass. All the vegetation was parched and sun-dried, and there were frequent blackened patches where the grass had been burned to stubble and where the trees were charred and leafless.

B Company’s advance proceeded without incident until about eight miles had been covered and only four more separated the little force from the mission station on the other side of the dried-up bed of the Lukuledi River. At this point a small black boy, wearing a blue waist-skirt, was met sauntering quite unconcernedly down the centre of the road. Though he was only about twelve years of age, and quite alone, he manifested neither fear nor excitement at finding himself thus suddenly confronted by a body of armed men, and he answered the questions addressed to him with the grave maturity of demeanour that is so often to be observed in native children, and which sits so quaintly upon them. Captain Methven, and many of the men of the Company, had picked up a working knowledge of Swahili during their campaigning in East Africa, so communication with the child was easy enough, and from him it was learned that there were a good many Germans and _Askari_ at the mission-station, but that they had packed up their gear and apparently meditated an early departure. He added that there was a small enemy post just across the dried-up bed of the Lukuledi River on the left of the advance. The small boy was passed back under escort to the Headquarters of the Gold Coast Regiment, and B Company resumed its march.

About two miles before the mission station at Lukuledi is reached, the road breasts a fairly steep ascent, the crest of which is perhaps a mile and a half from the mission buildings. From the summit of this rise the road dips in a long slope to the Lukuledi River—a stream some twenty or thirty feet in width, with low water-worn banks, and at this season of the year without a drop of moisture anywhere visible in the cracked, sun-baked mud which composes its bed. At the foot of the hill the road crosses this river-bed, and bending slightly to the right climbs the hill on the summit of which the mission station is situated. The surface of this hill is pitted near its base by a few shallow folds and hollows, and toward the left of the advance there were patches of shortish grass. For the rest, however, the vegetation had been burned off and the grass reduced to blackened stubble not more than an inch or two in length.

On the top of the hill some of the mission buildings were enclosed in a _boma_—a zariba or stockade constructed of impenetrable thorn bushes—which blocked the road. To the left rear of this stockade, as viewed from the front, the road once more emerged from it, and passing a substantial, two-storeyed dwelling-house built of red locally-burned bricks, that occupied a position on its left, it ran on two to three hundred yards to the church, which was built of the same material and was surmounted by a high spire. Behind the station, the country was covered by the same open bush, scattered trees, grass and occasional scrub already described. From the valley of the Lukuledi, which separated the Mission Hill from the hill whence the road led down to the river crossing, some fairly high trees rose to a sufficient height for their tops partially to obscure the depth of the depression in which they were rooted.

The summit of the hill leading down to the river crossing was very bare, the grass on each side having been completely burned away, and on arrival here Captain Methven felt convinced that his little force, which was now nearly two miles in advance of the rest of the Regiment, must be clearly visible from the mission station. Owing to the mass of the tree-tops rising from the river valley, it is doubtful, however, whether he was right in this conjecture; but as he advanced a solitary shot was twice fired from the bush upon his left. Believing himself to be under observation from the mission station, Captain Methven deployed his men on either side of the road in the sparse bush and grass, in order to provide them with such cover as was available, and he then began to descend the hill, the armoured cars moving forward with him, but of course remaining on the highway. Halfway down the hill the rearmost car suddenly developed engine trouble, and had to be left behind.

The section of B Company which was under Lieutenant Woods’ command led the advance, and on reaching the river crossing it found that, though an enemy post had been established on the far side of it and to his left, as had been accurately reported by the small boy, it had now been withdrawn. Woods therefore crossed the river, and proceeded up the road until the _boma_ was reached. There was no sign of the enemy, and he accordingly went back down the road and reported to Captain Methven that he believed the station to be unoccupied, and that he had sent a small party forward to confirm this fact.

B Company was then deployed along the base of the Mission Hill, the section on the left wing being under the command of Lieutenant S. B. Smith, that next to it being under Lieutenant Baillie, while the centre, with which was the machine-gun, was astride the road, under Captain Methven and Colour-Sergeant Cuneen, with Lieutenant Woods’ section upon its right. The formation of the company was thus an irregular semicircular line, the men being in extended order; and it was thus that, at about 2.30 p.m., the advance up the hill was begun.

The few shallow folds and hollows in the surface of the hill near its base had been left behind, and B Company had advanced about a hundred yards into the wide belt of bare and fire-blackened earth which extended thence to the edge of the _boma_, when fire was suddenly opened upon it from machine-guns placed in the bush to the right and left of the mission station, while from behind the _boma_ there came a tremendous burst of rifle-fire. The enemy had watched the approach of B Company, and had held his fire awaiting the psychological moment to attack. Now, when Captain Methven’s little force had reached a position where no cover was to be found for a hundred yards or more in any direction, the Germans suddenly subjected their opponents to a withering cross-fusillade. Shortly afterwards a party of the enemy, about 150 strong, was seen to emerge from behind the mission house to the right rear of their position, and to run at a double into some long grass with the evident intention of outflanking the left of the line formed by B Company.

The position in which Captain Methven’s little force found itself was desperate, no less; but, as usual, the courage, the discipline and the steadfastness of the men were beyond praise. Hugging the bare ground as closely as they might they returned the enemy’s fire; but save the _boma_, they had no target at which to aim, while the Germans were firing upon them, as the accuracy of their marksmanship proved, at ranges which had been carefully ascertained in advance.

Captain Methven brought his machine-gun into action, and Colour-Sergeant Cuneen, who was working it, was immediately killed. Sergeant-Major Mama Juma, who took his place, was instantly hit, and though it was now evident that the enemy had the position of this gun “taped,” as it is called, and that it was practically certain death for any one to touch it, the gun-team continued to try to serve it until every man among them had been killed or wounded. From end to end of the line the casualties were now very heavy, but retreat was even more dangerous than the continued occupation of this mercilessly exposed position; and B Company maintained its ground, and manfully tried to return the enemy’s fire. On the right, Lieutenant Woods was killed early in the action, but Sergeant Yessufu Mamprusi at once assumed command of the section, and continued to direct and steady his men. In the centre, where the casualties were very heavy, Colour-Sergeant Cuneen had been killed and the whole of the machine-gun team had been put out of action, while Captain Methven had been thrice wounded in the same leg—a leg which already bore the scar of a wound received some months earlier on the western front in France.

The foremost armoured car, contrary to orders, had come right up into the firing-line, thus presenting a target to the enemy which caused the men lying to the right and left of it to be subjected to a specially devastating fire. Both this car and its fellow, which had overcome its engine troubles, and had crept up the hill, had had their tyres shot to ribbons; the driver of the leading car had been wounded in the eye, through the window of his vehicle, and the machine-guns with which they were armed were quite unable effectively to retaliate upon the enemy.

On the left of Captain Methven, Lieutenant Baillie had been shot through both feet, and had contrived to drag himself back into an isolated patch of grass and scrub, in which he was now lying. Further to the left again, Lieutenant S. B. Smith alone survived unharmed, but though the grass here afforded a certain amount of cover for his section, his position was being outflanked and enfiladed by the enemy.

Meanwhile the rest of the Regiment had arrived at the summit of the hill leading down to the river crossing, and the Pioneer Company was sent forward to the relief of B Company, with Major Goodwin in command. The slope was descended, the river-bed was crossed, and the Pioneers took cover in such hollows in the surface of the hill near its base and right flank as they could find. It was in one of these hollows that Captain Methven presently met Major Goodwin, with whom the position was discussed; but it was evident that B Company, more than a third of whom were now casualties, could not be withdrawn, and that any attempt to reinforce their firing-line would only result in a useless sacrifice of life. All that could be done was for B Company to remain where it was, and to endure the terrible punishment to which it had been exposed for more than an hour. The fire continued to be so hot that many of the dead and wounded in the firing-line were being hit over and over again.

Lieutenant Saunderson was sent forward from the Pioneer Company to take over the section, at that time being commanded by Sergeant Yessufu Mamprusi, on the extreme left of the line; and very shortly after his arrival he attempted and led a desperate charge against the _boma_. His men loyally followed him, but the feat attempted was impossible of achievement, and their gallant young leader fell riddled with bullets within a yard of that impenetrable stockade of thorns. Here his body was recovered next day, having during the night been partially buried by the Germans, and several of his section lay dead around him. Sergeant Yessufu Mamprusi, however, who had himself taken part in the charge, led the survivors back to their former position, where they remained during the remainder of the afternoon. This non-commissioned officer, who throughout showed great coolness and courage, and who continued to command his men to the very end of the day, was himself wounded in three places.

Robert de Bedick Saunderson, who here lost his life, was just six-and-twenty years of age. He had been appointed an Assistant District Commissioner in the Gold Coast in January, 1915, served in Ashanti for a few months, and then was attached to the Gold Coast Regiment at Kumasi, being accounted “one of the lucky ones” by his brother officers, in that his application to be seconded for military service had been approved. In April of the following year he returned from leave, and was for a time employed in the Secretariat at Accra; but when in April, 1917, the second draft was dispatched from the Gold Coast to reinforce the troops in East Africa, Mr. Saunderson accompanied it, and was with the Regiment, except when incapacitated by sickness, until he fell at Lukuledi in the manner just described.

Meanwhile Lieutenant Foster, of whose lone-hand fight mention has been made in connection with the action at Ruwanga Chini, had crossed the river and made his way up the hill to the hollow on the northern slope of it where Major Goodwin was halted. His business, as usual, was to try to observe for the 27th Mountain Battery, to which he was attached, and which had now opened fire from the opposite hill upon the buildings in the _boma_, and upon the area between the big dwelling-house and the church. Here he learned from Captain Methven of the position in which Lieutenant Baillie was lying in a little patch of bush to the right rear of his section, most of whom were now casualties. To reach this spot about one hundred yards of burned stubble, in which not a square inch of cover was anywhere obtainable, had to be crossed. This area, throughout the afternoon, had been swept by the enemy’s rifles and machine-guns, which had the range to a nicety. Lieutenant Foster was warned by Captain Methven that it was almost certain death to attempt to reach Lieutenant Baillie, but this information had no deterrent effect, and Lieutenant Foster not only went out, but actually succeeded in bringing Lieutenant Baillie safely back to the dressing-station without either of them being hit. In any other war this gallant exploit would have won, as it surely merited, the Victoria Cross. As it was, the Military Cross was awarded to Lieutenant Foster for this signal act of heroism. Captain Gush, while dressing Lieutenant Baillie’s wounds, was himself shot through the arm.

The remainder of the Gold Coast Regiment had now moved down the hill, and had dug itself in at a spot on the slope above the river crossing; while the rest of No. 1 Column had halted on the crest whence, as has been noted, the 27th Mountain Battery had come into action. How far their fire was effective could not be ascertained, but it afforded the only relief that was to come to B Company during this trying afternoon, and about this time the enemy’s fire showed signs of slackening.

From the position which the Regiment had taken up Major Shaw was sent with three sections of I Company to occupy some high ground on the east and south-east, and to gain touch with Major Goodwin and the Pioneers. I Company was at that time the only company in reserve, and the left and right flanks of the Regiment were therefore very much exposed. No information could be gathered as to the whereabouts of the 1st Battalion of the 3rd King’s African Rifles, and the orders issued to Major Shaw were therefore cancelled, the left flank of the Regiment being made secure by posting A Company and three sections of I Company there to guard it.

This movement had hardly been completed before the enemy delivered a vigorous counter-attack upon the left of the Regiment’s position. It was carried out with great determination, but it was beaten off without difficulty by Major Shaw, and as the _Askari_ exposed themselves much more recklessly than usual, it was thought that considerable losses were inflicted upon the enemy. Such beliefs were, however, throughout this campaign, for the most part mere matters of speculation and conjecture, for the enemy attached great importance to the removal of his dead and wounded, and generally left as little trace as possible of any misfortune that might have befallen him.

Toward dusk the enemy fire died down, and as soon as darkness had fallen the Pioneers, the two armoured cars, and all that was left of B Company were withdrawn from the position on the hill, which the latter had occupied for nearly four hours, and fell back to the slope across the river upon which the rest of the Gold Coast Regiment lay entrenched. The remainder of No. 1 Column lay encamped on the road about a mile further to the rear.

The casualties sustained on that afternoon were Lieutenants Woods and Saunderson and Colour-Sergeant Cuneen killed, and Captains Methven and Gush and Lieutenant Baillie wounded, while 10 of the rank and file were killed and 25 were wounded, and of the gun-carriers 2 were killed and 7 wounded—in all 15 killed and 35 wounded, many of the latter being hit more than once. The total casualties thus numbered 50 out of a total of about 160 men actually engaged. The enemy had set their trap with cunning and dexterity. It was one in which, given the circumstances of the advance, it was not possible for B Company to avoid being caught. A detachment of the King’s African Rifles succeeded in reaching the neighbourhood of the church during the afternoon, but the place was at that time being shelled by the 27th Battery so heavily that a withdrawal was considered necessary.

Captain Methven, who had already earned a Military Cross on the Western Front, was awarded a bar to that decoration for the gallant service he had rendered from the time he occupied Liwinda Ravine on the 9th August to the 18th October, when he was repeatedly but happily not fatally wounded, in that death-trap on the Mission Hill at Lukuledi.