British take Jasin

A British chronology of the war records under 21 December 1914 the occupation by British troops of Jasin, a German plantation just beyond the southern border of British East Africa. That day the troops of Brigadier-General Michael Tighe crossed the border river Umba and occupied the settlement of Vanga, abandoned by the Germans. Jasin itself, lying only a few kilometres further on, already in German East Africa, was taken according to the British official history of the campaign only on Christmas Day, 25 December. Some older works even give the beginning of January 1915.

A border without a master

Vanga, a British border post at the wide mouth of the Umba, lay about a hundred kilometres south of Mombasa. About three kilometres further on, on the German side, began the Jasin plantation, called Jassini by the Germans, where coconut palms and sisal were grown. From there a road ran to Tanga, some 60 kilometres away.

At the start of the war the British decided that Vanga, surrounded by bush and swamp, could not be defended. At the end of August they withdrew north behind the Mwena river, and later as far as Gazi. The border strip was taken over by German patrols, which raided the villages. The local population fled north, and by the end of November the colonial authorities had to feed some 5,000 refugees.

Tighe’s operation

General Richard Wapshare, who at the beginning of December had taken over command after the defeat at Tanga, was under orders to remain on the defensive. London did, however, allow minor offensive actions if they were judged feasible on the spot. Wapshare decided to clear British territory of German detachments. He entrusted the task to Tighe, who commanded the Mombasa area.

Tighe assembled some 1,800 men with six machine guns. Among them were the 101st Grenadiers, the 2nd Kashmir Rifles, half a battalion of infantry from the Indian princely state of Jind, two companies of the 3rd Battalion, King’s African Rifles, an Arab company and a company of scouts. South of Gazi there were no roads, and the area was notorious for malaria and tsetse flies, so the supplies were carried by some 5,500 porters.

On 17 December the column set off south from the Msambweni area. The advanced guard was formed by two companies of the King’s African Rifles, African riflemen who were excellent in the bush. Meanwhile British warships made demonstrations off the coast, among other places off Tanga, so that the Germans would not reinforce their posts. The ruse worked. The German patrols fell back almost without a fight, and on 20 December the British reached the swollen Umba. The next day the advanced guard crossed the river practically unopposed and occupied deserted Vanga. The positions prepared for defence on the far bank were also empty. The nearest German post was at Jasin.

The Christmas Day attack

On 23 December the Germans abandoned Jasin on news that a British detachment was approaching, but they came back the next day, reportedly about 50 strong. Early on the morning of 25 December two companies of the King’s African Rifles and a company of the 101st Grenadiers under Captain T. O. FitzGerald surprised the German outposts and charged with the bayonet. After a short fight the defenders withdrew. The British lost two killed and three wounded, the Germans an officer and six men.

Tighe deployed his troops along the border. The main force camped on the north bank of the Umba at its mouth, while forward posts were set up on the south bank, at Jasin and Samanya, and further inland. By 27 December a fortified camp had been built among the sisal plantations at Jasin. Tighe was ordered not to advance any further.

A brief success

The expedition restored British authority on the border almost without loss, but the forward camp at Jasin proved a trap. In the unhealthy climate of the Umba valley disease spread quickly. Lieutenant-Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, for his part, took the British presence as a sign of a new attack on Tanga and brought up reinforcements by rail from Kilimanjaro.

On 18 January 1915 nine German companies attacked Jasin, defended by about 300 Indian soldiers under Colonel Raghbir Singh of the 2nd Kashmir Rifles. The relief force could not break through, and Raghbir Singh was killed. On the morning of 19 January, almost out of ammunition, the garrison surrendered. 276 men were taken prisoner. The Germans also suffered heavy losses, especially among their officers, and used up a large part of their precious ammunition. After this setback Lord Kitchener, in a sharp telegram, forbade Wapshare any further offensive operations.