Defence of Abercorn ends
- Category:
- Military operations
- Front:
- Africa
- Date:
- 9 September 1914
- Author:
- Łukasz Skowroń
On 9 September 1914 the defence of Abercorn, today’s Mbala, the northernmost British outpost of Northern Rhodesia, came to an end. Since 5 September a handful of police had been holding out here against a force several hundred strong from German East Africa.
That day the long-awaited relief reached Abercorn: over a hundred soldiers of the Northern Rhodesia Police under Major Henry Stennett, who had arrived by forced march from the interior of the colony. The garrison grew to about 230 men with three machine guns. When the Germans attacked again, they were driven off. According to some sources their force was commanded by a military doctor, Oberarzt Westhofen.
The attackers, mostly irregular warriors and armed porters supported by a few askaris, stood no chance against the reinforced garrison. They withdrew towards the border, and Lieutenant McCarthy’s detachment was still pursuing them the following day. On the same day, several hundred kilometres further east, the British repelled a much larger German attack on Karonga on Lake Nyasa.
Both clashes showed that the Germans, although capable of bold raids, did not have the strength to occupy the neighbouring British colonies. The war on the Northern Rhodesian border passed into a phase of minor skirmishes and raids that was to last until 1916.
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Meanwhile
(04)Elsewhere in the same days.
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- 9 September 1914 · Middle EastOttoman Empire abolishes the capitulationsOn 9 September 1914 the Ottoman government announced an end to the capitulations, foreign privileges, from 1 October. All the powers, Germany too, objected.
- 9 September 1914 · Eastern FrontBattle of Tarnawka endsOn 9 September 1914 the fighting at Tarnawka south of Lublin ended. Broken by the Russians, Dankl's army began to retreat southwards towards the San.
- 8 September 1914 · Middle EastGeneral Maxwell takes command in EgyptOn 8 September 1914 General Sir John Maxwell took command of the British troops in Egypt. His main task was the defence of the Suez Canal.
Related events
(04)The same battle, people or subject.
- 5 September 1914 · AfricaDefence of AbercornOn 5 September 1914 troops from German East Africa crossed the border of Northern Rhodesia. The small garrison of Abercorn held out until relief arrived.
- 6 September 1914 · AfricaSkirmish on the TsavoOn 6 September 1914 in the Tsavo valley in British East Africa, Indian and African soldiers clashed with Germans heading for the Uganda Railway.
- 1 September 1914 · AfricaFirst Indian contingent arrives at MombasaOn 1 September 1914 the first unit of Indian Expeditionary Force "C" reached Mombasa, sent to aid the weak forces of British East Africa.
- 19 August 1914 · AfricaFirst Indian unit sets out for East AfricaOn 19 August 1914 the 29th Punjabis left India, the first unit of an Indian expeditionary force sent to the front. Its destination was East Africa.