Smith-Dorrien appointed to command in East Africa

On 22 November 1915 the British government chose General Horace Smith-Dorrien to command a new expedition against German East Africa. The decision marked a turn in policy towards this theatre of war. Throughout 1915 the British forces in East Africa had been meant only to stand on the defensive, but now London decided to conquer the German colony as quickly as possible and to send large reinforcements there, mainly from South Africa. Smith-Dorrien, however, never took up the post.

From defence to offensive

General Michael Tighe, commanding in British East Africa, sent gloomy assessments of the situation to London in the summer of 1915. His troops had to confine themselves to shielding the Uganda Railway from raids by the detachments of Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck. On that basis the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, General Archibald Murray, judged in a memorandum of 8 October that defence alone required at least a brigade of reliable infantry, and an offensive that would restore damaged prestige about 10,000 men. The government of the Union of South Africa, which had completed the conquest of German South West Africa in the summer, offered on 1 November to send an infantry brigade, a battalion of the Cape Corps, a reserve battalion and two mounted regiments. Recruiting began in November and quickly exceeded expectations.

On 8 November an interdepartmental conference in London concluded that no offensive action should be undertaken without an additional brigade. On 12 November a special sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence, convened on the prime minister’s instructions, recommended taking the German colony “with as little delay as possible”, sending a New Army brigade there so that together with other reinforcements the British forces would number about 12,600 men, and providing a suitable staff from home. The government accepted these recommendations, and on 22 November chose a commander. Tighe learned of it on 24 November.

The general of Le Cateau

Smith-Dorrien was one of the best-known British generals. In August 1914, as commander of II Corps, he fought the Battle of Le Cateau, which allowed the retreating British to break contact with the Germans. He then commanded the Second Army in Flanders, until during the Second Battle of Ypres Field Marshal John French removed him on 6 May 1915, having long been at odds with him. From June he commanded one of the home defence armies in England. He knew South Africa from the Zulu War and the Boer War.

The new commander at once prepared a memorandum. In it he wrote that the offensive would require large numbers of heavy guns, aircraft and vehicles. He proposed a converging attack on the main German forces in the Kilimanjaro area: from the east from Maktau and from the north from Kajiado, while the troops from Rhodesia and the Belgians tied down German detachments on the other frontiers. A separate force was to make a surprise landing on the coast, preferably at Dar es Salaam, and strike the enemy’s rear. Smith-Dorrien did not, however, expect a decision before the rainy season, which began in April, and preferred to postpone the decisive advance to the dry months.

Kitchener’s opposition and illness

The plan had a powerful opponent. Lord Kitchener was away from London during these deliberations, having left for the Dardanelles. On his return he protested against diverting forces from the main theatres of war. In a formal dissent of 14 December he called the offensive in East Africa “a dangerous enterprise in the present state of the war, when all our efforts must be concentrated on defeating the Germans in Europe”. The government, however, overruled his objection. On 18 December Smith-Dorrien was formally appointed commander. Under the War Committee’s instructions he was to conduct an “offensive defence” before the rainy season, that is, to drive the Germans out of British territory, with the scope of further operations to be decided later.

On 24 December the general sailed from England for South Africa, where he was to discuss the recruiting and equipment of the reinforcements with the Union government. On the very first day of the voyage he fell ill and contracted pneumonia. After arriving in South Africa he recovered somewhat and began preparing the campaign, but further health problems forced him to resign and return home. In February 1916 the command in East Africa passed to the South African general Jan Smuts, who in March opened an offensive in the Kilimanjaro area.