The Battle of Tanga, German East Africa 1914

Abstract

In November 1914, British Indian Expeditionary Force B conducted an amphibious assault on the Port of Tanga in German East Africa. The British possessed all the tools required for success; they outnumbered the defenders almost eight to one, they possessed the only artillery and naval guns available for the battle, and they landed where the Germans were weak. Despite these factors, a hastily organized German defense force of 1,100 soldiers not only defeated the 8,000 British soldiers, but also compelled Indian Expeditionary Force B to retreat to Mombasa. This thesis examines the manner in which German and British forces were organized, trained, equipped, and led. Additionally, it identifies the critical factors that together led to British defeat at Tanga.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 06, 2003
Accession Number
ADA416385

Entities

People

  • Kenneth J. Harvey

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Africa
  • Amphibious Operations
  • Army Personnel
  • East Africa
  • Employment
  • Guns
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Applications
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Science
  • Personnel Management
  • Terrain
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Warfare
  • Weapons

Fields of Study

  • History

Readers

  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.