hunting the lion

Lettow-Vorbeck's philosophy was simple - by using hit and run tactics he could tie down a huge number of British troops in East Africa and thus prevent them from joining the fighting in Europe. Prussian officers, contrary to the popular stereotype of rigid, nonthinking disciplinarians, were in fact extremely flexible individualists and Lettow-Vorbeck was a prime example. In February 1916, a new commander arrived in East Africa to try his luck against the Germans: Jan Smuts, the former Boer War general. He added new impetus to the British effort, immediately going on the offensive. His troops were a mixture of men and races from all over the Empire. The air contingent initially began with scouting missions but did engage later in some rudimentary bombing. These sorties were undertaken in conjunction with Royal Naval Air Service aircraft, and their combined efforts forced the Germans to retreat from the Kilimanjaro area.

The invasion of German East Africa was conducted with two forces. The main operation was under the command of General Jan Smuts and proceeded along the Pangani River. It was in support of this force that 26 Squadron operated.

Lettow-Vorbeck

Despite his enthusiasm and eagerness to get to grips with what at times must have seemed a phantom enemy, Smuts met with little success. His campaign in East Africa was a series of frustrating attempts to surround Lettow-Vorbeck's main force or to bring him to fight a decisive battle. Smuts never succeeded. Each time they tried, the British were convinced that they would bring Lettow-Vorbeck to bay, and each time he eluded them. He always retreated in the face of overwhelming force, but not before it was necessary, and it was never easy to assemble the required force at the needed point. Smuts and the commanders-in-chief who followed him, captured territory, but none succeeded in defeating the wily Lettow-Vorbeck.

Almost throughout the entire war the British underestimated the Germans and their black troops, known as Askaris, who had been well-trained and disciplined by their German officers. The Askaris were moreover familiar with the terrain and were ideally suited for guerrilla warfare.

Chasing Lettow-Vorbeck proved to be an agony of endurance for the Allied forces - disease took a heavier toll than the enemy, and the conditions under which the troops marched and fought took the men to the limits of human endurance.

These conditions and frustrations were not limited to the ground based forces alone. The Squadron found the operating environment particularly difficult. Throughout April and into the middle of May, rain curtailed operations.

The topography was mountainous, with peaks up to 19000 feet. Dense bush offered no safe haven for airfields let alone emergency landings. As a consequence the Squadron’s base could not always keep up with the main forces. The resulting longer flying times fatigued the pilots and added to the wear and tear on the fragile aircraft. The advent of Monsoon conditions from May to October meant that a low cloud base was experienced in the morning and it typically only lifted to 3000 feet during the day. Naturally the flying conditions were very bumpy.