On 28th July this year, while on an official visit to Tanzania, the Chief of the Naval Staff, *Admiral Sunil Lanba* presented a chart of the *Tanga port* (in northern Tanzania), to *Hon'ble Kassim Majaliwa*, the Prime Minister of that country (see accompanying picture). This chart (as maps in the maritime world are called) was the result of an extensive hydrographic survey undertaken by an Indian Survey Ship, demonstrating not only our prowess in hydrography ( the equivalent of surveying on land but hydro ships do much more) but also the contribution of Indian Navy to our international cooperation and engagements.
Indians, by and large, are either uninterested or unaware of East Africa, despite both geographical proximity and historical antiquity playing an important role in our centuries long association. *Not many may be aware, but Tanga has a historical connection with India.* We are observing the centennial years of World War 1 or the Great War fought between 1914 and 1918 and this tale relates to that.
Within months of war breaking out in Europe, it spread to Africa where the belligerents had colonial interests. British Admiralty was eyeing Tanga, the busiest port in the East African coast under German control. (Do recollect that Tanzania or more specifically Tangynika then was a German colony). The idea was simple. By taking over Tanga, Britian could not only block German trade in/to Africa but could also further target the Usambara railway line, thus hitting at the heart of German possessions in Africa. This would enable British control of whole of East Africa. In order to do this, an amphibious assault was planned on Tanga.
While the Royal Navy provided the ships for this assault, *the manpower or the Army troops were predominantly from the Indian Army*. Gurkhas of Kashmiri Rifles, 27th Bangalore Brigade, 13th Rajputs, 63rd Palamcottah Light Infantry, 27th Mountain Battery and Faridkot Sappers comprised the *Indian Expeditionary Force B led by Maj Gen Arthur Aitken.*
The assault was launched on 02 Nov 1914 but turned out to be a big failure. Despite having achieved surprise and facing a light opposition consisting of only one company of East African askaris (security guards), the British controlled troops failed to progress allowing the opposition under *Lt Col Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck (lets call him Col LV for short)* to recoup and put up stiff resistance. The entire Battle reads like a tragicomedy. You can Google for details, but suffice it to say here it was actually a case of both sides committing blunders galore with the Brits excelling at it. *The battle of Tanga is also often called the 'Battle of Bees',*since in another tragicomic incident, several huge beehives were disturbed by both sides in the battle and they in turn descended on the troops in a swarm injuring and hurting many. Many British stories talk of this as a fiendish German ploy but the truth was more prosiac. The agitated bees added to the X factor in the war.
For three days, the battle went on with 1000 on the German side (largely colonial volunteers and local troops with few German troops) and 8000 in the invading British Indian force. Fortunes fluctuated and *in fact on the night of 04 Nov, when German forces briefly withdrew west to consolidate, Tanga was for the taking but Aitken did not press home the advantage.* Determinedly, the smaller German force held its ground. Ultimately, the British, after incurring several losses, disarray in troops and staring failure, decided to call off the assault and evacuate the troops. *On 5th Nov 1914, the evacuation was finally complete but the end result was messy. The casualty count, almost all Indian, was close to 1000 with 350 troops dead, close to 500 injured and another 150 reported missing*. The distraught and disarrayed troops in many cases fled leaving behind their equipment, arms and ammunition. On the German side it was less than 200 with less than a 100 dead.
Tanga in many ways was a disaster and there is no harm in saying so. In fact British war history records it as one of their worst defeats. Tanga does not resonate of bravery like the other great episodes of WW 1 or 2 like Ypres or Flanders. It was not heroic like Haifa, not even a courageous defeat after a fierce fight like Gallipoli. There was none of the romanticism that was to be associated (later in WW 2) with Dunkirk. This was simply ignominious.
British writing makes it out that the Indian troops were unprepared and ill- trained. Perhaps there is a point there, but this was no fault of the Indians. Those that had been trained and equipped had already been sent to the European and Mediterranean theatres. Tanga was hurriedly conceived and launched with the residual troops in India forming a new expeditionary force. But surely as we all know in war, especially combat, it is the leadership that is mainly instrumental in the ultimate outcome. And the British leadership was poor indeed. Be it Aitken himself who was relieved of Command after this campaign or Navy Capt Francis Caulfield, the Captain of HMS Fox, the Royal Navy flagship, they showed lack of understanding of terrain and inadequate temperament. In contrast, Col LV proved to be a great leader. In fact, he remained the only German campaign Commander who was undefeated in the War and is considered a heroic figure in Africa. (Note. After Tanga the British attempted to attack Tanzania through Kenya from land, targeting the railway lines at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, once again involving several Indian troops, but Col LV could not be overcome).
*Therefore, the dead and injured and missing from India were just as courageous and brave as their brethen elsewhere.* It was simply their fate to suffer, as Soldiers often do, the consequences of things beyond their control. *The dead in Tanga are a part of the more than 3000 Indian soldiers whose graves lie in various parts of East Africa.* As most Indian soldiers were cremated and not buried, their names are mentioned not grave wise, but on long plaques in the many Commonwealth war graveyards that are located in Kenya and Tanzania.
*This military link between India and Africa is often not known or under emphasised in our national narratives*. Just as it is not known that Kenyan soldiers, largely from the King's African Rifles (today Kenya African Rifles) fought in the North East, in the Burma campaign in World War 2 and many died here. Post independence, India continued the tradition in a new benign avataar of peacekeeping and many of our troops have played a most distinguished part in Peace Support Operations in Africa. In fact, the first ex NDA officer to be awarded a Param Vir Chakra was Capt GS Salaria, for operations in Congo in early sixties. *During my tenure in Kenya, as the Defence Adviser in the Indian High Commission at Nairobi but accredited to East Africa, I tried my best to inform the local Africans, the Indian diaspora, other nationals especially those from West who believed only they fought in the Wars and our own High Commission staff, about these fascinating historical details.*
That brings me to the present. Earlier this week, at the Goa Maritime Conclave eminent scholar Dr C Raja Mohan made the point that British colonial enterprise was undergrid by three important elements - the Royal Navy, the Indian Army and the carefully enmeshed govt and administrative structures of envoys, regents, intelligence officials, collectors, police officials. He also rued the fact that a newly independent India looked inward and had neither the appetite nor imagination to view the world as the British did resulting in a loss of strategic space for India post 1947. He also inferred that it is only in the last few years that we seem to have recovered our mojo as a regional or middle power.
Without getting into these debates on power theories and international relations, *it can be clearly said that the Indian Navy has been playing a key role in our international engagements*, especially in the past two decades. We are the best manifestation of an India that is looking outward again but by invoking new paradigms. Instead of expeditionary operations we believe in foreign cooperation. Respect for each other, mutual partnerships, joint stakeholdership, non-invasive frameworks are the buzz words that characterise our initiatives.
Therefore, it was entirely appropriate that the *site of a battle between colonial antagonists should become the very location of a new cooperative endeavour of a post colonial world.* Indian Navy's hydrography standards are world class. By assisting the Tanzanian authorities in surveying the port of Tanga we gave a fillip to regional cooperation.
And the date that the Navy Chief presented the chart is significant. 28 July 2017. *For remember, 28 July 1914 was the start of World War 1. 103 years later, to the day, the CNS connected the dots of the history.* And 103 years to the day of the disaster and evacuation ( 05 Nov 1914), I hope as an amateur historian, that the Indian Navy's grand gesture finally puts a closure to the disaster of that day.
*We have indeed travelled a long road from Tanga.*
Srikant Kesnur
05 Nov 17
PS - I understand that the Tanga amphibious campaign is studied and has been analysed in detail by the United States Command and Staff Course. Despite the time gap and the somewhat farcical elements of the battle, it continues to be relevant as a case study particularly for Expeditionary forces.
Comments
Post a Comment