The Battle of Agbeluvhoe (or Agbéluvhoé or Agbeluwoe), also known as the Battle of Tsewie, was fought during the First World War between invading British Empire soldiers of the West African Rifles and German troops attempting to harass the advancing allies through the rail network in German Togoland (present day Togo) on 15 August 1914. The plan failed, ending in an ambush and the Germans suffered heavy losses. Eventually after limited resistance from the Germans, the colony was surrendered on 26 August 1914.[3]
Contents
Background
In early August 1914 British and French forces invaded the German colony of Togoland at the beginning of the First World War. British forces took the capital, Lomé relatively quickly and by 12 August, the southern portion of the colony was under British or French control. All German forces had withdrawn to the vitally important Kamina wireless station, about 100 km inland. As British and French forces made their way slowly toward Kamina, their objective, the German commanders, namely the acting governor Major Hans-Georg von Döring and the military commander, Captain Georg Pfähler attempted to stall the Allied advances. The main British and French thrusts came from the south, where well built roads and railways from the coast made transport easy for both sides. The Germans blew bridges[4] as they retreated northward in an attempt to stall the Allied attack. In order to harass British troops from the West African Rifles, German commanders chose to fill two trains of about 200 German soldiers [2] and send them south to raid the advancing Allies on 15 August 1914.
Battle
The British, who must have known the trains were coming, as they were hiding in wait near the train station at Agbeluvhoe, let the first train of 20 cars pass.[5] This first train would be derailed by a pile of stones laid on the tracks by Lieutenant Collins and his men,[1] at Ekuni, about 10 km south of Agbeluvhoe. The second train, carrying Captain Georg Pfähler, commander of the German forces in Togoland was also allowed to pass through Agbeluvohoe. The train was stopped at Ekuni, where the first train had been derailed by the obstacles Lieutenant Collins had placed on the rails. British forces ambushed the train here and attacked it with bayonets.[6] Many of the German soldiers reportedly tore off their uniforms, threw down their guns, and ran into the bush at the sight of the British ambush.[1] The remaining Germans retreated northwards back to Agbeluvhoe where further fighting ensued in which German commander Captain Georg Pfähler was killed. He is buried near the train station at Agbeluvhoe along with many German Askari troops that were killed in the battle.[7]
Result
The Germans lost a quarter of their troops in this attempt to harass British forces to the south, by using the railway.[8] It was considered a great failure and defeat for the Germans in Togoland. Although it may briefly have stalled the British northward advance, the Battle of Agbeluvhoe did not have any significant affect on the advance of the Allies toward Kamina. The acting governmor of the colony, Major Hans-Georg von Döring surrendered the colony on 26 August 1914, eleven days after the battle.
Notes
Bibliography
- Fecitte, Harry. "Togoland 1914." Harry's Africa. Web. 2012.
- Friedenwald, Michael. "Funkentelegrafie Und Deutsche Kolonien: Technik Als Mittel Imperialistischer Politik." Familie Friedenwald. Web.
- German Military Cemetery at Agbeluvhoe - War Graves 1914 - 1916
- Morlang, Thomas. Askari Und Fitafita in Den Deutschen Kolonien.
- Reynolds, Francis J., Churchill, Allen L., and Miller, Francis T. "Chapter 77 - The Cameroons." "The Story of the Great War". Vol. III (of VIII). 1916.
- Sebald, Peter. Togo 1884-1914: Eine Geschichte Der Deutschen "Musterkolonie" Auf Der Grundlage Amtlicher Quellen. 1988. p. 602.
- Strachan, Hew. The First World War in Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2004 ISBN 0-199-25728-0
Coordinates: 6°39.57′N 1°10.04′E / 6.6595°N 1.16733°E
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