Battle of Salaita

Battle of Salaita
Part of the East African Campaign (World War I)
Salaita Hill Battle of Salaita Hill (Tanzania)
Date February 12, 1916 Location Salaita, near Mount Kilimanjaro Result German victory
Belligerents
German Empire German East Africa	South Africa
Commanders and leaders
Georg Kraut	Wilfrid Malleson
Strength
2,300 men (approx)	6,000 men 41 machine guns 18 field guns
Casualties and losses
Unknown	172 dead, wounded or missing

 German Empire

The Battle of Salaita Hill was the first large-scale engagement of the East African Campaign of the First World War to involve British, Indian, Rhodesian and South African troops. The battle took place on February 12, 1916, as part of the three-pronged offensive into German East Africa launched by General Jan Smuts, who had been given overall command of the Allied forces in the region.

Salaita was a strategic lookout post close to the border town of Taveta, in present-day Kenya. Its proximity to the border of German East Africa, and the belief that it was defended by only a small detachment of just 300 men without artillery made it an attractive initial objective for Smuts' offensive.

The advance into German East Africa was conducted by the 2nd South African Division, commanded by Brigadier General Wilfrid Malleson. Malleson had little combat experience, having served on the staff of British Field Marshal Kitchener and as part of the British military mission to Afghanistan prior to the outbreak of the First World War.

Brigadier General Beves' 2nd South African Infantry Brigade and the First East African Brigade were chosen to attack Salaita. Including an attached Indian artillery brigade, the force totaled 6,000 men. Despite British intelligence suggesting the contrary, however, Salaita was heavily defended by approximately 1,300 men under local commander Major Georg Kraut. Furthermore, unknown to Malleson there were six Schutztruppe field companies—numbering roughly 1,000 men—in the surrounding area.

The Allied assault began on the morning of February 12 with a preliminary bombardment of German positions by 4 inch guns salvaged from the sunken cruiser HMS Pegasus. However, due to faulty intelligence, the barrage targeted German secondary trenches at the summit of Salaita Hill instead of the front line, which was further down the slope. It therefore alerted the defenders to the coming attack without disrupting their ability to oppose it. Two hours into the assault, when Malleson's men were 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) from Salaita, German artillery began firing.