Second Battle of Vailele

Samoan warriors marching through Apia in March of 1899, American sailors and marines are inspecting at the left.

Date	April 1, 1899
Location	Vailele, Upolu, Samoa
Result	Mataafan victory

Belligerents

Allies:

Samoa

United Kingdom

United States

Mataafans
Supported by:

German Empire

Commanders and leaders

Angel Freeman †

Philip Lansdale †

Mata'afa Iosefo

Strength

Land:
136 warriors
26 marines
88 sailors
Sea:
1 corvette

~800 warriors
2 forts

Casualties and losses

7 killed
7 wounded

~100 killed or wounded
2 forts damaged

The Second Battle of Vailele was fought during the Second Samoan Civil War in 1899. British, American and Samoan forces loyal to Prince Tanu were defeated by a superior force of Samoan rebels loyal to Mata'afa Iosefo. Fighting occurred at the former German plantation of Vailele, Samoa and was a major engagement of the small colonial conflict.

In 1899, Samoa was a warzone as it had been previously during the First Samoan Civil War. As result of Malietoa Laupepa's death, Mata'afa Iosefo returned from exile and was elected to power by a council of Samoan chiefs. In response, the British Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy landed forces at Apia in support of Prince Tanu who was the legitimate heir to the Samoan throne which had already been taken over by the German-backed Mataafa.

The first battle of the conflict involving the British and Americans was fought at Apia, when the naval forces landed they occupied much of the city, Mataafan forces attacked, so British and American warships in Apia Harbor began bombarding enemy positions around the city. After the conflict, Mataafaite forces, as they were sometimes called, retreated to the stronghold of Vailele and thus began several American and British expeditions into the dense jungle to find the chief's men.

At the end of March, a joint expedition of British, American and Samoan forces marched along the coast from Apia towards Vailele. Skirmishes were fought and two villages destroyed as the Samoan rebels retreated. On April 1, the expedition of 26 marines, 88 sailors and 136 Samoans left the coast for an attack on the landward side of Vailele, leaving the protection of naval gunfire support. The cruisers USS Philadelphia, HMS Tauranga, HMS Porpoise and the corvette HMS Royalist landed the sailors and marines, Royalist was sent ahead of the expedition to bombard the two forts guarding Vailele plantation.

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