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APPENDIX I.
No. 1.
A
Sir,
From Captain Hemming, late 3rd Bn. East Lance. Regt., to the Director of Military Operations.
Palma, Portuguese East Africa, viá Mozambique, March 24, 1910.
I HAVE the honour to report for your information certain facts which have come under my notice during two years' travelling and shooting in German East Africa.
2. When I first entered German East Africa in January 1908 the only troops on the frontiers of North-East Rhodesia and Nyasaland were 1 company (250 rifles) of Schutztruppe at Bismarckburg and about 40 police under a European at New Langenburg.
3. In January 1909 Major von Schleinitz, the Commandant of German East Africa, acoom- panied by his Staff, made an inspection tour throughout German East Africa.
Certain results of this tour have come under my observation.
4. The defensibility of New Langenburg was at once greatly improved Within three hours' march of this boma (station), and that distance nearer the neighbouring British frontier, a new and strong boma and camp was at once put in hand and completed. This place, I believe, has since been named Siwa. It is garrisoned by 1 company of Schutztruppe (250 rifies), with 2 Haxims, and, I believe, 2 small field guns. The police at Langenburg have been raised to over 100 strong under 2 Europeans. There, there are also 2 Maxims and 2 small quick-firing guns--I should say about 5 centim. all on field carriages. To both the above borias I have seen travelling large caravans of ammunition, and rifle boxes.
5. A good, bridged military road has been cut between New Langenburg and Bismarckburg, running parallel to the British frontier.
6. To the north-north-east of Langenburg lies the boma of Iringa, with 1 company (250 rifles) Schutztruppe, 2 Maxims, and 2 guns of the above description. These can be brought by a good military road to Langenburg in a forced march of four and a-half days.
7. To the north-east of Langenburg is the boma of Mahenge, 1 company Schutztruppe, 2 Maxims, and 2 guns. A forced march of six days by a military road will bring them to Langenburg.
8. South-east of Langenburg is the boma of Songea, with 1 company, 2 Maxims, and 2 guns. These are within four days forced march of Lake Nyassa at Wiedhaven, whence they can be transported by barges towed by the gun-boat "Wissman" either across the lake to British territory or to Mwaya, a customs boma on the lake within four hours of the British frontier, and six hours of the military camp at Siwa.
9. North of Bismarckburg, and on Tanganyika, lies Ujiji, garrisoned by 1 company, 2 Maxims, and 2 guns. Bismarckburg is similarly armed. The troops from Ujiji can be brought down the lake by steamer to Bismarckburg in a few hours.
10. All these bomas keep a large reserve of ammunition and rifles. Each of them have an unknown number of irregular levies called "ruggarugga," drilled on the same lines as the askaris (soldiers), but not so efficient. Their rifles and uniforms are kept in their boma stores. By what I have seen I should say they are rather more than half as numerous as the troops to which they are attached. They are intended to take the place of the regulars and police in case of concen- tration, and each boma has a number of European clerks, with military training, who are expected to take charge of them in such an emergency.
11. Each boma has from 30 to 100 police-not the kind seen in British bomas, but well-armed, drilled, and disciplined soldiers, under experienced and senior n.c.os. They are capable of taking their place in the fighting force at any time, and are trained for that purpose.
12. Each company of the Regulars or Schutztruppe is 250 rifles strong, always at full muster, with a complement of three officers, three n.c.os, and attached to each is a combatant Paymaster; a doctor, and a hospital n.c.o.
13. These troops are all in the highest state of readiness and efficiency. 1 have had many opportunities of watching their field training and shooting. Each company is kept intact. No detachments are permitted.
14. I have just been informed by a member of the British Universities Mission in German East Africa that he recently saw six guns en route for Songea and Siwa. Their calibre he does not know.
15. All the above bomas have recently been connected by heliograph. Good military roads run through all.
16. Thus at Bismarckburg, almost within sight of the British boma of Abercorn, and at New Langenburg, and Siwa, within seven or eight hours of the Nyasaland frontier, the Germans have, including police, about 700 well-trained men, a good complement of Europeans, 6 Maxima, and 4 (or 6) guns. Within six days they can concentrate on our frontier, including police, about 1,900 men, 14 Maxims, and 14 small quick-firing guns, or 20 if we count those recently sent up.
17. A senior military officer, the Commandant of Iringa District, admitted to me a year ago, daring an after dinner conversation, that on the outbreak of war all troops within reach, such as I have above specified, would immediately concentrate, where he did not say, and seemed to have regretted his remark. It is significant, however, that Major von Schleinitz had just passed through his district, and shortly after the Siwa Camp was formed, and a fresh company of men brought from another part of the country to garrison it.
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