The German Commander-in-Chief, who was now engaged in playing out time, had so far completely succeeded in attaining the objects he had in view.
CHAPTER XVI
THE ENGAGEMENT AT MEDO
Although the Great War had now been in progress for more than three years and a half, the time-honoured British practice of attempting to effect a military purpose while employing therefor a wholly inadequate force had once more been resorted to. The difficulties which had been experienced in feeding and supplying the columns of “Linforce” and “Hanforce” during the operations which led to von Lettow-Vorbeck’s retreat across the Rovuma, probably convinced the British Command that any direct pursuit of the enemy into the country beyond that river, at a time when the beginning of the rainy season was almost due, would be attended by too great risks. The Germans, as they retired, always swept the country clear of supplies of every description and of practically all its able-bodied inhabitants, so an advancing British force would depend entirely upon the provisions that could be conveyed to it from Lindi along many miles of unmetalled motor-road, and thereafter by head-carriage over tracks, most of which would be submerged as soon as the waters of the Rovuma had been sufficiently swelled by the first freshet to cause them to overflow their banks.
Direct pursuit being therefore out of the question, an advance westward from Port Amelia had been determined upon, but unfortunate delays had occurred, as we have seen, and by the time “Pamforce” had begun its march inland, the enemy had been able to complete his arrangements for its embarrassment and for his own security.
Towards the end of February, therefore, it was decided that “Pamforce” must be strengthened if anything practical were to be achieved, and a second column was dispatched to Port Amelia, the whole force being placed under the command of General Edwards. It was General Edwards, it will be remembered, who, while commanding the lines of communication when the extended attack upon the Dar-es-Salaam-Lake Tanganyika Railway was in progress in 1916, had inspected the Gold Coast Regiment immediately after its arrival in East Africa.
“Pamforce” was now divided into two columns, one, under the command of Colonel Rose, being composed of the Gold Coast Regiment, the 4th Battalion of the 4th Regiment of the King’s African Rifles, the 22nd D.M.B., and a body of the King’s African Rifles Mounted Infantry, and the other, under the command of Colonel Giffard, comprising the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 2nd Regiment of the King’s African Rifles. The first was designated “Rosecol” and the second “Kartucol.”
A good deal of rain fell during March, deepening the swamp between Bandari and Mtuge, which had already caused so much trouble, filling the nullahs all along the road, and reducing the surface to a quagmire which, in many places, made traffic very difficult, even though the track had now been “corduroyed” from end to end. The journey up the road from Mtuge to Meza, though the distance was only some four-and-sixty miles, often took more than a week, and after the striking force had been strengthened by the addition of “Kartucol” the work of moving the new troops up to the front and of accumulating sufficient supplies to render an advance in any degree continuous, when it could at last be undertaken, proved to be at once slow and difficult.
Until the 27th March, therefore, the Gold Coast Regiment remained in camp at Meza, sending out patrols in all directions, doing its best to familiarize itself with the topographical features of the country in its neighbourhood, and having occasional brushes with small parties of the enemy, which more than once attempted to cut its lines of communication.
On the 27th March half the Gold Coast Regiment with the Stokes Battery and half the 2nd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment of the King’s African Rifles, marched up the road, and camped for the night at Natovi—eleven miles distant—pushing on the next day to Namarika, some seven miles further on. Heavy rain fell on both days very soon after the camp was formed, and the bush-huts, called banda in East Africa, constructed of sticks and grass, afforded indifferent protection from the tropical downpour, which turned the trodden mud of the camp into deep slush.