Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-05-11

and the other from Susa on tho
Mpundu. The country was noun
famous and difficult for military oper
ations but Buea, Soppo and Victoria
were occupied and the surrounding
country cleared of the enemy by the
10th of November. At Buea sixty
white men and twenty white women
and children were captured.
MET STRONG OPPOSITION. ;
In order to drive the enemy from
tho northern line of railway and to
relieve the pressure on the Nigerian
posts on the Cross River, force was
concentrated at Mujuka, on the rail-
way line 25 miles north OF Bonaberi,
on the 3Oth Of November, and placed
under the command Of Colonel Cor
ges. This force encountered strong
opposition but fought its way along
the 40 miles of railway to railhead
at Nkongsamba which surrendered
on the 10th of December.
AT this place two aeroplanes, tho
first to be seen in West Africa, were
captured. but as there were no
trained flying officers with the forces
they were packed up and sent to
Europe.
Dchang, 35 miles north Of railhead
was occupied on the 3rd Of January.
f9lo and the fort destroyed. AS the
General did not feel himself strong
enough to maintain post so far
from railhead, and in difficult and
mountainous country, he reluctantly
decided to withdraw his troops TO
Nkongsamba, satisfying himself with
maintaining his hold on the district
by an outpost at Bare, about 10
miles further north.
These operations enabled the Cross
River column under Lieutenant Col
onel Mayer, which had been rein
forced after the loss of Nsanakang,
to aga IL advance into the Cameroons
for some distance but it retired to
Disabling, which was occupied on the
Sth Of January.
by this time the presence of the
French and Belgian forces in the
Sout and southeast began to be felt
by the enemy, but those forces were
still 400 miles from the scene of Gen
Dobelfs operations, which had result
cd in the clearing Of the whole of the
Northern railway and the country be
tween it and the Nigerian border, the
capture of Dualn, Victoria, Buca and
all the German posts along the coast
and of approximately 1000 male
Europeans, one third of the Germans
III the colony at the outbreak OF the
war. me necessity of maintaining
comparatively strong garrisons in
inc captured positions, and Of provid
ing posts along the Lines of communi
cation had so depleted his forces that
General Dobell was unable to pursue
a Two II.
Co-ordlnh'ed movements Of tho scat
tered forces were almost impossible
owing to the inability to establish any
r"liaDle means Of communication over
so vast an area
'Gl14lNIANS Make TWO ATTACKS.
On the S tn of January tho German
commander delivered two simultan-
eous attacks on the eastern railway.
Ihe FIRST was directed against Kopon
go, about 10 miles from Edea, and
was easily repealed, General Dobell
having received warning Of the i'm
pending attack in time 10 strengthen
the post. The enemy, however, sue
ceeded in cutting the railway and
telegraph lines and stopping communi
cation with Edca. A more serious
attack was made on Edea, which was
held by French troops.
The position was not very favour
able to the defense the buildings he
ing much scattered and the forest
coming close to the posi-, but the
French engineers had prepared the
ground so skillfully and the marks
manship OF the Sancgalese Tirail-
lcurs was so good that the attack was
repcllcd with the loss to the attack
ers OF % Europeans and 1870 Native
soldiers. The French lost / sergeant
and Tiraileurs killed and II Trial
icurs wounded. A machine gun a mum
Der OF rifles and a large quantity Of
ammunition and equipment were cap
turcd. The lesson was so severe that
the Germans never again attempted tho
attack Of fortified position on Il
similar scale.
ACTIVE MEASURES TAKEN
After consultation with Brigadier
Gcncrai Cunliffc, who had been sent