page_title: Tabora Offensive
section_title: Regaining control over Lake Tanganyika
hierarchical_section_title: Tabora Offensive / Prelude / Regaining control over Lake Tanganyika
caption_attribution_description: English: The HMS Fifi at anchor in Lake Tanganyika.
context_page_description: The Tabora Offensive was an Anglo-Belgian offensive into German East Africa, which ended with the Battle of Tabora in the north-west of German East Africa, it was part of the East African Campaign in World War I. The forces of the Belgian Congo crossed the border with German East Africa and captured the port city of Kigoma and the city of Tabora. In August a smaller Lake Force under the command of the South African brigadier general Crewe, launched a parallel attack from Uganda, also aimed at taking Tabora. The completion of the Tabora Offensive not only left much of the Ruanda-Urundi territory under Belgian military occupation but gave the Allies control of the important Tanganjikabahn railway.
context_section_description: As early as March 1915, General Charles Tombeur asked the Belgian government for a small fleet, a submarine and seaplanes, initially Belgian minister Jules Renkin denied this request, but in June the British committed to supporting the Belgians in regaining control of the lake. HMS Mimi and Toutou —two British motorboats, which were transported to South Africa and from there by railway, by river, and by being dragged through the African jungle, to Lake Tanganyika— were launched onto the lake in late December 1915. Two naval engagements took place between elements of the Royal Navy, Force Publique and the Kaiserliche Marine.  In the first action, on 26 December 1915 Kingani was damaged and captured, becoming HMS Fifi. In the second action, early February 1916, the small flotilla  overwhelmed and sank Hedwig von Wissmann. The German Empire maintained a third large and heavily armed craft on the lake, Graf von Goetzen.
  From the Belgian airbase on the western shore near Albertville, on 10 June 1916, the Force Publique sent amphibious aircraft —Short Admiralty Type 827 planes — for a bombing raid on Graf von Goetzen as she sat in the harbour of Kigoma. Graf von Goetzen was attacked by one of the Belgian floatplanes, but didn't suffer severe damage. The war on the lake had reached a stalemate by this stage. However, the war on land was progressing, largely to the advantage of the Allies, who cut off the railway link in July 1916 and threatened to isolate Kigoma completely.
caption: Kingani later HMS Fifi
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