THE LAST PHASE 241 



general showed anywhere to better advantage 

 than in this region. This little band of ours on 

 the hill, though without any water except such as 

 it had carried up, put up a brave and determined 

 defence. It meant heavy losses, which the 

 Germans could not afford, to attempt to storm the 

 place without artillery, and a column of two 

 battalions of K.A.R. under Colonel Fitzgerald was 

 advancing down the Namirrue river towards the 

 boma from the north, while Colonel Gifford was 

 only a couple of days off attacking from the 

 west. 



Von Lettow as usual acted coolly and promptly. 

 He left just enough companies to hold up and 

 delay Colonel Gifford' s force with a series of rear- 

 guard actions in suitable positions, and while 

 still keeping his grip around the force on the hill, 

 attacked with his main force the column under 

 Colonel Fitzgerald, then only a few miles away. 

 The advanced battalion of K.A.R. was driven off, 

 with the loss of some of their Stokes guns and 

 maxims, and numerous casualties, and in spite of 

 the efforts of the second battalion the column 

 had to retire. 



Returning and using the unexpected weapon of 

 the newly captured Stokes gun against the little 

 force on the hill, the Germans captured that posi- 

 tion also. Then after burning the boma buildings 

 according to custom, the enemy retired farther 

 east before Colonel Gifford's troops, and halted at 

 Chaluwe, a large Portuguese post. As the enemy 

 16 



