246 WAR: CAMPAIGNING IN EAST AFRICA 



Colonel Gifford's column, which had continued 

 travelling fast through Inagu, arrived and 

 attacked. It was only his own skill and the 

 disciplined courage of his veteran troops that 

 saved the German general from complete disaster, 

 for several "Norforce" battalions also reinforced 

 the attackers. I doubt if Von Lettow was ever 

 in a tighter corner. As it was, he lost about 

 twenty of his irreplaceable whites, killed and 

 wounded in the fight, and probably not far short 

 of 200 askaris ; he also had to abandon a good 

 deal of his baggage, and, best of all (for us), a good 

 many loads of his ammunition. Our losses, too, 

 were considerable, but we had at last scored a 

 distinct success. 



Breaking north again, the Germans crossed the 

 Luli once more, Colonel Gifford still closely follow- 

 ing, and a force of those fine N.R.P. troops close 

 at hand. A day north of the big river the 

 Germans, this time themselves taking the offen- 

 sive, turned and attacked our column. The 

 country was all open forest, and along the creek, 

 where the main fighting took place, there were 

 patches of bamboo. Accordingly, a somewhat 

 confused fight took place during a greater part of 

 the day. 



The 2nd/2nd (second battalion of the second 

 regiment) were the first attacked and had the 

 lion's share of the fighting. Lucky in having as 

 O.C. an able and cool soldier in Colonel Greig, who 

 is never more at home than when in action, the 



