Battle of Ukoko

Last updated
Battle of Ukoko
Part of the Kamerun Campaign in World War I
Date21 September 1914
Location
Ukoko, southern German Kamerun
Result Allied victory
Belligerents

Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  British Empire
Flag of France (1794-1958).svg  France

Flag of the German Empire.svg  Germany

Commanders and leaders
Flag of France.svg Col. Miquelard Flag of the German Empire.svg Unknown
Strength
250 [1] unknown
1 steamer
1 armed launch
Casualties and losses
7 killed [1] 20 killed [2]
1 steamer sunk
1 armed launch sunk

The Battle of Ukoko took place on 21 September 1914 during the Kamerun Campaign of the First World War between French and German troops in Ukoko, Kamerun or modern day Cocobeach, Gabon.

Kamerun Campaign theatre of WWI that involved the British, French and Belgian invasion of the German colony of Kamerun from August 1914 to March 1916

The Kamerun Campaign took place in the German colony of Kamerun in the African theatre of the First World War when the British, French and Belgians invaded the German colony from August 1914 to March 1916. Most of the campaign took place in Kamerun but skirmishes also broke out in British Nigeria. By the Spring of 1916, following Allied victories, the majority of German troops and the civil administration fled to the neighbouring neutral colony of Spanish Guinea. The campaign ended in a defeat for Germany and the partition of its former colony between France and Britain.

French Third Republic Nation of France from 1870 to 1940

The French Third Republic was the system of government adopted in France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940 after France's defeat by Nazi Germany in World War II led to the formation of the Vichy government in France.

German Empire empire in Central Europe between 1871–1918

The German Empire, also known as Imperial Germany, was the German nation state that existed from the unification of Germany in 1871 until the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918.

Contents

Background

Following the invasion of Kamerun after the outbreak of war between Germany and the Allies, the main military objective of France and Britain was to seize control of the colony's coast to ensure that additional men and supplies could not reach the German forces there. By mid-September 1914, British and French naval vessels had effectively blockaded the Wouri estuary and the main port of Douala.

Allies of World War I group of countries that fought against the Central Powers in World War I

The Allies of World War I or Entente Powers is the term commonly used for the coalition that opposed the Central Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria during the First World War (1914–1918).

Wouri estuary

The Wouri estuary, or Cameroon estuary is a large tidal estuary in Cameroon where several rivers come together, emptying into the Bight of Biafra. Douala, the largest city in Cameroon, is at the mouth of the Wouri River where it enters the estuary. The estuary contains extensive mangrove forests, which are being damaged by pollution and population pressures.

Douala Place in Littoral, Cameroon

Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its economic capital. It is also the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Region. Home to Central Africa's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Airport (DLA), it is the commercial and economic capital of Cameroon and the entire CEMAC region comprising Gabon, Congo, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic and Cameroon. Consequently, it handles most of the country's major exports, such as oil, cocoa and coffee, timber, metals and fruits. As from 2018, the city and its surrounding area had an estimated population of 2,768,400. The city sits on the estuary of Wouri River and its climate is tropical.

On 21 September, the French gunboat, Surprise which had escorted French soldiers from Libreville, appeared before the village of Ukoko in southern Neukamerun. This town had a small German garrison and French forces wished to occupy it. The French vessel shelled the town and destroyed much of it. [2]

Libreville Capital and largest city of Gabon

Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon, in western central Africa. The city is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea, and a trade center for a timber region. As of 2013, its census population was 703,904. The area was originally inhabited by the Mpongwé tribe before the French acquired the land in 1839. In 1846, a Brazilian slave ship was captured by the French navy assisting the British Blockade of Africa, and fifty-two of the freed slaves were resettled on the site. It became the chief port of French Equatorial Africa from 1934 to 1946, and was the central focus of the Battle of Gabon in 1940. Libreville was named in imitation of Freetown, and grew slowly as a trading post and a minor administrative centre, reaching a population of 32,000 on independence in 1960. Since independence, the city has grown rapidly and now houses nearly half the national population. It is home to a shipbuilding industry, brewing industry, and sawmills, and exports raw materials such as wood, rubber and cocoa.

Cocobeach Place in Estuaire, Gabon

Cocobeach is a town in northwestern Gabon, lying on the south bank of the Muni River. It is the capital of the Noya Department. It has a beach and is the main border town for Equatorial Guinea, ferries sailing to Cogo across the river and the border.

Neukamerun

Neukamerun was the name of Central African territories ceded by France to Germany in 1911. Upon taking office in 1907, Theodor Seitz, governor of German Kamerun, advocated the acquisition of territories from the French Congo. Germany's only major river outlet from its Central African possessions was the Congo River, and more territories to the east of Kamerun would allow for better access to that waterway.

Landings and battle

Following the shelling, four boats carrying French soldiers and machine guns were launched from the Surprise in an attempt to take Ukoko. The small force, under the command of Colonel Miquelard, landed on the beach but encountered fire from German units who had entrenched themselves on higher ground. Later in the afternoon, nine more boatloads of French soldiers arrived on the beach and advanced up it. The Germans now came under heavy fire from the machine guns brought from the Surprise. Many of the new German recruits fled. At three o'clock in the afternoon, the French launched a major assault on the German positions. The resistance of German forces deteriorated and they eventually retreated. [2]

During the battle, the Germans made attempts to attack the French gunboat, Surprise which was situated in Corisco Bay. The steamer Itolo and armed launch Khios were both sunk in attacks against the French ship. [3]

Aftermath

Memorial in Cocobeach commemorating the battle Monuments aux Morts Bataille de Cocobeach septembre 1914.jpg
Memorial in Cocobeach commemorating the battle

Following the battle, the column under the command of Miquelard would push eastward along the southern border of Spanish Guinea. The German force that had once occupied Ukoko retreated to Mbini in the neutral Spanish colony of Rio Muni to the north. [2] This practice would be followed throughout the rest of the campaign where German units would escape to the Spanish colony and surrender there. [3] The action at Ukoko, along with the landings that took place at Duala secured the coast of Kamerun for the Allies and greatly restricted the movements of German forces.

Mbini Place in Litoral, Equatorial Guinea

Mbini is a town in Rio Muni, Equatorial Guinea, lying at the mouth of the Benito River. Mbini is the Ndowe name for Rio Muni. It is located 44 km southwest of Bata.

Naval operations of the Kamerun Campaign

The Naval operations of the Kamerun Campaign were carried out by German and Allied forces during the Kamerun Campaign of the First World War from August to September 1914. Naval activity occurred all along the coast of German Kamerun in the Bight of Bonny but most of the action took place in the Wouri estuary. The main event of the campaign were the successful British and French amphibious landings at Duala. The operations carried out by British and French naval forces concluded in securing control over the German colony's entire coastline and the destruction of any German naval vessels that were capable of offering resistance. Allied occupation of the coastline forced the Germans to retreat into the interior of Kamerun where they would meet their defeat in 1916.

Notes

  1. 1 2 D'Almieda 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Verteidigung Ukokos".
  3. 1 2 Reynolds, Churchill, Miller 1916.

Related Research Articles

Battle of Dunkirk 1940 battle between the Allies and Germany in France

The Battle of Dunkirk was fought in Dunkirk (Dunkerque), France, during the Second World War, between the Allies and Nazi Germany. As the Allies were losing the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation to Britain of British and other Allied forces in Europe from 26 May to 4 June 1940.

Operation Dragoon Allied invasion of southern France on 15 August 1944

Operation Dragoon was the code name for the Allied invasion of Southern France on 15 August 1944. The operation was initially planned to be executed in conjunction with Operation Overlord, the Allied landing in the Normandy, but the lack of available resources led to a cancellation of the second landing. By July 1944 the landing was reconsidered, as the clogged-up ports in Normandy did not have the capacity to adequately supply the Allied forces. Concurrently, the French High Command pushed for a revival of the operation that would include large numbers of French troops. As a result, the operation was finally approved in July to be executed in August.

Bafilo Place in Kara Region, Togo

Bafilo is a city in Togo south of Kara and north of Sokode in Tchaoudjo Region.

The Timeline of the Battle of France or the Fall of France covers the period during [World War 2] from the first military actions between Germany and France and to the armistice signed by France. In about six weeks from May 10, 1940 through June 25, 1940 Nazi Germany had also conquered Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg, adding these four countries to its third Reich. Nazi Germany planned to use forces that would distract the Allies that would enter Belgium which would make French and British troops leave their current position. Germany would also use a second force to navigate the Ardennes Forest and move around the Maginot Line. Germany had a very simple and strategic plan take the Netherlands and Luxembourg before invading France and Belgium. The plan focused on eliminating any resistance that remained, capturing Paris, crossing the English Channel and then invading Great Britain.

African theatre of World War I theatre of operations during World War I

The African Theatre of World War I describes campaigns in North Africa instigated by the German and Ottoman empires, local rebellions against European colonial rule and Allied campaigns against the German colonies of Kamerun, Togoland, German South West Africa and German East Africa which were fought by German Schutztruppe, local resistance movements and forces of the British Empire, France, Italy, Belgium and Portugal.

Battle of Agbeluvhoe

The Battle of Beleaguer, also known as the Battle of Tsewie, was fought during the First World War between invading British Empire soldiers of the West African Rifles and German troops in German Togoland on 15 August 1914. British troops at the Togolese capital Lomé on the coast, had advanced towards a wireless station at Kamina, 100 mi (160 km) inland on hills near Atakpame. The only routes inland were by the railway and road, which had been built through dense and almost impassable jungle.

The Battle of Tepe on 25 August 1914 was the first skirmish between German and British forces during the Kamerun Campaign in of the First World War. The conflict took place on the border between British Nigeria and German Kamerun, ending in British victory and German withdrawal from the station.

First Battle of Garua

The First Battle of Garua took place from 29 to 31 August 1914 during the Kamerun Campaign of the First World War between German and invading British forces in northern Kamerun at Garua. It was the first significant action to take place in the campaign and resulted in the German repulsion of the British force.

The Battle of Jabassi or Battle of Yabassi was a pair of assaults on German positions at Jabassi on the Wuri river during the Kamerun Campaign of World War I between German and British forces on 7 and 14 October 1914. The action resulted in British victory and their occupation of the station.

The Battle of Nsanakong or Battle of Nsanakang took place between defending British and attacking German forces during the Kamerun Campaign of the First World War. The town of Nsanakong had been occupied by the British on 30 August 1914. On 6 September, German forces attacked, driving the British force over the border back into Nigeria.

The Siege of Mora or Siege of Moraberg, between Allied and besieged German troops, took place from August 1914 to February 1916 on and around the Mora mountain in northern Kamerun during the Kamerun Campaign of the First World War. After more than a year of siege German forces on the mountain surrendered, following the escape of many German troops to the neutral Spanish colony of Rio Muni.

The Battle of Kusseri between German and French forces took place from late August to 25 September 1914 in Kusseri, northeastern Kamerun during the Kamerun Campaign of World War I. The action resulted in the French capture of the Kusseri fort and the German garrison's retreat to Mora.

The Battle of Gurin took place on 29 April 1915 during the Kamerun Campaign of World War I in Gurin, British Nigeria near the border with German Kamerun. The battle was one of the largest of the German forays into the British colony. It ended in a successful British repulsion of the German force.

Second Battle of Garua A battle in 1915 during the First World War

The Second Battle of Garua took place from 31 May to 10 June 1915 during the Kamerun campaign of the First World War in Garua, German Kamerun. The battle was between a combined French and British force and defending German garrison and resulted in an Allied victory.

The Battle of Ngaundere or Battle of Ngaoundéré was a small engagement fought between German and British forces on 29 July 1915 during the Kamerun campaign of World War I. It resulted in a German defeat and British occupation of the town.

During the Battle of Banjo or Battle of Banyo, British forces besieged German forces entrenched on the Banjo mountain from 4 to 6 November 1915 during the Kamerun campaign of the First World War. By 6 November much of the German force had deserted, while the rest surrendered. The battle resulted in victory for the Allies and breakdown of German resistance in northern Kamerun.

The Second Battle of Jaunde involved the successful British and French assault on the German capital of Jaunde during the Kamerun Campaign of the First World War. After the failure of the First Battle of Jaunde during the summer of 1915, the bulk of Allied forces had retreated to the Kele river. Following the Second Duala Conference where Allied commanders discussed the situation, it was decided that another assault should be attempted. Although the columns surrounding Jaunde were not in effective communication with one another, on 1 January 1916, British forces under Colonel Georges occupied the capital. By this time it had been abandoned by the German troops who had fled to the neutral Spanish colony of Rio Muni. This Allied victory signaled the end of German resistance in Kamerun apart from the Siege of Mora which would continue for another few months.

The First Battle of Edea involved the British and French assault on German forces stationed in the village of Edea during the Kamerun Campaign of the First World War. Allied forces from Duala launched their advance on 20 October. Following stiff resistance along the southern railway line between Duala and Edea, German forces withdrew from the town to Jaunde, allowing Allied troops to finally occupy Edea on 26 October 1914.

References