Prior to the First World War, Germany had built up a small world-wide empire in an effort to compete with their main rivals, the British and the French. Part of Germany's empire was located in Africa and in particular Südwest Afrika or what is today know as Namibia.
The German military force that garrisoned Südwest Afrika consisted of the Schutztruppe, a force that was specifically recruited for colonial service, separate from the main German military establishment (the biggest distinction is that it was a "national" force that belonged to no individual German state). However, members of the German Army were often seconded to the Schutztruppe and there are records of Chevaulegers having served (and died).
At it's height, the Schutztruppe consisted of some 17 companies, all mounted (one rode camels) for maximum mobility in a mostly arid/desert country with almost no roads or other transportation infrastructure. Below are some illustrations of the Schutztruppe:
This is just a brief glimpse of the Schutztruppen of Südwest Afrika and I hope to write some more on this subject in the future.
 |
| Map of present-day Namibia, the territory that was once German Südwest Afrika. |
At it's height, the Schutztruppe consisted of some 17 companies, all mounted (one rode camels) for maximum mobility in a mostly arid/desert country with almost no roads or other transportation infrastructure. Below are some illustrations of the Schutztruppe:
 |
| Moving into action. |
 |
| The Kamel Kompanie |
 |
| Individual Trooper |
 |
| Another picture of the Kamel Kompanie. |
 |
| German Column |
This is just a brief glimpse of the Schutztruppen of Südwest Afrika and I hope to write some more on this subject in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment