A SCOUTING GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2944, 2 December 1916, Page 5

A SCOUTING GENERAL

INCIDENT IN EAST AFRICA. 'General van Deventcr is a good scout, and does a groat deal on his own account, writes 'Reutor's special, correspondent in German East Africa. After he has received his report from intelligence ■ officers- ! and scouts, tho General likes to go out and form an independent opinion. A ease where this course was justified was when tlie brigade was coming through from TJliouie. The enemy was found to be commanding the only., means of adranco, and was ■ in strength. The Goneral went out with two.of his staff and a patrol. Ono kopje was mounted and an enemy, force was sighted, apparently retreating. General van Dcvcner was not'satisfied, v nnd another hill was mounted. The same force was seen, and all but the General were certain that the Germans were withdrawing: General van Devener wanted to know what was behind the third kopje, which was in front of him-and his party, and there is no gainsaying that those who followed the' command chafed a- little at what they considered an -unnecessary ride late in the evening, after a hard day's work in tlio "held. On reaching the top of the lull, however, tho General's action was justiiied. for ther. below in the valley was a body of Germans moving to. take-part in an enveloping moVoment. Unseon, the force led by General van Deventer crept down the hillsido until the enemy was well within range, and then tho order'to fire was given. The Germans did not know where tho attacking Force was, nor could they estimate its strength. The.persistency of tho lire and its accuracy convoyed the,idea of many troops, and the enemy did not know but that he, instead of enveloping us,-was himself enveloped. The result of this little bit of scouting on the part of the General was that the Gorman plans were upset, and .counter-measures were taken which resulted in his continuing his retreat and , tho' capture of Kondoa.