Africa.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 91, 18 August 1915, Page 5

Africa.

CAMEROONS CONQUERED.

SURRENDER OF CARUA. STRIKING BRITISH SUCCESS. WITHOUT LOSS OF LIFE, Unitku Piiess Association. (Received 9..10 a.m.) London. August 17. An officer who was with the British force describes the surrender of Gain a. He states: “We kept up a well-regulated bombardment on three forts overlooking (.lama, and also an old fort in the plain below. The enemy at the outset replied with lively fieldgun fire, but onlv wounded three or lour of our men. ' On June 10 the enemy forts suddenly displayed the White Flag, ami the German commander offered to surrender on condition that he was allowed to march out with the honours of war and rejoin the German forces further south. Our commander demanded unconditional surrender, and within two hours the Gormans agreed, hut they asked to he allowed Ito retail! their arms. They were [asked to promise that the Native inhabitants would, he protected from , rape, which was agreed to. holding j Von Cranselheim. the German eom|mamlant. as a hostage. We entered I the town and took prisoners thirtyseven European and 2(0 Native troops. I four field guns, ten Maxims, several j hundred rifles, half a million cartridges. and much material. The Germans state that our melinite and lyddite shells demoralised the troops. One shell penetrated a bomb-proof shelter and killed twenty. The defenders became mutinuous and refused to man the forts, and a number of cavalry seized horses and rifles and bolted. Many were dropped crossing the river, and some were killed by our } pursuit. Garun contains ten thousand - inhabitants/ The forts are exceedingly well built and equipped, two thousand hvbonrefs having been .engaged foj- six .months fortifying the 'place. Tbej’e ware many bomb-proofi . shelters of.Jnick and cement, plenty of well-filled store-rdo'ms. .Ifi6 tho forts were ■.protected by entanglements and iotherf devices, including broad deep pitK| filled with spears, .sticking upright and carefuly covered, with a j layer of jearth. It ;was, an almost in- , : credible. thing that we captured the place without tin* loss ol a single . life.”

Gama is in the North of the German Kamerun Territory on the Guinea Coast of Africa. It is situated on The ’tipper VeafcheS i# the Benue River. whi<,h runs through Nigeria.' The capture of Gariia piiacIsieaHy -places the whole ol the : Kaiu^, w , erun in the hands of the British. The Kamerun (or Cameroons) has an area pC l|)1.000’ square miles and- a population of 4.1 millions. It,.,pit»(lnces s, palm-oil and besides. ■ other \ tropical products. -1 T-..