SOUTH AFRICA.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1915, Page 5

SOUTH AFRICA.

THE SURRENDER OF GARUA. DEFENDERS DEMORALISED. London, August 17. An i-icer with the British force describes the surrender tsf Garua. He states:—"We kept up a well regulated bombardment of the three forts overlooking Garua, also' of the old fort in the plain below. The enemy at the outset replied with lively field-gun fire, but only wounded three or four men. On June 10 'the enemy forts suddenly displayed the white flag, and the German commander offered to surrender on condition hq was allowed to march out with the honors of war and rejoin the German forces further south. Our commander demanded an unconditional surrender within two hours. The Germans agreed, but asked to be allowed to retain their arms and asked for a promise that the native inhabitants should be protected from rape. This was agreed 10. "Holding von Oranselheim, the German commandant, as hostage, we entered the town and took prisoners 37 European and 270 native troops, 4 field guns, 10 Maxims, several hundred rifles, iialf a million cartridges, and much material. The Germans stated tha.t our melinite and lyddite shells demoralised ttie troops. One shell penetrated a bomb-proof shelter and killed twenty. The defenders became mutinous aud refused to man the forts. A number of cavalry seized horses and rifles and bolted. Many were dropped crossing the river and some were killed by our pursuit. "Garua contains 10,000 inhabitants. The forts are exceedingly well built and equipped. Two thousand laborers had been engaged for six months fortifying the place. There were many bombproof shelters of brick and cement and plenty of well-filled store rooms. The forts were protected bv entanglements and other devices, including broad, deep pits filled with spears sticking upright and carefully covered with a layer of earth. An almost incredible thing is that we captured the place without the loss of a single life."