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South West Africa campaign

West Africa campaign
Part of African theatre of World War I

The South West Africa campaign in 1915
Date15 September 1914 – 9 July 1915
(9 months, 3 weeks and 3 days)
Location
South Africa, Namibia
Result Allied victory
Territorial
changes
South West Africa annexed to
the Union of South Africa
Belligerents

 United Kingdom

 Portugal

 Germany

 South African Republic
Oukwanyama
Commanders and leaders
Strength
67,000 South Africans
12,000 Portuguese
3,000 Schutztruppe
7,000 German militia & settlers
12,000 Boer commandos
Casualties and losses

Union of South Africa:

  • 246 killed
  • 560 wounded
  • 782 captured
  • 181 dead from illness[1]

Portuguese Angola:

German South West Africa:

  • 103 killed
  • 890 captured
  • 37 field guns lost
  • 22 machine-guns lost

South African Republic:

  • 124–190 killed
  • 300 dead from illness
  • 229–400 wounded[3]

Ovambo

  • 25 killed
  • 100 wounded

The South West Africa campaign was the conquest and occupation of German South West Africa by forces from the Union of South Africa acting on behalf of the British imperial government at the beginning of the First World War. The South African Prime Minister Louis Botha took the unusual move of leading his troops into battle as commander-in-chief, to the frustration of his cabinet.[4]

  1. ^ Mitchell & Smith 1931, pp. 263–264.
  2. ^ Fraga 2010.
  3. ^ Strachan 2001, p. 568.
  4. ^ "Botha, Louis | International Encyclopedia of the First World War (WW1)". encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net. Retrieved 13 June 2024.

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