Battle of Jassin

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Jassin
partof=World War I


caption=
date=18–19 January, 1915
place=Jassin, German East Africa
casus=
territory=
result=German victory
combatant1=flagicon|German Empire German Empire
combatant2=flagicon|United Kingdom United Kingdom
*flagicon|India|British British India
commander1=Paul Erich von Lettow-Vorbeck
commander2= Captain Hanson
strength1= 244 Europeans
1,350 Askaris
23 machine guns
4 field guns
strength2= 300 men in Jassin
800 in the relief force
casualties1= 86 dead
200 wounded
casualties2=
notes=

The Battle of Jassin was a World War I battle that took place on 18–January 19 1915 at Jassin on the German East African side of the border with British East Africa between a German Schutztruppe force and British and Indian troops. Jassin had been occupied by the British in order to secure the border between British East Africa and German territory, but was weakly defended by four companies of Indian troops—numbering a little over 300 men.

The German commander, Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck, decided to attack Jassin in order to prevent further danger to Tanga, which lay more than 50 kilometres to the south and had previously been successfully defended against a British attack. Nine companies of Schutztruppe with European officers were gathered for the assault.

Immediately after the British force surrendered, British Captains Hanson and Turner were taken to see Lettow-Vorbeck. He congratulated them on their defence of the town before releasing them on the promise they would play no further part in the war.

Although the British force surrendered, Lettow-Vorbeck realised that the level of German losses of officers and ammunition meant that he could rarely afford confrontation on such a large scale and would need to make use of guerrilla warfare instead—he turned his attention away from seeking decisive battle against the British, concentrating instead on operations against the Uganda Railway. The British response was to concentrate their forces to reduce their risks and make defence easier.

References

* [http://www.geocities.com/cdferree/history/jassin.html Detailed report on the Battle of Jassin by Dennis L. Bishop and Holger Dobold]