"German Southwest Africa - Tactics and Figures" Topic

Think Herero Revolt…did the German Schutztruppe form more close order lines when engaging the enemy, or were they more of an open or skirmish order?

Also, the Herero, would you say they used open skirmish order or mass? Less likely the latter I would think.

Last question – figures in 15mm. Would German Asia Brigade Boxer Rebellion figures work for Southwest Africa? I am pretty set on Boers for Herero, and I do believe that the belts did change for the Germans, but in 15mm would I be close enough?

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And here the most famous cigartte picture of their skirmish line.

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Thanks, Rudi. Looks like both sides were using an open order, perhaps the Herero a bit more open than the Germans?

I don't know the tactical formations used by the Herero. At that time, the German forces used close order only for manoeuvring onto the battlefield but out of artillery or small arms range. An attack would then evolve into more open formations in order to move forward. The closer the attack came to the enemy, the smaller the size of unit that moved. As Bloem's account shows, this would get down to teams or even small groups of 2-3 individuals moving forward from within a section. The aim was to get men forward under cover of supporting fire. New firing lines would be formed in this way, enabling better suppression of the enemy at closer range. Once fire control was achieved then the assault would take place.

Robert

Recreational Conflict sells figures for the Herero War, as well as a series of scenarios based on research done from German soources.

recreationalconflict.com

When pulling up "The Herero Wars" there are some figures listed there, but the rest of the figures can be purchased under the "Colonial" tab for the Tiger Miniatures.

Afghanistan?

The hereros were deadly shots ,close order was out of the question.Plus many Hereros had been in german service as auxiliaries,they knew their foe.Getting Roy Jones Herero game book will answer many of your questions.

The Hereros used open-order skirmish tactics. Here's a first-person account from Maximilian Bayer, who fought in the Herero War:

"Simultaneously the Hereros burst forth; they left the protective thorn abatis and trenches and ran towards [the Germans]; but not in a wild, thick mass, like the Dervishes at Omdurman, but on the contrary in a long skirmishing line, crouching down and bounding, with great skill and exploitation of all cover." (Translation by Roy Jones)

Here's the original German:

"Gleichzeitig brachen die Hereros schon hervor; sie verließen den sicheren Dornverhau und die Schützengräben und liefen heran; doch nicht als eine wilde, dichte Masse, wie die Derwische bei Omdurman, sondern in langer Schützenlinie, geduckt und in Sprüngen, mit großer Geschicklichkeit und unter Ausnutzung jeder Deckung." (Bayer, pg. 38)

(The quote is from Bayer, Maximilian "Mit dem Hauptquartier in Südwestafrika"; Berlin, Wilhelm Weicher, 1909).

The Germans, and their African allies, also fought in an open-order skirmishing line ("eine Schützenlinie") when engaging in a firefight.

However, when engaging in or preparing for close combat both the Hereros and the Germans would close up into denser formations.

By the way, my friend Eric Alvarado and I are the co-authors of the rules and scenario book to which GamesPoet refers: it's entitled "The Herero War". The book is based on original German sources: the official histories of the Schutztruppen, the Marines, and the sailors of the Landungskorps (i.e., the Naval Landing Party); first-person accounts; and original maps. These sources were used in deriving the rules and creating the scenarios.

The rules and scenarios were playtested over several years and dozens of games to ensure play balance. The book has 8 chapters of historically derived rules and 13 historical scenarios.

If you're interested in more information about the book, or just more information about the Germans and Hereros in South-West Africa (their history, weapons, tactics, accounts of battles, etc.), you can go to my website:

hererowars.com.

Roy Jones

Thanks for the details, Roy. These provide further evidence of the nature of German pre-WW1 infantry tactics. The 'denser' formations that you refer to are not, presumably, the close order formations of Napoleonic times but the gradual thickening of the pre-assault firing lines and then the rapid advance to contact once the enemy was suppressed.

Robert

GP – Thanks for the info on Tiger Minis, but as I am shooting for 15mm due to space and terrain considerations. I am hoping someone here can confirm or deny my use of Old Glory Boers for Hereros and Far Eastern Brigade for Schutztruppe. :)

I've ordered the book from RC, and Dr. Jones, I am looking mforward to seeing it! While I am not going to be using TSATF for my rules, I am sure it will be most useful and I am certain I can convert the scenarios for use with Battles for Empire.

Great stuff here…thanks all!

Old Glory Boers are fine for the Hereros. Rank-and-file Herero troops wore civilian clothes very similar to those worn by the Boer (Herero senior officers, Herero infiltrators, and Herero Shock Troops wore captured German uniforms).

The Far East Brigade figures will be fine for South-West African Schutztruppen. The main differences between the two troop types are in uniform color and color of their kit. As long as you paint them in South-West African colors, the East Asian Expeditionary Corps (Ostasiatische Expeditionskorps) figures will work great.

Here are the color differences:

(a) the East Asian troops wore straw slouch hats, which were straw-colored, while the Schutztruppe slouch hat (the Südwester) was gray felt with blue edging.

(b) The East Asian winter uniform was blue, the summer uniform was khaki; the Schutztruppe tropical uniform was sand colored (i.e., "Sandfarben" in German). This is a tan color that is darker than khaki.

(c) There were differences in the color of the ammo pouches (brown for the Schutztruppen; brown or dark gray for the East Asian troops).

Roy

Buckeye,

Asrakhi(?) also sells Herero and Germans for this. Pulp figures also do Germans.

Ink – Yes, those great companies make some fine figures for the period, but I am going for 15mm and they make 25/28mm. :)

Roy – Thank you for confirming!!! I will also use the Old Glory See Battalion figures for Marines in SW Africa.

Thanks for the uniform details. I should be pretty good to go once I get the figures in hand. I have your book on order and have looked over the German colonial site.

Thanks again, all!

I'd be very happy to use 15mm Boers as Herero and GEA Brigade as SW Afrika korps.

Have been interested in doing this years ago but haven't (yet) due to finding info about the war.

I did GEA in WWI using various figures so SW Afrika would be "easy" I should think.

Thank you Roy Jones.

Buckeye,

Geez, my fault didn't read closely. Sorry.

Some certain gamers are inextricably linked to their favorite periods.

When someone says Herero, I automatically think of Roy Jones.

When someone says 1870, I automatically think of Bruce Weigle.

I received Roy Jones' Herero War book last week, that is one amazing piece of research and effort! Very glad I bought it.

A follow up question about figures for Roy…German Boxer Rebellion See Battalion could be used for Marines in GSWA, correct? What about sailors? Old Glory doesn't seem to make German/Austrian sailors, they make French, Italian, British and Russian…not sure if they would work for Germans.

And then guns, what to use?

Sorry for all the questions, but your book actually has made me look at doing a full set of German forces, so I need suitable figures.

Thanks!

Buckeye,

You can definitely use Boxer Rebellion Seebataillon figures for Marines in German Southwest Africa. For the sailors, you could use Italian, British, or Russian figures. Avoid French sailors, however, because they have a distinctly non-German pompon on the top of their cap.

As for the artillery, I'm not that familiar with what Old Glory has; Boxer Rebellion Artillery #2-Russian, British, and British Naval might work. In general, for standard German artillery, Krupp guns will do. A machine gun can serve as a Maschinenkanone (a machine cannon) and a Gatling gun can serve as a Revolverkanone (revolver cannon). As for a mountain gun, if you can't find a 15mm Krupp mountain gun a 10mm or 6mm standard Krupp gun might work.

Roy

Thank you very much, Roy. Sounds like I can easily pull this off in 15mm then.