For over four years during World War I, Lieutenant Colonel (Later Major General) Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck, commander of the German Schutztruppe led the men of the British East African Expeditionary Force on a chase over some of the most inhospitable terrain imaginable. As the commander of German forces in East Africa, he was the author of one of the most successful guerrilla fights in history. His innovative and creative solutions to daily problems proved to be the undoing of a succession of British commanders, allowing him to bleed Allied forces from European fronts. Although he never had more than 3,000 European and 15,000 native soldiers, von Lettow-Vorbeck consumed the efforts of over 250,000 Allied (mostly British) soldiers. Von Lettow-Vorbeck and the men of the Schutztruppe are little known outside of Germany, but they were never defeated and have the distinction of being the only Germans of World War I to occupy British soil. Despite their successes, their exploits remain obscured in the greater tragedy of the Great War.
A 2003 dated student paper

Joe
http://cgsc.cdmhost.com/cgi-bin/showfile.e...CISOSEARCHAL%22

Hi Joe,

Once again, thanks for the link.

Merci

Jean-Paul

Jean-Paul, n'est-ce pas le but du Forum,disseminer l'information.
Salutations.
Joe

I thoroughly agree.
He is a bit of a hero of mine, despite being on the wrong side. His was an absolutely masterly campaign, with no hope of reinforcements or supplies, yet tying down large numbers on our side. And then, after the war, he returned home to germany, and retreated into obscurity, having nothing to do with politics or the future turn of events in his homeland.
A remarkable man indeed.

Bruce

Hello Bruce, I must say that I agree wholeheartedly with your comments. A genuine master tactician,IMHO, in his own right can you imagine him what he could have done on the Western front. Think about it for a few minutes......or if he had been an English general....
Thanks and Regards Bruce
Joe