Siege of Omaruru

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Siege of Omaruru - the 17 January to 4 February 1904

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In the early days of the German colony the small town of Omaruru grew and played an important roll as the commercial centre for the outlaying farms. The Schutztruppe 2nd Field Company was based there under the command of Captain Victor Franke at the time of the 1903 unrest in the South of the country.

The Bondelswarts Uprising:

Towards the end of 1903 the German military presence within the protectorate comprised of 769 active Shutztruppe of which 500 were classified as Field Force soldiers while the remainder performed police duties throughout the Territory.

Omaruru was home to the 90 men of the 2nd Field Company under the command of Captain (later Major) Victor Franke, when on 25 October 1903 at Warmbad in the far South Eastern area of South West Africa, the Bondelswarts revolted. The guerrilla tactics of the Bondelswarts so frustrated the attempts of the Southern Field Force to quell the uprising that in early December, the Governor, Theodore Leutwein went south to personally take command of the campaign. The situation did not improve and by 25 December he sent orders for the 2nd Field Company to march south as reinforcements.

 

 
Samuel Maharero

Samuel Maharero

Governor T Leutwein

Governor T Leutwein

Captain V Franke

Captain V Franke

Fanke Tower 1908

Franke Tower 1908

Franke Tower today

Franke Tower today

 

 

The Herero Uprising:

On 11 January 1904 Samuel Maherero in the knowledge that Franke and his force were well on their way to the south issued a written order for the Herero Nation to revolt. Translated it read:

 

"Okahandja 11 January 1904

 

To all the headmen in my country.

 

I am Samuel Maharero, chief of the Hereros. I have ordered all my people to refrain from touching the following : Missionaries, English, Basters, Bergdamaras, Namas, Boers. We do not touch them. Do no do this. I have sworn an oath that this decision will not become known, not even to the missionaries. Enough."

 

The letter somehow found its way to the missionaries by 19 February 1904.

 

The 2nd Field Company's Quick Reaction:

The revolt was swift, spreading outwards from Okahandja. Franke with his 2nd Field Company travelling south had reached Gibeon on 15 January. On being advised of the uprising he about turned the company and made the return journey of some 380km to Windhoek within four and half days without overtiring the horses. On arrival at the city which had a garrison of 232 men and had not been attacked which allowed Franke and his men to advance on to Okahandja which had been under siege since 12 January. Heavy rains and the flooding of the rivers delayed 2nd Field Company for about four days and they finally reached Okahandja on 27 January, the Kaiser's Birthday where they broke the Herero siege of the town.

 

The Siege of Omaruru:

From the first news of the uprising a state of emergency was declared for all German towns and settlements. On 17 January the Hereros attacked the town of Omaruru and laid siege. The local commando comprised of 39 civilian reservists of whom some were retired schutztruppe and were under the leadership of the military doctor Ph. Kuhn. The commando force managed to hold off the Herero force, but the situation was dire for them.

 

The Siege of Omaruru along with the ferocity with which the battle had been fought signalled to the German government that the Hereros were fighting as both a nation and a unified force, and that as an enemy they should not be underestimated.

 

Captain Franke's 2nd Field Company had left Gibeon on 15 January and covered over 900km in 20 days and then been involved in a close quarter combat from which they emerged victorious. A noteworthy achievement. In April 1906 a fund raising dinner was held in Omaruru for the purpose of erecting a suitable monument to honour the feat of Victor Franke and the men of 2nd Field Company.

 

On 4 February 1908, the fourth anniversary of the Battle of Omaruru, the round tower, known in Germany as a Bismarck Tower, was inaugurated. Victor Franke and some of the men who had fought at in the battle attended as honoured guests.


There is a bronze memorial plaque to the right of the entrance door that reads:

 

"They died as heroes"

27.01.1904 Officer of the Militia Heinrich Schneidewind | 27.01.1904 Trooper of the Reserve Joseph Obermaier

04.02.1904 Trooper Adolf Muller | 04.02.1904 Lance-Sergeant Wilhelm Otto | 04.02.1904 Lance-Sergeant Heinrich Pruess

04.02.1904 Trooper of the Militia Robert Seelmann | 04.02.1904 Lance-Corporal of the Militia Herman Gerlitz

04.02.1904 Lance Corporal of the Militia Herman Linke | 04.02.1904 Trooper Philibert Scherer

"They died of their wounds"

14.02.1904 Lieutenant Erich Baron v. Wollwarth-Lauterburg | 14.02.1904 First Lieutenant Griesbach

"Honour to their memory"


Acknowledgements and further reading:  H7, H12, P1, P2

 

 

Articles of associated interest

 
Battle of Waterberg    ► Herero Uprising    ► Heroes Acre Memorial    ►Siege of Omaruru     ► Omaruru Town  
   

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