Siege of Toma
Siege of Toma | |||||||
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Part of the Australian occupation of German New Guinea | |||||||
Map showing the area between Toma and Rabaul, 1914. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Australia | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Edward Fowell Martin | Eduard Haber | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Land: 200 infantry, 1 artillery piece Sea: 1 protected cruiser |
40 infantry, 110 policemen | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
none | 150 captured |
The siege of Toma was a bloodless action during the
Prelude
The
Siege
Meanwhile, after their defeat at Bita Paka on 11 September the remaining German forces retreated 19 miles (31 km) to Toma, believing they would have time to recuperate before the Australians arrived. Unknown to the Germans however, an advanced party of 200 Australians had followed them from Bita Paka and surrounded the town, proceeding to bombard it with a 12-pound field piece. The protected cruiser HMAS Encounter also arrived on the scene, and fired several shells at a ridge nearby.[3] The German governor, Eduard Haber, knew his small force would eventually have to surrender but continued to hold out for several days hoping that the German East Asia Squadron would arrive to relieve them.[4] Nevertheless, the show of Australian firepower was sufficient to start negotiations, forcing Haber to realise that his hopes were futile. The Germans subsequently made favourable terms with the Australians, surrendering the colony and ending the siege. Terms were signed on 17 September and all military resistance ceased, with the remaining 40 German soldiers and 110 natives surrendering on 21 September.[4] Haber was allowed to return to Germany while German civilians could remain as long as they swore an oath of neutrality. Those who refused were transported to Australia from where they could freely travel back to Germany.[5]
Aftermath
With the government's surrender, nearly all of German New Guinea came under Australian control. The majority of the Germans living there were interned and later deported. Only a few isolated bands of German forces continued to resist after the fall of Toma. By 1915, the only remaining German resistance in the colony besides the occasional merchant raider was Leutnant Hermann Detzner and his band of 20 native police who evaded capture in the interior of New Guinea for the entire war.[6] Following the capture of German possessions in the region, the AN&MEF provided occupation forces for the duration of the war.[7]
See also
Notes
References
- OCLC 28535580.
- OCLC 494426919.
- Meade, Kevin (2005). Heroes before Gallipoli: Bita Paka and that One Day in September. Milton: John Wiley & Sons Australia. ISBN 1-74031-117-5.
- Odgers, George (1994). 100 Years of Australians at War. Sydney: Lansdowne. ISBN 1-86302-669-X.