darkest africa - German East Africa Co. Askaris

...colonial africa miniatures project...

German East Africa Co. Askaris
sudanese soldiers

manufacturer: Copplestone Castings
sculptor: Mark Copplestone
code: AFU2 German East Africa Co. Askaris
painted: September 2006

Wissmann realised that European troops not used to the conditions of tropical Africa would suffer multiple health problems and certainly could not endure long campaign marches. Sudanese soldiers were highly regarded at that time as mercenary troops and so he travelled to Egypt to find recruits for his new army. With the help of Egyptian and British authorities he soon succeeeded in hiring 600 Sudanese soldiers that had been released by the Egyptian army. A recruitment camp was established near Aden. -- "Arab Uprising in German East Africa 1888-90" by Holger Doebold

The men were armed withold Model 1871 single-shot breech-loading rifles and carbines, and some of the model 1871/74 type, which was basically a Modell converted to magazine loading. -- "East Africa" by Chris Peers

The askaris were organised into six Sudanese companies and one of Zulus, each consisting of around 100 men...The Sudanese were veteran soldiers who had seen action against the Mahdists, but they only understood orders in turkish and so had to be accompanied by two Turkish officiers and 20 NCOs to command them. -- "East Africa" by Chris Peers

The recruits were shipped together with their families to Dar-es-Salaam and Bagamoyo and became the core of the German multiracial colonial army in East Africa, the so-called "Schutztruppe". Initially the army was to be be called "Polizei-Truppe in Ostafrika", then "Deutschafrikanische Schutztruppe". Widely used was also the term "Wissmanntruppe" in the early years of the colony. -- "Arab Uprising in German East Africa 1888-90" by Holger Doebold