Chapter 329: Falling Behind the Current Version
The East African Army and the Matabele Kingdom's forces clashed east of Bulawayo. On the East African side, a force of over six thousand—the Southern Salzburg border troops plus part of the Southern Army's Second Brigade—faced a Matabele army of more than sixteen thousand, among which over ten thousand were Shona auxiliaries.
Using binoculars, Siweite surveyed the Matabele lines. "Looks like they're prepared for a do-or-die stand. Interesting that they'd choose to face us head-on!"
The most troublesome tactic for the East African Army when dealing with tribes is guerrilla warfare. East Africa has plenty of anti-guerrilla experience, but the kingdom definitely prefers a direct, orderly confrontation over having the enemy act 'sneaky.'
The Ndebele have chosen open battle for a straightforward reason: they don't really know how to use firearms in large-scale engagements. Even with so many muskets, commanding them in formation relies on the Boer instructors. The Boers themselves are used to guerrilla tactics, moving about on horseback, so they lack experience in leading massive lines. So they just copied the British "redcoat line of fire" method and tried to adapt it for the Ndebele.
The British indeed have a lot of prestige as the world's strongest empire, and in the colonies, their "line infantry firing" left no foe unvanquished. Officially known as linear tactics, the line formation came about because of the limitations of flintlock muskets, used to ensure maximum killing power. This also gave rise to the "three-rank volley" technique, self-explanatory by its name.
But they're facing the East African Army, especially the Southern Salzburg border troops. Their officers are Hechingen Military Academy graduates who served in the Franco-Prussian War. In that conflict, linear tactics were already outdated. These Hechingen graduates have mastered more advanced skirmish-line tactics, which first emerged in Napoleon's era but were widely used in the Franco-Prussian War. The Prussians had inferior rifles in terms of performance and accuracy compared to the French, so to avoid being pinned by enemy fire, they used loose-order formations extensively.
Moreover, fighting indigenous tribes in East Africa, the local forces often collapse at first contact, so the East Africans' biggest headache is chasing down scattered stragglers afterward. This means the East African Army often has to split up. Consequently, skirmish-line tactics grew more common in East Africa.
Watching his deployed troops, Lobengula asked the Boer adviser, "Mr. Wiggins, are we really going to charge straight in, without concealment?"
Wiggins replied, "Your Majesty, trust my judgement. The British Army—arguably the world's mightiest—relies on these tactics. Standing in a line might seem stiff, but imagine that wall of muskets firing at once, forming a dense wall of bullets that will obliterate any enemy in front of it."
That reassured Lobengula, who had certainly heard of the British Empire—everyone with outside contact had. They were the undisputed global hegemon, and even the formidable Boers could not best them.
Wiggins continued, "Your Majesty, put the Shona auxiliaries out front. We can drain the East Africans' ammunition first."
"No problem!" replied Lobengula.
So over ten thousand Shona auxiliaries were prodded forward by the Ndebele's "blocking detachments," forced to advance on the East African Army. These pitiful Shona had no real weapons; most carried crudely trimmed sticks—some even with the bark half on. Only those in the vanguard had castoff assegais the Ndebele had discarded.
After equipping firearms, the Ndebele deemed single-use assegais too primitive. Still, they didn't fully trust muskets; they melted down their old iron weapons to forge curved blades for close combat. They also kept their crucial Zulu-style shields, slung on their backs just in case.
This gave the Ndebele quite good equipment by African standards, while the Shona auxiliaries were in rags with clubs.
"They're on the move. But is Lobengula joking, sending these poor fellows to die?" said Siweite, noticing the Shona's pitiful equipment.
"Chief of Staff, the Shona are mere cannon fodder to Lobengula. He's not concerned about their lives. He likely just wants to deplete our ammo," an officer explained.
Siweite sneered, "Then let's see if they can even endure. Bring the artillery forward and shell them without distinction."
Eighteen light-caliber cannons were soon rolled up. At the commander's shout—"Boom… Boom… Boom…"—shells landed among the Shona's ranks. As anticipated, artillery's power shattered their will to fight. Heavy guns are a time-tested method for breaking tribal resolve in East Africa's colonial conquests, and not even the toughest natives can shrug off cannon fire.
For the Shona auxiliaries, today is horrifying. They're forced to fight by the Ndebele. Deep down, they're unwilling. Yet as far as they're concerned, the Ndebele—especially now that they have the mysterious new weapon (muskets) to kill without warning—are unbeatable. So they dare not resist their overlords.
But the foe across the field is even worse. There they stand with what look like hollowed-out cylindrical "log stumps" (the cannons), pointing circles at them from afar. At the deafening roar, the entire battlefield shakes, and wherever the shells land, blood spills in rivers. Even those dozens of meters from impact can feel a wave of scorching heat. This "Heavenly Thunder" is divine punishment, and how could mortal men fight the wrath of the gods?
The Shona auxiliaries' morale collapsed. Some fled in all directions, others fell prone chanting prayers, begging forgiveness from some deity. Even the Ndebele's blocking units firing on them failed to stir them.
"Damn these worthless Shona!" Lobengula cursed from behind. "Mr. Wiggins, the East Africans have cannons—what do we do now?"
Lobengula recognized artillery even if it's rare in Africa—he'd seen them among the Boers before.
Wiggins tried to reassure him, "Fear not, Your Majesty. The East Africans came in a rush, so they can't have many shells. Once they run out of ammo, we can fight them on equal terms."
Privately, Wiggins was uneasy. Who knows how many shells the East Africans brought. If it looks bad, he'd better make a run for it.
Siweite told his officers, "Okay, the Shona are done. No need to waste more shells. Cease fire and advance."
At Siweite's command, the artillery fell silent, but the East Africans began moving forward.
"Your Majesty," said Wiggins, "the East Africans are on the move. Just wait until they're within two hundred meters, and we can open fire."
But Wiggins had miscalculated. The East African forces' approach doesn't mean they'll become easy targets. The Southern Salzburg border troops use Dreyse rifles with twice the range of the muzzleloaders the Ndebele carry, plus superior accuracy.
Wiggins, having spent his life in southern Africa, knows little about current European military technology. In reality, the Southern Salzburg border troops are equipped at a level second only to the armies of the great world powers: Britain, France, Germany, Austria, and Russia.
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