First Battle of Edea

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First Battle of Edea

The First Battle of Edea was part of World War I’s Kamerun campaign. It happened from 20 to 26 October 1914 in Edea and the surrounding area.

The Allies, mainly British and French forces, fought a German garrison that had retreated inland after Duala fell in September 1914. German Governor Karl Ebermaier and Major Zimmermann led the defense, with French forces under Colonel Mayer moving along the Yapoma railway to the east. The retreating Germans damaged parts of the railway on the way toward Edea.

On 6 October, French troops with British naval support attacked the Yapoma bridge, and the German defenders withdrew from that position. This opened the way for an advance toward Edea. On 20 October, a British force moved up the Njong River to Dehane and then toward Edea, while another column moved up the Sanaga River. Mayer’s French column advanced east along the Yapoma line toward Edea. Some officers were killed when their boat capsized on the Njong, and the Sanaga flotilla faced navigational challenges.

The German defenders concentrated on the southern railway line, but as Allied forces closed in from Dehana and the Sanaga, they decided to withdraw to Yaoundé (Jaunde), about 100 miles away.

On 26 October, British and French troops entered and occupied Edea, then pushed about 20 miles inland to Kopongo. A German attempt to recapture Edea failed in January 1915 (the Second Battle of Edea). Afterward, the remaining German forces moved toward Dschang, and in December 1914 the British began moving toward that fort, eventually capturing it in early January 1915.