National Geographic The Jungle Navy

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00:00:26 Central Africa. 1915.
00:00:36 A small band of British soldiers
00:00:40 on a bizarre and secret mission.
00:00:50 In Europe, the first World War has
00:00:54 but the clash of kings and empires
00:01:03 to a pivotal naval battle for
00:01:11 In command of the British
00:01:13 - Commander Geoffrey Basil
00:01:17 whom the fates of war will label
00:01:55 June 1915.
00:02:01 Under the guidance of South
00:02:04 400 African laborers are
00:02:07 through the unbroken rain forest
00:02:13 - 150 miles of manual labor in
00:02:24 Lee's bush road leads across jungles
00:02:31 to the Great Lakes of Africa
00:02:36 - Tanganyika, Victoria, Nyasa.
00:02:41 Two already are in British hands
00:02:43 - but Tanganyika is the jewel of
00:02:51 - a prize that London desperately
00:02:53 to turn the tide of the African war.
00:02:59 420 miles in length,
00:03:01 It is a vital lifeline needed to arm
00:03:05 Whoever controls the lake,
00:03:07 controls the surrounding
00:03:15 One man rules her waters.
00:03:17 Kapitan Gustav Zimmer of the
00:03:20 commands a powerful marine
00:03:27 - his fleet of three heavily-armed
00:03:29 has obliterated the puny armada
00:03:38 ...- to win the battle for Central
00:03:40 Zimmer's navy must be defeated.
00:03:48 Yet for the job of destroying him,
00:03:50 the Royal Navy selects a former
00:03:53 who has never led a brigade
00:03:58 Lt. -Commander Geoffrey Basil
00:04:01 is an old Africa hand who has
00:04:05 behind a desk in London.
00:04:18 Then chance, not choice, gives
00:04:27 "Why did we go to Tanganyika?
00:04:31 Because the Germans with four
00:04:34 - were commanding the lake,
00:04:36 and by means of these steamers
00:04:39 on the frontiers with provisions
00:04:44 It was important that this should
00:04:49 Spicer's orders are almost surreal
00:04:51 - London wants him to tote his
00:04:54 from England to Central Africa
00:05:00 a pair of 40-foot motorboats
00:05:02 - to be dismantled and freighted
00:05:08 - then tugged overland by steam
00:05:11 - a trek of over nine thousand
00:05:17 - with Zimmer's gunships waiting
00:05:27 Spicer assembles the team.
00:05:33 Former architect of the
00:05:35 Paddy Wainwright is the
00:05:41 - I'm tropical disease specialist,
00:05:42 Dr. Hother Hanschell,
00:05:47 As a casual friend of Spicer's,
00:05:49 Dr. Hanschell knows Spicer is
00:05:54 "Spicer-Simson was a vain man
00:05:58 great admiration at the same time.
00:06:02 This paradox was only possible
00:06:04 because of the very nature of
00:06:08 which was quite often bizarre."
00:06:11 28 men will make the journey -
00:06:14 they are gunners, mechanics,
00:06:19 - not one has ever served
00:06:24 The plan to take Tanganyika from
00:06:28 Get to Tanganyika, and destroy
00:06:31 by stealth and surprise.
00:06:35 But their own warships are
00:06:39 "The two boats taken to Africa
00:06:42 not at all suitable as they were,
00:06:44 but they were the only ones
00:06:47 My orders were to get away at once."
00:06:53 Spicer gives his mahogany warships
00:07:01 - HMS Mimi and Toutou are quick
00:07:03 - top speed, 20 miles per hour.
00:07:09 Spicer tests them on the Thames
00:07:14 and has a 3 pound Hotchkiss gun
00:07:20 and a.303 Maxim in the rear.
00:07:30 June 15, 1915.
00:07:33 Stage One.
00:07:36 The Naval Africa Expedition
00:07:38 on a 6,100 mile voyage for the
00:07:53 While Spicer and his men enjoy
00:07:57 John Lee's army of African
00:08:17 By early July, at Cape Town
00:08:21 the caravan transfers from ship
00:08:28 July 19, 1915.
00:08:33 Stage Two.
00:08:37 The entire expedition
00:08:40 and hundreds of boxes of supplies
00:08:51 At Fungurume, in the Belgian Congo,
00:08:53 they will meet up with Lee.
00:09:02 Two thousand, seven hundred
00:09:05 pierce the heart of a colonized
00:09:17 After two weeks,
00:09:19 Spicer and his men reach the
00:09:22 Morale is high.
00:09:49 But then, just as his expedition is
00:09:57 Spicer fires the man who blazed
00:10:10 He dismisses John Lee, and offers
00:10:21 He alone will lead his men across
00:10:26 - into a jungle few Europeans
00:10:29 since the days of Stanley and
00:10:36 To prepare the boats for their waterless voyage,
00:10:38 engineer Wainwright orders them
00:10:45 - propellers dismounted... the
00:10:48 reinforced to carry the eight and
00:11:00 While final preparations are
00:11:03 a critical member of the team
00:11:08 Ex-policeman, Arthur Dudley has
00:11:12 to reach the expedition.
00:11:14 His role,
00:11:15 to organize and lead the African
00:11:24 "Dudley was Royal Navy Reserve.
00:11:27 He'd served in the Boer War,
00:11:28 now he was fooling about in Rhodesia
00:11:31 But he was capable, just the sort
00:11:34 Just enough sea knowledge
00:11:36 and just enough military training
00:11:47 Two months after leaving London,
00:11:48 Spicer's navy-on-wheels is joined
00:11:51 that will pull the boats through the forest.
00:11:57 The tractors are built for level
00:12:01 - but ahead of them lie some of
00:12:44 But this strange caravan is
00:12:46 by Zimmer's African spies -
00:12:49 "we knew that the English
00:12:54 our supremacy of the lake.
00:12:59 We also knew that the Belgians
00:13:02 Where they were building, or
00:13:10 If Spicer and his men make it to
00:13:14 they will not leave Africa alive.
00:13:25 August 18, 1915.
00:13:30 Stage Three.
00:13:31 150 miles of some of the least
00:13:35 on Earth await the British troopers
00:13:39 - a wild land of disease and
00:13:48 At first light, Geoffrey Spicer
00:13:57 "There were no roads such as we
00:14:00 and except for about 25 miles
00:14:02 the whole route ran through the
00:14:16 The dry season will last only
00:14:20 - then the autumn rains will come
00:14:29 - if mud swallows the tractors,
00:14:30 Spicer's mission... and his only
00:14:33 will be over before it begins.
00:14:39 The steam tractors are in the lead,
00:14:44 each hauling one of Spicer's
00:14:47 and ten tons of wood for the
00:14:53 Four hundred Africans... men and
00:14:55 - carry water, food, ammunition,
00:15:02 - a procession that stretches for
00:15:14 On the first day, at the first river
00:15:16 Mimi and her tractor nearly
00:15:23 It is the first test of Spicer's
00:15:33 Undaunted, Spicer has chief engineer
00:15:38 Wainwright has more trees cut,
00:15:41 and the convoy plods forward.
00:15:45 "The work was completed at 2:30 p.m.
00:15:47 and the trailers were towed across
00:15:49 and a start was made along
00:15:51 good progress was made along
00:15:54 and at 6 p.m. a camp was formed
00:15:59 Spicer knows there are more than
00:16:06 The path they are following
00:16:12 then they reach the Mitumba
00:16:26 Day by day, mile by mile, the former
00:16:32 - his boasts more outrageous...
00:16:37 "...he appealed immensely to
00:16:40 They all appreciate a commanding
00:16:45 And he was obviously mad.
00:16:48 Therefore he was marvelous.
00:17:01 "I'd say he could not refrain from
00:17:03 about his prowess at shooting
00:17:08 although I'd never heard of any
00:17:21 The caravan survives on the skill
00:17:26 living off wild buck and guinea fowl.
00:17:32 As for water,
00:17:33 Hanschell and a team of Africans
00:17:42 Much of the water is for the steam
00:17:48 The rest is filtered, boiled,
00:17:50 then filtered twice more and
00:17:53 and the next day's water rations.
00:18:13 The steam engines are insatiable
00:18:17 - advance parties prepare
00:18:24 "The journey through the Bush was
00:18:30 and at the end of each stage was
00:18:32 to keep the sun off the provisions
00:18:49 The Englishmen, many of them
00:18:52 fear lions and crocodiles,
00:18:55 but Doctor Hanschell's duty is
00:18:59 in a region plagued by unseen
00:19:11 "One very valuable thing was the
00:19:14 He began to get some boils on his
00:19:16 and out of the boils popped worms,
00:19:20 The men all saw this, I showed it,
00:19:22 and I said, "Now see, here you are
00:19:25 where the danger's from insects,
00:19:29 You see what they can do."
00:19:47 From the spies, crude telegraph
00:19:51 to Kapitan Zimmer
00:19:54 - he believes that Spicer has
00:19:56 build new warships at Lake
00:20:00 "Around Lukuga and south of
00:20:04 there seemed to be only
00:20:13 But, about Mimi and Toutou
00:20:20 While the confident Germans wait,
00:20:22 the English plod on... one
00:20:28 "Three and a quarter miles a day
00:20:31 Occasionally we did rather more,
00:20:33 and on one occasion we covered
00:20:36 but there were many days
00:20:38 when we were lucky if we did a
00:20:41 One day, we did only three-quarters of a mile."
00:20:54 By late August, Spicer knows he needs help
00:20:59 if he is to outrun the rains.
00:21:08 At a village called Mwenda Makosi,
00:21:10 the British commandeer 42 oxen
00:21:13 drag the boats up the Mitumba Range.
00:21:28 When the rains begin,
00:21:29 they will turn the plains into a
00:21:31 too shallow for ships, too muddy
00:21:44 Until then, heat is the deadliest
00:21:47 - the thirst for water is
00:21:49 - water for the engines... water
00:21:52 a few cupfuls a day for the
00:22:05 Then, in early September... a
00:22:12 Spicer has his men create a fire
00:22:22 He then orders that the precious
00:22:24 must be protected from flying embers.
00:22:30 For Doctor Hanshell, it is a day of
00:22:34 "...we nearly lost the whole thing
00:22:37 Here was this war train bearing
00:22:40 We'd burnt off, we set fire to it,
00:22:46 we moved the guns, the wagons
00:22:49 and the thing stopped... it was so
00:23:08 In the weeks that follow, the oxen
00:23:27 "The top of the plateau was
00:23:31 and this was a very triumphant
00:23:34 for there were some who had said
00:23:40 Our difficulties were by no means
00:23:42 for on the downward trek from this point to Sankisia
00:23:45 there was some risky work to be done
00:23:47 in lowering the boats down the
00:23:54 They are still weeks away from
00:24:06 Using 42 oxen, 2 road locomotives,
00:24:11 the expedition struggles to get
00:24:18 "On more than one occasion
00:24:19 the wheels of the boats dropped
00:24:23 The only way to get out was to fill
00:24:26 gradually jacking the boat up until
00:24:32 It was only by good luck that they
00:24:46 "There is a great deal of thunder
00:24:48 and it appears the rains are not
00:24:51 The journey now, has become a
00:24:53 before the rains brake and the
00:25:10 Finally, the land is level, but the
00:25:14 This is the country of the tse tse
00:25:19 - carrier of the sleeping sickness
00:25:27 villages are nearly deserted
00:25:29 - the ghost towns of central Africa.
00:25:39 No rain falls... this is a dreadful
00:25:46 drought scorches the plains.
00:25:50 "At one point the traction
00:25:52 for want of water,
00:25:54 and the members of the expedition
00:26:00 Lt-Commander Spicer offers local
00:26:04 if they will trek eight miles to the
00:26:12 - hundreds accept the bargain,
00:26:23 For the first time since he tested
00:26:26 Geoffrey Spicer's two-boat flotilla
00:26:29 to sail upon
00:26:35 - Mimi and Toutou are reassembled
00:26:45 October 1, 1915.
00:26:49 Stage Four.
00:26:55 They will float, or drag their boats,
00:26:59 - strange apparitions to the
00:27:05 "Progress on the river is very slow.
00:27:09 I think Mimi and Tou-Tou hold the
00:27:13 as on October 7 they were
00:27:17 in twelve miles."
00:27:28 Even on water, Spicer's flotilla
00:27:33 - then, at the rail depot at Kabalo,
00:27:35 Mimi and Toutou must be
00:27:36 - packaged safely for another
00:27:46 October 22, 1915.
00:27:49 Stage Five.
00:27:58 The final phase of the long
00:28:02 - 173 miles across precarious
00:28:06 - to the Belgian shores of Lake
00:28:15 Spicer rivals are already
00:28:19 - Gustav Zimmer has followed every
00:28:23 still unaware of the unlikely cargo.
00:28:26 "...the effort to find out more
00:28:27 about the area around Lukuga and
00:28:32 ...we took down a lot of telegraph
00:28:34 and blew up telegraph stations.
00:28:39 As soon as the British reach their
00:28:42 he will send his gunboats to
00:28:46 and his half-mad dreams.
00:28:54 October 28, 1915.
00:29:00 After four months and over 9,000
00:29:03 the unlikely odyssey of
00:29:06 reaches the blue heart of Africa...
00:29:15 Finally, he has reached his
00:29:20 At Kalemie on the western
00:29:23 a defensive network of guns,
00:29:26 and shipbuilding facilities guards
00:29:34 For their British allies, the Belgians
00:29:40 - Spicer claims the largest to be
00:29:43 and hoists the banner of the
00:29:46 - an emblem of his growing lust
00:30:05 Kalemie has guns, but no
00:30:10 To protect his boats from the
00:30:12 Spicer insists the Belgians
00:30:21 "The decision to build the port
00:30:24 that it is impossible to operate
00:30:28 and the existing defenses at
00:30:30 will amply protect the port
00:30:40 Hundreds of tons of rock are
00:30:42 and positioned into the
00:30:47 to create an arced jetty.
00:30:54 Atop the rocks, traintracks and a
00:30:58 which will allow Spicer to slide his
00:31:00 into the lake in minutes.
00:31:07 While the jetty is taking shape,
00:31:09 the Belgians give Spicer the
00:31:12 he must destroy.
00:31:18 The smallest German vessel is
00:31:22 At 55 feet long and 12 feet wide,
00:31:25 she is far larger and better armed
00:31:31 Her compatriot, the Hedwig von
00:31:34 is even larger, but slower.
00:31:40 Carrying two powerful guns and a
00:31:43 she has room for 200 extra troops.
00:31:52 The Graf von Gotzen dwarfs them all.
00:31:56 An 800 ton monster,
00:31:58 she is over 20 times the size of
00:32:07 Her massive guns can blast
00:32:09 to oblivion with one shell.
00:32:14 The little British boats are
00:32:16 outgunned and outsized.
00:32:21 To tilt the balance of power,
00:32:22 Spicer plots a surprise attack to
00:32:31 - it is an audacious plan...
00:32:33 for a desk officer who has never
00:33:05 Across the lake,
00:33:06 Gustav Zimmer plans his own
00:33:13 "...we learned from intercepted
00:33:16 that they were looking for a
00:33:23 As soon as it was practical, the
00:33:34 December 1, 1915.
00:33:39 German Lieutenants Walter
00:33:44 embark on a stealthy mission of
00:33:47 In four successive evenings,
00:33:49 the two ships slip in under
00:33:53 exposures of the harbor.
00:34:01 The next evening,
00:34:02 Lt. Rosenthal risks his life in a
00:34:10 "He wanted to swim ashore,
00:34:11 to find out more about the drydock
00:34:15 despite the danger of crashing
00:34:18 he reached the drydock, took
00:34:21 then swam back to the designated
00:34:30 But a panicky German officer orders
00:34:35 Rosenthal is forced to hide out on
00:34:55 At daybreak, abandoned in enemy
00:34:57 Rosenthal is taken prisoner
00:35:08 - Zimmer is still ignorant of
00:35:23 Mid-December, the rains come
00:35:33 - work is impossible -
00:35:38 all they can do is wait.
00:35:44 "We are having heavy rains
00:35:47 and one or two members of the
00:35:50 are always down with slight
00:36:02 On December 23, Spicer decides
00:36:13 Far from his desk in London,
00:36:17 His battle dress reflects his
00:36:24 "...to the amazement of the crew
00:36:27 he didn't wear shorts,
00:36:29 he wore a little, tiny little khaki
00:36:37 Spicer and Britain need allies
00:36:39 - the men of the Ba Holo Holo nation
00:36:42 as a natural chief.
00:36:49 Christmas Eve.
00:36:51 The mahogany gunboats undergo
00:36:53 their first trial runs on African
00:37:26 "On Christmas Day we took a rest,
00:37:29 and it being the first time the whole
00:37:32 we had a big celebration.
00:37:48 December 26, 1915.
00:37:52 The Germans come to fight.
00:37:54 Spicer is reading prayers when
00:38:06 Spicer ignores the enemy's
00:38:16 - he alone will decide when his
00:38:22 "I finished prayers and then sent
00:38:45 Doctor Hanshell and other
00:38:48 to watch the battle as if it was a
00:38:54 "...The paymaster and I and the
00:38:57 we had a grandstand view of it.
00:39:00 It all happened right under our
00:39:03 At 11:25 a.m.,
00:39:05 Spicer and his fleet set off in
00:39:08 Spicer is in the Mimi and
00:39:13 - without his bicycle...
00:39:16 is at the helm of the Toutou.
00:39:20 Spicer's plan is to sneak in
00:39:23 and attack her from both sides.
00:39:27 The Kingani can only fire on them
00:39:31 Kapitan Zimmer has sent the Kingani
00:39:33 to blow up the Belgian harbor
00:39:36 But instead, is confronted by
00:39:41 "She was well inside the bay
00:39:43 before she was aware of the existence
00:39:47 ...and the Mimi and Toutou
00:39:49 and opened fire."
00:40:32 "An early shot from one of our
00:40:36 and she got several hits below
00:40:45 In the ensuing half hour, eleven
00:41:00 Lt. Dudley takes control of the
00:41:03 and brings her and the captured
00:41:17 At Kalemie, Spicer is showered
00:41:21 that confirms his mastery of the
00:41:34 Three German sailors are buried
00:41:38 The British have suffered no
00:41:45 - but the battle for the blue heart
00:41:57 In London, he was ignored,
00:41:59 but at Lake Tanganyika,
00:42:02 for his brilliant ambush
00:42:08 He must now repair his damaged
00:42:12 British and Belgian engineers
00:42:15 and refit her with a larger
00:42:23 When they are finished, Spicer
00:42:27 as if she were a French poodle,
00:42:40 With a bolstered sense of
00:42:41 Spicer's behavior becomes
00:42:51 Twice a week, he performs a
00:42:54 complete with cigarettes and
00:43:07 - his body is decorated with
00:43:11 Spicer's men suspect he has
00:43:19 but the Ba holo holo warriors
00:43:24 - they call him
00:43:31 - Lord of the Loincloth...
00:43:48 February 8, 1916.
00:43:55 ". we got information from
00:43:57 that the Kingani had been sunk
00:44:01 I decided to check into this myself
00:44:03 and sent along the Gotzen, the
00:44:07 and a smaller boat."
00:44:09 The Germans still do not know
00:44:14 "...The Hedwig von Wissmann
00:44:17 in the early morning and enquire
00:44:20 from friendly spies,
00:44:22 then head back to Cape Kungwe
00:44:24 where she would meet with the
00:44:27 on February 9th."
00:44:29 Then together, Zimmer and Odebrecht
00:44:47 At dawn on February 9, the
00:44:50 with control of Central Africa at
00:44:55 It is a humid, hazy morning
00:44:57 - distant vessels shimmer like
00:45:04 Through the haze, Spicer spots
00:45:41 Spicer leads the attack in his
00:45:45 - chief engineer Wainwright
00:45:47 more maneuverable Mimi.
00:45:51 "...the weather conditions
00:45:52 made the estimation of distance
00:45:56 and until the enemy closed to
00:45:59 he appeared to be a dark blob
00:46:14 For more than an hour,
00:46:15 Spicer's shells fall short of the
00:46:21 - but the Mimi cuts off her
00:46:23 and forces the Germans to turn
00:46:31 As if protected from death by his
00:46:34 the Lord of the Loincloth refuses
00:46:53 The battle of Lake Tanganyika
00:46:57 Hemmed in by Wainwright in the Mimi,
00:46:59 Spicer's cannon blasts a fatal wound
00:47:10 "In a few minutes the Hedwig
00:47:14 and finally she up-ended and
00:47:25 From among the wreckage,
00:47:27 Spicer retrieves the German
00:47:31 The first enemy banner captured
00:47:35 in the most deadly war in human
00:47:40 Twenty-one Germans survive
00:47:44 - seven others are killed...
00:47:49 now, only one target remains...
00:47:54 the mightiest of all warships on
00:48:11 To the Ba holo holo people, the
00:48:13 confirms Geofrey Spicer's status
00:48:23 a man whose magic places him
00:48:37 For miles up and down the Lake,
00:48:39 elaborate clay fetishes are
00:48:48 "And clay and wood images
00:48:52 The helmet and the beard and
00:48:54 with scratches on to make the
00:48:57 He was the great Bwana Ikuba."
00:49:03 At the peak of his powers,
00:49:05 Spicer is told that his war against
00:49:10 - the allies will import a new
00:49:15 to destroy the Gozten from the
00:49:19 June, 1916.
00:49:23 Allied seaplanes launch a barrage
00:49:31 Zimmer decides to scuttle his
00:49:36 "It was hard for us to blow up our
00:49:38 but they could not be allowed to
00:49:41 for they would have construed it
00:49:45 We conceded to the stronger force,
00:49:47 but our willingness to serve and
00:49:54 Germany's dreams of an African
00:49:58 - thwarted by an unlikely hero
00:50:11 After almost another year of
00:50:14 Spicer and his men are ordered
00:50:18 His warships left behind.
00:50:24 The British Naval Africa
00:50:31 Its military objective attained,
00:50:35 its men back home, unharmed.
00:50:42 He has led his men on a bizarre,
00:50:47 a small step on the long road to
00:50:52 He is awarded the Distinguished
00:50:55 and 15 others including
00:51:01 and Dudley are also honored.
00:51:09 After the awards and the
00:51:12 the Lord of the Loincloth returns
00:51:20 As a warrior his duty is done.
00:51:41 "...the expedition was the
00:51:44 - there being only twenty-eight
00:51:47 And it was the only expedition
00:51:49 that had come back without