Today in History

1914 NZ force captures German Samoa

Colonel Robert Logan led a 1374-strong expeditionary force to capture German Samoa (afterwards renamed Western Samoa). The 80 Germans stationed there were in no position to offer resistance.

With the outbreak of the First World War New Zealand made it clear that its main contribution would be supplying troops for the major theatre of conflict in Europe.  But before we could commit troops to Europe, any direct threat in the Pacific region had to be removed. The first objective was to capture German Samoa, where the Germans had established a wireless station.

On 6 August the British informed the New Zealand government that the capture of German Samoa would be a 'great and urgent Imperial service'. The wireless station was protected by a German-officered constabulary of around 80 men and a gunboat. This was no match for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) of almost 1400 men, under the leadership of Colonel Robert Logan, which achieved its objective without resistance on 29 August. This was the second German territory, after Togoland in Africa, to fall to the Allies in the First World War.

New Zealand administered the islands for the remainder of the war. From 1920 to 1962 New Zealand administered Western Samoa under mandates from the League of Nations and its successor, the United Nations (UN).

Image: Capture of German Samoa, 1914