Aaht: Kiao-Chatt.— This former German colony is a district of about 200 square miles, situated on a sheltered bay in the province of Shatittnig, China, and surrounded by a neutral zone. The town of Tsing-tau was a naval sta tion and most of its 5,000 German inhabitants were marines. Germany had spent $100,000,000 in fortifying the place by land and sea, and its excellent harbor made it an ideal base for the German Pacific Squadron, which had sailed hence at the outbrealc of war. Japan delivered her ultimatum to Germany on 15 Aug. 1914, demanding the evacuation of Kiao-chau. The period of grace expired on 23 August and Japan declared war. On the 27th the Japanese opened the campaign by occupying some of the small islands outside of the harbor and diligently sweeping for mines. On 2 September they landed troops at the northern base of the penin sula to isolate the fortress from the land. The heavy rains interfered with this project, how ever, and the Japanese began an attack from the air, dropping bombs on the ships left in the harbor and on places of military value. The railway station at the head of the bay was taken by storm 13 September, which brought the Japanese within 20 miles of Tsing-tau. They reached the chief of the outer defenses, Prinz Heinrich Hill, on the 27th and took it on the 28th. This gave the Japanese commander, Gen eral Kamio, a gun position from which he could cover the inner defenses. The British com mander in North China, General Barnardiston, arrived from Wei-hei-wei with a small British force and landed on the seaward side of the peninsula on 23 September to co-operate with the' Japanese, whom they joined on the 28th. The invaders advanced to within five miles from Tsing-tau and drew a cordon across the peninsula. The Japanese squadron in the mouth of the harbor bombarded the forts, which re sponded with a lavish expenditure of ammuni tion. Non-combatants were permitted to leave the town on 15 October, when a party of women and children and a number of Chinese were conducted through the Japanese lines. The lat ter now opened a fierce bombardment and con siderably damaged the forts on Kaiser Hill and Iltis Hill; the first land bombardment began on 31 October. On the following day the British warship Triangle silenced the forts on Bismarck Hill, and on 2 November the Austrian cruiser Kaiserin Elizabeth was sunk in the harbor and the floating dock was blown up by the Ger mans. The Japanese troops were meanwhile driving the German infantry down the penin sula, and by 6 Nov. 1914 the Allies had reached the edge of the last redoubts. Early next morn ing preparations were made for a final assault, when white flags were raised on the Observa tory tower and the remaining central forts. Representatives of the opposing forces met dur ing the day and at 7:30 P.m. the Gerrnan admiral in command, Meyer Waldeck, signed the terms of surrender. On 10 November the colony was transferred to the Japanese general and nearly 3,000 prisoners were sem to Japan, while the German commander and his staff were permit ted to retain their swords. The Japanese lost
236 killed and 1,282 wounded, and the British 12 killed and 61 wounded. The Japanese also lost a cruiser, a destroyer and three mine-sweepers.
German losses have not been announced. The strength of the Japanese and British forces was 22,960 and 1,500 respectively. It was officially stated that Japan would administer the tern tory of Kiao-clau until the end of the war and then open negotiations with China.
Other Gerntan Colonies,— Germany pos sessed about 100,000 square miles of territory in the Padfic, mostly in New Guinea, where the s..sessions were officially lmown as Kaiser Wilhelm's Land, situated in the northern part of the southeastern section of the island, alto gether about 70,000 square miles, containing a population of some 500,000, of whom 300 were Germans. A large number of islands around the coast were included, the Bismarck Archi pelago, New Pomerania, New Mecklenburg, New Lauenburg, Admiralty Island and New Hanover, with 200,000 natives and 300 Chinese and Germans. The Solomon Islands, to the cast, were part German and part British, while north of New Guinea lay the Carolines, the Pelew and the Marianne or Ladi one Islands, bought from Spain in 1899. Samoa, the other German South Sea possession, contained about 500 Europeans, British and Germans chiefly, some 1,500 Chinese and a native population of 15,000. The Australian squadron and the Brit China squadron patrolled the Pacific hunt ing for German cruisers. An expeditionary force of about 1,500 men sailed from Welling ton, New Zealand, Gn 15 Aug. 1914, escorted by the battle cruisers Australia and Melbourne and the French cruiser Montcalm, arrived at Apia, Samoa, 28 August and took possession of the German islands without opposition. The Ger man officials were left at their posts. On 11 Sept. 1914 a British force arrived at New Pom erania, where some German troops were con centrated. After a short fight they surrendered; two days later the Solomon .Islands were sur rendered. Kaiser Wilhelm's Land capitulated and a British garrison was placed ashore. By the end of September the Pacific possessions of Germany had nearly all fallen. In November the Japanese took the Marshall Islands and the other northern group and handed them over to Australia. See WAR, EUROPEAN - NAVAL OP ERATIONS.
By the terms of the Treaty of Versailles handed to Germany on 7 May 1919 Germany was deprived of all her colomes. France and Great Britain were instructed to make joint recommendation as to the future of Togoland and Cameroon. Mandates for the rest of the colonies were apportioned as follows : For German East Africa, Great Britain; South west Africa, the Union of South Africa (Brit ish) ; Samoan Islands, New Zealand; other Pacific possessions north of the Equator (Marshall, Pelew, Caroline and Ladrone groups), Japan; those south of the Equator were placed in mandatory control of Australia, exceptmg Samoa (already mentioned) and Naura, which latter was placed under the Brit ish Empire.