First Battle of Vailele
Encyclopedia
The First Battle of Vailele was fought during the Second Samoan Civil War
in 1899. British
, American
and Samoa
n forces loyal to Prince
Tanu
were defeated by a superior force of Samoan rebels loyal to Mata'afa Iosefo
. Fighting occurred at the former German
plantation of Vailele
, Samoa
and was a major engagement of the small colonial conflict
.
's death, Mata'afa Iosefo returned from exile and was elected to power by a council of Samoan chiefs
. In response, the British Royal Navy
and the United States Navy
landed forces at Apia in support of Prince Tanu who was the legitimate heir to the Samoan throne which had already been taken over by the German backed Mataafa. The first battle
of the conflict involving the British and Americans was fought at Apia, when the naval forces landed they occupied much of the city, Mataafan forces attacked so British and American warships in Apia Harbor began bombarding enemy positions around the city. After the conflict, Mataafaite forces, as they were sometimes called, retreated to the stronghold of Vailele and thus began several American and British expeditions into the dense jungle to find the chief's men.
At the end of March, a joint expedition of British, American and Samoan forces marched along the coast from Apia towards Vailele. Skirmishes were fought and two villages destroyed as the Samoan rebels retreated. On April 1, the expedition of 26 marines, 88 sailors and 136 Samoans left the coast for an attack on the landward side of Vailele, leaving the protection of naval gunfire support. The cruiser
s , HMS Tauranga, and the corvette
landed the sailors and marines, Royalist was sent ahead of the expedition to bombard the two forts guarding Vailele plantation.
Angel Hope Freeman and American Lieutenant Philip Lansdale
, was ambushed by over 800 rifle armed men hidden all around in the foliage of the jungle. The expedition quickly began returning volleys and the Americans set up a Colt machine gun
. Mataafan forces first attacked the allied column from the rear and from the left flank. Lieutenant Freeman was killed and beheaded just after fighting began, he was hit by snipers hiding among palm and banana trees. The rebels then charged and Lieutenant Landsdale took command. Close quarters combat and skirmishing continued for a while, the rebel Samoans repeatedly attacked the expedition's front line and several of them were killed or wounded. The machine gun jammed after firing only a few shots and as Lieutenant Landsdale attempted to fix the problem, a shot hit him in the thigh and he fell to the ground with his bone shattered. A retreat was sounded, and Landsdale ordered his men to save themselves so the expedition began to fall back which left the lieutenant alone under heavy fire. Refusing to leave his commander, Ensign
John R. Monaghan
, picked up a rifle and with three others, went after Landsdale and when they were carrying him out of action, Seaman
Norman Edsall
was shot and killed.
Once again, Landsdale ordered his rescuers to flee but they held their ground waiting for reinforcements and were killed by fast approaching Samoan rebels. After the battle, Landsdale and Monaghan were found dead side by side and the expedition retreated to the coast having suffered many casualties which were accounted for the following morning. During the withdrawal, HMS Royalists resumed fire and bombarded the bush where the Mataafans were attacking from. Samoan rebel forces lost 100 killed or wounded while the expedition's casualties were much lighter in comparison. Of the 56 American sailors and marines at the battle, four were killed and another five were wounded. The British lost three men killed, out of sixty-two men engaged, two others were wounded. Federal Samoan casualties were light if any, they were under American command and most deserted at the sound of the first volley, the remaining were used to reinforce the front line. Later patrols reported finding large pools of blood behind the banana trees, exidence of rebel casualties. Two marine privates, Henry L. Hulbert
and Michael Joseph McNally
received the Medal of Honor for their actions during the fighting.
to commemorate the young officer's bravery. The official report of Monaghan's death reads;
Second Samoan Civil War
The Second Samoan Civil War was a conflict that reached a head in 1898 when Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States were locked in dispute over who should have control over the Samoan island chain, located in the South Pacific Ocean...
in 1899. British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
n forces loyal to Prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
Tanu
Tanu
Tanu may refer to:*Tanu, a Samoan prince who was allied with American and British forces during the Second Samoan Civil War*Tanu , an important historical village of the Haida people on the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, Canada...
were defeated by a superior force of Samoan rebels loyal to Mata'afa Iosefo
Mata'afa Iosefo
Mata'afa Iosefo was a Paramount Chief of Samoa who was one of the three rival candidates for the kingship of Samoa during colonialism...
. Fighting occurred at the former German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
plantation of Vailele
Vailele
Vailele is a village situated on the central north coast of Upolu island in Samoa.Vailele is in the electoral constituency of Vaimauga East in the larger political district of Tuamasaga....
, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
and was a major engagement of the small colonial conflict
Colonial war
Colonial war is a blanket term relating to the various conflicts that arose as the result of overseas territories being settled by foreignpowers creating a colony...
.
Background
In 1899, Samoa was a warzone as it had been previously during the First Samoan Civil War. As result of Malietoa LaupepaMalietoa Laupepa
Susuga Malietoa Laupepa was the ruler of Samoa in the late 19th century.-Personal life: Laupepa was born in 1841 in Sapapali'i, Savaii, Samoa. His father was King Malietoa Moli and mother was Fa’alaituio Fuatino Su’a. He was raised in Malie, received a religious education at Malua Seminary and...
's death, Mata'afa Iosefo returned from exile and was elected to power by a council of Samoan chiefs
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
. In response, the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
landed forces at Apia in support of Prince Tanu who was the legitimate heir to the Samoan throne which had already been taken over by the German backed Mataafa. The first battle
Siege of Apia
The Siege of Apia, or the Battle of Apia, occurred during the Second Samoan Civil War in March 1899 at Apia. Samoan forces loyal to Prince Tanu were besieged by a larger force of Samoan rebels loyal to Mata'afa Iosefo. Supporting Prince Tanu were landing parties from four British and American...
of the conflict involving the British and Americans was fought at Apia, when the naval forces landed they occupied much of the city, Mataafan forces attacked so British and American warships in Apia Harbor began bombarding enemy positions around the city. After the conflict, Mataafaite forces, as they were sometimes called, retreated to the stronghold of Vailele and thus began several American and British expeditions into the dense jungle to find the chief's men.
At the end of March, a joint expedition of British, American and Samoan forces marched along the coast from Apia towards Vailele. Skirmishes were fought and two villages destroyed as the Samoan rebels retreated. On April 1, the expedition of 26 marines, 88 sailors and 136 Samoans left the coast for an attack on the landward side of Vailele, leaving the protection of naval gunfire support. The cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s , HMS Tauranga, and the corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
landed the sailors and marines, Royalist was sent ahead of the expedition to bombard the two forts guarding Vailele plantation.
Battle
When the landing party approached the plantation, HMS Royalist ceased her bombardment, and just then the land force, under the command of Royal Navy LieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Angel Hope Freeman and American Lieutenant Philip Lansdale
Philip Lansdale
Philip Van Horne Lansdale was an officer in the United States Navy.-Biography:Lansdale, born in Washington, D.C., graduated as Passed Midshipman from the Naval Academy 18 June 1879. Commissioned ensign 1 June 1881, he served on Asiatic, North Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pacific Stations...
, was ambushed by over 800 rifle armed men hidden all around in the foliage of the jungle. The expedition quickly began returning volleys and the Americans set up a Colt machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
. Mataafan forces first attacked the allied column from the rear and from the left flank. Lieutenant Freeman was killed and beheaded just after fighting began, he was hit by snipers hiding among palm and banana trees. The rebels then charged and Lieutenant Landsdale took command. Close quarters combat and skirmishing continued for a while, the rebel Samoans repeatedly attacked the expedition's front line and several of them were killed or wounded. The machine gun jammed after firing only a few shots and as Lieutenant Landsdale attempted to fix the problem, a shot hit him in the thigh and he fell to the ground with his bone shattered. A retreat was sounded, and Landsdale ordered his men to save themselves so the expedition began to fall back which left the lieutenant alone under heavy fire. Refusing to leave his commander, Ensign
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
John R. Monaghan
John R. Monaghan
Ensign John R. Monaghan was an officer in the United States Navy.-Biography:Born in Chewelah, Washington, Monaghan graduated from the Naval Academy in June 1895. For the next two years, as a Passed Midshipman, he served in the cruiser Olympia, flagship of the U.S. Asiatic Station...
, picked up a rifle and with three others, went after Landsdale and when they were carrying him out of action, Seaman
Seaman
Seaman is one of the lowest ranks in a Navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
Norman Edsall
Norman Edsall
Norman Eckley Edsall was a sailor in the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War.-Biography:Born in Columbus, Kentucky, Edsall enlisted in the Navy 27 June 1898. While serving on Philadelphia, Seaman Edsall went ashore with a landing party on 1 April 1899 to suppress hostile natives...
was shot and killed.
Once again, Landsdale ordered his rescuers to flee but they held their ground waiting for reinforcements and were killed by fast approaching Samoan rebels. After the battle, Landsdale and Monaghan were found dead side by side and the expedition retreated to the coast having suffered many casualties which were accounted for the following morning. During the withdrawal, HMS Royalists resumed fire and bombarded the bush where the Mataafans were attacking from. Samoan rebel forces lost 100 killed or wounded while the expedition's casualties were much lighter in comparison. Of the 56 American sailors and marines at the battle, four were killed and another five were wounded. The British lost three men killed, out of sixty-two men engaged, two others were wounded. Federal Samoan casualties were light if any, they were under American command and most deserted at the sound of the first volley, the remaining were used to reinforce the front line. Later patrols reported finding large pools of blood behind the banana trees, exidence of rebel casualties. Two marine privates, Henry L. Hulbert
Henry L. Hulbert
Henry Lewis Hulbert was a United States Marine who served during the Second Samoan Civil War and World War I. As a private, he received the Medal of Honor for distinguished service in Samoa on April 1, 1899....
and Michael Joseph McNally
Michael Joseph McNally
Michael Joseph McNally was a United States Marine Sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Second Samoan Civil War. McNally was part of a joint British, American and Samoan expedition against Samoan rebels on Upolu, Samoa in mid 1899...
received the Medal of Honor for their actions during the fighting.
Aftermath
The battle was a defeat for the expeditionionary forces, they retreated back to Apia and reported their casualties to their commanders who decided to plan for future operations in the area. On April 13, the British frontline was extended just south of Vailele and that day the Matafaans attacked but were repulsed. Another expedition later fought again within Vailele, this time the rebels won again when they withstood a British led attack on the two forts. The engagements occurred near the battlefield where Samoan rebels defeated German troops in 1889 during the first civil war on the island. A statue of Ensign Monaghan was erected in Spokane, WashingtonSpokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
to commemorate the young officer's bravery. The official report of Monaghan's death reads;
- "The men were not in sufficient numbers to hold out any longer, and they were forced along by a fire which it was impossible to withstand. Ensign Monaghan did stand. He stood steadfast by his wounded superior and friend - one rifle against many, one brave man against a score .... He knew he was doomed. He could not yield. He died in heroic performance of duty."