Its significance could be of one kind only:  a military one.

Leaving the town in the hands of Colonel Mentz, Military Governor, and Lieut.-Colonel de Waal, the Commander-in-Chief returned to Headquarters at Karibib on the 14th of May.

[Illustration:  The great Wireless Station at Windhuk] [Illustration:  Conference at Omaruru.  General Staff lunching] [Illustration:  The Last Phase.  The be2 tuning up in shed before flight over German positions]

[Illustration:  At the Provost Marshal’s office at Windhuk—­all in Law and order] [Illustration:  The Union Jack just hoisted at the Governor’s office, Windhuk] [Illustration:  The Great Military Barracks at Windhuk]

SECTION IV

THE LAST PHASE

On the 19th of June Brigadier-General Brits, of the Northern Army, occupied Omaruru, on the Karibib-Grootfontein line.  The enemy had retreated.

Nearly five weeks had passed since the Commander-in-Chief had officially proclaimed the capital.  During this time much had happened.  An abortive conference had taken place at Omaruru itself, the Germans, we were informed afterwards, asking for terms that we were in no mind to give them.  The railway line between Swakopmund and Karibib, broken up by dynamited bridges, had been to a great extent repaired.  The poorly rationed troops were now replenished.  The horses, badly knocked up after the rush through to Windhuk, had had opportunity to mend a bit.  General Botha had proclaimed the country; with refreshed troops and horses, he was setting out to attempt to spring a final surprise on the Germans.  He had now the Aviation Corps in full working order—­had aerial eyes wherewith to be guided through a subtropical bush country very full of possible dangers.  He had ahead of him an enemy astonished, yet, if what was rumoured was true, prepared to make a series of fights and a big stand in country of his own choice.  He had with him an army that had crossed a desert and, arriving in bush country such as you find in the Rhodesia “low” veld, knew the nature of it as only the South African can.

On June 24 Headquarters ran into Kalkfeld just after midnight.  The enemy had retreated.  It had been predicted with the utmost confidence that the Germans would here put up a fight.  So confidently was this expected that the Commander-in-Chief would hardly believe it when the aeroplanes returned and reported that there were about half a dozen Germans left in the place.  Yet that proved to be exactly the fact, and so greatly impressed was General Botha with the accuracy of the observations on this occasion that he emphasised that the skymen were to receive every possible assistance for the future.

[Illustration:  Panorama of Windhuk]

[Illustration:  Picturesque Windhuk] [Illustration:  Windhuk.  Basking in the sun:  from the great Wireless Station] [Illustration:  How the Germans started to try trading with us ten minutes after we entered the Capital.  Note the spelling]