In 1899, the United States and Great Britain engaged in a joint military operation against the Samoan rebel leader, Mata’afa Iosefo. Mata’afa had refused to recognize the authority of the newly established colonial government of Samoa, which was jointly administered by the US, Britain, and Germany.
On March 15, 1899, US and British warships, including the USS Philadelphia, the HMS Tauranga, and the HMS Porpoise, began shelling Mata’afa’s men and villages along the coast of Samoa. The naval bombardment continued for several days, causing significant damage and destruction to the villages and surrounding areas.
The attack resulted in the deaths of many Samoan rebels and civilians, including women and children. The US and British forces claimed that they had only targeted the rebel positions and that the civilian casualties were unintentional. However, eyewitness accounts and subsequent investigations revealed that the naval bombardment had been indiscriminate and had caused significant harm to innocent civilians.
The attack on Mata’afa and his followers was part of a larger struggle for control over Samoa, which had been a contested territory among the US, Britain, and Germany. The joint military operation by the US and Britain marked a significant escalation of the conflict and demonstrated the willingness of these powers to use military force to achieve their objectives in the region.
The Samoan conflict ultimately ended with the signing of the Tripartite Convention in December 1899, which granted control of Samoa to Germany in exchange for concessions in other parts of the world. The legacy of the conflict and the naval bombardment on Samoa and its people is still felt to this day.
