The British theatre commander, South African General Jan Smuts, planned to seize Kibata and prevent German forces from withdrawing southwards.

On 14 October 1916, Kibata was reached and the empty fort seized; Germans had withdrawn to the hills.

The German guns (One recovered from the sunken light cruiser SMS Königsberg ) opened up a bombardment against the two British held redoubts.

The Germans fell back and the Lodgement was occupied by soldiers from the King's African Rifles, supported by a section of Loyal North Lancashire machine gunners.

A few days later, Germans withdrew six of nine field companies from the Kibata area to the north to meet General Smuts main British troops which were fighting for crossings over the Rufiji River.