▁of ▁the ▁events ▁was ▁doubt ed ▁by ▁contempor aries ▁and ▁histor ians . ▁Some ▁have ▁even ▁the or ized ▁that ▁the ▁ra id ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁some ▁kind ▁of ▁consp i racy . ▁Portuguese ▁historian ▁Fernando ▁Am ado ▁C out o ▁considered ▁it ▁more ▁likely ▁that ▁We ck ▁was ▁simply ▁motiv ated ▁by ▁a ▁desire ▁for ▁mart ial ▁glory . ▁According ▁to ▁other ▁sources , ▁We ck ▁believed ▁that ▁Portugal ▁had ▁declared ▁war ▁on ▁Germany . ▁ ▁In ▁any ▁case , ▁the ▁German ▁force ▁surprised ▁Costa ' s ▁men ▁on ▁early ▁ 2 4 ▁August , ▁and ▁quickly ▁over wh el med ▁them . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁g arrison ▁was ▁killed . ▁Besides ▁Costa , ▁nine ▁to ▁twelve ▁Portuguese ▁ask ari ▁fell ▁in ▁combat . ▁They ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁Portuguese ▁cas ual ties ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁Before ▁retre ating ▁back ▁into ▁German ▁East ▁Africa , ▁We ck ' s ▁soldiers ▁burn ed ▁Maz i ua ▁to ▁the ▁ground , ▁while ▁leaving ▁the ▁dead ▁un bur ied . ▁ ▁After math ▁▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁Maz i ua ' s ▁extreme ▁rem oten ess , ▁news ▁about ▁the ▁ra id ▁only ▁reached ▁the ▁Moz amb iqu an ▁capital ▁L our en ço ▁Mar ques ▁four ▁months ▁later , ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁December ▁ 1 9 1 4 . ▁The ▁attack ▁caused ▁a ▁diplom atic ▁sc andal , ▁and ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁government ▁accused ▁Germany ▁of ▁ag gress ive ▁warm ong ering . ▁The ▁German ▁central ▁government ▁accepted ▁full ▁responsibility , ▁and ▁offered ▁an