Major Battles of the 2nd Boer War

 Colenso

British defeat in the War by Boer forces.  British force under General Sir Redvers Buller sent to relieve Ladysmith then under siege by the Boers.  Whilst trying to cross the Tugela river about 32Km from Ladysmith, Buller ran into a strong Boer defensive position including an artillery bombardment.  Severe losses.  The British lost 7,000 across 3 battles including Colenso during a week which became known as “Black Week”.  Buller had to make 7 more attempts before managing to cross the Tugela and relieving Ladysmith

Ladysmith

Siege.  Troops under General Sir George White.  He sent out two detachments to assault Boer positions in the District both of which were defeated.  Boers closed in.  Took Buller 12 attempts to reach the siege.  420 British casualties, but many more were hospitalised with various diseases.

Magersfontein

Boer victory over the British at a crossing of the Modder river 40miles south of Kimberley.  A British column sent to relieve other British forces was besieged at Kimberley.  The relief column arrived at Magersfontein and found a critical hill to their route besieged by the Boers.  They planned an artillery bombardment on the top of the hill, followed by a dawn attack.  But the Boers had entrenched the bottom of the hill, and as the troops moved in under cover of darkness they were fired upon killing the Brigade commander, and over 50 officers and 700 troops.  The troops eventually had to withdraw having lost over 1000 troops and 68 officers.  This was park of ‘Black Week’.

 Paardeburg Hill on the Modder river, 60 miles west of Bloemfontein.  Boer general was Piet Cronje and British commanded by General Sir John French.  British tried to cut Cronje off from his supply line, but the Boers were able to entrench themselves in the dry bed of the river.

British attacked from both sides, but the Boers demonstrated exemplary shooting and caused heavy casualties, fighting off the attack.  The British decided to sit and wait for the Boers to fall due to starvation.  The Boers surrendered 9 days later.  Cronje’s 4000 troops were captured, but the British also had heavy losses of nearly 1500 troops.

Spion Kop

Boer victory over the British.  Spion Kop was a small hill a few miles from Ladysmith.  Park of Buller’s plan to relieve Ladysmith by outflanking the Boers on the Tugela River.  British troops in a surprise attack were able to capture the hilltop but the hill was so steep they could not get artillery up it.  They were very exposed to Boer fire and Brig-General Woodgate was mortally wounded.  The British initially tried to defend their position but 24 hours later withdrew.  Unknown to them the Boers were also making plans to withdraw and had started to remove artillery from nearby positions.  They sent a small group of troops to retake the hill and found it unoccupied.   

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