This article needs additional citations for verification .(August 2024) |
Battle of Rhenosterkop | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of Second Boer War | |||||||
Sketch by Lt. Arthur Bailey of the battle | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
United Kingdom | South African Republic | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Arthur Paget | Ben Viljoen | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
5,000 | 500 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
106 wounded, 15 dead | 24 wounded, 2 dead |
The Battle of Rhenosterkop (also known as the Battle of Renosterkop) took place on November 29, 1900, during the Second Boer War. The British, led by Arthur Paget, launched an assault on Viljoen's position at Renosterkop, which consisted of three primary attacks. All assaults failed, with the Boers repelling the assault, however retreating at night due to a lack of supplies.
The British, for some time, had been looking to eliminate the Commando led by Ben Viljoen, who was operating Northeast of Pretoria. For multiple days, skirmishes between Viljoen's commando and the British forces in the area had occurred, afterwards, Viljoen dug himself into a defensive position 30 km north of Bronkhorstspruit, at Rhenosterkop.
On November 27, Viljoen was made aware that a large contingent of British soldiers was sent to find him and fight him. He sends a scouting party from his positions to gather intelligence on British soldiers and their movements, whilst his men dig a 5 km front, with trenches and fortifications. At his disposal were only 500 men, a Maxim Nordenfeldt 15-pounder and a Krupp cannon.
The same day, the scouting party made contact with the advancing British forces, and they retreated back to their defensive positions. On November 28, the British, having an idea as to where Viljoen was, opened fire on his positions with artillery for most of the day. [1]
On 29 November, Arthur Paget launched a frontal attack. It started with an infantry attack on Viljoen's left flank but it was beaten off by the Boers with accurate rifle and fire from the Maxim Nordenfeldt. The second attack was against the center of the defenses, but the British were once again beaten back by the Boers. [2]
The third attack was also against the center of the front, this time more to the right where Viljoen himself was waiting. Once again the attack is repulsed with heavy losses on the British side. The British forces fell back to continue the next day. However, the Boer forces withdrew at night because they ran out of ammunition and other supplies. [3]
The British suffered 121 casualties (106 wounded, 15 dead), whilst the Boers only took 26 casualties (24 wounded, 2 dead).[ citation needed ]
The Second Boer War, also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics over the Empire's influence in Southern Africa.
The 1st Division is an infantry division of the British Army that has been formed and disestablished numerous times since 1809 and is still currently active as the 1st Division. Lieutenant-General Arthur Wellesley raised the division for service in the Peninsular War, which was part of the Coalition Wars of the Napoleonic Wars. The division was disestablished in 1814 but reformed the following year for service in the War of the Seventh Coalition. It then fought at the Battle of Waterloo, where it repulsed numerous attacks, including the final attack of the day that was launched by the French Imperial Guard. Following the battle, the division marched into France and became part of the Army of Occupation before being disbanded a few years later.
The Battle of Spion Kop was a military engagement between British forces and two Boer Republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, during the campaign by the British to relieve the besieged city Ladysmith during the initial months of the Second Boer War. The battle was fought 23–24 January 1900 on the hilltop of Spioen Kop(a), about 38 km (24 mi) west-southwest of Ladysmith and resulted in a Boer victory.
The Battle of Colenso was the third and final battle fought during the Black Week of the Second Boer War. It was fought between British and Boer forces from the independent South African Republic and Orange Free State in and around Colenso, Natal, South Africa on 15 December 1899.
The Battle of Paardeberg or Perdeberg was a major battle during the Second Anglo-Boer War. It was fought near Paardeberg Drift on the banks of the Modder River in the Orange Free State near Kimberley.
The Battle of Magersfontein was fought on 11 December 1899, at Magersfontein, near Kimberley, South Africa, on the borders of the Cape Colony and the independent republic of the Orange Free State. British forces under Lieutenant General Lord Methuen were advancing north along the railway line from the Cape to relieve the siege of Kimberley, but their path was blocked at Magersfontein by a Boer force that was entrenched in the surrounding hills. The British had already fought a series of battles with the Boers, most recently at Modder River, where the advance was temporarily halted.
The Battle of Elandslaagte took place during the Second Boer War, and was one of the few clear-cut tactical victories won by the British during the conflict. However, the British force retreated afterwards, throwing away their advantage.
The Battle of Berg-en-dal took place in South Africa during the Second Anglo-Boer War.
The Battle of Rooiwal was an engagement of the Second Boer War. It took place on 11 April 1902 and resulted in a victory by a British force commanded by Colonel Robert Kekewich over a Boer commando led by Generals Ferdinandus Jacobus Potgieter and Jan Kemp.
In the Battle of Nooitgedacht on 13 December 1900, Boer commandos led by Generals Koos de la Rey and Christiaan Beyers combined to deal a defeat to a British brigade under the command of Major General R. A. P. Clements during the Second Boer War.
The Battle of Bakenlaagte occurred on 30 October 1901 during the guerrilla phase of Anglo-Boer war of 1899–1902. The battle saw the Eastern Transvaal Boer commandos of Generals Grobler, Brits, Viljoen and Louis Botha attack the rear guard of Colonel Benson's much feared No. 3 Flying Column while it was in marching formation to its base camp.
The military history of Australia during the Boer War is complex, and includes a period of history in which the six formerly autonomous British Australian colonies federated to become the Commonwealth of Australia. At the outbreak of the Second Boer War, each of these separate colonies maintained their own, independent military forces, but by the cessation of hostilities, these six armies had come under a centralised command to form the Australian Army.
The Battle of Elands River was an engagement of the Second Boer War that took place between 4 and 16 August 1900 in western Transvaal. The battle was fought at Brakfontein Drift near the Elands River between a force of 2,000 to 3,000 Boers and a garrison of 500 Australian, Rhodesian, Canadian and British soldiers, which was stationed there to protect a British supply dump that had been established along the route between Mafeking and Pretoria. The Boer force, which consisted of several commandos under the overall leadership of Koos de la Rey, was in desperate need of provisions after earlier fighting had cut it off from its support base. As a result, it was decided to attack the garrison along the Elands River in an effort to capture the supplies located there.
The Battle of Witpoort was fought during the Second Anglo-Boer War. Major Frederick Henry Munn commanded the detachment of the Royal Irish Fusiliers at Witpoort which was attacked on 16 July 1900, his orders being to "hold his position at all costs". The Boers called on Major Munn to surrender, but, scornfully refusing, he held out from daybreak till 2 pm, when the Canadian forces mounted a counterattack and the Boers retired. The battle became famous because of the death of Harold Lothrop Borden.
Captain Percy Frederic Hunt was French-born, British army officer who was killed in action by the Letaba Commando at Duivelskloof during the Second Boer War. After Hunt's death, his subordinate and close friend, Lt. Harry Morant, responded with a series of revenge killings of both POWs and many local civilians. This led directly to the Court-martial of Breaker Morant, one of the first war crimes prosecutions in British military history.
General Jacobus Philippus Snyman was one of the dominant military figures in the South African Republic during the 19th century. He was the District Commissioner, Native Commissioner, and Commandant for the Marico district and led the Rustenburg and Marico commandos during the Second Boer War. Nicknamed Hamerkop, Snyman came to international prominence as the military commander at the Siege of Mafeking from November 1899 to May 1900.
The Battle of Doornkop was fought during Lord Roberts' advance on Pretoria in May and June 1900.
The 9th (Welsh) Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry was a unit of the British Imperial Yeomanry (IY) raised for service in the Second Boer War. Equipped as Mounted infantry, the battalion served in South Africa from April 1900 until the end of the war. Its companies took part in numerous anti-guerrilla 'drives' with mobile columns that eventually brought the war to an end.
The Battle of Faber's Put, also known as the Battle of Faber's Pass was fought during the Second Boer War on the night of May 29–30, 1900.
The Battle of Middelfontein was a Boer War battle fought from 22 to 25 January 1901, near Rustenburg in the Northern Transvaal region. A column of British forces under General Cunningham were marching to Vlakfontein to cut off Boer forces under De la Rey when they were attacked by commandos near Middelfontein farm.