Battle of Silkaatsnek

(First) Battle of Silkaatsnek
Part of Second Boer War
Date 11 July 1900 Location Silkaatsnek, Transvaal Result An early Boer victory using guerrilla tactics
Belligerents
South African Republic	United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Koos de la Rey	Lt.Col. H.R. Roberts Lt.Col. W.P. Alexander Maj. Harry Scobell
Strength
	2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) 2nd Battalion, Royal Lincolnshire Regiment (5 companies) 2 cannons, RHA
Casualties and losses
11 killed	24 killed 44 wounded 198 prisoners

Silkaatsnek, a pass in the Magaliesberg mountain range viewed from the British army camp at Rietfontein in the centre distance, Gauteng, South Africa, 1901.

Silkaatsnek and the Crocodile River Crossing from the western end of Rietfontein camp, around 1900.

Australian newspaper article The Nitral's Nek Affair, The Argus (Melbourne), page 5, 16 July 1900. Nitral's Nek is a synonym for Silkaatsnek.

Royal Lincolnshire Regiment Boer War Memorial, listing various British casualties of the Battle of Silkaatsnek.

The Battle of Silkaatsnek (Afrikaans: Slag van Silkaatsnek, English: Battle of Zilikat's (Silikat's, Uitval's or Nitral's) Nek, or First Battle of Silkaatsnek) ^[1] was a military engagement in the Anglo-Boer War on July 11, 1900, at the Silkaatsnek mountain pass, between Pretoria and Rustenburg. Boer guerrillas under assistant-commander general Koos de la Rey surprised British troops, using a new guerrilla tactic instead of fighting a set-piece battle. ^{[2] [3] [1] [4] [5] [6]} On the same day of July 11, 1900, the British also suffered two similar reversals, at Battle of Dwarsvlei ^[7] in Krugersdorp district and at Onderstepoort, but a few days later, on 16 July 1900, they withstood a Boer attack in the Battle of Witpoort east of Pretoria. ^[2]

Prelude

Transvaal capital Pretoria fell to the British troops on 5 June 1900, and the Battle of Diamond Hill, fought 16 km east of Pretoria on 11 and 12 June 1900 was also lost by the Boer troops. Remaining Boer forces vanished north of the Magaliesberg mountain range, extending north of Pretoria to the west. With its sheer southern cliff face, traffic can only cross this range at seven passes or Neks, such as Kommandonek, Olifantsnek and Silkaatsnek, the latter located at 27 km west of Pretoria. ^[2]

(First) Battle of Silkaatsnek, 11 July 1900

De la Rey's 200 Boer troops surprised the Royal Scots Greys and Lincolns in the U-shaped mountain pass, attacking from the north where no guards were positioned by Col. H.R. Roberts. Col. W.P. Alexander who camped with his troops at some distance did not come to the rescue, so that the Boers killed 24, wounded 44, and took 198 prisoner, including the squadron of Scots Greys together with their commanding officer Roberts, adjutant and 84 men of the Lincolnshire regiment. ^{[2] [3]} The remainder of the British retreated to Pretoria. ^[4]

Aftermath

British field Marshal Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts censured the commanding officers (COs) of the Scots Greys (Col. Alexander) and Lincolns (Col. Roberts), the latter of whom had surrendered to De la Rey at Silkaatsnek and was not present at the Board of Enquiry held on 14 July in Pretoria. Col. Roberts was reprimanded for 'failure to adopt ordinary precautions' and Col. Alexander for 'want of military appreciation of the position' and failing to give assistance. ^{[2] [1]}

Second Battle of Silkaatsnek, 2 August 1900

The lesser-known Second Battle of Silkaatsnek was an engagement at the same location fought on August 2, 1900, when Lt Gen Ian S.M. Hamilton and his troops attacked the Pretoria West Commando holding the pass under Kommandant Coetzee, in command since De la Rey left. The British infantry forces of 7.600 men led by general Hamilton attacked from the south and the cavalry of 1700 mounted men, led by brigadier general B. T. Mahon, from the north in a pincer movement, so that the diminished garrison of 300 to 400 Boer burghers had to retreat leaving their wagons behind. Kommandant Coetzee was among the killed Boers, but remaining troops escaped to the north. ^{[8] [9] [10]}

See also

• List of battles in the Second Boer War

References

1. Pakenham, Boer War, 1979.
2. Copley, I.B. (June 1993). "The Battle of Silkaatsnek - 11 July 1900". Military History Journal. 9 (3). The South African Military History Society. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Krygshistoriese Vereniging. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
3. azyeoman (14 September 2018). "72665 GNR E.W. Pearcey P Bty. RHA PoW 11/7/1900 Uitval Nek". angloboerwar.com. David Biggins. Retrieved November 28, 2024. It was early the next morning at dawn on 11 July 1900, that these troops were then fired upon from two unoccupied peaks above the pass. The Boer burghers, under Assistant Commandant-General J.H. de la Rey, then charged the guns and captured them in their position at Uitval Nek, another name for Silkaats Nek, it being named after a farm located just to the south of the pass. Then by late afternoon the entire pass had been taken by the Boers. The squadron of Scots Greys together with the commanding officer, adjutant and 84 men of the Lincolnshire Regiment, along with all the surviving men of the artillery, were taken prisoner, and British losses numbered 24 killed and 44 wounded, and 198 taken prisoner, with Pearcey among that latter number.
4. Carruthers, Vincent (May 27, 2022). "A Short History of the Battles of Silkaatsnek". theheritageportal.co.za. The Heritage Portal, South Africa's history and heritage website. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
5. "Silkaatsnek – First battle. South African Battle: 11 July 1900". battletoursza.com. Battle Tours ZA 2019. 2019. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
6. Milne, Rob (2024). "The First Battle of Silkaats Nek". robmilne.com. Robert Milne. Retrieved November 28, 2024. This was the opening battle of the Guerrilla War waged by the Boers in the Magaliesberg – the first of four simultaneous attacks co-ordinated by Generals de la Rey and Botha.
7. Shaw, John (October 1999). "Dwarsvlei, a Highveld farm: Forgotten battlefield of the Anglo-Boer War". Military History Journal. 11 (3/4). The South African Military History Society. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Krygshistoriese Vereniging. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
8. Copley, Ian B. (December 1995). "The Second Battle of Silkaatsnek 2 August 1900". Military History Journal. 10 (2). The South African Military History Society. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Krygshistoriese Vereniging. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
9. Copley, Ian B. (21 February 2016), "The Second Battle of Silkaatsnek 2 August 1900", saartillery.wordpress.com, SA Artillery. Military Defense Security Intelligence Politics, retrieved October 30, 2024
10. Milne, Rob (9 May 2021), "The Second Battle of Silkaats Nek", robmilne.com, Rob Milne Tours, retrieved November 28, 2024 2nd August 1900

Literature

• Breytenbach, J. H. (1996). Die beleg van Mafeking tot met die Slag van Bergendal [The siege of Mafeking up to the Battle of Bergendal]. Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899–1902 (in Afrikaans). Vol. VI. Pretoria: Die Staatsdrukker. pp. 256–261. ISBN   9780797033214. OCLC   813492747.
• Copley, I.B. (June 1993). "The Battle of Silkaatsnek - 11 July 1900". Military History Journal. 9 (3). The South African Military History Society. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Krygshistoriese Vereniging. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
• Copley, Ian B. (December 1995). "The Second Battle of Silkaatsnek 2 August 1900". Military History Journal. 10 (2). The South African Military History Society. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Krygshistoriese Vereniging. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
• Pakenham, Thomas (1979). The Boer War . London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. pp. 448, 472. ISBN   029777395X. OCLC   905293995.

External links

• Zilkaats Nek (R511) - Mountain Passes of South Africa on YouTube. Video duration 1m 52s. Uploader Mountain Passes South Africa, September 2015. View of Zilkaats Nek mountain pass on the R511 road from the air and the road.