STAGES OF THE ANGLO BOER WAR TAKEN FROM WWW.ANGLOBOERWAR.COM Stage 1 - Boer Offensive The Boers Republics declared war on Britain on 11th October 1899. At first, the Boer republican fighters were successful in three major offensives. Their commandos invaded northern Natal and besieged the town of Ladysmith, invaded Cape Colony to lay siege to the British garrisons in Kimberley and Mafeking. While the British did achieve some tactical victories at Talana and Elandslaagte, there were serious defeats for the British at Stormberg, Magersfontein and Colenso which became known as 'Black Week' (10th - 15th December 1899). Stage 2 - British Response With heavy reinforcements and the assumption of overall command by Lord Roberts with Lord Kitchener as his Chief of Staff, the British turned the situation around. Imperial troops eventually relieved the besieged towns of Ladysmith (28th February 1900), Kimberley (15 February 1900) and Mafeking (18th May 1900). On 13th March 1900 Roberts occupied Bloemfontein, the capital of the Orange Free State, and on 28th May the province was annexed and renamed the Orange River Colony. On 31st May, British troops entered Johannesburg and, on 5th June, Pretoria was taken. The Transvaal was annexed on 1st September 1900. To many it seemed that the war was over. At the end of November, Roberts made a triumphal return to England. Stage 3 - Guerrilla War Under the leadership of Louis Botha, Christiaan de Wet, Jan Smuts and de la Rey, the Boers abandoned the British style of warfare and increased their reliance on small and mobile military units. The mobility of these units enabled them to capture supplies, disrupt communications and undertake raids on the army of occupation. They were very successful in evading capture. In response, the British embarked on a scorched earth policy to deny supplies to the fighters.
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STAGES OF THE ANGLO BOER WAR TAKEN FROM WWW.ANGLOBOERWAR.COM
Stage 1 - Boer Offensive The Boers Republics declared war on Britain on 11th October 1899. At first, the Boer republican fighters were successful in three major offensives. Their commandos invaded northern Natal and besieged the town of Ladysmith, invaded Cape Colony to lay siege to the British garrisons in Kimberley and Mafeking. While the British did achieve some tactical victories at Talana and Elandslaagte, there were serious defeats for the British at Stormberg, Magersfontein and Colenso which became known as 'Black Week' (10th - 15th December 1899).
Stage 2 - British Response With heavy reinforcements and the assumption of overall command by Lord Roberts with Lord Kitchener as his Chief of Staff, the British turned the situation around. Imperial troops eventually relieved the besieged towns of Ladysmith (28th February 1900), Kimberley (15 February 1900) and Mafeking (18th May 1900). On 13th March 1900 Roberts occupied Bloemfontein, the capital of the Orange Free State, and on 28th May the province was annexed and renamed the Orange River Colony. On 31st May, British troops entered Johannesburg and, on 5th June, Pretoria was taken. The Transvaal was annexed on 1st September 1900. To many it seemed that the war was over. At the end of November, Roberts made a triumphal return to England.
Stage 3 - Guerrilla War Under the leadership of Louis Botha, Christiaan de Wet, Jan Smuts and de la Rey, the Boers abandoned the British style of warfare and increased their reliance on small and mobile military units. The mobility of these units enabled them to capture supplies, disrupt communications and undertake raids on the army of occupation. They were very successful in evading capture. In response, the British embarked on a scorched earth policy to deny supplies to the fighters.
CHRONOLOGY OF THE ANGLO BOER WAR TAKEN FROM WWW.ANGLOBOERWAR.COM AND WWW.PAPERSPAST.NATLIB.GOVT.NZ
1899OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER
11th ‐ Time fixed by Boers' ultimatum expires at 17h00
13th ‐ Boers attack and derail British armoured train
14th ‐ Boers march on Kimberley and Mafeking
14th ‐ Mafeking Siege begins
14th ‐ Kimberley isolated (Siege begins)
20th ‐ Talana Hill captured by British under Gen. Penn‐Symons
21st ‐ Boers routed at Elandslaagte 22nd ‐ Yule retires from Dundee to Ladysmith
28th ‐ Annexation of Orange Free State 31st ‐ British flag hoisted at Johannesburg 31st ‐ Surrender of Gen. Colvile 13th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry to Gen. Piet de Wet at Lindley
Pretoria rail link) and stops rail traffic for 3 weeks
11th ‐ Fight at Allemans Nek
12th ‐ Boers evacuate Laings Nek 12th ‐ Roberts defeats Botha at Diamond Hill
14th ‐ Boer attack on Sand River repulsed
JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER 4th ‐ Roberts and Buller join hands at Vlakfontein
11th ‐ Boer commandos attack capture most of the Scots Greys and Lincolns at Uitval Nek
21st ‐ Advance towards Komati Poort begins
30th ‐ Surrender of Prinsloo and 3,000 Boers to Hunter in Brandwater basin
16th ‐ Eland's River garrison relieved 26th / 27th ‐ Fighting at Dalmanutha
30th ‐ Nooigedacht occupied and 2,000 prisoners released
6th ‐ Buller occupies Lydenburg 13th ‐ Proclamation issued by Roberts calling on burghers to surrender
13th ‐ French occupies Barberton 25th ‐ British force occupies Komati Poort
OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 9th ‐ De Wet driven across the Vaal
24th ‐ Buller leaves Cape Town for England 25th ‐ Formal annexation of ZAR
6th ‐ De Wet defeated at Bothaville
23rd ‐ Garrison at Dewetsdorp captured by De Wet
29th ‐ Lord Kitchener takes supreme command
5th ‐ De Wet’s attempt to enter Cape Colony frustrated by Knox
11th ‐ Roberts leaves Cape Town for England
13th ‐ Clements defeated by De la Rey at Nooitgedacht
13th ‐ Brabant's Horse attacked at Zastron (four killed, 16 wounded and 120 taken prisoner)
14th ‐ De Wet and Steyn escape through Sprinkaan’s Pass
16th to 20th ‐ Boer raid into Cape Colony 28th ‐ De Wet fails to break back into Cape Colony
29th ‐ Major Stapleton Cotton of The King's Regiment (Liverpool) surrenders at Helvetia
1901JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH
7th ‐ Boer attack on Belfast 18th – De la Rey's force defeated near Ventersburg
28th ‐ French enters Ermelo
28th ‐ Smith‐Dorrien repels Botha
28th ‐ Sweeping movement commences in S. E. Transvaal
10th ‐ De Wet enters Cape Colony
28th ‐ De Wet re‐crosses Orange River, having lost his guns
3rd ‐ Unsuccessful attack by De la Rey on Lichtenburg
22nd / 23rd ‐ Babington routs De la Rey at Ventersdorp
APRIL MAY JUNE 8th ‐ Plumer occupies Pietersburg
14th ‐ Rawlinson captures laager at Klerksdorp
29th – De la Rey defeated by Dixon at Vlakfontein.
2nd ‐ Kritzinger captures Jamestown, Cape Colony
6th ‐ Elliot captures De Wet's convoy near Reitz
12th – Victorian Mounted Rifles (Aus) routed by Boer commandoes near Wilmansrust
26th ‐ Boers attack blockhouses on Delagoa Railway
JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER 13th ‐ Broadwood surprises Reitz.‐Narrow escape of Steyn
6th ‐ Proclamation by Kitchener of banishment of Boer leaders taken in arms after Sept. 15
13th ‐ Kritzinger's commandos routed near Steynsburg by Col. Gorringe
17th ‐ Boer laager near Middelburg captured by S.A. Constabulary
5th ‐ Lotter's commando captured by Col. Scobell
10th ‐ Col. Crabbe routs Scheepers's commando at Laingsburg
17th ‐ Major Gough surprised near Utrecht.
17th ‐ Smuts’ commando surprises 17th Lancers at Elands River Poort
26th ‐ Botha's attack upon Forts Itala and Prospect, on Zululand Border, repulsed
30th – De la Rey's attack upon Kekewich's camp at Moedwill repulsed
OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 16th ‐ Rhenoster River blockhouse line attacked
20th ‐ Col. Dawkins captures three laagers, Nylstroom
22nd ‐ Col. Benson surprises laager near Klippoortjie
24th ‐ Kemp attacks Von Donop's convoy near Marico River
25th ‐ Major Damant disperses Boers near Villiersdorp
30th ‐ Col. Benson's column attacked at Brakenlaagte
1st – Col. Kekewich captures Van Albert's laager
7th ‐ Maritz attacks Piketberg
11th ‐ Major Pack Beresford, S.A.C., captures Du Toit's laager at Doornhoek
14th ‐ De Wet attacks Col. Byng near Heilbron
26th ‐ Gen. C. Knox captures Commandant Joubert
4th ‐ Gen. Bruce Hamilton captures laager near Ermelo
10th ‐ Bruce Hamilton captures Bethel commando
12th ‐ Bruce Hamilton captures Piet Viljoen's laager
20th ‐ Majors Damant's and Bridgeford's columns severely handled by Boers
23rd ‐ Kroonstad‐Lindley blockhouse line completed
24th ‐ De Wet captures Col. Firman's camp at Tweefontein
29th ‐ Bruce Hamilton captures Gen. Erasmus east of Ermelo
