home Anglo-Boer-War >> next << back
Military History – South Africa – Europe – England 19th Century
.Article – Online Historic Information | Military
.Page 150
D. J. E. Erasmus and the Free State men had taken positions on Pepworth Hill to the north-east
and General Lucas Meyer had taken the hills beyond the Modder Spruit to the east. The Boer embrace
was closing in on Ladysmith.
White knew he had to take offensive action and, protecting his flanks at Nicholson’s Nek and
Lombard’s Kop, he sent a force against the Boers holding Pepworth Hill. The eastern flank was badly
mauled by Meyer and the northern flank by Steenkamp, who took over 950 prisoners, and the
operation as a whole failed dismally. The day, 30 October, became known as Mournful Monday. The
Boer “Long Tom”, the 155mm Creusot, was located on Pepworth Hill and started firing into town to
the peril of soldiers and civilians alike. White had been worried about his lack of heavy guns and
telegraphed Rear Admiral Sir Robert Harris at the British naval base at Simonstown, near Cape
Town, on 25 October. As a result Mournful Monday was cheered by the arrival of men from HMS
Powerfulwith three naval 12-pounder guns on hastily constructed carriages and two 4.7-inch guns
with static mountings devised by Captain Percy Scott. Civilians were sending wives and children
southwards and the last supplies were coming in to Ladysmith as the Boers closed round the town.
General French and Colonel Douglas Haig escaped to do more useful work on the last train out on
Thursday, 2 November.
Spirits were high for a while within the besieged town. A truce was arranged to allow the
British to move the hospital from buildings around the Town Hall out to a camp at Intombi, where No.
12 Field Hospital was installed, uncomfortably, in tents. The British established gun positions on the
hills immediately surrounding the town and fortified the Platrand, the long, flat-topped hill about oneand-a-half miles (2.4km) south of the Klip River on the southern edge of town. Sorties were made to
attack Gun Hill on the night of 7–8 December and Bell’s Kop three days later, when Boer guns were
put out of action. A major Boer attack was made on the Platrand on 6 January 1900. It was defeated,
but only after bitter fighting and heavy losses on both sides.
Morale within the town declined as the new year wore on. The heliograph provided
communication with the relieving force under Buller, but with each reverse he suffered depression
grew. Enteric (typhoid) fever killed 393 of the garrison while 170 of them died at the hands of the
enemy. Food ran short and the horses were slaughtered in order to feed the people. Luxuries such as
whisky commanded huge prices. By late February, however, Buller had engaged the Boers in the
succession of actions that comprised the Battle of the Tugela Heights. On the evening of 27 February
the first riders reached the town and the British arrived in force the next day to lift the siege.
See also:
Elandslaagte, Battle of; Lombard’s Kop, Action at; Nicholson’s Nek, Action at; Platrand, Battle
of; Rietfontein, Action at; Talana, Battle of.
Reference:
Baker, Anthony, Battles & Battlefields of the Anglo-Boer War, 1899–1902
home
Anglo-Boer-War
>> next
<< back
Critical USA/EU Defense Intel Item / Threat Reporting Issue (Urgent for USA/NATO/German attention)
US/EU Investment & Security Risk – GBP Crash – ponzi ‘Rainbow Investment scheme ‘ – SEC insider Trading investigation
Additional Intel Details & Forecast(1 Year & 5 Year):
Industry : US & EU Defense
9/11 Attackers & Financiers : England(Prince Philip/Charles & Windsors)/Russia/China
Finance Source (9/11) : Diamonds via Anglo America plc / De Beers extracted SA & Namibia (ex German SWA) – Marketed China USA
Attack Co – Ordinators (9/11) : England -Windsors / Privy Council (UK)
Intelligence Intrusion Mgt/Blowback Suppression (9/11) : UK/England (MI5 & GCHQ – rainbow moles – Erik Ciaramella types )
Proxy Attack team(9/11) : Muslim “rainbow team” (non Christian) led by Mohammed Atta etc
Latest Defense Threat/Opportunity USA : Mi5/GCHQ “intel mole Erik Ciaramella unmasked” attempts to smear President Trump and enable corrupted $400million package to Ukraine
Latest Download Details :