Effectiveness in British army to meet challenges in South Africa Flashcards
Who was George Wyndham?
Under-secretary at the war office
What was declared by George Wyndham at the start of the Second Boer war?
That the British army was more efficient than at any time since the Battle of Waterloo in 1815
How did the army believe there was evidence of learning from previous wars?
- Cardwell reforms for organisation and recruitment.
- New breech loading field artillery and Maxim machine guns used in other colonial campaigns
What was the strength of the army at the start of the SBW?
250,000 regular soldiers with up to 70,000 of these in India
What did many soldiers still wear at the start of the SBW?
Traditional red uniforms but experience in the FBW, Sudan and India showed the value of the less conspicuous khaki
Where did most of the lower rank soldiers come from in the British army?
The working class, Ireland and Scotland as joining the army offered an escape from poverty and unemployment
What type of generals were sent to South Africa for the SBW?
Experienced Generals
Which experienced generals were sent to South Africa for the SBW?
Sir Redvers Buller, Lord Frederick Roberts and Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener
At first, by how many troops did the Boers outnumber the British in the Second Boer War?
Boers had 50,000 men and British had 27,000
How and when did the British fix the fact they were outnumbered by the Boers?
By 1st December 1899 they sent reinforcements and there were 84,000 British soldiers there
What did the Royal Navy escort the reinforcements sent by the British on 1/12/1899 with and where to?
Troops, horses and supplies to Cape town, the main port in Cape Colony
Why did the inland transportation of British reinforcements pose challenges?
Boers were used to ox-wagons and horses but the British did not know this territory so planned to use railways to move troops and supplies as part of an offensive
What did the British set up to control railways in the SBW?
A Department of Military Railways and a specialist unit of railway engineers to repair and extent the rail network
How did the British plan to use railways in the SBW?
Generals planned to use the railways in key towns to invade the Boer strongholds of Orange Free State and Transvaal
Why was the British plan to move men and supplies by rail vulnerable?
The Boers at first found it easy to block or cut the tracks and only land alternatives over vast areas were ox-wagons and horses
When did the British move to gain control of the railways in the Transvaal?
From May 1900
How did the British move to gain control of the railways in the Transvaal?
Took key stations and incorporated Boer lines into their own Imperial Military Railways
By September 1900, what lines did the British control?
The Boers’ line from Pretoria to Delagoa Bay
What was one of Kitchener’s main objectives in the latter stages of war in relation to railways?
To stop Boer raids on the railway system by fortifying stations and using armoured trains
What fighting experience did some Boers have?
Fighting Zulus and other Africans and British in 1880-81
What were most Boer farmers skilled in?
Hunting and trekking, used to riding across rugged country on horses and most could shoot
Who were the Boers’ only professional soldiers?
Artillery gunners with old field guns and modern German and French artillery
How did the Boers tend to use artillery?
Singly, rather than in groups and firing from concealed positions
How were Boers better at transport of supplies than the British at the start of the SBW?
They had local support to move supplies and seldom ran out of ammunition while the British at times struggled to keep troops supplied
What were the Boers most effective fighting units (especially later on)?
Mobile commandos
Mobile commandos
Bands of horsemen from a few dozen riders to several hundred. Commandos elected their officers who knew the country and could live off the land
What external support did the Boers have?
Afrikaans speakers in British ruled Natal and Cape Colony sympathised. Foreign backers included Germany and a few hundred foreign volunteers joined but countries were scared to risk Britains enmity
What was the attitude during the Second Boer War on the whole?
Mutual respect between the two sides with humane treatment of (white) prisoners. Though some Boers were scornful of the British, there was a grudging regard for each others fighting qualities
Why was the British attitude to this war tinged?
By the belief that Boers were pro-German, hostile to democracy and a barrier to British imperial ambitions
Who were main Boer Generals?
Christian de Wet and Louis Botha
How were the Boers Generals organisation and tactics overall?
They planned their own campaigns, assisted by expert guides to scout trails and river crossings
How were the British Generals organisation and tactics overall?
No general staff organisation, ill prepared and pored over inaccurate maps, pondering how to find and fight an enemy most knew little about
What was the main issue for the British in terms of their approach?
They had an outdated tactical approach
Which troops did the British send to South Africa?
Infantry, cavalry and artillery
How did the British traditionally use Infantry, cavalry and artillery?
Infantry had fought in lines, firing volleys into the mass of an enemy first pounded by artillery and scattered by cavalry
Which new guns did the British have and what were they like?
Lee Enfield rifles (1895), the fastest firing rifles in service, supported by horse-drawn artillery and machine guns
How did the Boers shatter the complacency of Britian’s approach in 1899?
By their siege attacks on key towns and in the ensuing early actions British infantry suffered losses in frontal attacks and neither cavalry nor artillery came up to expectations
Which three towns were sieged that made headlines for newspapers in Britain in the first weeks of war?
Ladysmith, Kimberly and Mafeking
Where did the Boers take their attacks whilst the British were waiting for reinforcements?
Attacked into Cape Colony and Natal, raiding the railway system to cut communications and isolate garrisons
When was Mafeking besieged?
13th October 1899
When was Kimberly besieged?
14th October 1899
When was Ladysmith besieged?
2nd November 1899
How did the Boers come across during besieging Mafeking, Kimberley and Ladysmith?
Showed themselves as capable of prolonged conventional warfare with artillery
How were reports of the sieges of Mafeking, Ladysmith and Kimberley received by the British?
With disbelief, gloom and anger, despite their questionable strategic value
Which was the most crucial of the three sieges by the Boers?
Ladysmith (Natal) in November 1899
Who surrounded Ladysmith during the siege?
General Piet Joubert and 35,000 Boers
How did the British commander, Sir George White respond to the siege of Ladysmith? Why was he criticised?
Set up a defensive perimeter and settled down for a siege but was later criticised for leaving the defences to junior officers with only the northern sector heavily fortified
What guns did the Boers use at Ladysmith?
French siege guns
What guns did the British use at Ladysmith?
Two 4.7 inch naval guns
What attempt did Boers make to assault Ladysmith?
Only one on the 6th January 1900, attacking the weaker southern sector but were driven back
Who led the British response to the sieges?
Sir Redvers Buller the new commander in chief
How did Sir Redvers Buller respond to the sieges?
Despatched relief columns to the besieged towns and others taken by Boers such as Stormberg.
What happened during Buller’s response to the sieges?
It was engulfed in disaster during 10-17 December 1899 with successive defeats. This was known as Black week
When was black week?
10-17 December
What successive defeats took place during Black Week?
Stormberg, Magersfontein, Colenso, Spion Kop
What was Buller’s plan prior to Black Week?
To advance along the railways to attack Boer Strongholds such as Bloemfontein
What was Buller’s plan during Black Week?
To split his force into three groups:
- Gatacre with 3000 to Stormberg
- Methuen with 10,000 to Kimberley and Mafeking
- Buller with 20,000 to Ladysmith
How did Gatacre’s force of 3000 men travel to Stormberg in Black week?
Travelled by train to within marching distance of Stormberg, a railway junction near the Orange Free State border on 10th December 1899
How did Gatacre’s attack fail?
Casualties were light but the British infantry was exposed to Boer rifle fire and retreated yet 500 were left and taken prisoner
How did Methuen and his 10,000 advance towards Kimberley and Mafeking ?
They were supposed to advance along the railway but was blocked by Boers led by Piet Cronje and Jacobus H de la Rey whose men were entrenched on the lower slopes of hill Magersfontein
How did Methuen and his force attack on the 11th December 1899?
It was not scouted properly and in darkness they blundered into wire and tin cans strung by Boers to give warning. When pinned down in daylight they were exposed to sun and enemy fire and then shelled from their own side
How many men did Methuen lose after withdrawing?
200 men
What did Buller do after hearing about Methuen and Gatacre at Stormberg, Mafeking and Ladysmith?
Spurred into action on 15th December 1899 and tried to cross the Tugela river to reach Ladysmith
Under who did the Boers defend river fords at Tulega to stop Buller’s force?
Louis Botha
How did Buller’s forces go into heavy Boer fire whilst trying to get to Ladysmith? (Colenso)
They didn’t know the local geography, were without maps and poorly guided so officers sent troops across the river in the wrong places
After Buller’s forces were accidentally led into heavy Boer fire whilst trying to get to Ladysmith, what happened? (Colenso)
An artillery battery was mistakenly deployed within rifle range, its gunners were shot down and though two guns were saved the casualties included Lord Robert’s son
How many did the British lose during Colenso?
143 dead, 756 wounded and 220 captured
How many did the Boers lose during Colenso?
8 dead and 30 wounded
After the set back of Colenso, what did Buller send to White?
Signalled by heliograph to Ladysmith telling White he had better surrender. White declined and held out for another ten and a half weeks.
What happened with British at the end of January 1900?
They crossed the Tulega river and Sir General Charles Warren attacked the Boers at Spion Kop (rocky hill beyond Ladysmith)
What mistaken position did the British infantry take at Spion Kop?
What they thought was the hilltop but when the morning mist cleared they were exposed to Boers firing from higher ground
What did poor communication at Spion Kop result in?
Some men being told to defend Spion Kop while others withdrew so there were heavy losses before the British pulled back across the Tulega River on 24th Jan
How many casualties were there at Spion Kop and how many dead?
1350 casualties with234 dead
What did Black Week cause in Britain?
Indignation as the succession of defeats, casualties, sieges and inability to relieve towns led to demands for change
When was Lord Roberts appointed commander in chief?
In December, arriving in South Africa
Who was Lord Roberts second-in-command?
Kitchener
What did Buller attempt on 14th Feb 1900?
In a subordinate role in Natal he tried to relieve Ladysmith
How did the British force the Boers to withdraw on Feb 14th 1900?
Using pontoon bridges to cross the Tulega and with artillery bombardment
How and when did the siege on Ladysmith end?
On 28th Feb 1900 Buller’s troops marched into Ladysmith ending the 118-day siege
What type of town was Kimberley? (garrison and supplies?)
A diamond-mining town with a garrison of 5000 and enough supplies to resist 7500 Boers.
What did Lord Roberts do on the 10th February 1900 in relation to Kimberley?
Took personal command of the relief force and set out with 40,000 men using superior numbers to push back the Boers
How and when did the siege on Kimberley end?
On the 15th Feb 1900 after using superior numbers to push the Boers back, Sir John French’s cavalry fought through to Kimberly to lift the 124 day siege
How was Mafekings garrison?
Had the smallest one
Who was in command of 1200 men against 7000 Boers in Mafeking?
Colonel Robert Baden Powell
What tactics did Colonel Robert Baden Powell use at Mafeking?
Fake landmines, dummy guns and moving real cannons around defences to pretend he had more. Armed 300 Africans as messengers and sent an armoured train to attack the Boer camp.
How did the British hope to make Mafeking surrender?
Hoped to starve them into it and tried an assault only when the British relief force was approaching
Who defeated Boer raiders on the 12th May 1900?
By the garrison and African fighters
When did the relief force under Colonel Mahon lift the siege on Mafeking?
On the 17th May 1900 after 217 days
What was the overall effect of the sieges on Britain?
A shock to confidence, changing public opinion about war to negative but also gave them time to reinforce
