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Battle of Spion Kop
Part of Second Boer War

Boers at Spion Kop, 1900. See also First Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The Second Boer War ( Dutch: Tweede Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans:
Date 23-24 January 1900
Location 28°38′60″S 29°30′59″E / -28.65, 29.51639 (Battle of Spionkop)Coordinates: 28°38′60″S 29°30′59″E / -28.65, 29.51639 (Battle of Spionkop)
Spioenkop, 38 km west-south-west of Ladysmith
Result Boer victory
Belligerents
British Army Boers
Commanders
Sir Redvers Buller
Charles Warren
Edward Woodgate †
Neville Lyttelton
Alexander Thorneycroft		 Flag of Transvaal Louis Botha
Flag of Transvaal Schalk Willem Burger
Strength
20,000
36 field guns		 8,000
Casualties and losses
1,500[1] 335[1]

The Battle of Spion Kop (Dutch: Slag bij Spionkop; Afrikaans: Slag van Spioenkop) was fought about 38 km (21 miles) west-south-west of Ladysmith on the hilltop of Spioenkop(1) along the Tugela River, Natal in South Africa. Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled Year 1900 ( MCM) was an exceptional Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand Ladysmith (2001 pop 225452 is a town on the banks of the Klip River, (stone river, in the uThukela District The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. Boer (ˈbuːr in Dutch ˈbʊɚ/ /boʊɚ or /ˈbɔr/ in English is the Dutch word for Farmer which came to denote the descendants of the proto Afrikaans General Sir Redvers Henry Buller VC GCB GCMG ( 7 December 1839 &ndash 2 June 1908) was a British General Sir Charles Warren, GCMG, KCB, FRS ( 7 February 1840 &ndash 21 January 1927) was an officer in the Major General Sir Edward Woodgate, KCMG, CB, was a British Army Officer Killed in action ( KIA or K I A) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces by other General Sir Neville Gerald Lyttelton GCB, GCVO ( 28 October 1845 - 6 July 1931) was a British Army Officer Louis Botha (27 September 1862 &ndash 27 August 1919 was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa —the forerunner of the modern Schalk Willem Burger (1852– 5 December 1918) was a South African military leader who served as acting President of the South African Republic Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Afrikaans is an Indo-European language, derived from 17th century Dutch and classified as Low Franconian Germanic, mainly spoken in The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Ladysmith (2001 pop 225452 is a town on the banks of the Klip River, (stone river, in the uThukela District Note Tugela redirects here For the Australian racehorse named after the river see Tugela (horse. KwaZulu-Natal (kwɑːˌzuːluː nəˈtɑːl often referred to as " KZN " is a province of South Africa. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The battle was fought between Boer and British forces from 23-24 January 1900 as part of the Second Boer War, and resulted in a famous British defeat. Boer (ˈbuːr in Dutch ˈbʊɚ/ /boʊɚ or /ˈbɔr/ in English is the Dutch word for Farmer which came to denote the descendants of the proto Afrikaans The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled Year 1900 ( MCM) was an exceptional Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar See also First Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The Second Boer War ( Dutch: Tweede Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans:

Contents

Planning and crossing the Tugela

General Sir Redvers Buller, VC, commander of the British forces in Natal, was attempting to relieve a British force besieged in Ladysmith. General Sir Redvers Henry Buller VC GCB GCMG ( 7 December 1839 &ndash 2 June 1908) was a British See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since The Boers under General Louis Botha held the Tugela River against him. Louis Botha (27 September 1862 &ndash 27 August 1919 was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa —the forerunner of the modern Note Tugela redirects here For the Australian racehorse named after the river see Tugela (horse. Although Botha's men were outnumbered, they were mostly equipped with modern Mauser rifles and up-to-date field guns, and had carefully entrenched their positions. Mauser is the common name of a German arms manufacturer maker of a line of Bolt-action Rifles from the 1870s to present In late December, 1899, Buller made a frontal assault on the Boer positions at the Battle of Colenso. Events in December Union Day of Romania (1 December World AIDS Day ( December 1) National Day of Year 1899 ( MDCCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Battle of Colenso is the third and final of the battles fought during the Black Week of the Boer War The result was a heavy British defeat.

Over the next few weeks, Buller received further reinforcements, and also acquired sufficient carts and transport to operate away from the railway line which was his main supply line. Buller devised a new plan of attack to relieve Ladysmith. His army was to launch a two-pronged offensive designed to cross the Tugela River at two points and create a bridgehead. Note Tugela redirects here For the Australian racehorse named after the river see Tugela (horse. [2] They would then attack the defensive line that blocked Buller's advance to Ladysmith. The Siege of Ladysmith was a protracted engagement in the Second Boer War, taking place between 30 October 1899 and 28 February 1900 The area was only 20 miles (32 km) from Ladysmith. Buller delegated control of his main force to General Sir Charles Warren who was to cross at trikhardt's drift. General Sir Charles Warren, GCMG, KCB, FRS ( 7 February 1840 &ndash 21 January 1927) was an officer in the Buller would then send a second smaller force, under Major General Neville Lyttelton to attack east of Warrens force as a diversion at Potgieters drift. General Sir Neville Gerald Lyttelton GCB, GCVO ( 28 October 1845 - 6 July 1931) was a British Army Officer Once across the Tugela the British would attack the Boer defensive positions and then cross the open plains to relieve Ladysmith.

Warren's force numbered 11,000 infantry, 2,200 cavalry, and 36 field guns. [3] On the 23rd Warren and his forces marched westward to cross the Tugela. However their march was easily visible to the Boers, and so slow that by the time they arrived at the Tugela, the Boers had entrenched a new position covering it. Warren sent part of an infantry division under Lieutenant General Francis Clery against the Boer right flank positions on a plateau named Tabanyama. The Boers had once again entrenched a new position on the reverse slopes of the plateau, and Clery's attack made no progress. Meanwhile the secondary British attack lead by Lyttelton at Potgieters drift had yet to commence in full. [4]

The Kop

Spion Kop
Spion Kop

Spion Kop, just north east of Warrens force, was the largest hill in the region, being over 1,400 feet (430 m) in height. It formed a major bastion of the Boers' capture this position and bring artillery to the hill then they would command the flanks and surrounding Boer positions. [4] On the night of 23 January, Warren sent the larger part of his force under Major General Edward Woodgate to secure Spion Kop. Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Major General Sir Edward Woodgate, KCMG, CB, was a British Army Officer Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Thorneycroft was selected to spearhead the initial assault.

The British climbed up the hill at night and in dense mist. [5] They surprised the smaller Boer piquet around 15 men and drove them off the Kop at bayonet point. Of the 15 men in the piquet, one was mortally wounded and his grave lies on the hill till this day. A small number of British Sappers began to entrench the position (whilst almost 1,000 soldiers stood around idle) and Major General Woodgate communicated with General Warren of the success of taking the hilltop. [6]

Dead British soldiers lying in trenches at Spion Kop; photographed by a Boer after the battle
Dead British soldiers lying in trenches at Spion Kop; photographed by a Boer after the battle

With the dawn of the new day the British discovered that they had the smaller and lower part of the hilltop of Spion Kop, while the Boers occupied higher ground on three sides of the British position. The British had no direct knowledge of the topography of the summit and the darkness and fog had compounded the problem. To make matters worse, the British trenches were inadequate for all defensive purposes. Because the summit of the kop was mostly hard rock, the trenches were at most 40cm deep and provided an exceptionally poor defensive position - the British infantry in the trenches could not see over the crest of the plateau and the Boers were able to fire down the length of the crescent-shaped trench from the adjacent peaks.

The Boer Generals were not unduly concerned by the news that the British had taken the Kop. They knew that their artillery on Tabanyama could be brought to bear on the British position and that rifle fire could be brought to bear from parts of the Kop not yet occupied by the British. Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine However, the Boer Generals also knew that sniping and artillery alone would not be sufficient to dislodge the British - and the Boer position was desperately vulnerable. If the British immediately established positions on Conical Hill and Aloe Knoll (the two unoccupied kojes on the kop itself) they could bring their artillery to bear on Tabanyama, threatening the key Boer positions there. More importantly, there was a risk that the British would storm Twin Peaks (Drielingkoppe) to the eastern end of Spion Kop. And if Twin Peaks fell, the British would be able to turn the Boers' left flank and annihilate the main Boer encampment. The Boer Generals realised that Spion Kop would have to be stormed, and stormed soon, if disaster were to be averted.

British soldiers lie dead on the battlefield after the Battle of Spion Kop, 24th January, 1900
British soldiers lie dead on the battlefield after the Battle of Spion Kop, 24th January, 1900

The Boers began to bombard the British position, dropping shells from the adjacent plateau of Tabanyama at a rate of ten rounds per minute. Meanwhile, Commandant Henrik Prinsloo of the Carolina Commando rose to the challenge of taking Aloe Knoll and Conical Hill with some 88 men while around 300 Burghers, mainly of the Pretoria Commando, climbed the Kop to launch a frontal assault on the British position. The British Lee-Metford and Lee-Enfield Rifles were no less deadly that the Boer Mausers however, and the frontal assault ended in a bloody repulse. The Lee-Metford Rifle (aka Magazine Lee-Metford, abbreviated MLM) was a breech-loading British army service rifle combining James The Lee-Enfield Bolt-action, magazine-fed Repeating rifle was the main firearm used by the military forces of the British Empire / Commonwealth For the band The Rifles see The Rifles (band. For the novel by William T Mauser is the common name of a German arms manufacturer maker of a line of Bolt-action Rifles from the 1870s to present

A kind of stalemate now settled over the Kop. The Boers had failed to drive the British off the Kop but the surviving men of the Pretoria and Carolina Commando now held a firing line on Aloe Knoll from where they could enfilade the British position and the British were now under sustained bombardment from the Boer artillery. The British had failed to exploit their initial success and the initiative now passed to the Boers.

Spion Kop (South Africa)
Spion Kop
Spion Kop
Battle of Spion Kop

Morale began to sag on both sides as the extreme heat, exhaustion and thirst took hold. On one hand the Boers on the Kop could see large numbers of Burghers on the plains below who refused to join the fight. The sense of betrayal, the bloody failure of the frontal assault, the indiscipline inherent in a civilian army and the apparent security of the British position proved too much for some. They began to abandon their hard-won positions. On the other hand the bombardment began to take its toll on the British. Major General Woodgate fell mortally wounded. Three more senior British Officers fell in quick succession. Officers and men from different units were intermingled, and the British were now leaderless, confused and pinned down.

By mid-morning, for both sides the question was: Could the Officers rally the troops and prevent a wholesale surrender?

Colonel Malby Crofton took charge and asked for reinforcements. Warren had already dispatched two further regular battalions and the Imperial Light Infantry (raised in Durban) were on their way up to the firing line. Durban (eThekwini is the third most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the EThekwini metropolitan municipality. Warren refused to launch an attack on Tabanyama and barred his guns from firing on Aloe Knoll, believing this to be part of the British position. Thorneycroft now replaced Crofton as commander on the Kop.

A dead Boer sniper
A dead Boer sniper

Winston Churchill was a journalist stationed in South Africa and he had also been commissioned as a Lieutenant in the South African Light Horse by General Buller during the Boer War after his well-publicised escape from Boer captivity. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 Churchill acted as a courier to and from Spion Kop and General Buller's HQ and made a statement about the scene: "Corpses lay here and there. Many of the wounds were of a horrible nature. The splinters and fragments of the shells had torn and mutilated them. The shallow trenches were choked with dead and wounded. "

At this point the situation proved too much for the Lancashire Fusiliers who attempted to surrender to the Boers. The Lancashire Fusiliers was a British Infantry Regiment that was amalgamated with other Fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal Thorneycroft personally intervened and ordered his men back. A vicious point-blank firefight ensued but the British line had been saved. At this crucial point, two battalions sent by Lyttelton from Potgieters's drift attacked and took Twin Peaks.

The aftermath

British Memorial at the battle-site
British Memorial at the battle-site

The Boers were shattered by the loss of Twin Peaks and abandoned the Kop as darkness fell. Unknown to Thorneycroft, the battle was as good as won. But Thorneycroft's nerve was also shattered. After sixteen hours on the Kop doing the job of a Brigadier General, he ordered a retreat after reporting that the soldiers had no water, and ammunition was running short. At the same time, Buller sent Lyttelton strict orders to recall his troops from Twin Peaks.

When morning came, the Boer Generals were astonished to see two Burghers on the top of Spion Kop, waving their slouch-hats in triumph. The only British on the Kop were the dead and the dying.

The British suffered 243 fatalities during the battle, many were buried in the trenches where they fell. Approximately 1,250 British were either wounded or captured. The Boers suffered 335 casualties of which 68 were dead. Commandant Prinsloo Commando suffered a loss of 55 out of his 88 men.

The British retreated back over the Tugela but the Boers were too weak to follow up their success. Buller managed to rally his troops; Ladysmith would be taken by the British later in the war.

Note about the name

Although the common English name for the battle is Spion Kop throughout the Commonwealth and its historic literature, the official South African English and Afrikaans name for the battle is Spioenkop, which is in common use in South Africa and is the correct English spelling of the borrowed Afrikaans name; spioen means "spy" or "look-out", and kop means "hill" or "outcropping". English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Another variant that is sometimes found is the combination into Spionkop.

The name Spionkop originates from Dutch instead of Afrikaans. Spion (and not Spioen) is the Dutch word for "spy". Until the 1920s Dutch was still the official language of the Boers, especially in its written form.

Miscellaneous

See also

References

  1. ^ a b The Battle of Spion Kop. The military history of South Africa chronicles a vast time period and complex events from the dawn of history until the present time See also First Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The Second Boer War ( Dutch: Tweede Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans: British Battles. Retrieved on 2008-05-31. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt.
  2. ^ Thomas Pakenham, The Boer War, p. 281 - 283
  3. ^ Thomas Pakenham, The Boer War, p. 282
  4. ^ a b Thomas Pakenham, The Boer War, p. 284
  5. ^ Thomas Pakenham, The Boer War, p. 286
  6. ^ Thomas Pakenham, The Boer War, p. 288

Sources

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